Metaverse Brand Authentication via Hash Pre-Image Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the metaverse, fraudulent brands and impersonators deceive users with fake products and misleading information, leading to purchases of fake products in the real world, necessitating a method to authenticate brands and their information.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that receives a hash of a branded product and a list of virtual IDs that interacted with the product in the metaverse, along with timestamps, and uses a hash pre-image to authenticate the brand, generating tokens for associated users and transmitting them to a server associated with the branded product.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If brands participate in metaverse events and interact with users, then user engagement and product promotion are improved, but the risk of fraudulent brands and impersonators increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrand participation in metaverseVSAvoidfraudulent activities

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a hash function as an intermediary mechanism between brands and users in the metaverse. The system generates a hash of the branded product and compares it with a hash pre-image to authenticate the brand. This intermediary verification process allows legitimate brands to participate in metaverse events while blocking fraudulent impersonators, thus resolving the contradiction between enabling brand participation and preventing fraud.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If manual authentication methods are used to verify brands, then fraud detection accuracy is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication accuracyVSAvoidverification time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual authentication mechanisms with an automated cryptographic verification system. Instead of human operators manually verifying brand identities, the system uses hash functions and pre-images to automatically authenticate brands. This substitution maintains high authentication accuracy while dramatically reducing verification time and eliminating manual operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If detailed user interaction data is collected in metaverse, then targeted marketing effectiveness is improved, but data privacy and security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemarketing effectivenessVSAvoiddata security risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential authentication information (hash of branded product and virtual ID interactions) from the metaverse data while leaving detailed user interaction data in the virtual environment. This extraction approach enables targeted marketing by identifying users who interacted with authenticated brands, while minimizing data security risks by not transferring or storing sensitive user information in the authentication system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250037163A1Automated brand authentication in metaverse

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A system, method, and computer program product are configured to receive a first hash along with time stamps, wherein the first hash comprises a hash of a branded product and a list of virtual identifications (IDs) which interacted with the branded product in a metaverse, and wherein each of the time stamps corresponds to the time of interaction between each of the virtual ID and the product; receive a hash pre-image; compare the hash pre-image with the first hash; retrieve a list of users associated with the virtual IDs of the first hash; generate tokens, respective ones of the tokens associated with respective ones of the users; and transmit the tokens to a server associated with the branded product.