# US 2023/0410102 A1 · Blockchain

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- Number: US 2023/0410102 A1
- Document ID: US20230410102A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/031,385
- Filed: 2021-10-12
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-12
- Assignees: Cambridge Cryptographic Ltd
- Applicants: Cambridge Cryptographic Ltd
- Inventors: John FLETCHER; Ying CHAN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230410102A1

## CPC

- G06Q 20/389: {Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction}
- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- H04L 9/3263: {involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- G06Q 2220/00: Business processing using cryptography
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

There is described a computer-implemented method of outputting a transmission to a second node of a blockchain, the method being performed by a first node of the blockchain, the method comprising: determining a computational power devoted by a further node to a blockchain; determining, based on the determined computational power, a parameter relating to: the influence of the further node on a consensus mechanism of the blockchain; and/or a reward for the further node; and outputting a transmission to the second node of the blockchain in dependence on the parameter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method of outputting a transmission to a second node of a blockchain, the method being performed by a first node of the blockchain, the method comprising:
determining a computational power devoted by a further node to a blockchain;
determining, based on the determined computational power, a parameter relating to:
the influence of the further node on a consensus mechanism of the blockchain; and/or
a reward for the further node; and
outputting a transmission to the second node of the blockchain in dependence on the parameter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the devoted computational power relates to one or more of:
a computational power devoted over a plurality of blocks of the blockchain;
an average devoted computational power and/or a moving average devoted computational power.

### Claim 3

(canceled)

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the devoted computational power relates to one or more of:
an instantaneous devoted computational power;
a current devoted computational power; and
a historic devoted computational power.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining a parameter comprises determining a weighting for a contribution to the building of consensus for the further node.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the computational power devoted to the blockchain by the further node comprises the identification of one or more proofs for a cryptographic problem.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein determining the computational power devoted to the blockchain by the further node comprises determining a difficulty of the proof(s), wherein the parameter is dependent on the difficulty.

### Claim 8

The method of wherein determining the computational power devoted to the blockchain by the further node comprises one or more of:
the identification of shares held by the further node relating to the solution of a cryptographic problem;
the identification of a share verification contract (SVC);
the determination of a hash rate of the further node; and
the determination of the number of previous blocks proposed by the further node.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is dependent on a deposit held by the further node in relation to the blockchain.

### Claim 10

(canceled)

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a reward for the addition of a block to the blockchain is dependent on one or more of:
the determined parameter;
a deposit held by the further node in relation to the blockchain;
a deposit held by other nodes in relation to the blockchain;
the computational power devoted by the further node to the blockchain; and
the computational power devoted by other nodes to the blockchain.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is dependent on two factors: the devoted computational power; and a deposit held by the further node in relation to the blockchain.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
the parameter is maximised when a value relating to the two factors is equal; and/or
the parameter is dependent on one or more of:
a minimum value of the two factors, and/or
a linear function relating to the two factors; and/or
the proportion of a factor held by the future node as compared to the proportion of the factor held by other nodes to the blockchain.

### Claim 14

(canceled)

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is dependent on a certificate held by the further node, wherein the certificate:
is associated with the computational power devoted to the blockchain by a different node; and/or
is associated with a deposit held by a/the different node, the deposit relating to the blockchain; and/or
is transferable; and/or
has a finite lifespan; and/or
, more preferably wherein the certificate is valid for a finite number of blocks.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is dependent on the activity of the further node on a further blockchain.

### Claim 17

(canceled)

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the blockchain uses a proof of stake sybil-defence mechanism and/or the further blockchain uses a proof of work sybil-defence mechanism.

### Claim at position 19

-28. (canceled)

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The method of wherein claim 1, the parameter is dependent on a certificate held by the further node, wherein the certificate is associated with activity on the blockchain and/or the further blockchain of a different node.

### Claim 30

(canceled)

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein
determining the parameter comprises one or more of:
determining an eligibility to be selected to participate of the further node in the addition of a block to the blockchain;
determining a probability of selection to participate of the further node in the addition of a block to the blockchain;
determining a maximum degree of active participation of the further node in the addition of a block to the blockchain; and
determining a reward for the further node, the reward relating to the addition of the block to the blockchain.

### Claim at position 23

-34. (canceled)

### Claim 35 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the further node as a participant in the addition of the block to the blockchain.

### Claim at position 25

-40. (canceled)

### Claim 41 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein outputting a transmission comprises one or more of:
adding a block to the blockchain;
transmitting a message to one or more nodes of the blockchain;
validating and/or signing a block of the blockchain; and
transmitting a block of the blockchain to one or more nodes of the blockchain.

### Claim 42

(canceled)

### Claim 43

A computer-implemented method of configuring a blockchain, such that a node of the blockchain is arranged to and/or required to:
determine a computational power devoted by a further node to a blockchain;
determine, based on the determined computational power, a parameter relating to:
the influence of the further node on a consensus mechanism of the blockchain; and/or
a reward for the further node; and
output a transmission to the second node of the blockchain in dependence on the parameter.

### Claim 44

A computer-implemented method of outputting a transmission to a second node of a public consensus network, the method being performed by a first node of the public consensus network, the method comprising:
determining a computational power devoted by a further node to a public consensus network;
determining, based on the determined computational power, a parameter relating to:
the influence of the further node on a consensus mechanism of the public consensus network; and/or
a reward for the further node; and
outputting a transmission to the second node of the public consensus network in dependence on the parameter.

### Claim at position 30

-56. (canceled)