Random number generation using a network of mobile devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015100613-A1
Application number	US-201314046521-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2013
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Apr 9, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for random number generation using a network of mobile devices are provided in the illustrative embodiments. From a set of mobile devices, a corresponding set of data packets is received. A presence of raw sensor data is detected in a first data packet received from a first mobile device in the set of mobile devices. The raw sensor data comprises data corresponding to changing value of an output of a sensor in a set of sensors installed in the first mobile device. The raw sensor data is separated from the first data packet, resulting in an original data packet. A first random number is generated using the raw sensor data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for random number generation, the method comprising:
receiving, from a set of mobile devices, a corresponding set of data packets; detecting, using a processor and a memory in a datacenter, a presence of raw sensor data in a first data packet received from a first mobile device in the set of mobile devices, wherein the raw sensor data comprises data corresponding to changing value of an output of a sensor in a set of sensors installed in the first mobile device; separating the raw sensor data from the first data packet, resulting in an original data packet; and generating a first random number using the raw sensor data.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a presence of a second raw sensor data in a second data packet received from a second mobile device in the set of mobile devices, wherein the first data packet is of a first type different from a second type of the second data packet; and generating a second random number using the second raw sensor data.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the set of data packets includes raw sensor data, further comprising:
detecting an absence of a third raw sensor data in a third data packet received from a third mobile device in the set of mobile devices; and sending the third data packet unaltered to a server-side application executing in the datacenter.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending the original data packet to a server-side application executing in the datacenter.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a device-side application executing on the first mobile device creates the original data packet for sending to a server-side application executing in the datacenter, and wherein the raw sensor data is added to the original data packet without the participation of the device-side application.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw sensor data comprises data obtained by combining changing values of outputs of a subset of sensors in a set of sensors installed in the first mobile device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
detecting that a flag in the first data packet indicates a presence of the raw sensor data in a data field in the first data packet.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the raw sensor data is combined with a second data in a data field of the first data packet, such that the raw sensor data is separable from the second data upon reading the data field.

9 . A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage device including computer usable code for random number generation, the computer usable code comprising:
computer usable code for receiving, from a set of mobile devices, a corresponding set of data packets; computer usable code for detecting, using a processor and a memory in a datacenter, a presence of raw sensor data in a first data packet received from a first mobile device in the set of mobile devices, wherein the raw sensor data comprises data corresponding to changing value of an output of a sensor in a set of sensors installed in the first mobile device; computer usable code for separating the raw sensor data from the first data packet, resulting in an original data packet; and computer usable code for generating a first random number using the raw sensor data.

10 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , further comprising:
computer usable code for detecting a presence of a second raw sensor data in a second data packet received from a second mobile device in the set of mobile devices, wherein the first data packet is of a first type different from a second type of the second data packet; and computer usable code for generating a second random number using the second raw sensor data.

11 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein a subset of the set of data packets includes raw sensor data, further comprising:
computer usable code for detecting an absence of a third raw sensor data in a third data packet received from a third mobile device in the set of mobile devices; and computer usable code for sending the third data packet unaltered to a server-side application executing in the datacenter.

12 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , further comprising:
computer usable code for sending the original data packet to a server-side application executing in the datacenter.

13 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein a device-side application executing on the first mobile device creates the original data packet for sending to a server-side application executing in the datacenter, and wherein the raw sensor data is added to the original data packet without the participation of the device-side application.

14 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein the raw sensor data comprises data obtained by combining changing values of outputs of a subset of sensors in a set of sensors installed in the first mobile device.

15 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer usable code for detecting comprises:
computer usable code for detecting that a flag in the first data packet indicates a presence of the raw sensor data in a data field in the first data packet.

16 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein the raw sensor data is combined with a second data in a data field of the first data packet, such that the raw sensor data is separable from the second data upon reading the data field.

17 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

18 . The computer usable program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

19 . A data processing system for random number generation, the data processing system comprising:
a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and
a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises:
computer usable code for receiving, from a set of mobile devices, a corresponding set of data packets; computer usable code for detecting, using a processor and a memory in a datacenter, a presence of raw sensor data in a first data packet received from a first mobile device in the set of mobile devices, wherein the raw sensor data comprises data corresponding to changing value of an output of a sensor in a set of sensors installed in the first mobile device; computer usable code for separating the raw sensor data from the first data packet, resulting in an original data packet; and computer usable code for generating a first random number using the raw sensor data.

20 . The data processing system of claim 19 , further comprising:
computer usable code for detecting a presence of a second raw sensor data in a second data packet received from a second mobile device in the set of mobile devices, wherein the first data packet is of a first type different from a second type of the second data packet; an

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Osiecki Thomas Henry
• Rellermeyer Jan Simon
• Stephenson Mark William

Classifications

• G06F7/588 Primary

  Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes · CPC title