Deferred configuration or instruction execution using a secure distributed transaction ledger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9967333-B2
Application number	US-201514732504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention provide systems and methods that facilitate communicating a message, independent of a centralized resource, to be retrieved at a future time. In embodiments, a computing device receives a configuration-related message via a block chain maintained by a plurality of decentralized nodes. In embodiments, upon verification of the authenticity of the message, the device will execute the deferred instructions indicated in the message. In embodiments, the instructions may be add functionality or not allow functionality in the device. In embodiments, the instructions may indicate that a smart package should allow the end user to access contents of the package or to not allow access to the contents.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating deferred configuration of an information handling device, the method comprising:
attempting to access a distributed peer network that maintains a block chain, the block chain comprising a cryptographically linked sets of data blocks;
responsive to being able to access the distributed peer network, obtaining at least part of the block chain;
examining one or more of the data blocks for a message specifically addressed to the information handling device;
responsive to identifying a message addressed to the information handling device, verifying whether the message was sent by an authorized entity; and
responsive to the message being from a verified authorized entity, executing one or more instructions in the message.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the message comprising instructions for configuring the information handling device to add or enable one or more features of the information handling device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the step of configuring the information handling device to add or enable one or more features of the information handling device comprises:
initiating an auto-configuration process on the information handling device;
downloading code from one or more sources; and
completing code installation and configuration processes of the information handling device to add or enable the one or more features.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the message comprises instructions for configuring the information handling device to remove or disable one or more features of the information handling device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the information handling device is part of a smart package that comprises contents and the message comprises instructions for affecting access to the contents.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein affecting access to contents comprises:
granting access to the contents of the smart package responsive to the message comprising instructions to grant access to the contents; and
denying access to the contents of the smart package responsive to the message comprising instructions to deny access to the contents.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein denying access to the contents comprises rendering the contents unusable.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
gathering data about the information handling device regarding execution of the one or more instructions in the message; and
submitting at least some of the gathered data to one or more nodes in the distributed peer network for inclusion into a data block that is added to the block chain.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
responsive to not being able to access the distributed peer network, determining whether a threshold number of attempts to access the distributed peer network has been exceeded;
responsive to the threshold number of attempts to access the distributed peer network not having been exceeded:
waiting until a condition has been met; and
retrying to access the distributed peer network; and

responsive to the threshold number of attempts to access the distributed peer network having been exceeded, taking one or more actions related to securing the information handling device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein the step of taking one or more actions related to securing the information handling device comprises at least one of:
disabling access to, operation of, or both of one or more features of the information handing device.

11. An information handling device comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memory components communicatively coupled to the processor;
one or more network interfaces, communicatively coupled to the processor, that provides access to one or more networks; and
a deferred instructions subsystem comprising:
a block chain communication proxy, communicatively coupled to the network interface, that interfaces with one or more decentralized nodes of a peer network, the peer network comprising a plurality of nodes that maintain a cryptographically secure and public block chain comprising a cryptographically linked sets of data blocks;
a message receiving component that identifies a message in the block chain specifically addressed to the information handling device and extracts the message;
a user authentication component, communicatively coupled to the message receiving component, that receives at least part of the message from the message receiving component and authenticates that the message originated from an authorized entity from which the information handling device should take instruction; and
an execution component, communicatively coupled to the message receiving module, that executes one or more instructions in the message that affect a feature related to the information handling device.

12. The information handling device of claim 11 wherein one or more instructions in the message that affect a feature related to the information handling device comprises instructions for configuring the information handling device to add or enable one or more features of the information handling device.

13. The information handling device of claim 12 wherein the execution component performs the step of configuring the information handling device to add or enable one or more features by performing the steps comprises:
initiating an auto-configuration process on the information handling device;
downloading code from one or more sources; and
completing code installation and configuration processes of the information handling device to add or enable the one or more features.

14. The information handling device of claim 11 wherein the one or more instructions in the message that affect a feature related to the information handling device comprises the execution component executing one or more instructions that remove or disable one or more features of the information handling device.

15. The information handling device of claim 11 wherein the information handling device is part of a smart package that comprises contents and wherein the one or more instructions in the message that affect a feature related to the information handling device comprises the information handling device affecting access to the contents.

16. The information handling device of claim 15 wherein affecting access to contents comprises:
granting access to the contents of the smart package responsive to the message comprising instructions to grant access to the contents; and
denying access to the contents of the smart package responsive to the message comprising instructions to deny access to the contents.

17. The information handling device of claim 16 wherein denying access to the contents comprises rendering the contents unusable.

18. A computer-implemented method for deferred configuration of an information handling system comprising:
configuring the information handling system to be able to access a distributed peer network that maintains a block chain, the block chain comprising a cryptographically linked sets of data blocks;
shipping the information handling system to a recipient;
generating a message regarding a configuration state for the information handling system; and
submitting the message specifically addressed to the information handling system to one or more nodes in the distributed peer network for inclusion in a data block in the b

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Chen Yuling
• Ford Daniel A

Classifications

• H04L41/28

  Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration · CPC title

• H04L63/126

  the source of the received data · CPC title

• H04L63/10

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title

• H04L2209/38

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L41/082

  the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality · CPC title