Product Object Story Structure for Secure Lifecycle Traceability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems fail to provide end consumers with comprehensive, online access to information across the entire delivery chain of a product, leading to inefficiencies and mistrust in business processes due to inadequate information management and security.

Innovation Solution

A secure, distributed computing system that maintains and shares information about a product's lifecycle across various actors, using an object story data structure stored in networked nodes, allowing customized access to claims and evidence through authenticated computing devices, enabling bi-directional business intelligence and secure data management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If information about a product is stored within various database systems and structures, then information can be maintained across different actors in the supply chain, but inefficiencies and insecurities arise in generating, storing, accessing, and maintaining this information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation securityVSAvoidinformation management efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple distributed database systems into a unified blockchain ledger that all supply chain actors share. This single source of truth eliminates the inefficiencies of maintaining separate databases while preserving security through cryptographic verification. The blockchain structure combines the benefits of distributed storage with centralized consistency, resolving the contradiction between security and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The blockchain system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stores product information, verifies authenticity through cryptographic proofs, enables traceability across the supply chain, and provides a secure audit trail. This multi-functional platform replaces multiple separate systems, improving overall information management efficiency while maintaining high security standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If end consumers are provided with comprehensive access to product information across the delivery chain, then trust in business processes increases, but system complexity and access control requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsumer trustVSAvoidsystem access control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blockchain acts as an intermediary layer between the complex supply chain data and the consumer. It provides a simplified interface where consumers can verify product authenticity and traceability without needing to understand or navigate the underlying complexity of multiple database systems. The cryptographic proofs and immutable ledger provide trust transparently, masking the system's inherent complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates simplified copies or representations of complex supply chain data that are suitable for consumer verification. Instead of exposing the full complexity of the distributed database architecture, the blockchain generates verifiable proofs and traceability records that consumers can easily access and validate, maintaining trust while hiding system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If a secure distributed computing system is used to maintain product lifecycle information, then information security and tamper-proof claims are achieved, but infrastructure complexity and implementation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoiddistributed system architecture
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blockchain system is designed to be self-organizing and self-verifying. Each node automatically validates transactions and maintains the ledger according to consensus rules without requiring centralized coordination or complex manual configuration. This self-service capability reduces implementation difficulty while maintaining the security and integrity benefits of a distributed architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical coordination mechanisms (such as centralized database management and manual security protocols) with cryptographic algorithms and automated consensus protocols. This substitution reduces infrastructure complexity by using mathematical proofs and automated verification instead of manual security management, while maintaining strong data integrity guarantees.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20230325753A1Product object story to track aspects of product lifecycle
Publication Date: 2023.10.12 PROVENANCE CHAIN NETWORK INC
  • US20230325753A1 patent drawing
  • US20230325753A1 patent drawing
  • US20230325753A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The present application relates to devices and components including apparatus, systems, and methods to provide object story data structures.