Blockchain Recordkeeping for Vending Terminal Theft Evidence
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Solution Overview
Problem
In self-service retail stores and vending machines, incidents such as malicious damage and goods theft often occur, making it difficult to find evidence and compensate merchants for losses due to the lack of effective recordkeeping systems.
Innovation Solution
A blockchain-based recordkeeping method where a self-service vending terminal acts as a node in a distributed database, obtaining and recording identification information and purchase live stream data, generating transactions based on this information, and sending them to a blockchain for verification and storage, ensuring the authenticity and security of records through a consensus mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional recordkeeping systems are used in self-service retail stores, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of recordkeeping is insufficient due to lack of tamper-proof mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces blockchain technology as an intermediary layer between the self-service vending terminal and the recordkeeping system. The terminal generates transactions that are then verified and stored on the blockchain network, where consensus mechanisms ensure tamper-proof recording. This intermediary blockchain layer provides the required reliability without requiring the terminal itself to become complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: the self-service vending terminal that generates transactions, the blockchain network that verifies and stores transactions, and the distributed nodes that maintain the ledger. This segmentation allows each component to remain relatively simple while the collective system achieves high reliability through the blockchain's consensus mechanism.
2Reliability
If blockchain-based recordkeeping is implemented, then reliability and tamper-proof capability are improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The self-service vending terminal autonomously generates transactions and interacts with the blockchain network without requiring manual intervention or complex local verification mechanisms. The terminal simply performs the self-service function of creating and broadcasting transactions, while the blockchain network handles the complex verification and consensus processes automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The blockchain network serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a distributed database, a verification system, a consensus mechanism, and a tamper-proof storage solution. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex systems and allows the terminal to interact with a unified platform that handles all reliability-critical operations.
3Measurement precision
If detailed purchase live stream data is recorded on blockchain, then measurement precision and forensic capability are improved, but loss of time for data processing and storage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing complete high-resolution video live stream data on the blockchain, the system captures essential purchase record information (copies of critical data points) such as transaction details, product information, and verification data. This copying approach maintains measurement precision for forensic purposes while dramatically reducing the time and storage requirements compared to storing entire video streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the necessary purchase record data from the live stream footage and stores this extracted information on the blockchain. By taking out only the essential elements (transaction timestamps, product IDs, purchase amounts, verification data) rather than storing the complete video data, the system achieves high measurement precision for forensics while minimizing data processing time and storage overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more embodiments of the application provide a method and apparatus for blockchain-based recordkeeping, which are applicable to a self-service vending terminal. The self-service vending terminal is a node of a blockchain. The method includes: obtaining first record information, wherein the first record information is generated based on identification information of a target buyer; receiving second record information, wherein the second record information is generated based on purchase live stream data associated with the target buyer; generating a target transaction based on the first record information and the second record information; and sending the target transaction to a distributed database of a blockchain, for the target transaction to be recorded in the distributed database of the blockchain in response to the target transaction being verified by nodes of the blockchain based on a consensus.