Blockchain Brokering for Network Slice Resource Exchange

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile network management systems face challenges in efficiently and securely reallocating network resources among tenants in a decentralized manner, leading to increased complexity, management costs, and susceptibility to security threats, especially in dynamic 5G use cases where real-time adjustments are necessary.

Innovation Solution

A blockchain-based system that enables decentralized resource reallocation among network slice tenants through a private blockchain platform, where an intermediate broker regulates transactions, and smart contracts enforce policies, allowing for secure, automated, and flexible management of network and computing resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a centralized management system is used to allocate network resources among tenants, then resource allocation control is improved, but system complexity and management costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation controlVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized resource management system into multiple autonomous blockchain nodes distributed across different tenants and infrastructure providers. Each node independently validates and executes resource allocation transactions through consensus mechanisms, eliminating the single-point complexity of centralized control while maintaining allocation reliability through distributed verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces smart contracts as intermediary automated agents that mediate resource allocation between tenants and infrastructure providers. These self-executing contracts encode allocation policies and rules, automatically enforcing resource distribution without requiring complex centralized management intervention, thus reducing system complexity while preserving control reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If real-time resource reallocation is implemented to respond to demand fluctuations, then responsiveness is improved, but computational power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveresponsivenessVSAvoidcomputational power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements event-triggered resource reallocation where blockchain transactions are processed only when actual resource allocation changes occur, rather than continuous periodic checks. This approach maintains real-time responsiveness to genuine demand fluctuations while minimizing unnecessary computational operations and energy consumption during stable periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables tenants to autonomously initiate resource allocation transactions through the blockchain system based on their own demand monitoring. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for centralized real-time monitoring and control computations, reducing overall computational power consumption while maintaining responsive resource reallocation when actually needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If decentralized resource allocation is implemented among tenants, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidsecurity threats

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces smart contracts as trusted intermediary agents that automatically enforce resource allocation policies and verify transaction validity in the decentralized system. These self-executing contracts eliminate the need for human intervention while maintaining security through programmable logic that prevents unauthorized resource access or misallocation, thus enabling efficient decentralized utilization without compromising security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a blockchain-based feedback mechanism where all resource allocation transactions are recorded, validated, and made transparent to all participants. This immutable ledger provides continuous feedback on resource usage and allocation decisions, enabling real-time security monitoring and audit trails that detect and prevent malicious activities while maintaining efficient decentralized resource sharing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11349775B2Multi-resource and autonomous hierarchical brokering platform to enable slice resource exchange among heterogeneous network tenants

Publication Date: 2022.05.31 NEC CORP

AI summary

A method for enabling dynamic resource ownership transfer among network slice tenants includes acquiring an initial share of resources, admitting a plurality of tenants to a private blockchain platform, initiating a resource transaction process within a consortium of peer nodes, and validating proposed transactions in a distributed and automatized way. An infrastructure provider (InP) provides a mobile network that is virtually divided into a set of slices, and an intermediate broker (IB) regulates transactions, executed via a blockchain, by which resources are distributed between tenants. A smart contract (SC) running within the blockchain implements resource auditing among tenants and enforces IB-specific policies in managing transfers of the resources between the tenants. A consensus algorithm validates the transactions, and the infrastructure provider (InP) processes validated transactions and enforces transaction directives in the resource allocation process.