Distributed Public Keystore Blockchain Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for real-time Person-To-Person (P2P) communications face challenges in securing and managing user public keys/certificates, requiring a robust and secure infrastructure that is vulnerable to failures and malicious access.

Innovation Solution

A Distributed Public Keystore module on user equipment uses a blockchain for secure storage and management of user public keys, transmitting tokens and cryptocurrency to approve storage transactions, ensuring secure and decentralized storage without relying on a centralized Certificate Authority.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a centralized Certificate Authority (CA) is used to store user public keys/certificates, then the security and management of public keys can be centralized, but the infrastructure becomes vulnerable to failures and malicious access, and requires high capacity and robustness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity of public key storageVSAvoidinfrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized CA infrastructure into distributed nodes across a blockchain network. Instead of one central storage point, public keys are distributed across multiple blockchain nodes, eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining security. Each node holds a copy of the public key data, and the cryptographic nature of blockchain ensures integrity without requiring a complex centralized management system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If a centralized CA stores large amount of user public keys/certificates, then all public keys can be managed in one place, but the capacity and robustness requirements become very high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of stored public keysVSAvoidrobustness of CA infrastructure

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the public key storage function with the blockchain infrastructure itself. The blockchain's distributed ledger, designed to store transaction data, is extended to store public keys and certificates. This combination leverages the existing robustness of blockchain for consensus and data integrity, eliminating the need for separate high-capacity storage infrastructure while maintaining reliability through the blockchain's inherent distributed architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of repair

If the CA is taken down for maintenance or failure, then the centralized infrastructure can be repaired, but communications for a large number of applications are affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance of CA infrastructureVSAvoidcontinuity of P2P communications

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the public key storage function from the centralized CA and places it into the decentralized blockchain network. This extraction removes the dependency on a single CA infrastructure, allowing applications to directly interact with the distributed blockchain for public key retrieval. Consequently, maintenance or failures in any single node do not affect overall system availability, as other nodes continue to serve requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If applications store user public keys to the CA, then centralized management is achieved, but storage transactions must be approved, allowing malicious users to perform write/rewrite operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecentralized management of public keysVSAvoidsecurity against fraudulent access

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual approval mechanism of centralized CA with automated cryptographic verification inherent in blockchain. Instead of requiring human operators to approve storage transactions, the system uses cryptographic signatures and consensus algorithms to automatically validate and record public key storage. This substitution eliminates human error and malicious interference while maintaining ease of operation through automated processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12093943B2Methods, module and blockchain for distributed public keystore

Publication Date: 2024.09.17 WONE SAGL

AI summary

Disclosed is a universal plug-in Distributed Public Keystore (DPK) module provided on a user equipment. The DPK module approves its identifier with a Public Key Manager (PKM) and obtains cryptocurrency from the PKM. The APPs on the user equipment generate and transmit user public keys to the DPK module. The DPK module generated its own user public key as well. After a storage transaction requirement by the DPK module is approved by a blockchain, the DPK module sends obtained user public keys to the blockchain so that the user public keys are stored in the blockchain. The user public keys are never stored outside the blockchain or in a third part server. The stored user public keys are retrieved to the DPK module when necessary, such as when a P2P communication is performed by any of the APPs.