Blockchain Agents for Confidential Cross-Organization Interoperability Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions fail to ensure secure communication between organizations, particularly manufacturers and suppliers, while protecting both parties' intellectual property and preventing data breaches during the exchange of sensitive engineering data required for interoperability testing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving smart contracts and agents that execute on a shared blockchain, allowing organizations to share data points needed for simulations without exposing engineering models, with results stored on the blockchain for verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If engineering data is passed from manufacturer to supplier, then interoperability testing can be performed, but data security and intellectual property protection deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into different types (sensitive engineering data vs. simulation results) and uses separate storage locations (local storage vs. blockchain). It also segments the system into agents running on different networks that communicate through controlled interfaces, allowing interoperability testing while maintaining data security boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces agents as intermediary components that run on each organization's network and interact through a shared blockchain. These agents mediate data exchange by posting encrypted data locations and retrieving results without exposing raw engineering data, enabling interoperability testing while protecting intellectual property.
2Ease of operation
If supplier network is accessed for data exchange, then data sharing is enabled, but visibility and control over data usage are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The shared blockchain acts as an intermediary layer between the supplier and purchaser networks. It records all data exchange activities, agent creations, and result postings in an immutable ledger that both parties can view, providing complete visibility into data usage while enabling seamless data sharing through the mediator layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where agents post results and data locations to the shared blockchain, creating an audit trail that both organizations can monitor. This feedback loop provides continuous visibility into data usage and exchange activities without disrupting the ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If sensitive data is stored on shared blockchain, then data sharing is simplified, but security risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data storage into two distinct locations: sensitive engineering data remains on local storage within each organization's network, while only non-sensitive information (simulation results, data locations, agent metadata) is posted to the shared blockchain. This segmentation maintains data sharing simplicity while eliminating security risks associated with storing sensitive data on the shared network.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to securing communication between two organizations (e.g., a purchaser and a third-party supplier) to protect the data for both organizations and to maintain confidentiality. The embodiments herein permit the organizations to keep their sensitive data on their own networks but still share sufficient data to perform simulations and determine interoperability between components, parts, and systems. In one aspect, the organizations have access to a shared blockchain (e.g., a ledger) that permits the organizations to establish smart contracts for testing components, parts, and systems. The smart contracts can include code for spinning up agents that execute in the organizations' networks. These agents can then, according to the defined parameters of the smart contract, share and retrieve data on the blockchain so that the test can be performed.