Decentralized Supply Chain Network for Food Traceability

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Solution Overview

Problem

The food supply chain faces inefficiencies due to unstructured and unstandardized information exchange between stakeholders, leading to higher food waste, longer distribution paths, system opacity, and higher prices, primarily because of human-managed relationships and monopolistic behavior among a few companies.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized digital supply chain network connects all participants using a cryptographic blockchain and a crowd-sourced database (Wiki) to standardize information and decentralize trust, employing Web 3.0 protocols and token-based incentives for data contributions and transactions, which are recorded on a blockchain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If human-managed relationships and centralized database systems are used in the food supply chain, then ease of operation and established trust mechanisms are maintained, but information remains unstandardized, leading to system opacity, higher food waste, and monopolistic behavior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation standardizationVSAvoiddecentralized network architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a blockchain intermediary layer that mediates between food supply chain stakeholders. This blockchain acts as a neutral, decentralized mediator that standardizes information exchange without requiring trust in any single human-managed relationship or centralized authority, thereby reducing information loss while managing complexity through established cryptographic protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The blockchain network serves multiple functions simultaneously: it standardizes data formats, provides immutable recording of transactions, enables transparent tracking, and creates a decentralized trust mechanism. This multi-functionality addresses information standardization needs while avoiding the complexity of implementing separate systems for each function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a decentralized blockchain network is implemented, then transparency and trust are improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransparency and trustVSAvoidblockchain network implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the blockchain implementation into distinct layers: the immutable blockchain ledger for trust and transparency, and a separate crowd-sourced wiki database for flexible information storage. This segmentation allows the reliability benefits of blockchain to be realized while containing implementation complexity by allowing each layer to be optimized independently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If crowd-sourced wiki database is used, then information accessibility and collaboration are improved, but data accuracy and reliability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation accessibilityVSAvoiddata accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the crowd-sourced wiki database with the blockchain network, where the wiki provides adaptable, accessible information that can be easily modified by stakeholders, while the blockchain provides an immutable record of changes and validations. This combination allows the wiki's versatility to be maintained while the blockchain ensures data accuracy through cryptographic verification of all modifications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20230094849A1Distributed cryptographic network integrated with crowd-sourced database

Publication Date: 2023.03.30 CUT & DRY INC

AI summary

A platform that connects a crowd-sourced database (e.g., a Wiki) with a cryptographic blockchain. The crowd-sourced database is a repository of information that is generated and edited by a community of users. Example data in the database includes description or attributes of a set of objects. The cryptographic blockchain interfaces with the crowd-sourced database for purposes of establishing a dictionary of sorts of objects that are logistically tracked (e.g., how many of an object, when a quantity of the object moves from one physical location to another, the physical location of each quantity of the object, costs associated with shifts of the object). Supplying data to the crowd-sourced database and the logistics tracking of items mints new cryptographic tokens. Extracting data from the crowd-sourced database or logistics tracking burns cryptographic tokens.