Creation of a Blockchain with Blocks Comprising an Adjustable Number of Transaction Blocks and Multiple Intermediate Blocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022012233-A1
Application number	US-201917413035-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for creating a blockchain with blocks that includes an adjustable number of transaction blocks and multiple intermediate blocks, and to a storage medium of a device participating in a distributed database system comprising such a blockchain, wherein a first intermediate block is provided and at least one second intermediate block is generated, where the second intermediate block references a block preceding the second intermediate block and at least the first intermediate block.

First claim

1 .- 19 . (canceled)

20 . A computer-implemented method for creating a blockchain with blocks comprising an adaptable number of transaction blocks and a plurality of intermediate blocks, the blockchain forming part of a distributed database system, blocks being generated within the blockchain and a respective block referencing a respective preceding block within the block chain, the method comprising:
providing a first intermediate block; and generating at least one second intermediate block which references a block which precedes the at least one second intermediate block and references at least the first intermediate block; wherein the first intermediate block comprises a predecessor intermediate block.

21 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the first intermediate block comprises a genesis block.

22 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the genesis block is provided and the first intermediate block is furthermore generated, wherein the first intermediate block references a block preceding the first intermediate block and references at least the genesis block.

23 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein at least one transaction block is generated between the first intermediate block and the at least one second intermediate block.

24 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein at least the number of transaction blocks between the at least one second intermediate block and the first intermediate block is reduced to shorten the blockchain.

25 . The method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein shortening the blockchain comprises removing all transaction blocks generated between the at least one second intermediate block and the first intermediate block.

26 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein a shortened blockchain is stored by a device participating in a distributed database system.

27 . The method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the device comprises one of (i) a device in a cloud, (ii) an edge device and (iii) IoT device.

28 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein transaction blocks between the first intermediate block and the at least one second intermediate block are interrogated from a stored unshortened blockchain and are inserted into the blockchain to extend the blockchain.

29 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein referencing of a block to be referenced comprises recording or storing a checksum of the block to be referenced or of a part of the block to be referenced in the referencing block.

30 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the first intermediate block and the at least one second intermediate block each include no transaction.

31 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein further intermediate blocks, are generated; and wherein a respective further intermediate block references a respectively preceding block and a respectively preceding intermediate block.

32 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein generating one of (i) the at least one second intermediate block and (ii) a respective further intermediate block, is effected one of (i) in a rule-based manner and (ii) manually.

33 . The method as claimed in claim 32 , wherein the rule-based manner comprises one of (i) at a predefinable point in time, (ii) a predefinable time gap with respect to a preceding block, (iii) a predefinable time gap with respect to a preceding intermediate block (iv) after a predefinable number of generated transaction blocks, (v) via a context-based triggering condition.

34 . The method as claimed in claim 31 , wherein at least one of the further intermediate blocks references at least two of the preceding intermediate blocks.

35 . The method as claimed in claim 32 , wherein at least one of the further intermediate blocks references at least two of the preceding intermediate blocks.

36 . The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein a respective intermediate block references the respectively preceding intermediate block; and wherein selected intermediate blocks additionally reference further preceding intermediate blocks.

37 . The method as claimed in claim 36 , wherein as selected intermediate block an intermediate block is generated one of (i) at a predefinable point in time, (ii) with a predefinable time gap with respect to a preceding or previously selected intermediate block, (iii) after a predefinable number of generated transaction blocks or intermediate blocks, (iv) via a context-based triggering condition and (v) manually.

38 . A storage medium of a device participating in a distributed database system, the storage medium comprising:
a blockchain having blocks comprising an adaptable number of transaction blocks and a plurality of intermediate blocks, the blockchain forming part of the distributed database system and a respective block referencing a respective preceding block; and a first intermediate block and at least one second intermediate block; wherein the at least one second intermediate block references a block preceding said at least one second intermediate block and references at least the first intermediate block; and wherein the first intermediate block is a predecessor intermediate block.

39 . The storage medium as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the storage medium is implemented on one of (i) an edge device and (ii) an IoT device, said storage device storing a shortened blockchain which is shorted by reducing at least the number of transaction blocks between the at least one second intermediate block and the first intermediate block.

40 . The storage medium as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the storage medium is implemented on one of (i) an edge device and (ii) an IoT device, the storage medium storing a blockchain which is extended by interrogating transaction blocks between the first intermediate block and the at least one second intermediate block from a stored unshortened blockchain and inserting said interrogated transaction blocks into the blockchain.

41 . The storage medium as claimed in claim 38 , wherein the device comprises one of (i) a device in a cloud, (ii) an edge device and (iii) or IoT device.

42 . An edge device having the storage medium as claimed in claim 38 .

43 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program which, when executed by a processor of program-controlled device, causes creation of a blockchain with blocks comprising an adaptable number of transaction blocks and a plurality of intermediate blocks, the blockchain forming part of a distributed database system, blocks being generated within the blockchain and a respective block referencing a respective preceding block within the block chain, the computer program comprising:
program code for providing a first intermediate block; program code for generating at least one second intermediate block which references a block which precedes the at least one second intermediate block and references at least the first intermediate block; and wherein the first intermediate block comprises a predecessor intermediate block.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Thurau Oliver

Classifications

• H04L9/50

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

• G06F16/27

  Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor · CPC title

• G06F16/2379 Primary

  Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing · CPC title

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04W12/10

  Integrity · CPC title