Blockchain Authentication for NB-IoT Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
NB-IoT devices face connectivity issues due to lack of network access, which limits their utility and security, especially in transactions requiring authentication, authorization, and resource sharing, as existing systems often rely on overlays that do not involve the network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a blockchain-based system that enables NB-IoT devices to access and utilize blockchain authentication and data verification, integrating blockchain protocols natively within user equipment firmware, and using HTTP REST API interfaces for configuration, verification, and communication between user equipment and the blockchain network, ensuring secure authentication, authorization, and resource sharing across multiple providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If NB-IoT devices use overlay systems for authentication and resource sharing, then device autonomy is improved, but network connectivity and security are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the overlay authentication system with the cellular network infrastructure by integrating blockchain technology into the network core. The HSS (Home Subscriber Server) maintains a blockchain ledger that all network entities can access, combining device autonomy through cryptographic verification with network connectivity through integrated authentication. This resolves the contradiction by making the overlay system dependent on and integrated with the network rather than operating independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The blockchain ledger acts as an intermediary between devices and the network authentication system. Instead of devices operating autonomously without network involvement, or relying on traditional centralized authentication, the blockchain serves as a distributed mediator that enables peer-to-peer verification while maintaining network oversight. The HSS queries the blockchain to verify device credentials, providing both autonomy and connectivity.
2Extent of automation
If traditional centralized authentication is used, then network control is improved, but security against single points of failure is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized authentication authority into a distributed blockchain network. Instead of a single HSS holding all authentication credentials, the credential verification data is distributed across multiple nodes in the blockchain ledger. The HSS maintains control by querying and validating against this distributed ledger, achieving both network control and security resilience through decentralization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameter of authentication from centralized database storage to distributed blockchain ledger. This parameter change transforms the security model from vulnerable to single-point-failure attacks into a resilient distributed system where no single node holds all credentials, while the HSS maintains operational control through standardized queries.
3Reliability
If blockchain is implemented in NB-IoT devices, then security is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive blockchain operations from the NB-IoT devices and places them in the network infrastructure. Devices only perform lightweight cryptographic operations to generate and verify signatures, while the heavy lifting of maintaining the blockchain ledger, performing consensus operations, and managing the complete transaction history is handled by network entities like the HSS and other full nodes. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining security through blockchain while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Devices perform only the minimal necessary blockchain operations (signature generation and verification) rather than implementing full blockchain clients. This partial action approach provides sufficient security for IoT devices with limited resources while avoiding the excessive complexity of full blockchain implementation. The network infrastructure performs the excessive actions of maintaining the complete ledger and handling consensus.
4Reliability
If blockchain data is stored completely in devices, then data integrity is improved, but storage requirements and energy consumption are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complete blockchain ledger from individual devices and stores it in the network infrastructure (HSS and other network nodes). Devices only store their own cryptographic credentials and verify transactions by checking signatures against the distributed ledger accessible through the network. This maintains data integrity through blockchain's inherent properties while eliminating the need for devices to store terabytes of blockchain data locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The network infrastructure acts as an intermediary that provides devices with access to the complete blockchain ledger without requiring devices to store it locally. When a device needs to verify transaction history or data integrity, it queries the HSS or other network nodes that maintain the complete ledger. This mediator approach preserves data integrity verification capabilities while minimizing device storage requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations disclosed herein enable blockchain programming in NB-IoT devices. In various implementations, a method of blockchain authentication is performed by a computing device including one or more processors, and a non-transitory memory. In various implementations, the method includes maintaining a blockchain for a machine-to-machine network, wherein the machine-to-machine network is a narrowband internet of things network. In some implementations, the method includes receiving a request for a first set of data from the blockchain by a second device. In some implementations, the method includes determining based on the request, the first set of data from the blockchain by traversing a series of blocks from the blockchain. In some implementations, the method includes packaging the first set of data from the blockchain according to a protocol into a packaged data unit and transmitting the packaged data unit to the second device.