OPERATING SYSTEM FOR BLOCKCHAIN IOT DEVICES

• US 20190158470A1
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Published: 05/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nchain Licensing AG (Nchain Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nchain Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Wright, Craig Steven, Savanah, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 11,128,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/065 using e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/085 Secret sharing or secret splitting, e.g. threshold schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

The invention provides a generic operating system for coordinating, controlling and/or influencing the activities of a device. The invention is implemented using a blockchain platform with which the operating system is arranged to interact. The blockchain may be the Bitcoin blockchain. In a preferred embodiment, the device is an Internet of Things (IOT) device. The invention provides a computer-implemented control system and corresponding method for controlling a device, the system comprising a device configured for wireless communication with a network and having an IP address and a public-private key cryptographic key pair associated with the device; a software-implemented control component arranged to monitor the state of a blockchain network and/or transmit blockchain Transactions to the blockchain network; and a set of instructions arranged for execution by the control component to control the functionality of the device. The control component is arranged to access the set of instructions from a stored location which is separate to the device. The instructions may be stored in a Distributed Hash Table (DHT) and accessed for download and installation by the control component from the DHT as and when needed. The location of the DHT and/or instructions may be indicated or provided using metadata provided within a blockchain transaction. The set of instructions may be accessed by the control component using a look-up key which is related to a cryptographic key pair. The control component is provided on or in the device, or in other embodiments can be provided in an off-device location and arranged for wireless communication with the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented control system for controlling a device, the system comprising:

a device configured for communication with a network and having an IP address and a public-private key cryptographic key pair associated with the device;

a software-implemented control component arranged to monitor the state of a blockchain network and/or transmit blockchain Transactions to the blockchain network;

wherein the control component is arranged to access a set of instructions from a stored location which is separate to the device; and

the set of instructions arranged for execution by the control component to control the functionality of the device;

wherein the set of instructions is stored in a Distributed Hash Table (DHT) and accessed for download and installation by the control component from the DHT, and the location of the DHT is indicated or provided using metadata provided within a blockchain transaction.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control component is arranged to receive an input signal from an input source, and wherein the input source is:

a further device; and

/or

a computer-based resource or agent.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the set of instructions is accessed by the control component using a look-up key which is related to a cryptographic key pair.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control component is provided on or in the device.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control component is provided in an off-device location and arranged for wireless communication with the device.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control component is arranged to:

perform cryptographic calculations;

access its associated private/public key pair;

have an associated Bitcoin or other blockchain-related address;

operate the device via an API; and

perform secret sharing protocol operations.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the control component is arranged to influence or control the activities of the device based upon detection of a valid blockchain transaction.

8. A computer-implemented control method for controlling a device, the method comprising the steps:

providing a device configured for wireless communication with a network and having an IP address and a public-private key cryptographic key pair associated with the device;

providing a software-implemented control component arranged to monitor the state of a blockchain network and/or transmit blockchain Transactions to the blockchain network; and

providing a set of instructions arranged for execution by the control component to control the functionality of the device;

wherein;

i) the control component is arranged to access the set of instructions from a stored location which is separate to the device;

ii) the set of instructions is stored in a Distributed Hash Table (DHT) and accessed for download and installation by the control component from the DHT; and

iii) the location of the DHT is indicated or provided using metadata provided within a blockchain transaction.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the control component is arranged to receive an input signal from an input source, and wherein the input source is:

a further device; and

/or

a computer-based resource or agent.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the set of instructions is accessed by the control component using a look-up key which is related to a cryptographic key pair.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the control component is provided on or in the device.

12. A method according to claim 8 wherein the control component is provided in an off-device location and arranged for wireless communication with the device.

13. A method according to claim 8 wherein the control component is arranged to:

perform cryptographic calculations;

access its associated private/public key pair;

have an associated Bitcoin or other blockchain-related address;

operate the device via an API; and

perform secret sharing protocol operations.

14. A method according to claim 8 wherein the control component is arranged to influence or control the activities of the device based upon detection of a valid blockchain transaction.