Autonomous devices

• US 10,693,632 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemini IP LLC (IPNav)
• Original Assignee: Winklevoss IP LLC
• Inventors: Winklevoss, Cameron Howard, Winklevoss, Tyler Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truvan, Leynna
• Application Number:
  US16/178,988
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

Autonomous devices and systems, methods, and program products for authorizing and performing autonomous devices transactions are disclosed. An autonomous device can be configured to generate a first hash value of a chain of hash values by applying a hash algorithm to first data including first new data and a first previous hash value of the chain of hash values, the first previous hash value computed by applying the hash algorithm to first previous data. The device can transmit to a transaction computer system the first hash value and the first new data. The device can generate and transmit to the transaction computer system a first signed electronic transaction request comprising first transaction data comprising a sending account identifier associated with the autonomous device, a destination account identifier, a transaction amount, and a timestamp. The device can digitally sign the transaction request using a private key of an asymmetric key pair.

Claims

1. An autonomous device comprising:

(a) one or more processors;

(b) non-transitory computer-readable memory operatively connected to the one or more processors and having stored thereon computer-readable instructions to perform the steps of;

(i) storing, in a secure memory of the autonomous device, a device private key, where the device private key corresponds to a device public key;

(ii) receiving, at the autonomous device from a destination device, an electronic offer to provide at least one of goods and services in exchange for a transaction amount of digital assets, the electronic offer comprising a destination account identifier associated with a receiving account of the destination device;

(iii) generating, by the autonomous device, a transaction message with instructions to transfer the transaction amount of digital assets from the autonomous device account associated with the autonomous device to the receiving account, wherein the transaction message includes a digital signature of the autonomous device based on the device private key;

(iv) publishing, by the autonomous device, the transaction message to a plurality of geographically distributed computer systems that maintain a distributed transaction ledger associated with the digital asset in the form of a blockchain;

wherein the transaction is executed by the plurality of geographically distributed computer systems and the distributed ledger is updated to reflect the transfer of the transaction amount of digital assets from the autonomous device account to the receiving account associated with the destination device.

2. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the device public key is also linked to an authorized user of a digital asset exchange.

3. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the autonomous device account is a first sub-account subordinate to a master digital account and the master digital asset account is associated with a particular owner and authorized user of a digital asset exchange.

4. The autonomous device of claim 3, wherein the transaction is performed in accordance with first transaction rules that are unique to the autonomous device account.

5. The autonomous device of claim 4, wherein the first transaction rules are associated with the master account and apply to a plurality of sub-accounts subordinate to the master account including the first sub-account.

6. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the autonomous device is an autonomous vehicle and the goods exchanged for the transaction amount of digital assets include fuel for the autonomous vehicle.

7. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the autonomous device is an autonomous vehicle and goods exchanged for the transaction amount of digital assets include electricity for the autonomous vehicle.

8. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the autonomous device is an autonomous vehicle and the transaction amount of digital assets is associated with a toll.

9. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the autonomous device is an appliance and the services exchanged for the transaction amount of digital assets include at least one of maintenance and repair of the appliance.

10. The autonomous device of claim 1, wherein the publishing step is performed via a communication system associated with a transaction computer system included in the autonomous device.

11. A method comprising:

(a) storing, by a first autonomous device, in a secure memory of the autonomous device, a device private key, where the device private key corresponds to a device public key;

(b) receiving, at the autonomous device, from a destination device, an electronic offer to provide at least one of goods and services to the first autonomous device in exchange for a transaction amount of digital assets, the electronic offer comprising a destination account identifier associated with a receiving account of the destination device;

(c) generating, by the autonomous device, a transaction message with instructions to transfer the transaction amount of digital assets from an autonomous device account associated with the first autonomous device, to the receiving account, wherein the transaction message includes a digital signature of the autonomous device based on the device private key;

(d) publishing, by the first autonomous device, the transaction message to a plurality of geographically distributed computer systems that maintain a distributed transaction ledger associated with the digital asset in the form of a blockchain;

wherein the transaction is executed by the plurality of geographically distributed computer systems and the distributed ledger is updated to reflect the transfer of the transaction amount of digital assets from the autonomous device account to the receiving account associated with the destination device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transaction is performed in accordance with first transaction rules unique to the autonomous device account.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the autonomous device account is a first sub-account subordinate to a master digital account and the first transaction rules are associated with the master digital account and apply to a plurality of sub-accounts subordinate to the master digital account including the first sub-account.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, from the first autonomous device to an electronic address associated with the destination account identifier, an electronic indication of an identity associated with the first autonomous device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic indication of the identity associated with the first autonomous device comprises an identification of an owner of the master account.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first autonomous device is an autonomous vehicle and the goods exchanged for the transaction amount of digital assets include fuel for the autonomous vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first autonomous device is an autonomous vehicle and the goods exchanged for the transaction amount of digital assets include electricity for the autonomous vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first autonomous device is an autonomous vehicle and the transaction amount of digital assets is associated with a cost of a toll.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first autonomous device is an appliance and services exchanged for the transaction amount of digital assets include at least one of maintenance and repair of the appliance.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the publishing step is performed via a communication system associated with a transaction computer system included in the first autonomous device.