Application US20170279774 Smart Cities: Edge Computing

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Application US20170279774

Published 2017-09-28

Decentralized Autonomous Edge Compute Coordinated By Smart Contract On A Blockchain

The systems, apparatus, methods, and computer program products described herein provide the capability for an entity to identify and autonomously contract via a blockchain database with an unknown and anonymous host device for access rights to a high volume raw data stream generated by a sensor of the host device. The systems, apparatus, methods, and computer program products further provide the capability for the entity to push or upload a software module to the host device to allow the entity to process the high volume raw data stream into a low volume data stream directly on the host device, i.e., at the source of the high volume raw data stream.

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4 Independent Claims

1. A method comprising: joining, by a host device, a blockchain managed by one or more devices on a decentralized network, the blockchain including one or more smart contracts that specify transactions among entities, the host device including a sensor configured to generate a real-time high volume data stream; creating on the blockchain, by the host device, a smart contract specifying terms for providing an entity access to the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor; receiving, by the host device, from an entity device, a software module in response the created smart contract, the software module configured to process the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor into a real-time low volume data stream for transmission to the entity device; in response to receiving the software module, executing, by the host device, the software module, execution of the software module processing the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor into a real-time low volume data stream; and transmitting, to the entity device, by the host device, the real-time low volume data stream generated by the software module.
11. A method comprising: querying, by an entity device, a blockchain managed by one or more devices on a decentralized network to identify a host device including a sensor configured to generate a real-time high volume data stream; receiving in response to the query, by the entity device, a link to a smart contract associated with the host device, the smart contract stored on the blockchain and specifying terms for providing an entity access to the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor; submitting, by the entity device, to the host device, a proposal to access the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor according to the terms of the smart contract, the proposal specifying a software module to be uploaded to and executed on at least a portion of the host device, the software module configured to process the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor into a real-time low volume data stream for transmission to the entity device; receiving, by the entity device, an acceptance of the proposal; in response to receiving an acceptance of the proposal, transmitting, by the entity device, to the host device the software module; receiving, by the entity device, the real-time low volume data stream generated by the software module from the host device.
19. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the sensor configured to generate a real-time high volume data stream; memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the apparatus to: join a blockchain managed by one or more devices on a decentralized network, the blockchain including one or more smart contracts that specify transactions among entities, create on the blockchain a smart contract specifying terms for providing an entity access to the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor; receive from an entity device, a software module in response the created smart contract, the software module configured to process the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor into a real-time low volume data stream for transmission to the entity device; in response to receiving the software module, execute the software module, execution of the software module processing the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor into a real-time low volume data stream; and transmit, to the entity device, the real-time low volume data stream generated by the software module.
20. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the apparatus to: query a blockchain managed by one or more devices on a decentralized network to identify a host device including a sensor configured to generate a real-time high volume data stream; receive in response to the query a link to a smart contract associated with the host device, the smart contract stored on the blockchain and specifying terms for providing an entity access to the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor; submit to the host device a proposal to access the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor according to the terms of the smart contract, the proposal specifying a software module to be uploaded to and executed on at least a portion of the host device, the software module configured to process the real-time high volume data stream generated by the sensor into a real-time low volume data stream for transmission to the entity device; receive an acceptance of the proposal; in response to receiving an acceptance of the proposal, transmit to the host device the software module; and receive the real-time low volume data stream generated by the software module from the host device.