Smart Contract Referencing to Reduce Blockchain Code Overhead

Solution Overview

Problem

Current blockchain technologies face inefficiencies in executing digital contracts due to the need to include programming code within the blockchain, which increases size and processing requirements, and lack a streamlined method for referencing and executing smart contracts.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves referencing a digital contract identifier and contractual parameters within the blockchain, allowing the actual execution to be offloaded to a contract server or network resource, thereby simplifying the blockchain and reducing its size and processing needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If extensive programming code is included within the blockchain for executing digital contracts, then the contract execution capability is improved, but the blockchain size and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontract execution capabilityVSAvoidblockchain size

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the programming code from the blockchain and stores it externally in a database or storage system. The blockchain only contains references (identifiers) to the code, separating the contract execution logic from the blockchain data structure. This reduces blockchain size while maintaining contract execution capability through external code retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (contract server or virtual machine) that retrieves and executes the programming code from external storage. This intermediary acts as a mediator between the blockchain references and the actual code execution, enabling contracts to run without embedding the full code in the blockchain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If extensive programming code is included within the blockchain for executing digital contracts, then the contract execution capability is improved, but the processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontract execution capabilityVSAvoidprocessing requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the programming code from the blockchain and stores it externally in a database or storage system. The blockchain only contains references (identifiers) to the code, separating the contract execution logic from the blockchain data structure. This reduces blockchain size while maintaining contract execution capability through external code retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (contract server or virtual machine) that retrieves and executes the programming code from external storage. This intermediary acts as a mediator between the blockchain references and the actual code execution, enabling contracts to run without embedding the full code in the blockchain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Volume of stationary object

If a streamlined method is used for referencing and executing smart contracts, then the blockchain size and processing needs are reduced, but the contract execution complexity may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblockchain sizeVSAvoidcontract execution complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (contract server or virtual machine) that retrieves and executes the programming code from external storage. This intermediary acts as a mediator between the blockchain references and the actual code execution, enabling contracts to run without embedding the full code in the blockchain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal contract execution environment that can handle various types of contracts through a standardized reference and execution mechanism. The same reference system works for different contract types, and the intermediary provides unified code retrieval and execution across all contracts, simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11348097B2Digital contracts in blockchain environments

Publication Date: 2022.05.31 INVENIAM CAPITAL PARTNERS INC

AI summary

Digital or “smart” contracts execute in a blockchain environment. Any entity (whether public or private) may specify a digital contract via a contract identifier in a blockchain. Because there may be many digital contracts offered as virtual services, the contract identifier uniquely identifies a particular digital contract offered by a virtual machine, vendor or supplier. The blockchain is thus not burdened with the programming code that is required to execute the digital contract. The blockchain need only include or specify the contract identifier (and perhaps one or more contractual parameters), thus greatly simplifying the blockchain and reducing its size (in bytes) and processing requirements.