US 12,346,902 B2
Rewarded puzzle solution
Ying Chan, Cambridge (GB); Dean Kramer, London (GB); and Craig Steven Wright, London (GB)
Assigned to NCHAIN LICENSING AG, Zug (CH)
Appl. No. 16/638,706
Filed by nChain Licensing AG, Zug (CH)
PCT Filed Aug. 13, 2018, PCT No. PCT/IB2018/056088
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 12, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/034984, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1713084 (GB), filed on Aug. 15, 2017; and application No. 1713086 (GB), filed on Aug. 15, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0219097 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/40 (2012.01); G06F 16/23 (2019.01); G06Q 10/10 (2023.01); G06Q 20/06 (2012.01); G06Q 20/36 (2012.01); G06Q 20/38 (2012.01); H04L 9/00 (2022.01); H04L 9/06 (2006.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01)
CPC G06Q 20/401 (2013.01) [G06F 16/2379 (2019.01); G06Q 10/10 (2013.01); G06Q 20/065 (2013.01); G06Q 20/0658 (2013.01); G06Q 20/3674 (2013.01); G06Q 20/3827 (2013.01); H04L 9/0637 (2013.01); H04L 9/0643 (2013.01); H04L 9/0662 (2013.01); H04L 9/3247 (2013.01); G06Q 2220/00 (2013.01); H04L 9/50 (2022.05)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
validating, at a node in a blockchain network, a first transaction that includes a puzzle, wherein validation of the first transaction is processed by hardware of the node, wherein the puzzle is a set of operation codes comprising a proof of work function in a locking script of the first transaction, wherein the first transaction is associated with a digital asset, and wherein a solution to the puzzle is indeterminable at a time of the validation of the first transaction;
generating, at least in part by validating a second transaction created to transfer control of the digital asset associated with the first transaction, a pseudo random number that is based at least in part on the solution included in the second transaction, wherein the solution:
is derived at least in part from a header of a future block on or after a specified time in the blockchain network, wherein the header was indeterminable at the time that the first transaction was successfully validated;
solves the puzzle of the first transaction; and
is used at least in part to derive a seed to a pseudorandom number generation algorithm in the locking script of the first transaction;
after the validation of the first transaction, receiving, as input to the locking script of the first transaction, the solution to the puzzle generated at least in part as a result of validating the second transaction; and
as a result of execution of the set of operation codes in the locking script with the solution as input, transferring control of the digital asset based at least in part on the pseudorandom number.