Method for mining a block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233656-B2
Application number	US-201716481497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2017
Priority date	Feb 24, 2017
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A method for mining a block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN) includes sending, by a mining computing entity (MCE), a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain to a trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information, and comparing, by the TEE-CE, the block height information of the signing request with block height information from a last signing request and providing a matching, when the difference between the block height information of the signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value. The method further comprises, upon providing the matching, signing, by the TEE-CE, the new block based on the block information, and providing, by the MCE, the new signed block to the DBCN.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for mining a block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN), the method comprising:
a) sending by a mining computing entity (MCE), a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain to a trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information,
b) comparing, by the TEE-CE, the block height information of the signing request with block height information from a last signing request and providing a matching, responsive to determining that the difference between the block height information of the signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value,
c) upon providing the matching, signing, by the TEE-CE, the new block based on the block information, and
d) providing, by the MCE, the signed new block to the DBCN,
wherein the MCE and the TEE-CE each comprise one or more processors connected to a memory.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the signing request further includes missing block information, the missing block information including confirmed blocks which have not been updated yet in the TEE-CE.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the defined value is set on at least one of: the value 1, a number of missing blocks, a sum of 1 and the number of missing blocks.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein signing according to c) is further based on a hash of the missing block information.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the new block is provided to the network by broadcasting.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the TEE-CE is provided as an integral part of the MCE.

7. A decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN), comprising:
a plurality of node computing entities,
at least one mining computing entity (MCE), and
a trusted environment execution computing entity (TEE-CE),
wherein the MCE is configured to:
i. send a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain to the TEE-CE, the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information,
ii. receive, upon successful matching, a signed new block based on the block information from the TEE-CE, and
iii. provide the signed new block to at least one node computing entity in the DBCN, and

wherein the TEE-CE being adapted to:
A) receive, from the MCE, the signing request,
B) compare the block height information of the received signing request with the block height information from a last signing request,
C) provide a matching, responsive to determining that a difference between the block height information of the received signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value,
D) sign the new block based on the block information upon providing the matching, and
E) send the signed new block to the MCE,

wherein each of the node computing entities, the at least one MCE, and the TEE-CE comprise one or more processors connected to a memory.

8. A mining computing entity (MCE) for mining a block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN), the MCE being configured to:
i. send a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain to a trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information;
ii. receive, upon successful matching, the signed new block based on the block information from the TEE-CE, and
iii. provide the signed new block to the DBCN,
wherein the TEE-CE is adapted to compare the block height information of the signing request with block height information from a last signing request, provide a matching, responsive to determining that the difference between the block height information of the signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value, and sign the new block based on the block information upon providing the matching, and
wherein each of the MCE and the TEE-CE comprise one or more processors connected to a memory.

9. The MCE according to claim 8 , the MCE comprising the TEE-CE.

10. A method for mining a block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN) by a mining computing entity (MCE), the method comprising:
i. sending a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain to a trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information,
ii. receiving, upon successful matching, a signed new block based on the block information from the TEE-CE, and
iii. providing the new signed block to the DBCN,
wherein the TEE-CE is adapted to compare the block height information of the signing request with block height information from a last signing request, provide a matching, responsive to determining that the difference between the block height information of the signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value, and sign the new block based on the block information upon providing the matching, and
wherein each of the MCE and the TEE-CE comprise one or more processors connected to a memory.

11. A trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), for signing a block of a blockchain in a decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN), the TEE-CE being configured to:
A) receive, from a mining computing entity (MCE), a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain, the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information,
B) compare the block height information of the received signing request with the block height information from a last signing request,
C) provide a matching, responsive to determining that a difference between the block height information of the received signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value,
D) sign the new block based on the block information upon providing the matching, and
E) send the signed new block to the MCE,
wherein the MCE and the TEE-CE each comprise one or more processors connected to a memory.

12. A method for signing a block of a blockchain by a trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), comprising the steps of:
A) receiving, from a mining computing entity (MCE), a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain, the signing request including block information, the block information including block height information,
B) comparing the block height information of the received signing request with the block height information from a last signing request,
C) providing a matching, when the difference between the block height information of the received signing request and the block height information from the last signing request satisfies a defined value,
D) signing the new block based on the block information upon matching, and
E) sending the signed new block to the MCE,
wherein the MCE and the TEE-CE each comprise one or more processors connected to a memory.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method for mining a block in a decentralized blockchain consensus network (DBCN), the method comprising:
a) sending, by a mining computing entity (MCE), a signing request for mining a new block of a blockchain to a trusted execution environment computing entity (TEE-CE), the signing request including block information, the block i

Assignees

• NEC Laboratories Europe GmbH
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Karame Ghassan
• Bohli Jens-Matthias
• Li Wenting

Classifications

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L67/104

  Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks · CPC title

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• H04L2209/56

  Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash · CPC title

• H04L9/3247 Primary

  involving digital signatures · CPC title