Centralized Ledger Timestamping via Trust Authority
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blockchain-based distributed ledger systems face challenges in efficiently managing transactions due to the need for consensus processes, which are time-consuming and costly, and lack immutability and reliability in data storage.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain-based centralized ledger system that integrates trust timestamp information from an independent trust time server, eliminating the need for consensus processes and enhancing the immutability, reliability, and credibility of stored data by using a central trusted authority and cryptographic verifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If distributed ledger systems use consensus processes to validate transactions, then data reliability and trustworthiness are improved, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a timestamp authority as an intermediary service that provides trusted timestamps to blockchain transactions. Instead of requiring all nodes to perform consensus validation, the timestamp authority acts as a mediator that issues verified timestamps, which are then anchored to blockchain blocks. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining data reliability through the trusted timestamp authority while eliminating the time-consuming consensus process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the validation function by separating timestamp validation from blockchain consensus. The timestamp authority independently validates and issues timestamps, while the blockchain merely anchors these pre-validated timestamps to blocks. This segmentation allows the consensus process to be simplified or eliminated, as the heavy validation work is done separately by the timestamp authority.
2Reliability
If distributed ledger systems implement consensus processes, then data trustworthiness is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The timestamp authority serves as a centralized intermediary that handles the complex validation and trust establishment functions. By externalizing these functions to a dedicated timestamp authority service, the blockchain system itself becomes simpler, as it only needs to anchor timestamps rather than perform complex consensus validation internally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the consensus and validation functionality from the blockchain system and places it in a separate timestamp authority service. This extraction simplifies the blockchain system by removing the complex consensus mechanisms while maintaining trustworthiness through the independent timestamp authority that issues verified timestamps.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional relational databases are used for audit trails, then ease of implementation is improved, but immutability and verification capability are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of traditional databases and blockchain technology. It uses a centralized ledger system that can be implemented like a traditional database for ease of implementation, while incorporating blockchain-like immutability through cryptographic hashing and chaining of records. The system combines the simplicity of conventional database structures with the immutable, verifiable characteristics of distributed ledgers.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for managing blockchain-based centralized ledger systems. One of the methods includes: transmitting a timestamp request for a to-be-timestamped block in a blockchain to a trust time server by a ledger server in a centralized ledger system that stores data in the blockchain, the trust time server being associated with a trust time authority and independent from the centralized ledger system, the blockchain including a plurality of blocks storing transaction data, receiving a timestamp and associated signature for the to-be-timestamped block from the trust time server by the ledger server, and storing information of the timestamp and the associated signature for the to-be-timestamped block in the blockchain by the ledger server.