Smart Contract Evidence Disclosure Timing Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing distributed ledger systems face challenges in controlling the timing of evidence disclosure between organizations in a non-centralized manner, which is essential for transparent and appropriate evidence collection and totaling across organizations.

Innovation Solution

The proposed evidence management method utilizes a smart contract in a distributed ledger system that refers to information made open to the public in a public area, related to evidence held in a private area of each organization. Upon meeting a given condition, the smart contract executes a process to make the evidence open to the public, allowing for controlled disclosure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If evidence is made open to the public immediately, then transparency of evidence handling is improved, but the ability to control disclosure timing is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransparency of evidence handlingVSAvoidcontrol of disclosure timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The smart contract is configured in advance with predetermined conditions for evidence disclosure. The contract automatically evaluates these conditions and executes disclosure only when they are met, enabling both transparency and controlled timing without requiring real-time manual decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If evidence is kept in private area for control, then disclosure timing control is improved, but transparency of evidence handling deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol of disclosure timingVSAvoidtransparency of evidence handling

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The smart contract continuously monitors the state of evidence and automatically executes disclosure when predetermined conditions are met. This automated feedback mechanism ensures transparency through automatic execution while maintaining control through pre-configured conditions, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If centralized organization manages evidence disclosure, then control of disclosure timing is improved, but the non-centralized nature of distributed ledger system is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol of disclosure timingVSAvoidcentralized management structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The smart contract autonomously manages evidence disclosure by automatically evaluating predetermined conditions and executing disclosure decisions without external intervention. This self-service capability enables controlled timing while preserving the non-centralized nature of the distributed ledger system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Extent of automation

If evidence disclosure is automated through smart contract, then non-centralized control is improved, but the complexity of smart contract configuration increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomated evidence disclosureVSAvoidsmart contract configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The smart contract is configured in advance with all necessary disclosure conditions and parameters. This preliminary configuration enables automated execution without requiring complex real-time decision-making logic, simplifying the automation process while maintaining control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12333621B2Evidence management method, evidence management system, and node

Publication Date: 2025.06.17 HITACHI LTD

AI summary

In a distributed ledger system including nodes of a plurality of organizations, a smart contract of a distributed ledger node of each of the organizations refers to information made open to the public in a public area, the information being related to an evidence held in a private area of each of the plurality of organizations, and in response to a trigger event of the information's meeting a given condition, executes a process of making the evidence open to the public in the public area, the evidence being held in the private area of an organization to which the smart contract belongs.