Fenestration Units as Distributed Ledger Nodes for IoT Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart/IoT devices face security, privacy, and safety concerns due to their reliance on communication networks, limiting their widespread adoption in residential settings.
Innovation Solution
Fenestration units are designed to function as nodes in a distributed ledger network, equipped with a communication device, non-transitory memory, and a processor to store and update a local copy of a distributed ledger, distributing it to remote devices, thereby enhancing security, privacy, and safety through decentralized data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If smart/IoT devices rely on communication networks for data exchange and automation, then device functionality and automation capabilities are improved, but security, privacy, and safety concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized data storage and control architecture into distributed nodes across multiple fenestration units. Each node maintains its own local copy of the ledger and autonomously validates transactions, eliminating the single point of failure and central vulnerability inherent in traditional smart device architectures. This segmentation distributes security responsibilities across the network rather than concentrating them in a central server.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed ledger acts as an intermediary layer between fenestration units, enabling secure peer-to-peer communication without requiring trusted central authorities. The ledger's cryptographic consensus mechanism mediates data exchange and automation decisions, providing verifiable trust without centralized control, thus resolving the contradiction between automation and security.
2Ease of operation
If centralized data management is used in smart devices, then ease of control is improved, but security and privacy concerns worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Each fenestration unit operates as an autonomous node that independently validates transactions and maintains its own copy of the ledger. The units self-organize into the distributed network without requiring centralized management or configuration, yet maintain ease of operation through standardized protocols. This self-service approach eliminates centralized vulnerability points while preserving operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed ledger protocol provides universal functionality across all fenestration units in the network, enabling each unit to perform multiple roles including data storage, transaction validation, and consensus participation. This multi-functionality replaces specialized centralized servers with versatile peer nodes, reducing security risks while maintaining ease of control through standardized interfaces.
3Reliability
If distributed ledger network is implemented in fenestration units, then security and privacy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing complex centralized security infrastructure, the patent creates simplified copies of the ledger data distributed across multiple fenestration units. Each node stores and validates identical copies of the ledger, providing security through redundancy rather than through complex security mechanisms. This copying approach enhances security while keeping individual node complexity low.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of data storage from centralized to distributed across the network. This parameter change transforms the security model from relying on centralized protection to relying on distributed consensus and cryptographic verification. The complexity shifts from centralized security management to simple, repeatable consensus protocols executed by each node.
Data Source
AI summary
Fenestration units and method of operation thereof are provided that allow for use of the fenestration units as nodes of a distributed ledger network. The fenestration units include a communication device configured for communication with at least one remote electronic device, a non-transitory, non-volatile memory configured to store computer readable instructions, and a processor in operable communication with the communication device and the memory. The processor is configured to execute the computer readable instructions to function, through the communication device, as a node in a distributed ledger network by storing a local copy of a distributed ledger on the memory, updating the local copy of the distributed ledger, and distributing the local copy to the at least one remote electronic device in response to updating the local copy of the distributed ledger.