Blockchain Location Verification with Digital Signatures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing geolocation verification methods lack reliability, as they can be easily spoofed, providing non-repudiable evidence of a device's location to a low degree of accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a digital signature infrastructure, such as a distributed hash tree-based verification system, to securely verify the geolocation of a device by combining location data from multiple sources, including GPS and cell towers, and storing this information in a tamper-proof medium like a blockchain, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the location data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plaintext or graphical geolocation indication is transmitted from the device, then the location information is easily obtainable, but the verification reliability is low due to spoofing susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a digital signature infrastructure as an intermediary between the geolocation engine and the verifying entity. The signature generation module creates cryptographic signatures that mediate the verification process, transforming plain location data into authenticated, non-repudiable evidence that cannot be spoofed while maintaining ease of verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/transmission-based geolocation verification system (relying on plaintext or graphical indications) with a cryptographic system. Instead of relying on the security of transmission channels, the solution uses digital signatures and hash functions to provide mathematical guarantees of authenticity and integrity.
2Reliability
If digital signature infrastructure is implemented to verify geolocation, then verification reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the geolocation verification system into distinct functional modules: a geolocation engine for determining location, a signature generation module for creating digital signatures, and a verification mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates integration with existing device architectures without requiring complete system redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
Location data from one or more geolocation engines such as GPS, a system that determines location from relative signal strengths or transit times, etc., within and/or connected to a device, such as a mobile phone, vehicle, movable electronic device, computer, etc., is included in a digital record that submitted to obtain a digital signature such that the presence of the device at the particular location can later be proven. The digital record may include data that encodes a message, as well as other parameters such as time. The digital signature encodes recomputation parameters of a hash tree signature infrastructure to a highest level value, a function of which is submitted as a transaction in a blockchain.