Blockchain based vehicle control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020200090-A1
Application number	US-201916687885-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle control method of starting and shutting down an engine, in which a processor receives a blockchain update comprising a first transaction with instructions to perform an engine startup or shutdown; the blockchain update is validated; an engine startup or shutdown is performed based on the validated blockchain update; where the engine startup or shutdown is delayed based on validating a predetermined number of subsequent blockchain updates, including a second transaction with instructions to perform the engine startup or shutdown.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle control method comprising, via a processing system comprising one or more processors:
receiving a first blockchain update comprising a first transaction with instructions to perform an engine startup or shutdown; validating the first blockchain update; performing the engine startup or shutdown based on validating the first blockchain update.

2 . The method of claim 1 comprising performing the engine startup or shutdown based on validating a predetermined number of second blockchain updates subsequent to the first blockchain update.

3 . The method of claim 1 comprising after validating the first blockchain update, delaying performance of the engine startup or shutdown at least until a predetermined number of subsequent blockchain updates have been validated.

4 . The method of claim 3 comprising after validating the first blockchain update, delaying performance of the engine startup or shutdown at least until validating a subsequent blockchain update comprising a second transaction with instructions to perform the engine startup or shutdown.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the instructions to perform the engine startup or shutdown in the second transaction are structured as an approval of the first transaction.

6 . The method of claim 1 , comprising, after validating the first blockchain update, determining whether an author of the first transaction is authorized to issue the instructions to perform the engine startup or shutdown.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein first blockchain update is an addition of a first block to a blockchain.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first block comprises a first tag, the first tag being a function of every block in the blockchain preceding the first block.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is disposed in an aircraft comprising the engine, the method comprising performing the engine startup or shutdown based on validating the first blockchain update and confirming that the aircraft is grounded and at rest.

10 . The method of claim 1 , comprising confirming that the aircraft is grounded and at rest by referencing one or more second transactions contained in one or more second blockchain updates.

11 . An aircraft comprising a processing system configured to:
receive a first blockchain update comprising a first transaction with instructions to modify an operating state of an engine; validating the first blockchain update; modifying the operating state of the engine based on validating the first blockchain update.

12 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is configured to modify the operating state of the engine based on validating a predetermined number of second blockchain updates subsequent to the first blockchain update.

13 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the first transaction comprises instructions to immediately modify the engine operating state and the processing system is configured to:
after validating the first blockchain update, delay modifying the operating state of the engine at least until a predetermined number of subsequent blockchain updates have been validated.

14 . The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the processing system is configured to: after validating the first blockchain update, delay modifying the operating state of the engine at least until validating a subsequent blockchain update comprising a second transaction with instructions to perform the engine startup or shutdown.

15 . The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to perform the engine startup or shutdown in the second transaction are structured as an approval of the first transaction.

16 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the engine is an electric motor or an internal-combustion engine, the processing system being configured to perform the engine startup or shutdown based on validating the first blockchain update and confirming that the aircraft is grounded and at rest.

17 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is configured to confirm that the aircraft is grounded and at rest by referencing one or more second transactions contained in one or more second blockchain updates.

18 . A vehicle control method comprising, via a processing system comprising one or more processors:
receiving a first blockchain update comprising a first transaction with instructions to modifying an operating state of an engine; validating the first blockchain update; modifying the engine operating state based on validating the first blockchain update and validating a predetermined number of second blockchain updates subsequent to the first blockchain update.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein modifying the engine operating state comprises closing a fuel valve, which terminates fuel flow into the engine.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein an aircraft comprises the engine and the method comprises confirming that the aircraft is grounded and at rest before modifying the engine operating state.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp
• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Costello John J
• Skertic Richard J

Classifications

• H04L12/437

  Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration {(for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085)} · CPC title

• H04L63/12 Primary

  Applying verification of the received information (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L9/38

  Encryption being effected by mechanical apparatus, e.g. rotating cams, switches, keytape punchers · CPC title

• H04L9/34

  Bits, or blocks of bits, of the telegraphic message being interchanged in time {(for speech signals H04K1/06)} · CPC title

• H04L9/32

  including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials} · CPC title