Electronic Device Secure Execution Environment Blockchain Mining
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In blockchain networks, excessive power consumption occurs when multiple electronic devices perform mining tasks, leading to inefficiencies and potential environmental impacts.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device is designed with both a normal execution environment (REE) and a secure execution environment (TEE), where the TEE generates and signs data chunks for verification, and the REE handles communication and validation, optimizing power usage and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple electronic devices perform blockchain mining tasks, then data security and verification reliability are improved, but power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic device is divided into two distinct execution environments: a normal execution environment (REE) for general operations and a secure execution environment (TEE) for cryptographic operations. This segmentation allows power-intensive mining tasks to be isolated to the TEE, which can be optimized for energy efficiency, while the REE handles lighter communication and validation tasks, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining verification reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure execution environment (TEE) acts as an intermediary between the normal execution environment and the blockchain network. The TEE performs cryptographic operations (signing and verification) that are power-intensive, shielding the main system from excessive power consumption while ensuring security and reliability. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain high verification standards without the full power cost impacting the entire device.
2Ease of operation
If cryptographic operations are performed in the normal execution environment, then operational simplicity is maintained, but data security and integrity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The TEE serves as a secure intermediary that handles all cryptographic operations. The REE can operate simply by communicating with the TEE through defined interfaces, maintaining ease of operation. The TEE mediates all security-critical functions (key generation, signing, verification), ensuring data security without complicating the overall system operation. This layered approach keeps the REE simple while concentrating security functions in the TEE.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting cryptographic operations into a dedicated secure execution environment, the system maintains operational simplicity in the REE while ensuring security through the TEE. The REE doesn't need to implement complex security protocols, keeping it simple to operate, while the TEE handles security-critical functions with specialized protection mechanisms.
3Reliability
If all devices perform full mining validation, then network security is enhanced, but processing efficiency and speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial validation where devices perform only necessary verification steps rather than full mining validation. The TEE performs cryptographic verification of data chunks, while the REE handles communication and basic validation. This partial action approach maintains network security through cryptographic verification while significantly improving mining efficiency by avoiding redundant full validation processes across all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Validation tasks are segmented between the TEE (cryptographic verification) and REE (communication and basic validation). This segmentation allows the system to maintain network security through proper cryptographic verification while improving overall mining efficiency by distributing validation responsibilities appropriately and avoiding unnecessary computational overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, an electronic device includes a memory, a first processor coupled to the memory and configured to control the electronic device in a normal execution environment (REE), and a second processor coupled to the memory and configured to control the electronic device in a secure execution environment (TEE). The first processor in the REE may be configured to transfer, to the second processor in the TEE, a request for generating a block including verification data of a data chunk. The second processor may be configured to generate the verification data of the data chunk by using key information of the electronic device, sign the verification data, and transmit, to an external electronic device, the block including the signed verification data.