API Management via Smart Contract Templates on User Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in efficiently managing and updating application programming interfaces (APIs) on diverse user equipment (UE) devices, particularly due to the increasing variety of devices and frequent software updates, which complicates access and deployment of APIs.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a template smart contract that fetches and installs API components from a ledger data store, allowing for flexible and scalable updates by rebuilding the API on UE devices based on context-specific information, ensuring compatibility and up-to-dateness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional API deployment methods are used on diverse UE devices, then initial API installation can be achieved, but API updates and version management become increasingly complex and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the API into multiple independent smart contract components stored in a ledger data structure. Each component can be individually updated and versioned without requiring complete API redeployment. This segmentation enables granular updates where only specific API components need to be modified, significantly reducing deployment complexity and improving efficiency across diverse UE devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining API templates with version information and component structures in the ledger data store before deployment. These pre-configured templates include all necessary smart contract components and their relationships, allowing UE devices to efficiently instantiate and update APIs without complex on-device configuration. The template approach prepares the API structure in advance, simplifying the deployment process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple versions of APIs are maintained on UE devices to support diverse devices, then device compatibility is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring API versions and their updates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the UE device automatically queries the ledger data store to retrieve the current version information of API smart contract components. The device compares retrieved versions with locally installed versions and automatically downloads updates when discrepancies are detected. This automated feedback loop eliminates manual version tracking and ensures UE devices always have compatible API versions without increasing management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal ledger data structure that serves multiple functions: storing API templates, version information, component definitions, and update metadata. This single multi-functional ledger system replaces multiple separate version control mechanisms, simplifying the detection and measurement of API versions across diverse UE devices while maintaining broad device compatibility.
3Reliability
If frequent software updates are implemented to maintain up-to-date APIs, then service currency is improved, but the time and resources required for deployment increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the API into individual smart contract components stored in the ledger, the system enables selective updating of only those components that have changed. When updates are needed, the system identifies and deploys only the specific updated components rather than redistributing the entire API package. This segmentation dramatically reduces deployment time while maintaining API currency and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by implementing incremental updates where only the necessary portion of the API (specific smart contract components) is updated rather than performing complete API redeployment. The system updates only the minimal required changes to maintain currency, avoiding unnecessary full-package deployments and reducing time loss while ensuring API reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of installing an API in a user equipment (UE). The method comprises sending a request from the UE for an API to a distributed application executing on a computer system, wherein the request defines a context of the UE; receiving a template smart contract by the UE from the distributed application, wherein the template smart contract is identified by the distributed application based on the context of the UE and wherein the template smart contract defines a manifest for fetching a plurality of API smart contract components from a ledger data store and defines instructions for building the API by executing at least some of the API smart contract components; executing the at least some of the API smart contract components by the UE, whereby the API is built by the UE; and executing the API by the UE, whereby the UE accesses an application service.