Industrial Automation Blockchain for NFT Product Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial automation systems lack a secure and efficient method for verifying the authenticity and tracking the lifecycle of products, managing recalls, and ensuring compliance with smart contracts across multiple independent entities in a supply chain.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a blockchain-enabled system that mints non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for product authenticity and registers them on a blockchain, tracks production data, and enforces smart contracts to manage recalls and software installations, while segregating blockchain processing from primary control functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blockchain technology is integrated into industrial automation systems to verify product authenticity and track lifecycle, then reliability and trust are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blockchain network as an intermediary layer between industrial automation systems and supply chain entities. This mediator provides decentralized verification of product authenticity through NFTs and smart contracts, improving reliability without requiring direct integration complexity in each automation device. The blockchain acts as a trusted third party that coordinates authentication and tracking across multiple independent systems.
2Productivity
If smart contracts are used to manage recalls and enforce compliance across multiple entities, then productivity and efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements smart contracts that automatically execute recall management functions without human intervention. When product authenticity is verified or compromised, the smart contracts autonomously trigger recall procedures, notify relevant entities, and enforce compliance requirements. This self-service mechanism improves productivity by eliminating manual coordination while the standardized contract templates reduce implementation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures smart contracts with recall management logic and compliance rules before actual operations. Product authenticity verification rules, recall triggers, and enforcement mechanisms are established in advance through programmable smart contracts, enabling rapid response to issues without requiring complex real-time decision-making infrastructure.
3Measurement precision
If NFTs are minted for each product to track authenticity and lifecycle, then measurement precision of product tracking is improved, but loss of time in minting and registering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent mints NFTs at the moment of product creation or registration in the industrial automation system, rather than delaying authentication until later stages. This preliminary action ensures precise tracking from the origin point while the automated minting process, triggered by production events, minimizes time loss. The NFT is created and registered in the blockchain network as part of the standard product creation workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous tracking of product lifecycle through the NFT on the blockchain, with no interruptions or manual handoffs. The NFT serves as a persistent digital identifier that continuously records product status, location, and authenticity verification throughout its entire lifecycle, eliminating gaps in tracking and reducing overall time loss through automated updates.
Data Source
AI summary
Industrial blockchain enabled automation control (e.g., using a computerized tool) is enabled. For example, a system can comprise: a memory that stores executable components, a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising: a minting component that, based on a manufacturing criterion associated with a product being determined to be satisfied, mints a non-fungible token associated with the product, wherein the non-fungible token comprises authenticity data representative of a birth certificate for the product, and a blockchain component that registers the non-fungible token with a blockchain.