WO2022061599A1

WO2022061599A1 - Blockchain-based distributed internet of things instruction management method and system

Info

Publication number: WO2022061599A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/117183
Authority: WO
Inventors: 曲强; 乐格君
Original assignee: 中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院
Priority date: 2020-09-23
Filing date: 2020-09-23
Publication date: 2022-03-31

Abstract

A blockchain-based distributed Internet of Things instruction management method and system, the method comprising: connecting Internet of Things devices to a blockchain network, and configuring a blockchain account as an identification for each Internet of Things device; deploying operating instructions for the Internet of Things devices on the blockchain network by means of designing smart contracts; and generating a transaction data packet from data collected by the Internet of Things devices, using a private key to encrypt and digitally sign the transaction data packet, and storing same on the blockchain network after being verified by means of blockchain network consensus. The solution uses blockchain technology to perform distributed management of Internet of Things device instructions, which may achieve the collaboration and data exchange of departments, thus solving the single-point failure problem and improving safety.

Description

A method and system for distributed Internet of Things instruction management based on blockchain

technical field

The present invention relates to the technical field of the Internet of Things, and more particularly, to a distributed Internet of Things instruction management method and system based on a block chain.

Background technique

The Internet of Things (Internet of Things, referred to as IoT) is the "Internet of everything connected", which is an extension and expansion of the Internet based on the network. The Internet of Things connects various information sensing devices to form a huge network, and uses various information sensors, radio frequency identification technology, positioning system and other devices and technologies to collect environmental information in real time, and then transmit the environmental information data to a centralized server. Carry out data processing and data analysis, and issue instructions to each node in the network through the centralized server to control each sensor node and intelligent equipment.

Most of the traditional IoT devices rely on communication with the central server to complete data processing, device communication and command acceptance. Once the central server is breached, a large number of devices and services will be paralyzed, resulting in economic losses. In addition, the massive real-time data of the Internet of Things contains a large amount of heterogeneous information, which lacks identification and has low reliability.

At present, in most networks, even if two IoT devices are only a few meters apart, they cannot directly interact with each other and must rely on a central server for control, even if the central server is composed of several distributed computers, there are still A centralized management model, that is, it has a single point of failure. In addition, when most IoT systems build identities and permissions at this stage, manufacturers often choose default passwords, making the devices vulnerable to malware attacks. In addition, since there is no identity guarantee mechanism for data, the data received and sent by most IoT devices cannot be traced, and the data reliability is low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, and to provide a distributed Internet of Things instruction management method and system based on block chain, which is a new technology scheme for Internet of Things instruction management based on block chain technology design, which can Addresses single points of failure and improves security.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a distributed Internet of Things instruction management method based on blockchain. The method includes the following steps:

Connect IoT devices to the blockchain network, and configure a blockchain account as an identity for each IoT device;

Deploy the operation instructions for IoT devices on the blockchain network by designing smart contracts;

Generate transaction data packets from the data collected by IoT devices, encrypt and digitally sign the transaction data packets with private keys, and store them in the blockchain network after being verified by the blockchain network consensus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a distributed Internet of Things instruction management system based on blockchain is provided. The system includes a client application layer, an IoT device, and a blockchain platform. The client application layer, the IoT device, and the blockchain platform realize instruction management for IoT devices through information exchange, and will target the IoT devices. Operation instructions for networked devices, design smart contracts and deploy them on the blockchain network, generate transaction data packets from the data collected by the IoT devices, and encrypt and digitally sign the transaction data packets with the private key, which is verified by the blockchain network consensus and then stored in the blockchain network.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantage that, based on the blockchain technology, it provides a secure distributed IoT instruction management method, gives IoT devices independent identities, and ensures the security of IoT devices through mechanisms such as encryption algorithms and digital signatures. The data source is credible, and the collaboration of various departments and the exchange of data are realized through consensus algorithms and smart contracts, so as to solve the problem of single point of failure and improve the security of the system.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

1 is a schematic diagram of a distributed Internet of Things instruction management system based on blockchain according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the overall flow chart of the distributed Internet of Things instruction management method based on blockchain according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a flow chart of network access of an IoT device connected to a blockchain network according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flow chart of deploying an operation instruction for an IoT device as a smart contract of a blockchain network according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a flow chart of collecting environmental data by an IoT device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a flowchart of data signature and recording on the chain according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of issuing an operation instruction to an IoT device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

detailed description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the relative arrangement of components and steps, the numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention unless specifically stated otherwise.

The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of the specification.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be construed as illustrative only and not limiting. Accordingly, other instances of the exemplary embodiment may have different values.

It should be noted that like numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, so once an item is defined in one figure, it does not require further discussion in subsequent figures.

Blockchain technology, also known as distributed ledger technology, is a brand-new distributed infrastructure and computing generic. Blockchain technology uses block chain data structure to verify and store data, uses distributed node consensus algorithm to generate and update data, uses cryptography to ensure data transmission and access security, and uses smart contracts composed of automated script codes to generate and update data. Generate and manipulate data.

In short, in the present invention, after research and analysis, combined with the characteristics of blockchain technology and the Internet of Things, by connecting the Internet of Things devices distributed in different spaces to the blockchain system, the coordination and data of various departments are realized. exchange. The IoT device is given an independent identity (that is, a private key and public key pair, also known as a blockchain account), and the data generated by the IoT device is encrypted and stored on the chain through the asymmetric encryption module in the blockchain system. Use smart contract technology to manage the instructions of IoT devices, add IoT command operations by deploying smart contracts, and issue operating instructions to IoT devices by calling preset smart contracts. The invention aims at the management of the Internet of Things instruction, and gives the Internet of Things device a unique identity, verifiable data and information source through the blockchain technology, and improves the reliability of the data and the security of the Internet of Things instruction.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 , the blockchain-based distributed IoT instruction management system of this embodiment includes a client application layer, a blockchain platform and IoT devices, wherein the client application layer is connected to the IoT devices respectively. It has a communication connection with the blockchain platform, and the IoT device has a communication connection with the blockchain platform.

The client application layer is used to process the user's input or present data information to the user, so as to facilitate the user to use the system. For example, users can operate the system and perform instruction management on IoT devices. For another example, the client application layer can display information such as network status, historical usage, and big data analysis results to the user.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the client application layer is further subdivided into an interface layer, a business layer and an interface layer according to functions. The interface layer is used to provide users with a visual operation interface and display the analysis interface; the business layer is used to process the user's business operations, such as adding a new IoT command operation, that is, deploying a new smart contract and issuing operation commands for IoT devices , that is, calling smart contracts; the interface layer provides the client application layer with the interaction with IoT devices and blockchain platforms. The interface layer can read data on the chain from the blockchain platform, call smart contracts, deploy smart contracts, and also Environmental data can be obtained directly from IoT devices.

The blockchain platform provides blockchain ledger structure, network structure and security verification. Each participant in the blockchain network has a unique identity, that is, a private key and public key pair, also known as a blockchain account. Each data stored in the blockchain ledger contains the digital signature of the blockchain account as the source identifier, and it can only be recorded on the chain through the consensus of the whole network.

For example, the user identity in the blockchain can be represented by the public key or the account address generated from the public key (for example, the public key can be generated by a specific hash and encoding to generate the account address), and the public key and the private key appear in pairs , in which the private key is mastered by the user, and the public key or the above-mentioned account address can be freely published in the blockchain network.

The data stored in the blockchain ledger is only increased, and each new block can only be put on the chain after the consensus of the entire network, and the blockchain ledger is jointly maintained by the nodes of the entire network. Therefore, the data stored in the blockchain platform is tamper-proof. A series of operation instruction smart contracts are deployed in the blockchain network. When the preset conditions of the contract are met, the contract script will automatically run and issue operation instructions to the corresponding IoT devices. The deployment of smart contracts also needs to go through network node consensus.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the blockchain platform has a total of four layers, namely the contract layer, the network layer, the security layer and the storage layer.

The contract layer is responsible for managing and running smart contracts. For example, smart contracts are deployed and run in the blockchain network, and these smart contracts are responsible for the instruction management of IoT devices.

The network layer is responsible for the communication of network nodes. The blockchain network is a point-to-point distributed network. The nodes in the network can communicate with each other according to the system communication protocol. Different nodes can exchange data, cooperate with each other and work together.

The security layer is used to implement security mechanisms such as consensus algorithms and asymmetric encryption algorithms, and is responsible for ensuring the security and consistency of the blockchain ledger.

The storage layer is responsible for data storage on the chain, and the blockchain ledger data is a chain data structure. For example, each block of the blockchain includes a block header and a block body. The block header contains data used to connect previous blocks, indexed from the hash value of the parent block; timestamp; Nonce (random number), etc. The transaction information recorded by the block body is the task data carried by the block, such as the private keys of both parties to the transaction, the number of transactions, and the digital signatures corresponding to the transaction. The specific data structure of the block is not repeated here.

The IoT device is used to collect environmental data and sign and send it to the blockchain network. Each IoT device in the present invention has a unique identity, that is, a blockchain account, and the data signed by the account will have an identity. to ensure that the data source on the blockchain can be checked and trusted.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the IoT device includes four parts, which are a microprocessor, a data acquisition module, an encryption algorithm module and a communication module. The microprocessor is responsible for driving the entire IoT device, executing programs, and processing data; the data acquisition module is responsible for collecting environmental data; the encryption algorithm module is responsible for data encryption processing and data packet signature processing; the communication module is responsible for IoT device communication and block. Chain network interaction.

It should be noted that the IoT devices shown in FIG. 1 include but are not limited to devices such as smart home and smart wearable devices. For example, smart watches, smart air purifiers, sweeping robots, sensors, etc.

For ease of understanding, the following will take the overall process of the blockchain-based distributed IoT instruction management method as an example to introduce.

As shown in Figure 2, the overall process consists of five main parts, namely: new device access to the network, which is used to connect IoT devices to the blockchain network, and configure a blockchain account as an identity for each IoT device Identification; new instructions are used to deploy operation instructions for IoT devices in the blockchain network in the form of smart contracts; IoT devices collect environmental data; data signatures and records are uploaded to the chain to store the collected environmental data To the blockchain network; issue an instruction to the IoT device, which is used to determine whether to execute the corresponding smart contract in response to the operation instruction issued to the IoT network device.

In one embodiment, the process of adding a new device to the network is shown in FIG. 3 , including: initializing the IoT device; generating a public-private key pair; configuring the identity of the IoT device; and joining the block network. In this way, new IoT devices can be added to the blockchain network.

In one embodiment, the process of adding an instruction is shown in FIG. 4, including: adding a new instruction request by the client; generating a deployment contract transaction; performing consensus verification on the blockchain network; if the verification is passed, deploying a new smart contract, Otherwise discard. In this way, smart contracts for executing the newly added IoT operation instructions will be deployed on the blockchain network.

For example, the newly added operation command request specifically includes: client account, list of controlled IoT devices, command trigger conditions (such as ambient brightness lower than 5lux, temperature higher than 35 degrees Celsius, etc.), execution command content (such as turning on the LED lights of the device, buzzer alarm, etc.).

In one embodiment, the process of collecting environmental data by the IoT device is shown in FIG. 5 , including: collecting the environmental data by the IoT device; encrypting the collected environmental data with the private key and signing the data package; sent to the blockchain network. In this way, IoT devices collect environmental data and package it into transactions that are sent to the blockchain network for storage.

In one embodiment, the process of uploading data to the chain is shown in FIG. 6 , including: for the generated transaction, the blockchain network performs consensus verification. For example, specifically, a transaction data package is generated based on the environmental data collected by the Internet of Things device, and the transaction data package is digitally signed with a private key; the digitally signed transaction data package is recorded by the "miners" in the blockchain network. A new block is generated in the blockchain, and the transaction data package is published to the blockchain network; other nodes in the blockchain network obtain the public key from the generated transaction data package, and based on the public key pair of the blockchain node The digital signature of the transaction data packet is verified and the data structure compliance of the transaction data packet is verified, and the transaction data packet that has passed the consensus verification is written into the blockchain. In this way, the data packet recorded with the environment information and node signature will be recorded on the chain.

In one embodiment, the process of issuing an instruction to an IoT device is shown in FIG. 7 , including: issuing an instruction to the IoT device (ie, a new transaction is generated); judging whether a preset condition is met, that is, a preset condition in a smart contract Or rules, such as the above-mentioned ambient brightness is lower than 5lux and the temperature is higher than 35 degrees Celsius; when the preset conditions of the contract are met, the contract is automatically executed, and then orders are issued to the IoT device. In this way, the target IoT device indicated by the instruction will be given the operation instruction and execute the corresponding operation.

It should be noted that the consensus verification involved in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by using various existing mechanisms. For example, consensus mechanisms include but are not limited to a Proof of Work (POW) mechanism, a Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) mechanism, and an equity mechanism proof, etc. .

To sum up, the present invention realizes distributed Internet of Things instruction management based on blockchain technology, uses the distributed characteristics of Internet of Things devices, gives each Internet of Things device a unique identity to connect it to the blockchain network, and builds Distributed Internet of Things command management system, which has the advantages of a distributed system. Each node in the network can realize data exchange and collaborative work through consensus algorithms and smart contracts, avoiding the single point of failure problem existing in traditional Internet of Things systems. . In addition, with the traceability advantage of the blockchain, the reliability of the data source in the system is improved, and the security is improved. After several software and hardware tests, it has been proved that the present invention can meet the expected design indicators, and solve the problems of security, single point of failure and the like faced by the Internet of Things.

The present invention may be a system, method and/or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions loaded thereon for causing a processor to implement various aspects of the present invention.

A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by the instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer readable storage media include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanically coded devices, such as printers with instructions stored thereon Hole cards or raised structures in grooves, and any suitable combination of the above. Computer-readable storage media, as used herein, are not to be construed as transient signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (eg, light pulses through fiber optic cables), or through electrical wires transmitted electrical signals.

The computer readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded to various computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium, or to an external computer or external storage device over a network such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer-readable program instructions from a network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in each computing/processing device .

The computer program instructions for carrying out the operations of the present invention may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or instructions in one or more programming languages. Source or object code, written in any combination, including object-oriented programming languages, such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server implement. Where a remote computer is involved, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any kind of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (eg, using an Internet service provider to connect). In some embodiments, custom electronic circuits, such as programmable logic circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), can be personalized by utilizing state information of computer readable program instructions. Computer readable program instructions are executed to implement various aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine that causes the instructions when executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , resulting in means for implementing the functions/acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and/or block diagrams. These computer readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium, these instructions cause a computer, programmable data processing apparatus and/or other equipment to operate in a specific manner, so that the computer readable medium on which the instructions are stored includes An article of manufacture comprising instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions/acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and/or block diagrams.

Computer readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other equipment to produce a computer-implemented process , thereby causing instructions executing on a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to implement the functions/acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more functions for implementing the specified logical function(s) executable instructions. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It is also noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented in dedicated hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or actions , or can be implemented in a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions. It is well known to those skilled in the art that implementation in hardware, implementation in software, and implementation in a combination of software and hardware are all equivalent.

Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, and the foregoing descriptions are exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limiting of the disclosed embodiments. Numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

A distributed Internet of Things instruction management method based on blockchain, comprising the following steps:

Connect IoT devices to the blockchain network, and configure a blockchain account as an identity for each IoT device;

Deploy the operation instructions for IoT devices on the blockchain network by designing smart contracts;

Generate transaction data packets from the data collected by IoT devices, encrypt and digitally sign the transaction data packets with private keys, and store them in the blockchain network after being verified by the blockchain network consensus.
The method according to claim 1, wherein deploying the operation instructions for the IoT device on the blockchain network by designing a smart contract comprises:

In response to adding an operation instruction request for the IoT device, generate a deployment contract transaction;

The blockchain network performs consensus verification on the generated deployment contract transaction, and decides to deploy the corresponding smart contract or abandon the deployment according to the verification result.
The method according to claim 2, wherein the operation instruction request for the Internet of Things device comprises: a list of Internet of Things devices, an instruction trigger condition, and execution instruction content, and the Internet of Things device list is used to indicate the target device for which the instruction is directed. , the content of the execution instruction is used to indicate an operation command for controlling the target device, and the instruction trigger condition is used to indicate a preset condition for executing the instruction.
The method according to claim 3, wherein the operation instruction request for the Internet of Things device is input from a user of a client, and the operation instruction request for the Internet of Things device further includes client account information.
The method according to claim 3, further comprising: in response to the operation instruction issued to the IoT network device, judging whether the instruction trigger condition of the corresponding smart contract is satisfied, if the determination is yes, then controlling the target IoT device by running the contract script Execute operating instructions.
The method according to claim 1, wherein a transaction data package is generated from the data collected by the Internet of Things device, and the transaction data package is encrypted and digitally signed by using a private key, and is stored in the block chain after being verified by a blockchain network consensus. The chain network includes:

Generate a transaction data package based on the environmental data collected by the IoT device, and use the private key to digitally sign the transaction data package;

The digitally signed transaction data package is recorded by the "miners" in the blockchain network into the new block generated in the blockchain, and the transaction data package is released to the blockchain network;

Other nodes of the blockchain network obtain the public key from the generated transaction data package, and verify the digital signature of the transaction data package according to the public key of the blockchain node and verify the compliance of the data structure of the transaction data package. The transaction data packets that have been verified by consensus are written into the blockchain.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the consensus verification method includes a workload proof mechanism, a Byzantine fault tolerance mechanism, and an equity mechanism proof.
A distributed Internet of Things instruction management system based on blockchain, including a client application layer, an Internet of Things device, and a blockchain platform, wherein the client application layer, the Internet of Things device, and the blockchain platform interact with each other through information. Realize instruction management for IoT devices, design smart contracts for the operation instructions of IoT devices and deploy them on the blockchain network, generate transaction data packets from the data collected by IoT devices, and use private keys for the transaction data packets. Perform encryption and digital signatures, and store them in the blockchain network after being verified by the blockchain network consensus.
The system according to claim 8, wherein the client application layer is used to add a new IoT command operation and issue an operation command for IoT devices; read on-chain data from the blockchain platform, and invoke intelligent Contracts, deploy smart contracts; obtain environmental data collected by IoT devices.
A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, wherein the program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.