Topic-Based Transport Protocol Response ID Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Topic-based transport protocols, such as MQTT, face challenges with large topic lengths that exceed resource constraints in clients, leading to excessive memory allocation, computational power requirements, and latency, particularly in microcontrollers, and expose sensitive information due to plain text transmission.
Innovation Solution
The system dynamically generates a response ID from an endpoint ID and a message ID, allowing the server to subscribe to a topic containing this ID, enabling efficient message exchange while obfuscating sensitive information by using a one-way function like SHA256 to create a fixed-size response ID.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional topic-based transport protocols use unique identifiers for endpoints and requests, then message routing and identification are achieved, but memory allocation and computational resource requirements become excessive for resource-constrained clients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the parameter representation by converting long unique identifiers into fixed-length hash values (e.g., SHA-256 producing 64-character hex strings). This parameter transformation maintains the uniqueness and routing capability of identifiers while reducing their storage footprint and comparison complexity, directly addressing the memory and computational resource constraints of embedded systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hash functions to create condensed copies of unique identifiers. Instead of storing and comparing full unique identifiers (endpoint ID + request ID + service path), the system creates hash copies that preserve identification functionality while occupying minimal memory space, enabling resource-constrained devices to handle topic-based messaging efficiently
2Reliability
If traditional topic-based transport protocols use long unique identifiers, then precise message routing is achieved, but data transfer time and latency increase on constrained interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter transformation by converting variable-length unique identifiers into fixed-length hash values. This reduces the data transfer size for topics, directly decreasing transmission time on constrained interfaces like I2C while maintaining routing accuracy through the cryptographic properties of hash functions
3Ease of operation
If traditional topic-based transport protocols transmit topics in plain text, then message routing functionality is achieved, but sensitive information becomes susceptible to interception
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates hash copies of identifiers that are used in topics instead of plain text identifiers. These hash copies maintain the routing functionality while providing obfuscation, as the hashed values do not reveal the original endpoint or request identities to potential interceptors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms identifiable parameters (endpoint IDs, request IDs) into non-identifiable hash parameters. This parameter transformation maintains the functional properties needed for routing (uniqueness, consistency) while removing the security vulnerability of exposing sensitive identifier information in plain text topics
Data Source
AI summary
Messages can be exchanged using efficient topics. When a server is interconnected with endpoints via a broker that implements a topic-based transport protocol, the server can dynamically generate a response ID for a request message the server intends to send to an endpoint. The server can generate the response ID from an endpoint ID of the endpoint and a message ID for the request message. The server can include the endpoint ID and the message ID in the request message and can subscribe to a topic containing the response ID. Upon receiving the request message, the endpoint can extract the endpoint ID and the message ID and use them to generate the response ID. The endpoint can then send a response message that includes the topic containing the response ID. Alternatively, the response ID could be generated from a message ID and a pre-agreed upon unique ID.