Verifiable Credential Linkages for Delegation Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack the ability to link or establish relationships between verifiable credentials of different users, preventing the delegation of authority or rights from one user to another.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a verifiable credential management system that utilizes decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and blockchain technology to create, manage, and verify delegation relationships between verifiable credentials, allowing one entity to delegate authority or rights to another.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If verifiable credentials are used to store user information, then user privacy and control are improved, but the ability to establish relationships and delegate authority between users is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds relationship information within the verifiable credential structure itself. The credential contains both the user's personal attributes and their relationship links to other users, creating a nested structure where relationships are contained within the credential rather than existing as separate external references. This allows relationship capabilities to be integrated into the privacy-preserving credential format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces relationship identifiers and linkage mechanisms that act as intermediaries between users. These intermediaries enable users to establish and verify relationships without directly exposing each other's full personal information, maintaining privacy while enabling relationship functionality through controlled information disclosure.
2Ease of operation
If traditional verification systems are used, then relationship verification is possible, but user control over their own data and delegation capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables users to create, manage, and share their own verifiable credentials without requiring centralized system intervention. Users can independently define their attributes, establish relationships with other users, and control who accesses their information, transforming the verification process into a user-driven self-service model that maintains both ease of operation and data control.
3Measurement precision
If verifiable credentials contain comprehensive user information, then verification capability is improved, but the complexity of managing relationships and delegations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments relationship information into distinct, manageable components within the verifiable credential structure. Relationship data is organized as separate claims and links that can be independently verified and managed, reducing the complexity of handling comprehensive user information by breaking it down into discrete, processable units.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are approaches for managing verifiable credential linkages or relationships. An exemplary system of the present disclosure comprises a computing device comprising a processor and a memory; and machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to at least: receive a request from a user device of a first user to issue a delegation verifiable credential that indicates that the first user has a delegation relationship with a second user; request confirmation from the second user of the delegation relationship with the first user; after receiving confirmation, issue a new verifiable credential for the first user, wherein the new verifiable credential includes a delegation attribute value that describes the delegation relationship between the first user and the second user; and transmit the new verifiable credential to the user device of the first user. Other systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums are also presented.