Hardware-Trusted Ledger Client for Wireless Network Slices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems fail to effectively couple wireless network slices with distributed ledgers during slice deployment, leading to inefficiencies in data management and service delivery.

Innovation Solution

A hardware-trusted ledger client is introduced, which maintains hardware-trust with both wireless network slices and distributed ledger nodes, ensuring secure and reliable data transfer by using read-only hardware-trust codes and digital certificates to validate trust and facilitate seamless communication between network components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional ledger clients are used without hardware trust mechanisms, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability and data integrity deteriorate due to inability to effectively couple wireless network slices with distributed ledgers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidhardware trust mechanisms

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a hardware-trusted ledger client as an intermediary component that bridges wireless network slices and distributed ledger nodes. This client incorporates hardware-trust codes and digital certificate validation mechanisms to establish trusted connections, enabling reliable data transfer while maintaining a clear separation between the network slice infrastructure and the ledger system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary trust establishment through hardware-trust code validation and digital certificate verification before data transfer begins. The VNF and ledger nodes exchange and validate digital certificates in advance, creating a trusted relationship that ensures subsequent data interactions are secure and reliable without requiring complex real-time verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If hardware-trust mechanisms are implemented, then reliability and data integrity are improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrust validationVSAvoidimplementation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses digital certificates as copies of trust credentials that can be validated without requiring physical hardware inspection. The hardware-trust codes are replicated in the VNF and ledger node systems, allowing trust verification through software-based certificate validation rather than complex hardware implementation in each component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces physical hardware trust verification with cryptographic digital certificate validation. Instead of requiring direct hardware-level trust establishment between components, the patent uses software-based public key infrastructure (PKI) where digital certificates serve as trusted credentials, simplifying the implementation while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If secure data transfer with hardware trust is implemented, then data security is improved, but data transfer efficiency may deteriorate due to validation overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoiddata transfer efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Trust validation through digital certificate exchange is performed in advance before data transfer begins. Once the hardware-trusted ledger client and ledger nodes establish trusted relationships through certificate validation, subsequent data transfers occur without repeated validation overhead, maintaining both security and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Digital certificates serve as reusable trust credentials that are validated once and then used for multiple data transfer operations. The copied trust relationship established through certificate exchange eliminates the need for repeated complex validation processes, improving data transfer efficiency while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11711692B2Hardware-trusted ledger client for distributed ledgers that serve wireless network slices

Publication Date: 2023.07.25 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

A wireless communication network serves a wireless user device with a wireless communication service from a wireless network slice that includes a Virtual Network Function (VNF). The VNF maintains hardware-trust with a distributed ledger. The distributed ledger maintains hardware-trust with the VNF. The VNF delivers the wireless communication service to the wireless user device from the wireless network slice. The VNF generates slice data that characterizes the service delivery. When the VNF maintains the hardware-trust with the distributed ledger, the VNF transfers the slice data to the distributed ledger. When the distributed ledger maintains the hardware-trust with the VNF, the distributed ledger stores the slice data.