Blockchain-based internet of things platform system and method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of blockchain-based Internet of Things platform systems and methods, including Internet of Things equipment access subsystem and Internet of Things platform subsystem;Internet of Things equipment access subsystem includes: Internet of Things equipment, Internet of Things gateway, private chain network and central server, Internet of Things equipment and central server interact through private chain, realize the permission management of Internet of Things equipment, the review of new node and the transmission of data information;Internet of Things platform subsystem is built using consortium chain, including: membership authentication module, blockchain application, endorsement node, consensus sorting module and accounting node;The system realizes the management of decentralization through consortium chain technology, compared with the Internet of Things platform of centralized architecture, with higher data security and reliability.Private chain compared with other blockchain resource occupation is less, time delay is small, thereby increase the universality of system, can be applicable to more Internet of Things scene.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the fields of blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, and in particular to a blockchain-based IoT platform system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Most existing IoT platform systems adopt a centralized architecture, in which a central server is responsible for interacting with all IoT devices. However, as the number of IoT devices increases and application scenarios become more complex, centralized IoT platform systems face enormous data processing pressure, as well as drawbacks such as high maintenance costs and vulnerability to single points of attack.

[0003] In recent years, with the development of blockchain technology, some distributed IoT platform systems based on blockchain have emerged, which to some extent compensate for the shortcomings of centralized IoT platform systems in terms of decentralization and security. However, these systems also have some inherent drawbacks of blockchain technology, such as high resource requirements and high latency, making them unsuitable for many IoT scenarios.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a blockchain-based IoT platform system to solve the problems of high resource consumption and high latency in blockchain applications, while reducing the data processing pressure on the central server and improving data security, so as to meet the needs of more IoT scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system and method.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system, which includes an IoT device access subsystem and an IoT platform subsystem;

[0007] The IoT device access subsystem includes: IoT devices, IoT gateways, a private blockchain network, and a central server; the IoT devices are used for reading and writing IoT device data; the IoT gateways are used for receiving IoT device data, sensing management information from the private blockchain network, and communicating with the private blockchain network; the private blockchain network is used for information interaction between the IoT gateways and the central server; the central server is used for reviewing IoT device access to the private blockchain, receiving data collected by the devices, transmitting management information, and packaging and publishing the collected device information to the consortium blockchain network in the IoT platform subsystem.

[0008] The IoT platform subsystem is built using a consortium blockchain and includes: a membership authentication module, a blockchain application, endorsement nodes, a consensus sorting module, and ledger nodes. The membership authentication module is used for user registration and access control. The blockchain application provides transaction submission schemes for users with access permissions. The endorsement nodes verify user-submitted transactions according to the endorsement policy. The consensus sorting module sorts transactions verified by the endorsement nodes, creates transaction blocks, and passes these blocks to the ledger nodes. The ledger nodes update the consortium blockchain ledger.

[0009] Furthermore, the IoT device includes various sensors and smart terminals, which are connected to the IoT gateway via wireless transmission.

[0010] Furthermore, after receiving data from IoT devices, the IoT gateway converts the various communication protocols and preprocesses the data, then packages and publishes the processed data to the private blockchain network.

[0011] Furthermore, the private blockchain network in the IoT device access subsystem consists of several independent private blockchain networks, used to access IoT devices in different regions and fields.

[0012] Furthermore, the central server also provides additional storage space to store data that does not need to be published to the private chain, reducing the resource consumption of the blockchain.

[0013] Furthermore, the endorsement strategy specifically refers to the rules for verifying and signing transactions. The verification includes: whether the submitted transaction is duplicated, whether the transaction submitter has the necessary permissions, and whether the transaction format is correct.

[0014] Furthermore, the consensus ordering module receives transactions to be processed in the consortium blockchain network, packages them into transaction blocks according to time order, and then broadcasts them to all nodes in the consortium blockchain network.

[0015] Furthermore, the ledger node receives the transaction block transmitted by the consensus ordering module, verifies its signature information, ensures that the transaction block has been verified by the endorsement policy at the endorsing node, and then adds the valid block to the consortium chain. The block memory stores the hash value of the block transaction and the hash value of the previous block header, so that the transactions on the blockchain ledger are linked in sequence in an encrypted manner.

[0016] On the other hand, the specification also provides a method for using a blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system, which includes the following steps:

[0017] S1. The application process of the IoT device access subsystem is as follows:

[0018] S1.1 When the system starts, the central server node and all other IoT gateway nodes are in slave node state, and the slave nodes start timers;

[0019] S1.2 If a slave node fails to receive a heartbeat message from the master node, it will switch to candidate node status after the timer expires. Only the central server and the backup server are allowed to enter the candidate node status.

[0020] S1.3, Candidate nodes begin electing the master node. When the central server is operating normally, it receives priority in receiving votes and is elected as the master node.

[0021] S1.4 The master node sends a heartbeat message to other nodes. When other candidate nodes receive the heartbeat, they switch back to the slave node state. The heartbeat message contains control instructions.

[0022] S1.5 When the master node receives a transaction request, it sends control instructions to the slave node via a heartbeat message and notifies the slave node to commit the log.

[0023] S1.6 The IoT gateway node receives the control instructions in the heartbeat message, operates the IoT device according to the instructions, and receives the data information of the IoT device to form a log and submit it to the master node.

[0024] S2. The central server stores information collected from the private blockchain network and packages and publishes device data to the consortium blockchain network;

[0025] The application process of S3 and the IoT platform subsystem is as follows:

[0026] S3.1 When a user applies to access the IoT platform subsystem, they send registration information to the member qualification authentication module.

[0027] S3.2 The membership authentication module issues a confidential file consisting of a certificate and a key to the user. The confidential file is used to authenticate the user on the blockchain network.

[0028] S3.3 Users access the blockchain application in the IoT platform subsystem according to their own needs and submit corresponding transactions;

[0029] S3.4 The blockchain application sends the transaction to the endorsing node, verifies it according to the established endorsement policy, the endorsing node adds a digital signature to the verified transaction, and submits the transaction to the consensus ordering module.

[0030] S3.5 The consensus ordering module packages the transactions to be processed within a certain period of time in chronological order, then creates transaction blocks and broadcasts the transaction blocks to the consortium blockchain network;

[0031] S3.6. After receiving a transaction block and verifying its signature, the ledger node in the consortium blockchain network adds the block to the chain, thereby updating the blockchain ledger.

[0032] S3.7 The blockchain application notifies the user of transaction completion information based on the updated blockchain ledger.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides an IoT platform system that integrates blockchain technology. This system achieves decentralized management through consortium blockchain technology, offering higher data security and reliability compared to centralized IoT platforms. Furthermore, addressing the issue of insufficient computing power and storage resources for IoT devices, it utilizes private blockchain technology to connect the central server and IoT devices. Compared to other blockchains, private blockchains consume fewer resources and have lower latency, thereby increasing the system's versatility and making it applicable to a wider range of IoT scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system architecture provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the application process of the IoT device access subsystem provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the user's use of the Internet of Things platform subsystem as provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the blockchain-based IoT platform system includes an IoT device access subsystem and an IoT platform subsystem. The IoT device access subsystem uses private blockchain technology to manage and transmit data between IoT devices. Compared to other types of blockchains, using a private blockchain in the IoT device access subsystem offers advantages such as lower resource consumption, faster transaction speeds, lower latency, and lower power consumption. In this invention, the IoT device access subsystem can have multiple independent private blockchain networks to connect IoT devices in different regions and fields, thereby isolating data and reducing the resource overhead of a single private blockchain network. The IoT platform subsystem in this invention uses consortium blockchain technology to build a platform system that executes transactions submitted by participants in the consortium blockchain network. This system, based on blockchain technology, features decentralization, high data security, and traceability. The consortium blockchain can be the Hyperleger Fabric platform, employing a modular architecture that offers high security, high flexibility, and scalability, enriching the application modes of the IoT platform system.

[0038] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the Internet of Things (IoT) device access subsystem includes: IoT devices, IoT gateways, private blockchain networks, and a central server.

[0039] Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including various sensors and smart terminals, are used to collect data and interact with IoT gateways through various communication technologies. IoT devices typically use wireless transmission modes such as Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee, LTE-M, and WiFi to connect to IoT gateways.

[0040] An IoT gateway is used to receive data from IoT devices, sense management information within the private blockchain network, and communicate with the private blockchain network. Since different types of IoT devices may use different communication technologies, which may differ in connection type, interface, or communication protocol, an IoT gateway is used to aggregate data from IoT devices within a region, convert different communication protocols, preprocess the data, and then package and publish the processed data to the private blockchain network.

[0041] A private blockchain network is used to facilitate information exchange between IoT gateways and a central server. IoT gateways must be authorized by the master node (i.e., the central server) to be added as new nodes to the private blockchain. Therefore, IoT gateway nodes in the chain are considered trusted, and other nodes in the chain do not need to expend additional computing resources to verify blocks, thus reducing computational overhead. Only the master node in the private blockchain has the right to record transactions. Compared to other types of blockchains, it does not require consuming significant resources to compete for this right, which also reduces computational overhead and latency.

[0042] The central server is used to review new nodes joining the private chain, manage data information, package data information within a certain period into a block and publish it to the private chain network, and provide additional storage space for storing some data that does not need to be published to the private chain, such as device driver files, user manuals, etc., thereby reducing the resource consumption of the blockchain.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the Internet of Things platform subsystem includes: a membership authentication module, a blockchain application, an endorsement node, a consensus sorting module, and an accounting node.

[0044] The membership authentication module is used to manage and identify participants in the consortium blockchain network, determine whether participants have permission to access the network, maintain the legitimate permissions of participants, and the relationships between them.

[0045] Blockchain applications provide portable transaction submission solutions for users with access permissions. By developing diverse blockchain applications, different user needs can be met, and they can be applied to various IoT scenarios. For example, blockchain applications can be developed using the Hyperledger Composer framework: First, define the concepts of assets, participants, and transactions, corresponding to IoT devices, users, and transactions respectively, and create a model file; then, write transaction functions according to the required functions of the transaction, such as viewing data and identity authentication, and create a script file; next, define access control rules, declaring how assets, participants, and transactions interact, and create an access control file; after completing the above files, the Hyperledger Composer framework packages and generates business network files, which can be directly deployed to the Hyperledger Fabric environment. This is a rapid development and deployment process for a blockchain application. Hyperledger Fabric is a consortium blockchain platform developed using the Hyperledger Composer framework.

[0046] Endorsing nodes verify user-submitted transactions according to a pre-defined endorsement policy. Endorsement refers to the process of digitally signing an operation before execution; the node performing the endorsement task is called an endorser node. All operations on blocks in a consortium blockchain network require endorsement. Endorsing nodes are divided into two types: administrator nodes and participant nodes. There is only one administrator node, which can be a central server. Participant nodes are other nodes in the consortium blockchain network that have endorsement permissions.

[0047] The consensus ordering module is used to order transactions verified by endorsing nodes, create transaction blocks, and transmit these blocks to the accounting nodes. This module receives transactions pending processing in the consortium blockchain network, packages them into transaction blocks in chronological order, and then broadcasts them to all nodes in the network.

[0048] Ledger nodes are used to update the blockchain ledger. They consist of powerful computing devices with ample storage, such as a central server. Upon receiving transaction blocks from the consensus and ordering module, a ledger node verifies their signature information, ensuring the block has been validated by the endorsement policy at the endorsing nodes. The valid block is then added to the consortium blockchain. The block memory stores the hash value of the transaction and the hash value of the previous block header, ensuring that transactions on the blockchain ledger are linked sequentially and cryptographically.

[0049] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, the application process for IoT device access subsystem includes the following steps:

[0050] Step 1: When the system starts, the central server node and all other IoT gateway nodes are in slave node state, and the slave nodes start timers;

[0051] Step 2: If a slave node does not receive a "heartbeat" message from the master node, it will switch to candidate node status after the timer expires. Only the central server and the backup server can enter the candidate node status.

[0052] Step 3: Candidate nodes begin electing the master node. When the central server is operating normally, it receives priority in receiving votes and is elected as the master node.

[0053] Step 4: The master node sends a "heartbeat" message to other nodes, and the other candidate nodes switch back to the slave node state upon receiving the "heartbeat".

[0054] Step 5: Upon receiving the transaction request, the master node sends control instructions to the slave node via a "heartbeat" message and notifies the slave node to commit the logs;

[0055] Step Six: The IoT gateway node receives the control instructions in the "heartbeat" message, operates the IoT device according to the instructions, collects the data information of the IoT device to form a log and submits it to the master node.

[0056] The central server receives transaction requests from the consortium blockchain network of the IoT platform subsystem, executes the transactions through IoT devices accessing the subsystem, and packages and publishes the required data information to the consortium blockchain.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the application flow of the IoT platform subsystem is as follows:

[0058] Step 1: Users apply to access the IoT platform subsystem and send registration information to the member qualification authentication module;

[0059] Step 2: The membership authentication module issues a confidential file consisting of a certificate and a key to the user. This confidential file is used to verify the user's identity on the blockchain network.

[0060] Step 3: Users access the blockchain application in the IoT platform subsystem according to their own needs and submit the corresponding transactions;

[0061] Step 4: The blockchain application sends the transaction to the endorsing node, verifies it according to the established endorsement policy, the endorsing node adds a digital signature to the verified transaction, and submits the transaction to the consensus ordering module.

[0062] An endorsement policy refers to the rules for verifying and signing transactions. One possible endorsement policy is that executing an operation requires verification and signing of the transaction by the administrator node and two members from the participant nodes. If a transaction does not conform to the endorsement policy, it will not take effect. Optional verification criteria include whether the committed transaction is duplicated, whether the transaction committer has the necessary permissions, and whether the transaction format is correct.

[0063] Step 5: The consensus ordering module packages the transactions to be processed within a certain period of time in chronological order, then creates transaction blocks and broadcasts the transaction blocks to the consortium blockchain network;

[0064] Step Six: The ledger nodes in the consortium blockchain network receive the transaction block, complete the signature verification, and then add the block to the chain, thereby updating the blockchain ledger;

[0065] Step 7: The blockchain application notifies the user of transaction completion information based on the updated blockchain ledger.

[0066] Currently, most blockchain-based IoT platforms use a single blockchain network to handle all business transactions between entities, including IoT devices, the platform, and users. While leveraging the immutability, distributed sharing, and decentralization of blockchain, these platforms fail to address the drawbacks of high resource consumption and latency. This invention utilizes the characteristics and advantages of different blockchain types to build a two-layer blockchain network. IoT devices interact with a central server via a private blockchain, enabling access control for IoT devices, verification of new nodes, and data transmission. The private blockchain prevents data and instructions from being tampered with, offering higher security and reliability compared to traditional IoT platforms. It also consumes fewer resources, has lower transaction latency, and lower power consumption than other blockchain types. The central server collects device information and deploys it in a consortium blockchain. Users access blockchain applications built on the consortium blockchain using computers, mobile phones, etc., to submit transactions. Since the performance of devices like central servers, computers, and mobile phones is significantly stronger than that of sensors, smart appliances, and other IoT devices, the more complex permission design and consensus mechanism of the consortium blockchain can fully utilize device performance and improve security without affecting transaction speed.

[0067] The above embodiments are used to explain and illustrate the present invention, but not to limit the present invention. Any modifications and changes made to the present invention within the spirit and scope of the claims shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system, characterized in that, The system includes an IoT device access subsystem and an IoT platform subsystem; The IoT device access subsystem includes: IoT devices, IoT gateways, a private blockchain network, and a central server; the IoT devices are used for reading and writing IoT device data; the IoT gateways are used for receiving IoT device data, sensing management information from the private blockchain network, and communicating with the private blockchain network; the private blockchain network is used for information interaction between the IoT gateways and the central server; the central server is used for reviewing IoT device access to the private blockchain, receiving data collected by the devices, transmitting management information, and uniformly packaging and deploying the collected device information to the IoT platform subsystem. The IoT platform subsystem is built using a consortium blockchain and includes: a membership authentication module, a blockchain application, endorsement nodes, a consensus sorting module, and ledger nodes. The membership authentication module is used for user registration and access control. The blockchain application provides transaction submission schemes for users with access permissions. The endorsement nodes verify user-submitted transactions according to the endorsement policy. The consensus sorting module sorts transactions verified by the endorsement nodes, creates transaction blocks, and passes these blocks to the ledger nodes. The ledger nodes update the consortium blockchain ledger.

2. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The IoT devices include various sensors and smart terminals, which are connected to the IoT gateway via wireless transmission.

3. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, After receiving data from IoT devices, the IoT gateway converts the various communication protocols and preprocesses the data. Then, it packages the processed data and publishes it to the private blockchain network.

4. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The private blockchain network in the IoT device access subsystem consists of several independent private blockchain networks used to access IoT devices in different regions and fields.

5. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central server also provides additional storage space for data that does not need to be published to the private chain, reducing the resource consumption of the blockchain.

6. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The endorsement strategy specifically refers to the rules for verifying and signing transactions. The verification includes: whether the submitted transaction is duplicated, whether the transaction submitter has the necessary permissions, and whether the transaction format is correct.

7. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The consensus ordering module receives transactions to be processed in the consortium blockchain network, packages them into transaction blocks according to time order, and then broadcasts them to all nodes in the consortium blockchain network.

8. The blockchain-based Internet of Things (IoT) platform system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ledger node receives the transaction block transmitted by the consensus ordering module, verifies its signature information, ensures that the transaction block has been verified by the endorsement node through the endorsement policy, and then adds the valid block to the consortium chain. The block memory stores the hash value of the block transaction and the hash value of the previous block header, so that the transactions on the blockchain ledger are linked in sequence in an encrypted manner.

9. A method using the system according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1. The application process of the IoT device access subsystem is as follows: S1.1 When the system starts, the central server node and all other IoT gateway nodes are in slave node state, and the slave nodes start timers; S1.2 If a slave node fails to receive a heartbeat message from the master node, it will switch to candidate node status after the timer expires. Only the central server and the backup server are allowed to enter the candidate node status. S1.3, Candidate nodes begin electing the master node. When the central server is operating normally, it receives priority in receiving votes and is elected as the master node. S1.4 The master node sends a heartbeat message to other nodes. When other candidate nodes receive the heartbeat, they switch back to the slave node state. The heartbeat message contains control instructions. S1.5 When the master node receives a transaction request, it sends control instructions to the slave node via a heartbeat message and notifies the slave node to commit the log. S1.6 The IoT gateway node receives the control instructions in the heartbeat message, operates the IoT device according to the instructions, and receives the data information of the IoT device to form a log and submit it to the master node. S2. The central server stores information collected from the private blockchain network and packages and publishes device data to the consortium blockchain network; The application process of S3 and the IoT platform subsystem is as follows: S3.1 When a user applies to access the IoT platform subsystem, they send registration information to the member qualification authentication module. S3.2 The membership authentication module issues a confidential file consisting of a certificate and a key to the user. The confidential file is used to authenticate the user on the blockchain network. S3.3 Users access the blockchain application in the IoT platform subsystem according to their own needs and submit corresponding transactions; S3.4 The blockchain application sends the transaction to the endorsing node, verifies it according to the established endorsement policy, the endorsing node adds a digital signature to the verified transaction, and submits the transaction to the consensus ordering module. S3.5 The consensus ordering module packages the transactions to be processed within a certain period of time in chronological order, then creates transaction blocks and broadcasts the transaction blocks to the consortium blockchain network; S3.

6. After receiving a transaction block and verifying its signature, the ledger node in the consortium blockchain network adds the block to the chain, thereby updating the blockchain ledger. Blockchain applications notify users of transaction completion information based on the updated blockchain ledger.

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