Using blockchain to track information for devices on a network

Abstract

Efficiently and reliably tracking information for devices in a network, for example, a heterogeneous network of a plurality of devices of different types, includes collecting and storing information in a computationally efficient and secure manner that ensures to a high degree of certainty the integrity of the information for future access and use. The information may be collected from one or more sensors/data sources, for example, over a predetermined period of time, and may be grouped into a single transaction record. The transaction record may be sent from a gateway to a server of a network cloud, for example, during a predefined time slot of cycle based in part on the number of gateways and sensors in the system. Each transaction record may include a one-way hash of, and a reference to, an immediately preceding transaction record for the overall system for which information is being tracked.

1 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method for a server to track information about a plurality of devices in a network, the method comprising:
 receiving from a first gateway a first transaction record that includes information indicating a state of a first subset of the plurality of devices that has been grouped to form the first transaction record, the first transaction record also including a hash of an immediately preceding transaction record for the network;   determining a hash of the first transaction record;   providing the hash of the first transaction record to a second gateway, different from the first gateway, only in response to the second gateway providing a transaction record transmission request to the server; and   receiving, from the second gateway, a second transaction record that includes the hash of the first transaction record and includes information indicating a state of a second subset of the plurality of devices, different from the first subset, that has been grouped to form the second transaction record.   
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the transaction record is a transaction block of a blockchain. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein grouping the information includes grouping information only from communications of the plurality of communications that represent a change in state of one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein transaction records are received by the server according to a predefined schedule. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein information regarding the predefined schedule is included in the transaction records received by the server. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the first gateway and the second gateway each send one or more transaction records during a predetermined time slot within a given cycle. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein a schedule defines the cycle and a plurality of time slots within the cycle for the plurality of gateways. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein, for each time slot, only information indicating a changed state of one of the plurality of devices is stored on the server. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein, once per cycle, information included in the one or more transaction records received by the server is recorded, independent of whether the information represents a changed state of a device. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the first transaction record includes one or more portions of information, each portion of information corresponding to information included in one of the communications received at the first gateway indicating the state of one of the plurality of devices and wherein a first portion of the one or more portions includes information encrypted with a security credential of the one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the first portion includes information that is not encrypted. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the gateway includes a trusted platform module to encrypt at least a portion of the transaction records. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the first transaction record has a record body and a record header, the record body including the grouped information, and the record header including the hash of the immediately preceding transaction record. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein changes in state to one or more devices on the network for one or more transaction records of the record chain are provided by the server. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of communications are received on secure communication channels and the transaction records is sent on secure communication channels. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the transaction records are sent in a communication in which the transaction records are encrypted using TLS. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the server stores the transaction records as part of a record chain on one or more storage media. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the record chain represents a transaction register of all transactions corresponding to the gateways. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein at least one of the transaction records is used to implement a smart contract.