System and method for creating a secure mesh network utilizing the blockchain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12423683-B2
Application number	US-202016786515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2020
Priority date	Nov 6, 2018
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Techniques for providing a secure mesh network based on a cryptocurrency blockchain are provided. An electronic device can receive data from a mesh network to establish the device as a node on the mesh network. The established node can generate a cryptocurrency wallet that can be loaded with an amount of cryptocurrency. The established node can receive a payment for facilitating transfers on the mesh network including routing transactional or communication data. Public and/or private keys associated with the cryptocurrency wallets can be used to encrypt communications, thereby providing a secure mesh network. Further, the blockchain, which can be managed by one or more authorized nodes of the mesh network, can provide a payment system within the mesh network. The distributed nature of the mesh network allows it to operate securely without a central authority. In turn, the mesh network is more adaptable and flexible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a storage device to store instructions; and
a processor coupled with the storage device operable to execute the instructions, the processor, when executing the instructions, to:
receive a first message from a first node on a distributed mesh network, the first message encrypted with a public key associated with the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is an authorized node;
generate a decrypted message by decrypting the first message with a private key associated with the electronic device;
request a public key of a cryptocurrency wallet of a second node on the distributed mesh network from an authorization node based on the decrypted message;
receive the public key of the cryptocurrency wallet of the second node;
generate a re-encrypted message by encrypting the decrypted message with the public key of the cryptocurrency wallet of the second node;
send the re-encrypted message to the second node;
receive a payment, based on routing the first message, wherein the first message comprises communication data or transaction data, from a cryptocurrency wallet of an originating node that generated the communication data or transaction data, wherein the originating node is an unauthorized node;
store the payment from the originating node in a cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device;
update a cryptocurrency blockchain based on the payment;
determine that the originating node on the distributed mesh network can participate as another authorized node, based on an amount of cryptocurrency held in a cryptocurrency wallet of the originating node or a number of transactions associated with the cryptocurrency wallet of the originating node; and

after determination that the originating node can participate as another authorized node, distribute the updated cryptocurrency blockchain to the originating node.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , the processor to:
receive data relating to the distributed mesh network; and
establish the electronic device as a node on the distributed mesh network based on the data.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , the processor to receive authorization to participate on the distributed mesh network from the authorization node, wherein the authorization node maintains the cryptocurrency blockchain to provide access to the Internet for the distributed mesh network.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , the processor to:
obtain the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device and store the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device in the storage device, wherein the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device is associated with the public key and the private key associated with the electronic device; and
store the payment in the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device in the storage device.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the authorization received to participate on the distributed mesh network is based on a total amount of cryptocurrency tokens stored in the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the public key of the cryptocurrency wallet of the second node is stored within the cryptocurrency blockchain of the distributed mesh network.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises the transactional data, and wherein the payment is received from a third node of the distributed mesh network initiating the transaction involving a cryptocurrency token.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises the communication data, and wherein the payment is received from the originating node of the distributed mesh network generating the communication data.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises the transaction data associated with a transaction and the payment is responsive to processing the transaction, the processor further to receive a second payment for maintaining the cryptocurrency blockchain.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by an electronic device, a first message from a first node on a distributed mesh network, the message encrypted with a public key associated with the electronic device, wherein the electronic device is an authorized node;
generating, by the electronic device, a decrypted message by decrypting the first message with a private key associated with the electronic device;
requesting, by the electronic device, a public key of a cryptocurrency wallet of a second node on the distributed mesh network from an authorization node based on the decrypted message;
receiving, by the electronic device, the public key of the cryptocurrency wallet of the second node;
generating, by the electronic device, a re-encrypted message by encrypting the decrypted message with the public key of the cryptocurrency wallet of the second node;
sending, by the electronic device, the re-encrypted message to the second node;
receiving, by the electronic device, a payment, based on routing the first message, wherein the first message comprises communication data or transaction data, from a cryptocurrency wallet of an originating node that generated the communication data or transaction data, wherein the originating node is an unauthorized node; and
storing, by the electronic device, the payment from the originating node in a cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device;
updating, by the electronic device, a cryptocurrency blockchain based on the payment;
determining, by the electronic device, that the originating node on the distributed mesh network can participate as another authorized node based on an amount of cryptocurrency held in a cryptocurrency wallet of the originating node or a number of transactions associated with the cryptocurrency wallet of the originating node; and
after determination that the originating node can participate as another authorized node, distributing, by the electronic device, the updated cryptocurrency blockchain to the originating node.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , comprising:
receiving data relating to the distributed mesh network; and
establishing the electronic device as a node on the distributed mesh network based on the data.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , comprising receiving authorization to participate on the distributed mesh network from the authorization node, wherein the authorization node maintains the cryptocurrency blockchain to provide access to the Internet for the distributed mesh network.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , comprising:
obtaining the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device and storing the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device in a storage device, wherein the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device is associated with the public key and the private key associated with the electronic device; and
storing the payment in the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device in the storage device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the authorization received to participate on the distributed mesh network is based on a total amount of cryptocurrency tokens stored in the cryptocurrency wallet of the electronic device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the public key of the cryptocurrency wallet of the second node is stored within the cryptocurrency blockchain of the distributed mesh network.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the first message comprises the transactional data, and wh

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Walters Austin Grant
• Goodsitt Jeremy Edward
• Abdi Taghi Abad Fardin

Classifications

• G06Q20/065 Primary

  using e-cash · CPC title

• G06Q20/389

  Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction · CPC title

• H04L9/50

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

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04L9/14

  using a plurality of keys or algorithms · CPC title