QR Code Authenticity via Distributed Ledger Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of QR codes has led to increased malicious activity, with users facing challenges in authenticating the authenticity of URLs encoded in these codes, as manual verification is difficult and prone to human error, and existing solutions require manual intervention, making it hard to detect malicious URLs or malware without additional safeguards.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a distributed ledger with a consensus mechanism and digital signatures to authenticate machine-readable codes, ensuring that only trusted nodes can create and verify the authenticity of QR codes, thereby preventing malicious URLs or malware from being processed by scanning devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual verification of QR code URLs is performed, then user awareness of malicious codes improves, but verification difficulty and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-verification where the scanning device automatically checks the authenticity of QR code URLs against a distributed ledger without requiring manual user intervention. The device serves itself by automatically detecting, verifying, and blocking malicious codes while allowing legitimate ones to function normally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical verification processes with automated digital verification using distributed ledger technology. Instead of humans manually checking URLs, the system uses automated cryptographic verification against a blockchain-like distributed ledger to determine code authenticity.
2Productivity
If automated verification systems are implemented, then verification speed improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a distributed ledger as an intermediary between the QR code scanning device and the URL verification process. This intermediary layer handles the complex cryptographic verification and blockchain queries, allowing the scanning device to remain relatively simple while achieving automated fast verification through the intermediary's processing power.
3Measurement precision
If manual URL checking is required, then authentication accuracy improves, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification actions automatically when a QR code is scanned. Before the user needs to access the URL, the system proactively checks the distributed ledger to verify authenticity, preventing time-consuming manual checks later and blocking malicious codes before they can cause harm.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods provide an end-to-end system for claiming and sharing non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”). A machine-readable code (“MRC”) may be scanned and validated. Validating the MRC may ensure that instructions encoded in the MRC do not include malware. Validating the MRC may include validating a digital signature encoded in the scanned MRC. Validating the MRC may include locating a record stored on a distributed ledger that corresponds to the scanned MRC. After validating the instructions, processing the encoded instructions may trigger distribution of an NFT to the scanning device. The distributed NFT may be visualized on a webpage or used to gain access to a restricted venue.