U.S. patent application number 16/556201 was filed with the patent office on 2021-03-04 for analysis of transport damage.
The applicant listed for this patent is TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.. Invention is credited to Neil Dutta, Anil Nagpal.
Application Number | 20210065469 16/556201 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004337266 |
Filed Date | 2021-03-04 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20210065469 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dutta; Neil ; et
al. |
March 4, 2021 |
ANALYSIS OF TRANSPORT DAMAGE
Abstract
An example operation may include one or more of receiving, by a
server, an accident report from a transport, accessing, by a
server, at least one media file associated with the report on a
remote storage, analyzing, by the server, the media file to assess
a damage to the transport, and storing the damage assessment onto
the remote storage.
Inventors: |
Dutta; Neil; (Addison,
TX) ; Nagpal; Anil; (Plano, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
Plano |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004337266 |
Appl. No.: |
16/556201 |
Filed: |
August 29, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08G 1/205 20130101;
G07C 5/008 20130101; H04L 9/0643 20130101; H04L 2209/38 20130101;
G06F 16/489 20190101; G06Q 10/06 20130101; G07C 5/0808 20130101;
H04W 4/40 20180201 |
International
Class: |
G07C 5/00 20060101
G07C005/00; G07C 5/08 20060101 G07C005/08; H04L 9/06 20060101
H04L009/06; G08G 1/00 20060101 G08G001/00; G06Q 10/06 20060101
G06Q010/06; G06F 16/48 20060101 G06F016/48; H04W 4/40 20060101
H04W004/40 |
Claims
1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a server, an accident report
from a transport; accessing, by a server, at least one media file
associated with the report on a remote storage; analyzing, by the
server, the media file to assess a damage to the transport; and
storing the damage assessment onto the remote storage.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing media files
on the remote storage from a plurality of transports associated
with the at least one media file.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising combining portions of
the media files that have timestamps within a preset range of a
timestamp of the at least one media file.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising assessing the damage
to the transport based on the combined portions of the media
files.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating a damage
assessment report.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the at least
one media file on a ledger of a blockchain the transport and the
server belong to.
7. The method of claim 6, comprising executing a transaction to
store a damage assessment report on a ledger of the blockchain.
8. A system, comprising: a processor of a server; a memory on which
are stored machine readable instructions that when executed by the
processor, cause the processor to: receive an accident report from
a transport; access at least one media file associated with the
report on a remote storage; analyze the media file to assess a
damage to the transport; and store the damage assessment onto the
remote storage.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further to
cause the processor to access media files on the remote storage
from a plurality of transports associated with the at least one
media file.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further to
cause the processor to combine portions of the media files that
have timestamps within a preset range of a timestamp of the at
least one media file.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further to
cause the processor to assess the damage to the transport based on
the combined portions of the media files.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further to
cause the processor to generate a damage assessment report.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further to
cause the processor to access the at least one media file on a
ledger of a blockchain the transport and the server belong to.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further to
cause the processor to execute a smart contract to execute a
transaction to store a damage assessment report on a ledger of the
blockchain.
15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising
instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to
perform: receiving an accident report from a transport; accessing
at least one media file associated with the report on a remote
storage; analyzing the media file to assess a damage to the
transport; and storing the damage assessment onto the remote
storage.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,
further comprising instructions, that when read by a processor,
cause the processor to access media files on the remote storage
from a plurality of transports associated with the at least one
media file.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16,
further comprising instructions, that when read by a processor,
cause the processor to combine portions of the media files that
have timestamps within a preset range of a timestamp of the at
least one media file.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17,
further comprising instructions, that when read by a processor,
cause the processor to assess the damage to the transport based on
the combined portions of the media files.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18,
further comprising instructions, that when read by a processor,
cause the processor to generate a damage assessment report.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19,
further comprising instructions, that when read by a processor,
cause the processor to execute a transaction to store a damage
assessment report on a ledger of a blockchain.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This application generally relates to analysis of damages,
and more particularly, to analysis of transport damages.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Vehicles or transports, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks,
planes, trains, etc., generally provide transportation needs to
occupants and/or goods in a variety of ways. Functions related to
transports may be identified and utilized by various computing
devices, such as a smartphone or a computer, or a tablet.
[0003] Many accidents happen in parking lots, garages, etc. There
are tons of bumps, scratches and dings and other minor damages that
may occur as a result of minor accidents. While these damages may
be minor and some may not even trigger insurance claims, a lot of
time may be wasted by insurance companies on these minor damages
and resulting insurance claims. The biggest problem the insurance
companies face in these situations is finding out which car hit
which car and getting a reliable record and account of the
accident. However, a centralized system that can collect and
securely and efficiently track the accident-related information
from millions of vehicles does not exist.
[0004] Accordingly, an efficient and secure immutable centralized
storage for audit and analysis of damage-related information is
desired.
SUMMARY
[0005] One example embodiment may provide a method that includes
one or more of detecting, by a transport, a potential damage event,
recording, by the transport, a first media file via at least one
sensor on the transport, accessing, by the transport, a second
media file on at least one other transport within a predefined
distance of the transport, analyzing, by the transport, the first
media file and the second media file to identify portions that
correlate to the potential damage event, and determining an actual
damage event has occurred based on the analysis.
[0006] Another example embodiment may provide a method that
includes one or more of receiving, by an insurance server, a video
file from a transport, the video file reflecting an accident,
requesting a permission to access video files from a plurality of
transports within a pre-defined range from the transport, analyzing
the video file from the transport and the video files from the
plurality of the transports to determine a damage to the transport,
and storing the video files from the plurality of the transports
that correlate with the video file from the transport on a remote
storage.
[0007] Yet another example embodiment may provide a method that
includes one or more of receiving, by a server, an accident report
from a transport, accessing, by a server, at least one media file
associated with the report on a remote storage, analyzing, by the
server, the media file to assess a damage to the transport, and
storing the damage assessment onto the remote storage.
[0008] Another example embodiment may provide a system that
includes a processor and memory, wherein the processor is
configured to perform one or more of detect a potential damage
event, record a first media file via at least one sensor on the
transport, access a second media file on at least one other
transport within a predefined distance of the transport, analyze
the first media file and the second media file to identify portions
that correlate to the potential damage event, and determine an
actual damage event has occurred based on the analysis.
[0009] Another example embodiment may provide a system that
includes a processor and memory, wherein the processor is
configured to perform one or more of receive a video file from a
transport, the video file reflecting an accident, request a
permission to access video files from a plurality of transports
within a pre-defined range from the transport, analyze the video
file from the transport and the video files from the plurality of
the transports to determine a damage to the transport, and store
the video files from the plurality of the transports that correlate
with the video file from the transport on a remote storage.
[0010] Yet another example embodiment may provide a system that
includes a processor and memory, wherein the processor is
configured to perform one or more of receive an accident report
from a transport, access at least one media file associated with
the report on a remote storage, analyze the media file to assess a
damage to the transport, and store the damage assessment onto the
remote storage.
[0011] A further example embodiment provides a non-transitory
computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by
a processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of
detecting a potential damage event, recording a first media file
via at least one sensor on the transport, accessing a second media
file on at least one other transport within a predefined distance
of the transport, analyzing the first media file and the second
media file to identify portions that correlate to the potential
damage event, and determining an actual damage event has occurred
based on the analysis.
[0012] A further example embodiment provides a non-transitory
computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by
a processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of
receiving a video file from a transport, the video file reflecting
an accident, requesting a permission to access video files from a
plurality of transports within a pre-defined range from the
transport, analyzing the video file from the transport and the
video files from the plurality of the transports to determine a
damage to the transport, and storing the video files from the
plurality of the transports that correlate with the video file from
the transport on a remote storage.
[0013] Yet a further example embodiment provides a non-transitory
computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by
a processor, cause the processor to perform one or more of
receiving an accident report from a transport, accessing at least
one media file associated with the report on a remote storage,
analyzing the media file to assess a damage to the transport, and
storing the damage assessment onto the remote storage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1A illustrates a transport(s) network diagram in
accordance to the example embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 1B illustrates an example network diagram including a
transport node, according to example embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 1C illustrates another example network diagram
including a transport node, according to example embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 1D illustrates another example network diagram
including a transport node, according to example embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 2A illustrates a blockchain architecture configuration,
according to example embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 2B illustrates another blockchain configuration,
according to example embodiments.
[0020] FIG. 2C illustrates a blockchain configuration for storing
blockchain transaction data, according to example embodiments.
[0021] FIG. 3A illustrates a flow diagram, according to example
embodiments.
[0022] FIG. 3B illustrates another flow diagram, according to
example embodiments.
[0023] FIG. 3C illustrates a further flow diagram, according to
example embodiments.
[0024] FIG. 3D illustrates yet a further flow diagram, according to
example embodiments.
[0025] FIG. 3E illustrates a further flow diagram, according to
example embodiments.
[0026] FIG. 3F illustrates yet a further flow diagram, according to
example embodiments.
[0027] FIG. 4A illustrates an example blockchain vehicle
configuration for managing blockchain transactions associated with
a vehicle, according to example embodiments.
[0028] FIG. 4B illustrates another example blockchain vehicle
configuration for managing blockchain transactions between a
service center and a vehicle, according to example embodiments.
[0029] FIG. 4C illustrates yet another example blockchain vehicle
configuration for managing blockchain transactions conducted among
various vehicles, according to example embodiments
[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates example data blocks, according to example
embodiments.
[0031] FIG. 6 illustrates an example system that supports one or
more of the example embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] It will be readily understood that the instant components,
as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may
be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different
configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of the
embodiments of at least one of a method, apparatus, non-transitory
computer readable medium and system, as represented in the attached
figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the application as
claimed but is merely representative of selected embodiments.
[0033] The instant features, structures, or characteristics as
described throughout this specification may be combined in any
suitable manner in one or more embodiments. For example, the usage
of the phrases "example embodiments", "some embodiments", or other
similar language, throughout least this specification refers to the
fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic
described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at
one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases "example
embodiments", "in some embodiments", "in other embodiments", or
other similar language, throughout this specification do not
necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and the
described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined
in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the diagrams,
any connection between elements can permit one-way and/or two-way
communication even if the depicted connection is a one-way or
two-way arrow. In the current application, a transport may include
one or more of cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles,
boats, recreational vehicles, planes, and any object that may be
used to transport people and or goods from one location to
another.
[0034] In addition, while the term "message" may have been used in
the description of embodiments, the application may be applied to
many types of network data, such as, a packet, frame, datagram,
etc. The term "message" also includes packet, frame, datagram, and
any equivalents thereof. Furthermore, while certain types of
messages and signaling may be depicted in exemplary embodiments
they are not limited to a certain type of message, and the
application is not limited to a certain type of signaling.
[0035] Example embodiments provide methods, systems, components,
non-transitory computer readable media, devices, and/or networks,
which provide at least one of: a transport (also referred to as a
vehicle herein) a data collection system, a data monitoring system,
a verification system, an authorization system and a vehicle data
distribution system. The vehicle status condition data, received in
the form of communication update messages, such as wireless data
network communications and/or wired communication messages, may be
received and processed to identify vehicle/transport status
conditions and provide feedback as to the condition changes of a
transport. In one example, a user profile may be applied to a
particular transport/vehicle to authorize a current vehicle event,
service stops at service stations, and to authorize subsequent
vehicle rental services.
[0036] Within the communication infrastructure, a decentralized
database is a distributed storage system, which includes multiple
nodes that communicate with each other. A blockchain is an example
of a decentralized database, which includes an append-only
immutable data structure (i.e., a distributed ledger) capable of
maintaining records between untrusted parties. The untrusted
parties are referred to herein as peers, nodes or peer nodes. Each
peer maintains a copy of the database records and no single peer
can modify the database records without a consensus being reached
among the distributed peers. For example, the peers may execute a
consensus protocol to validate blockchain storage entries, group
the storage entries into blocks, and build a hash chain via the
blocks. This process forms the ledger by ordering the storage
entries, as is necessary, for consistency. In a public or
permissionless blockchain, anyone can participate without a
specific identity. Public blockchains can involve crypto-currencies
and use consensus based on various protocols such as proof of work
(PoW). On the other hand, a permissioned blockchain database
provides a system, which can secure interactions among a group of
entities which share a common goal, but which do not or cannot
fully trust one another, such as businesses that exchange funds,
goods, information, and the like. The instant application can
function in a permissioned and/or a permissionless blockchain
setting.
[0037] Smart contracts are trusted distributed applications which
leverage tamper-proof properties of the shared or distributed
ledger (i.e., which may be in the form of a blockchain) database
and an underlying agreement between member nodes which is referred
to as an endorsement or endorsement policy. In general, blockchain
entries are "endorsed" before being committed to the blockchain
while entries, which are not endorsed, are disregarded. A typical
endorsement policy allows smart contract executable code to specify
endorsers for an entry in the form of a set of peer nodes that are
necessary for endorsement. When a client sends the entry to the
peers specified in the endorsement policy, the entry is executed to
validate the entry. After validation, the entries enter an ordering
phase in which a consensus protocol is used to produce an ordered
sequence of endorsed entries grouped into blocks.
[0038] Nodes are the communication entities of the blockchain
system. A "node" may perform a logical function in the sense that
multiple nodes of different types can run on the same physical
server. Nodes are grouped in trust domains and are associated with
logical entities that control them in various ways. Nodes may
include different types, such as a client or submitting-client node
which submits an entry-invocation to an endorser (e.g., peer), and
broadcasts entry-proposals to an ordering service (e.g., ordering
node). Another type of node is a peer node, which can receive
client submitted entries, commit the entries and maintain a state
and a copy of the ledger of blockchain entries. Peers can also have
the role of an endorser, although it is not a requirement. An
ordering-service-node or orderer is a node running the
communication service for all nodes, and which implements a
delivery guarantee, such as a broadcast to each of the peer nodes
in the system when committing entries and modifying a world state
of the blockchain, which is another name for the initial blockchain
entry, which normally includes control and setup information.
[0039] A ledger is a sequenced, tamper-resistant record of all
state transitions of a blockchain. State transitions may result
from smart contract executable code invocations (i.e., entries)
submitted by participating parties (e.g., client nodes, ordering
nodes, endorser nodes, peer nodes, etc.). An entry may result in a
set of asset key-value pairs being committed to the ledger as one
or more operands, such as creates, updates, deletes, and the like.
The ledger includes a blockchain (also referred to as a chain),
which is used to store an immutable, sequenced record in blocks.
The ledger also includes a state database, which maintains a
current state of the blockchain. There is typically one ledger per
channel. Each peer node maintains a copy of the ledger for each
channel of which they are a member.
[0040] A chain is an entry log, which is structured as hash-linked
blocks, and each block contains a sequence of N entries where N is
equal to or greater than one. The block header includes a hash of
the block's entries, as well as a hash of the prior block's header.
In this way, all entries on the ledger may be sequenced and
cryptographically linked together. Accordingly, it is not possible
to tamper with the ledger data without breaking the hash links. A
hash of a most recently added blockchain block represents every
entry on the chain that has come before it, making it possible to
ensure that all peer nodes are in a consistent and trusted state.
The chain may be stored on a peer node file system (i.e., local,
attached storage, cloud, etc.), efficiently supporting the
append-only nature of the blockchain workload.
[0041] The current state of the immutable ledger represents the
latest values for all keys that are included in the chain entry
log. Because the current state represents the latest key values
known to a channel, it is sometimes referred to as a world state.
Smart contract executable code invocations execute entries against
the current state data of the ledger. To make these smart contract
executable code interactions efficient, the latest values of the
keys may be stored in a state database. The state database may be
simply an indexed view into the chain's entry log, it can therefore
be regenerated from the chain at any time. The state database may
automatically be recovered (or generated if needed) upon peer node
startup, and before entries are accepted.
[0042] A blockchain is different from a traditional database in
that the blockchain is not a central storage but rather a
decentralized, immutable, and secure storage, where nodes must
share in changes to records in the storage. Some properties that
are inherent in blockchain and which help implement the blockchain
include, but are not limited to, an immutable ledger, smart
contracts, security, privacy, decentralization, consensus,
endorsement, accessibility, and the like.
[0043] Example embodiments provide a way for providing a vehicle
service to a particular vehicle and/or requesting user associated
with a user profile that is applied to the vehicle. For example, a
user may be the owner of a vehicle or the operator of a vehicle
owned by another party. The vehicle may require service at certain
intervals and the service needs may require authorization prior to
permitting the services to be received. Also, service centers may
offer services to vehicles in a nearby area based on the vehicle's
current route plan and a relative level of service requirements
(e.g., immediate, severe, intermediate, minor, etc.). The vehicle
needs may be monitored via one or more sensors, which report sensed
data to a central controller computer device in the vehicle, which
in turn, is forwarded to a management server for review and
action.
[0044] A sensor may be located on one or more of the interior of
the transport, the exterior of the transport, on a fixed object
apart from the transport, and on another transport near to the
transport. The sensor may also be associated with the transport's
speed, the transport's braking, the transport's acceleration, fuel
levels, service needs, the gear-shifting of the transport, the
transport's steering, and the like. The notion of a sensor may also
be a device, such as a mobile device. Also, sensor information may
be used to identify whether the vehicle is operating safely and
whether the occupant user has engaged in any unexpected vehicle
conditions, such as during the vehicle access period. Vehicle
information collected before, during and/or after a vehicle's
operation may be identified and stored in a transaction on a
shared/distributed ledger, which may be generated and committed to
the immutable ledger as determined by a permission granting
consortium, and thus in a "decentralized" manner, such as via a
blockchain membership group. Each interested party (i.e., company,
agency, etc.) may want to limit the exposure of private
information, and therefore the blockchain and its immutability can
limit the exposure and manage permissions for each particular user
vehicle profile. A smart contract may be used to provide
compensation, quantify a user profile score/rating/review, apply
vehicle event permissions, determine when service is needed,
identify a collision and/or degradation event, identify a safety
concern event, identify parties to the event and provide
distribution to registered entities seeking access to such vehicle
event data. Also, the results may be identified, and the necessary
information can be shared among the registered companies and/or
individuals based on a "consensus" approach associated with the
blockchain. Such an approach could not be implemented on a
traditional centralized database.
[0045] The instant application includes, in certain embodiments,
authorizing a vehicle for service via an automated and quick
authentication scheme. For example, driving up to a charging
station or fuel pump may be performed by a vehicle operator, and
the authorization to receive charge or fuel may be performed
without any delays provided the authorization is received by the
service station. A vehicle may provide a communication signal that
provides an identification of a vehicle that has a currently active
profile linked to an account that is authorized to accept a
service, which can be later rectified by compensation. Additional
measures may be used to provide further authentication, such as
another identifier may be sent from the user's device wirelessly to
the service center to replace or supplement the first authorization
effort between the transport and the service center with an
additional authorization effort.
[0046] Data shared and received may be stored in a database, which
maintains data in one single database (e.g., database server) and
generally at one particular location. This location is often a
central computer, for example, a desktop central processing unit
(CPU), a server CPU, or a mainframe computer. Information stored on
a centralized database is typically accessible from multiple
different points. A centralized database is easy to manage,
maintain, and control, especially for purposes of security because
of its single location. Within a centralized database, data
redundancy is minimized as a single storing place of all data also
implies that a given set of data only has one primary record.
[0047] According to the exemplary embodiments, in case of an
accident, a transport's (e.g., car or vehicle) processor may detect
a potential damage event via sensors and video recording devices
located on the transport. In order to get and possibly provide more
comprehensive information to an insurance company, the transport
may request video (or other media) records from the transports
(e.g., vehicles) located within a certain distance from the
accident at the time of the accident indicated by a time stamp of
the original video file. All of the transports may be connected via
a blockchain network and serve as peers (or nodes). Once a certain
number of transport nodes have a consensus, the video files can be
provided to the requesting transport. Upon receiving the video
files, the transport (i.e., the processor) may analyze the videos
to find the portions that correlate to each other--i.e., show the
damage-related event from different angles. The analysis may
determine an extend of the damage. If the damage is deemed
substantial enough, the processor of the transport can store the
video files on a ledger of the blockchain for future analysis and
for claim processing. For example, a combination of the portion of
the video files may reveal that a driver of the damaged vehicle was
not behind the wheel, making accident to qualify as a "hit and
run." Yet, in another scenario, the additional videos may indicate
that both vehicles were moving at the time of contact, which may be
critical for the insurance company or for the Department of Motor
vehicles (DMV). In one example, a transport may place a record on a
ledger of the blockchain indicating that an owner of the transport
would like to get a certain amount for the damage without filing an
insurance claim. This way, the owner of another vehicle involved in
the accident may be able to settle the issue by making a payment
via the blockchain.
[0048] In another embodiment, a server (e.g., an insurance company
server or another cloud server) may receive a video file from a
transport computer that serves as a peer on a blockchain network
the server belongs to. The video file may be associated with an
accident recorded by the transport. The server may request
blockchain consensus from other transports within a certain
distance range from the accident to access video files on these
transports produced at the time of the accident. The insurance
server may analyze the videos to determine damage to the transport.
Then, the insurance server may store the relevant videos that
correlate with the video file received from the transport computer
on the ledger of the blockchain for audit and claim processing.
[0049] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a server (e.g., an
insurance company server, a body shop server, etc.) may receive an
accident report over a blockchain network from a transport
computer. The server may access the video (or other media) files
from a ledger of the blockchain using, for example, accident report
ID, or transport ID, etc. The server analyzes the media file to
produce a damage assessment. Then, the damage assessment may be
stored on the ledger of the blockchain to be accessed by other
interested parties (e.g., insurance appraisers, body shops, police
department, etc.) connected over the same blockchain channel.
[0050] FIG. 1A illustrates a transport(s) network diagram 100 in
accordance with the exemplary embodiments. According to one
exemplary embodiment, a transport node 102 may detect a potential
damage event that have occurred as a result of activation of a
sensor on the transport after a contact with another car or object.
The transport node 102 may record a first media file (e.g., video
file) via a sensor on the transport node 102. Then, the transport
node 102 may access a second media file on another transport(s)
(e.g., transport nodes 105) within a predefined distance of the
transport 102. The transport node 102 may analyze the first media
file and the second media file to identify portions that correlate
to the potential damage event. The transport node 102 may determine
that an actual damage event has occurred based on the analysis. In
one example, the transport 102 may provide the damage-related data
and media files to a server (e.g., an insurance server) via
blockchain network.
[0051] According to another exemplary embodiment, a server (e.g.,
an insurance company server or another cloud server) 107 may
receive a video file from a transport node 102 computer that serves
as a peer on a blockchain network the server 107 belongs to. The
video file may be associated with an accident recorded by the
transport node 102. The server 107 may request blockchain consensus
from other transports (e.g., nodes 105) within a certain distance
range from the accident to access video files on these transports
produced at the time of the accident. The insurance server 107 may
analyze the videos to determine damage to the transport node 102.
Then, the insurance server 107 stores the relevant videos that
correlate with the video file received from the transport node 102
computer on the ledger of the blockchain for audit and claim
processing.
[0052] According to yet another exemplary embodiment, a server 107
(e.g., an insurance company server, a body shop server, etc.) may
receive an accident report over a blockchain network from a
transport node 102 computer. The server may access the video (or
other media) files from a ledger of the blockchain using, for
example, accident report ID, or transport ID, etc. The server 107
analyzes the media file to produce a damage assessment. Then, the
damage assessment may be stored on the ledger of the blockchain to
be accessed by other interested parties (e.g., insurance
appraisers, body shops, police department, etc.) connected over the
same blockchain channel. The transport node 102 may have a
computing device or a server computer, or the like, and may include
a processor 104/104', which may be a semiconductor-based
microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), an application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array
(FPGA), and/or another hardware device. Although a single processor
104 is depicted, it should be understood that the transport node
102 may include multiple processors, multiple cores, or the like,
without departing from the scope of the transport node 102
system.
[0053] FIG. 1B illustrates a network diagram for analysis of
transport's damage-related information. Referring to FIG. 1B, the
network diagram 111 includes a transport node 102 connected to
other transport nodes 105 over a blockchain network 106. The
transport nodes 102 and 105 may represent transports/vehicles. The
blockchain network 106 may have ledger 108 for storing data, such
as damage-related data (e.g., media files) and transactions 110,
that record the information, timestamps, and other related data.
The transport node 102 may be connected to an insurance server
nodes (not shown) as well.
[0054] While this example describes in detail only one transport
node 102, multiple such nodes may be connected to the blockchain
106. It should be understood that the transport node 102 may
include additional components and that some of the components
described herein may be removed and/or modified without departing
from a scope of the transport node 102 disclosed herein. The
transport node 102 may have a computing device or a server
computer, or the like, and may include a processor 104, which may
be a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a central processing unit
(CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a
field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or another hardware
device. Although a single processor 104 is depicted, it should be
understood that the transport node 102 may include multiple
processors, multiple cores, or the like, without departing from the
scope of the transport node 102 system.
[0055] The transport node 102 may also include a non-transitory
computer readable medium 112 that may have stored thereon
machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 104.
Examples of the machine-readable instructions are shown as 114-122
and are further discussed below. Examples of the non-transitory
computer readable medium 112 may include an electronic, magnetic,
optical, or other physical storage device that contains or stores
executable instructions. For example, the non-transitory computer
readable medium 112 may be a Random Access memory (RAM), an
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a
hard disk, an optical disc, or other type of storage device.
[0056] The processor 104 may execute the machine-readable
instructions 114 to detect a potential damage event. Each of the
transports 102 and 105 may serve as a network node on a blockchain
network 106. As discussed above, the blockchain ledger 108 may
store an accident report generated by the transport node 102 and
related transactions 110. The blockchain 106 network may be
configured to use one or more smart contracts located on the
transports (i.e., nodes) that may manage transactions for other
participating transport nodes 105. The transport node 102 may
provide the accident related media information to the blockchain
106 to be stored on a ledger 108.
[0057] The processor 104 may execute the machine-readable
instructions 116 to record a first media file via at least one
sensor on the transport node 102. The processor 104 may execute the
machine-readable instructions 118 to access a second media file on
at least one other transport (e.g., 105) within a predefined
distance of the transport node 102. The processor 104 may execute
the machine-readable instructions 120 to analyze the first media
file and the second media file to identify portions that correlate
to the potential damage event. The processor 104 may execute the
machine-readable instructions 122 to determine an actual damage
event has occurred based on the analysis.
[0058] FIG. 1C illustrates a network diagram for determination of
damage to a transport. Referring to FIG. 1C, the network diagram
121 includes a server node 103 (e.g., an insurance company server)
connected to the transport node 102 and to other transport nodes
105 over a blockchain network 106 that has a ledger 108 for storing
accident reports-related transactions 110. The transport nodes 102
and 105 may serve as blockchain network 106 peers. While this
example describes in detail only one server node 103, multiple such
nodes may be connected to the blockchain network 106. It should be
understood that the server node 103 may include additional
components and that some of the components described herein may be
removed and/or modified without departing from a scope of the
server node 103 disclosed herein.
[0059] The server node 103 may have a computing device or a server
computer, or the like, and may include a processor 104, which may
be a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a central processing unit
(CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a
field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or another hardware
device. Although a single processor 104 is depicted, it should be
understood that the server node 103 may include multiple
processors, multiple cores, or the like, without departing from the
scope of the server node 103.
[0060] The server node 103 may also include a non-transitory
computer readable medium 112' that may have stored thereon
machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 104.
Examples of the machine-readable instructions are shown as 113-119
and are further discussed below. Examples of the non-transitory
computer readable medium 112' may include an electronic, magnetic,
optical, or other physical storage device that contains or stores
executable instructions. For example, the non-transitory computer
readable medium 112' may be a Random Access memory (RAM), an
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a
hard disk, an optical disc, or other type of storage device.
[0061] The processor 104 may execute the machine-readable
instructions 113 to receive a video file from a transport node
(e.g., 102), the video file reflecting an accident. The blockchain
106 may be configured to use one or more smart contracts that
manage transactions for multiple participating nodes (e.g., the
transport nodes 105 and 102). The server node 103 may provide
accident report information to the blockchain 106 and this
transaction may be stored on the ledger 108. The processor 104 may
execute the machine-readable instructions 115 to request a
permission to access video files from a plurality of transports 105
within a pre-defined range from the transport (e.g., 102). The
processor 104 may execute the machine-readable instructions 117 to
analyze the video file from the transport (e.g., 102) and the video
files from the plurality of the transports (e.g., 105) to determine
a damage to the transport (e.g., 102). The processor 104 may
execute the machine-readable instructions 119 to store the video
files from the plurality of the transports (e.g., 105) that
correlate with the video file from the transport (e.g., 102) on a
remote storage.
[0062] FIG. 1D illustrates a network diagram for a damage
assessment. Referring to FIG. 1D, the network diagram 130 includes
a server node 103 (e.g., an insurance company server or any other
entity that receives a report of an accident) connected to the
transport node 102 and to other transport nodes 105 over a
blockchain network 106 that has a ledger 108 for storing damage
assessment-related transactions 110. The transport nodes 102 and
105 may serve as blockchain network 106 peers. While this example
describes in detail only one server node 103, multiple such nodes
may be connected to the blockchain network 106. It should be
understood that the server node 103 may include additional
components and that some of the components described herein may be
removed and/or modified without departing from a scope of the
server node 103 disclosed herein.
[0063] The server node 103 may have a computing device or a server
computer, or the like, and may include a processor 104, which may
be a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a central processing unit
(CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a
field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or another hardware
device. Although a single processor 104 is depicted, it should be
understood that the server node 103 may include multiple
processors, multiple cores, or the like, without departing from the
scope of the server node 103.
[0064] The server node 103 may also include a non-transitory
computer readable medium 112'' that may have stored thereon
machine-readable instructions executable by the processor 104.
Examples of the machine-readable instructions are shown as 132-138
and are further discussed below. Examples of the non-transitory
computer readable medium 112'' may include an electronic, magnetic,
optical, or other physical storage device that contains or stores
executable instructions. For example, the non-transitory computer
readable medium 112'' may be a Random Access memory (RAM), an
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a
hard disk, an optical disc, or other type of storage device.
[0065] The processor 104 may execute the machine-readable
instructions 132 to receive an accident report from a transport.
The blockchain 106 may be configured to use one or more smart
contracts that manage transactions for multiple participating nodes
105 and 102. The server node 103 may provide damage assessment
information to the blockchain 106 and this transaction may be
stored on the ledger 108.
[0066] The processor 104 may execute the machine-readable
instructions 134 to access at least one media file associated with
the report on a remote storage. The processor 104 may execute the
machine-readable instructions 136 to analyze the media file to
assess a damage to the transport. The processor 104 may execute the
machine-readable instructions 138 to store the damage assessment
onto the remote storage.
[0067] FIG. 2A illustrates a blockchain architecture configuration
200, according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2A, the
blockchain architecture 200 may include certain blockchain
elements, for example, a group of blockchain member nodes 202-206
as part of a blockchain group 210. In one example embodiment, a
permissioned blockchain is not accessible to all parties but only
to those members with permissioned access to the blockchain data.
The blockchain nodes participate in a number of activities, such as
blockchain entry addition and validation process (consensus). One
or more of the blockchain nodes may endorse entries based on an
endorsement policy and may provide an ordering service for all
blockchain nodes. A blockchain node may initiate a blockchain
action (such as an authentication) and seek to write to a
blockchain immutable ledger stored in the blockchain, a copy of
which may also be stored on the underpinning physical
infrastructure.
[0068] The blockchain transactions 220 are stored in memory of
computers as the transactions are received and approved by the
consensus model dictated by the members' nodes. Approved
transactions 226 are stored in current blocks of the blockchain and
committed to the blockchain via a committal procedure, which
includes performing a hash of the data contents of the transactions
in a current block and referencing a previous hash of a previous
block. Within the blockchain, one or more smart contracts 230 may
exist that define the terms of transaction agreements and actions
included in smart contract executable application code 232, such as
registered recipients, vehicle features, requirements, permissions,
sensor thresholds, etc. The code may be configured to identify
whether requesting entities are registered to receive vehicle
services, what service features they are entitled/required to
receive given their profile statuses and whether to monitor their
actions in subsequent events. For example, when a service event
occurs and a user is riding in the vehicle, the sensor data
monitoring may be triggered, and a certain parameter, such as a
vehicle charge level, may be identified as being above/below a
particular threshold for a particular period of time. Then the
result may be a change to a current status, which requires an alert
to be sent to the managing party (i.e., vehicle owner, vehicle
operator, server, etc.) so the service can be identified and stored
for reference. The vehicle sensor data collected may be based on
types of sensor data used to collect information about vehicle's
status. The sensor data may also be the basis for the vehicle event
data 234, such as a location(s) to be traveled, an average speed, a
top speed, acceleration rates, whether there were any collisions,
was the expected route taken, what is the next destination, whether
safety measures are in place, whether the vehicle has enough
charge/fuel, etc. All such information may be the basis of smart
contract terms 230, which are then stored in a blockchain. For
example, sensor thresholds stored in the smart contract can be used
as the basis for whether a detected service is necessary and when
and where the service should be performed.
[0069] FIG. 2B illustrates a shared ledger configuration, according
to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2B, the blockchain logic
example 250 includes a blockchain application interface 252 as an
API or plug-in application that links to the computing device and
execution platform for a particular transaction. The blockchain
configuration 250 may include one or more applications which are
linked to application programming interfaces (APIs) to access and
execute stored program/application code (e.g., smart contract
executable code, smart contracts, etc.) which can be created
according to a customized configuration sought by participants and
can maintain their own state, control their own assets, and receive
external information. This can be deployed as an entry and
installed, via appending to the distributed ledger, on all
blockchain nodes.
[0070] The smart contract application code 254 provides a basis for
the blockchain transactions by establishing application code which
when executed causes the transaction terms and conditions to become
active. The smart contract 230, when executed, causes certain
approved transactions 226 to be generated, which are then forwarded
to the blockchain platform 262. The platform includes a
security/authorization 268, computing devices, which execute the
transaction management 266 and a storage portion 264 as a memory
that stores transactions and smart contracts in the blockchain.
[0071] The blockchain platform may include various layers of
blockchain data, services (e.g., cryptographic trust services,
virtual execution environment, etc.), and underpinning physical
computer infrastructure that may be used to receive and store new
entries and provide access to auditors which are seeking to access
data entries. The blockchain may expose an interface that provides
access to the virtual execution environment necessary to process
the program code and engage the physical infrastructure.
Cryptographic trust services may be used to verify entries such as
asset exchange entries and keep information private.
[0072] The blockchain architecture configuration of FIGS. 2A and 2B
may process and execute program/application code via one or more
interfaces exposed, and services provided, by the blockchain
platform. As a non-limiting example, smart contracts may be created
to execute reminders, updates, and/or other notifications subject
to the changes, updates, etc. The smart contracts can themselves be
used to identify rules associated with authorization and access
requirements and usage of the ledger. For example, the information
may include a new entry, which may be processed by one or more
processing entities (e.g., processors, virtual machines, etc.)
included in the blockchain layer. The result may include a decision
to reject or approve the new entry based on the criteria defined in
the smart contract and/or a consensus of the peers. The physical
infrastructure may be utilized to retrieve any of the data or
information described herein.
[0073] Within smart contract executable code, a smart contract may
be created via a high-level application and programming language,
and then written to a block in the blockchain. The smart contract
may include executable code, which is registered, stored, and/or
replicated with a blockchain (e.g., distributed network of
blockchain peers). An entry is an execution of the smart contract
code, which can be performed in response to conditions associated
with the smart contract being satisfied. The executing of the smart
contract may trigger a trusted modification(s) to a state of a
digital blockchain ledger. The modification(s) to the blockchain
ledger caused by the smart contract execution may be automatically
replicated throughout the distributed network of blockchain peers
through one or more consensus protocols.
[0074] The smart contract may write data to the blockchain in the
format of key-value pairs. Furthermore, the smart contract code can
read the values stored in a blockchain and use them in application
operations. The smart contract code can write the output of various
logic operations into the blockchain. The code may be used to
create a temporary data structure in a virtual machine or other
computing platform. Data written to the blockchain can be public
and/or can be encrypted and maintained as private. The temporary
data that is used/generated by the smart contract is held in memory
by the supplied execution environment, then deleted once the data
needed for the blockchain is identified.
[0075] A smart contract executable code may include the code
interpretation of a smart contract, with additional features. As
described herein, the smart contract executable code may be program
code deployed on a computing network, where it is executed and
validated by chain validators together during a consensus process.
The smart contract executable code receives a hash and retrieves
from the blockchain a hash associated with the data template
created by use of a previously stored feature extractor. If the
hashes of the hash identifier and the hash created from the stored
identifier template data match, then the smart contract executable
code sends an authorization key to the requested service. The smart
contract executable code may write to the blockchain data
associated with the cryptographic details.
[0076] FIG. 2C illustrates a blockchain configuration for storing
blockchain transaction data, according to example embodiments.
Referring to FIG. 2C, the example configuration 270 provides for
the vehicle 272, the user device 274 and a server 276 sharing
information with a distributed ledger (i.e., blockchain) 278. The
server may represent a service provider entity inquiring with a
vehicle service provider to share user profile rating information
in the event that a known and established user profile is
attempting to rent a vehicle with an established rated profile. The
server 276 may be receiving and processing data related to a
vehicle's service requirements. As the service events occur, such
as the vehicle sensor data indicates a need for fuel/charge, a
maintenance service, etc., a smart contract may be used to invoke
rules, thresholds, sensor information gathering, etc., which may be
used to invoke the vehicle service event. The blockchain
transaction data 280 is saved for each transaction, such as the
access event, the subsequent updates to a vehicle's service status,
event updates, etc. The transactions may include the parties, the
requirements (e.g., 18 years of age, service eligible candidate,
valid driver's license, etc.), compensation levels, the distance
traveled during the event, the registered recipients permitted to
access the event and host a vehicle service, rights/permissions,
sensor data retrieved during the vehicle event operation to log
details of the next service event and identify a vehicle's
condition status, and thresholds used to make determinations about
whether the service event was completed and whether the vehicle's
condition status has changed.
[0077] FIG. 3A illustrates a flow diagram 300, according to example
embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3A, an example method may be
executed by the transport node 102 (see FIG. 1B). It should be
understood that method 300 depicted in FIG. 3A may include
additional operations and that some of the operations described
therein may be removed and/or modified without departing from the
scope of the method 300. The description of the method 300 is also
made with reference to the features depicted in FIG. 1B for
purposes of illustration. Particularly, the processor 104 of the
transport node 102 may execute some or all of the operations
included in the method 300.
[0078] With reference to FIG. 3A, at block 302, the processor 104
may detect a potential damage event. At block 304, the processor
104 may record a first media file via at least one sensor on the
transport. At block 306, the processor 104 may access a second
media file on at least one other transport within a predefined
distance of the transport. At block 308, the processor 104 may
analyze the first media file and the second media file to identify
portions that correlate to the potential damage event. At block
310, the processor 104 may determine an actual damage event has
occurred based on the analysis.
[0079] FIG. 3B illustrates a flow diagram 320 of an example method,
according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3B, the method
320 may also include one or more of the following steps. At block
322, the processor 104 may identify the correlating portions based
on timestamps of the media files. At block 324, the processor 104
may determine the actual damage event has occurred based on a
combination of the first media file and the second media file. The
second media file may have a timestamp recorded within a preset
time interval from a timestamp associated with the first media
file. At block 326, the processor 104 may receive a permission from
the at least one other transport to include the second media file
into an accident report. At block 328, the processor 104 may,
responsive to the permission, generate the accident report. The
permission may constitutes a consensus of a blockchain the
transport and the at least one other transport belong to. At block
330, the processor 104 may execute a smart contract to generate the
accident report to be stored on a ledger of the blockchain.
[0080] FIG. 3C illustrates a flow diagram 330, according to example
embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3C, an example method may be
executed by the server node 103 (see FIG. 1C). It should be
understood that method 330 depicted in FIG. 3C may include
additional operations and that some of the operations described
therein may be removed and/or modified without departing from the
scope of the method 330. The description of the method 330 is also
made with reference to the features depicted in FIG. 1C for
purposes of illustration. Particularly, the processor 104 of the
server node 103 may execute some or all of the operations included
in the method 330.
[0081] With reference to FIG. 3C, at block 333, the processor 104
may receive a video file from a transport, the video file
reflecting an accident. At block 335, the processor 104 may request
a permission to access video files from a plurality of transports
within a pre-defined range from the transport. At block 337, the
processor 104 may analyze the video file from the transport and the
video files from the plurality of the transports to determine a
damage to the transport. At block 339, the processor 104 may store
the video files from the plurality of the transports that correlate
with the video file from the transport on a remote storage.
[0082] FIG. 3D illustrates a flow diagram 340 of an example method,
according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3D, the method
340 may also include one or more of the following steps. At block
342, the processor 104 may access the video files from a plurality
of transports based on timestamps associated with the video files.
At block 344, the processor 104 may combine the video files that
have the timestamps within a preset time period from a timestamp of
the video file reflecting the accident. At block 346, the processor
104 may assess the damage to the transport based on the combination
of the video files. At block 348, the processor 104 may generate an
accident report including the damage assessment and the timestamp
of the video file reflecting the accident. Note that the permission
to access the video files may constitute a consensus of a
blockchain network the plurality of the transports belongs to. At
block 350, the processor 104 may, responsive to the consensus,
execute a transaction to store the accident report on a ledger of
the blockchain network.
[0083] FIG. 3E illustrates a flow diagram 360, according to example
embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3E, an example method may be
executed by the server node 103 (see FIG. 1D). It should be
understood that method 360 depicted in FIG. 3E may include
additional operations and that some of the operations described
therein may be removed and/or modified without departing from the
scope of the method 360. The description of the method 360 is also
made with reference to the features depicted in FIG. 1D for
purposes of illustration. Particularly, the processor 104 of the
server node 103 may execute some or all of the operations included
in the method 360.
[0084] With reference to FIG. 3E, at block 362, the processor 104
may receive an accident report from a transport. At block 364, the
processor 104 may access at least one media file associated with
the report on a remote storage. At block 366, the processor 104 may
analyze the media file to assess a damage to the transport. At
block 368, the processor 104 may store the damage assessment onto
the remote storage.
[0085] FIG. 3F illustrates a flow diagram 380 of an example method,
according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG. 3F, the method
380 may also include one or more of the following steps. At block
382, the processor 104 may access media files on the remote storage
from a plurality of transports associated with the at least one
media file. At block 384, the processor 104 may combine portions of
the media files that have timestamps within a preset range of a
timestamp of the at least one media file. At block 386, the
processor 104 may assess the damage to the transport based on the
combined portions of the media files. At block 388, the processor
104 may generate a damage assessment report. At block 390, the
processor 104 may access the at least one media file on a ledger of
a blockchain the transport and the server belong to. At block 392,
the processor 104 may execute a transaction to store a damage
assessment report on a ledger of the blockchain.
[0086] FIG. 4A illustrates an example blockchain vehicle
configuration 400 for managing blockchain transactions associated
with a vehicle, according to example embodiments. Referring to FIG.
4A, as a particular transport/vehicle 425 is engaged in
transactions, such as asset transfer transactions (e.g., access key
exchanges, vehicle service, dealer transactions, delivery/pickup,
transportation services, etc.). The vehicle 425 may receive assets
410 and/or expel/transfer assets 412 according to a transaction(s)
defined by smart contracts. The transaction module 420 may record
information, such as parties, credits, service descriptions, date,
time, location, results, notifications, unexpected events, etc.
Those transactions in the transaction module 420 may be replicated
into a blockchain 430, which may be managed by a remote server
and/or by a remote blockchain peers, among which the vehicle 425
itself may represent a blockchain member and/or blockchain peer. In
other embodiments, the blockchain 430 resides on the vehicle 425.
The assets received and/or transferred can be based on location and
consensus as described herein.
[0087] FIG. 4B illustrates an example blockchain vehicle
configuration 440 for managing blockchain transactions between a
service node (e.g., a gas station, a service center, a body shop, a
rental center, automotive dealer, local service stop, delivery
pickup center, etc.) and a vehicle, according to example
embodiments. In this example, the vehicle 425 may have driven
itself to a service node 442, because the vehicle needs service
and/or needs to stop at a particular location. The service node 442
may perform a service (e.g., pimp gas) or may register the vehicle
425 for a service call at a particular time, with a particular
strategy, such as oil change, battery charge or replacement, tire
change or replacement, and any other transport related service. The
services rendered 444 may be performed based on a smart contract,
which is downloaded from or accessed via the blockchain 430 and
identified for permission to perform such services for a particular
rate of exchange. The services may be logged in the transaction log
of the transaction module 420, the credits 412 are transferred to
the service center 442 and the blockchain may log transactions to
represent all the information regarding the recent service. In
other embodiments, the blockchain 430 resides on the vehicle 425
and/or the service center server. In one example, a transport event
may require a refuel or other vehicle service and the occupants may
then be responsible for the asset value increase for such service.
The service may be rendered via a blockchain notification, which is
then used to redistribute the asset value to the occupants via
their respective asset values. Responsibility for the service
center activities can be based on asset transfer as described
herein.
[0088] FIG. 4C illustrates an example blockchain vehicle
configuration 450 for managing blockchain transactions conducted
among various vehicles, according to the exemplary embodiments. The
vehicle 425 may engage with another vehicle 408 to perform various
actions such as to share access keys, transfer keys, acquire
service calls, etc. when the vehicle has reached a status where the
assets need to be shared with another vehicle. For example, the
vehicle 408 may be due for a battery charge and/or may have an
issue with a tire and may be in route to pick up a package for
delivery. The vehicle 408 may notify another vehicle 425 which is
in its network and which operates on its blockchain member service.
The vehicle 425 may then receive the information via a wireless
communication request to perform the package pickup from the
vehicle 408 and/or from a server (not shown). The transactions are
logged in the transaction modules 452 and 420 of both vehicles. The
assets are transferred from vehicle 408 to vehicle 425 and the
record of the asset transfer is logged in the blockchain 430/454
assuming that the blockchains are different from one another, or,
are logged in the same blockchain used by all members.
Responsibility for the transferred assets can be based on asset
values (e.g., access keys) as described herein.
[0089] FIG. 5 illustrates blockchain blocks 500 that can be added
to a distributed ledger, according to example embodiments, and
contents of block structures 502A to 502n. Referring to FIG. 5,
clients (not shown) may submit entries to blockchain nodes to enact
activity on the blockchain. As an example, clients may be
applications that act on behalf of a requester, such as a device,
person or entity to propose entries for the blockchain. The
plurality of blockchain peers (e.g., blockchain nodes) may maintain
a state of the blockchain network and a copy of the distributed
ledger. Different types of blockchain nodes/peers may be present in
the blockchain network including endorsing peers, which simulate
and endorse entries proposed by clients and committing peers which
verify endorsements, validate entries, and commit entries to the
distributed ledger. In this example, the blockchain nodes may
perform the role of endorser node, committer node, or both.
[0090] The instant system includes a blockchain which stores
immutable, sequenced records in blocks, and a state database
(current world state) maintaining a current state of the
blockchain. One distributed ledger may exist per channel and each
peer maintains its own copy of the distributed ledger for each
channel of which they are a member. The instant blockchain is an
entry log, structured as hash-linked blocks where each block
contains a sequence of N entries. Blocks may include various
components such as those shown in FIG. 5. The linking of the blocks
may be generated by adding a hash of a prior block's header within
a block header of a current block. In this way, all entries on the
blockchain are sequenced and cryptographically linked together
preventing tampering with blockchain data without breaking the hash
links. Furthermore, because of the links, the latest block in the
blockchain represents every entry that has come before it. The
instant blockchain may be stored on a peer file system (local or
attached storage), which supports an append-only blockchain
workload.
[0091] The current state of the blockchain and the distributed
ledger may be stored in the state database. Here, the current state
data represents the latest values for all keys ever included in the
chain entry log of the blockchain. Smart contract executable code
invocations execute entries against the current state in the state
database. To make these smart contract executable code interactions
extremely efficient, the latest values of all keys are stored in
the state database. The state database may include an indexed view
into the entry log of the blockchain, it can therefore be
regenerated from the chain at any time. The state database may
automatically get recovered (or generated if needed) upon peer
startup, before entries are accepted.
[0092] Endorsing nodes receive entries from clients and endorse the
entry based on simulated results. Endorsing nodes hold smart
contracts which simulate the entry proposals. When an endorsing
node endorses an entry, the endorsing nodes creates an entry
endorsement which is a signed response from the endorsing node to
the client application indicating the endorsement of the simulated
entry. The method of endorsing an entry depends on an endorsement
policy which may be specified within smart contract executable
code. An example of an endorsement policy is "the majority of
endorsing peers must endorse the entry." Different channels may
have different endorsement policies. Endorsed entries are forward
by the client application to an ordering service.
[0093] The ordering service accepts endorsed entries, orders them
into a block, and delivers the blocks to the committing peers. For
example, the ordering service may initiate a new block when a
threshold of entries has been reached, a timer times out, or
another condition. In this example, blockchain node is a committing
peer that has received a data block 602A for storage on the
blockchain. The ordering service may be made up of a cluster of
orderers. The ordering service does not process entries, smart
contracts, or maintain the shared ledger. Rather, the ordering
service may accept the endorsed entries and specifies the order in
which those entries are committed to the distributed ledger. The
architecture of the blockchain network may be designed such that
the specific implementation of `ordering` (e.g., Solo, Kafka, BFT,
etc.) becomes a pluggable component.
[0094] Entries are written to the distributed ledger in a
consistent order. The order of entries is established to ensure
that the updates to the state database are valid when they are
committed to the network. Unlike a crypto-currency blockchain
system (e.g., Bitcoin, etc.) where ordering occurs through the
solving of a cryptographic puzzle, or mining, in this example the
parties of the distributed ledger may choose the ordering mechanism
that best suits that network.
[0095] Referring to FIG. 5, a block 502A (also referred to as a
data block) that is stored on the blockchain and/or the distributed
ledger may include multiple data segments such as a block header
504A to 504n, transaction specific data 506A to 506n, and block
metadata 508A to 508n. It should be appreciated that the various
depicted blocks and their contents, such as block 502A and its
contents are merely for purposes of an example and are not meant to
limit the scope of the example embodiments. In some cases, both the
block header 504A and the block metadata 508A may be smaller than
the transaction specific data 506A which stores entry data;
however, this is not a requirement. The block 502A may store
transactional information of N entries (e.g., 100, 500, 1000, 2000,
3000, etc.) within the block data 510A to 510n. The block 502A may
also include a link to a previous block (e.g., on the blockchain)
within the block header 504A. In particular, the block header 504A
may include a hash of a previous block's header. The block header
504A may also include a unique block number, a hash of the block
data 510A of the current block 502A, and the like. The block number
of the block 502A may be unique and assigned in an
incremental/sequential order starting from zero. The first block in
the blockchain may be referred to as a genesis block which includes
information about the blockchain, its members, the data stored
therein, etc.
[0096] The block data 510A may store entry information of each
entry that is recorded within the block. For example, the entry
data may include one or more of a type of the entry, a version, a
timestamp, a channel ID of the distributed ledger, an entry ID, an
epoch, a payload visibility, a smart contract executable code path
(deploy tx), a smart contract executable code name, a smart
contract executable code version, input (smart contract executable
code and functions), a client (creator) identify such as a public
key and certificate, a signature of the client, identities of
endorsers, endorser signatures, a proposal hash, smart contract
executable code events, response status, namespace, a read set
(list of key and version read by the entry, etc.), a write set
(list of key and value, etc.), a start key, an end key, a list of
keys, a Merkel tree query summary, and the like. The entry data may
be stored for each of the N entries.
[0097] In some embodiments, the block data 510A may also store
transaction specific data 506A which adds additional information to
the hash-linked chain of blocks in the blockchain. Accordingly, the
data 506A can be stored in an immutable log of blocks on the
distributed ledger. Some of the benefits of storing such data 506A
are reflected in the various embodiments disclosed and depicted
herein. The block metadata 508A may store multiple fields of
metadata (e.g., as a byte array, etc.). Metadata fields may include
signature on block creation, a reference to a last configuration
block, an entry filter identifying valid and invalid entries within
the block, last offset persisted of an ordering service that
ordered the block, and the like. The signature, the last
configuration block, and the orderer metadata may be added by the
ordering service. Meanwhile, a committer of the block (such as a
blockchain node) may add validity/invalidity information based on
an endorsement policy, verification of read/write sets, and the
like. The entry filter may include a byte array of a size equal to
the number of entries in the block data 510A and a validation code
identifying whether an entry was valid/invalid.
[0098] The other blocks 502B to 502n in the blockchain also have
headers, files, and values. However, unlike the first block 502A,
each of the headers 504A to 504n in the other blocks includes the
hash value of an immediately preceding block. The hash value of the
immediately preceding block may be just the hash of the header of
the previous block or may be the hash value of the entire previous
block. By including the hash value of a preceding block in each of
the remaining blocks, a trace can be performed from the Nth block
back to the genesis block (and the associated original file) on a
block-by-block basis, as indicated by arrows 512, to establish an
auditable and immutable chain-of-custody.
[0099] The above embodiments may be implemented in hardware, in a
computer program executed by a processor, in firmware, or in a
combination of the above. A computer program may be embodied on a
computer readable medium, such as a storage medium. For example, a
computer program may reside in random access memory ("RAM"), flash
memory, read-only memory ("ROM"), erasable programmable read-only
memory ("EPROM"), electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory ("EEPROM"), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a
compact disk read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), or any other form of
storage medium known in the art.
[0100] An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor
such that the processor may read information from, and write
information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage
medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the
storage medium may reside in an application specific integrated
circuit ("ASIC"). In the alternative, the processor and the storage
medium may reside as discrete components. For example, FIG. 6
illustrates an example computer system architecture 600, which may
represent or be integrated in any of the above-described
components, etc.
[0101] FIG. 6 is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the
scope of use or functionality of embodiments of the application
described herein. Regardless, the computing node 600 is capable of
being implemented and/or performing any of the functionality set
forth hereinabove.
[0102] In computing node 600 there is a computer system/server 602,
which is operational with numerous other general purpose or special
purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples
of well-known computing systems, environments, and/or
configurations that may be suitable for use with computer
system/server 602 include, but are not limited to, personal
computer systems, server computer systems, thin clients, thick
clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems,
microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer
electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframe computer
systems, and distributed cloud computing environments that include
any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
[0103] Computer system/server 602 may be described in the general
context of computer system-executable instructions, such as program
modules, being executed by a computer system. Generally, program
modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, logic,
data structures, and so on that perform particular tasks or
implement particular abstract data types. Computer system/server
602 may be practiced in distributed cloud computing environments
where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are
linked through a communications network. In a distributed cloud
computing environment, program modules may be located in both local
and remote computer system storage media including memory storage
devices.
[0104] As shown in FIG. 6, computer system/server 602 in cloud
computing node 600 is shown in the form of a general-purpose
computing device. The components of computer system/server 602 may
include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or
processing units 604, a system memory 606, and a bus that couples
various system components including system memory 606 to processor
604.
[0105] The bus represents one or more of any of several types of
bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a
peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or
local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of
example, and not limitation, such architectures include Industry
Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA)
bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards
Association (VESA) local bus, and Peripheral Component
Interconnects (PCI) bus.
[0106] Computer system/server 602 typically includes a variety of
computer system readable media. Such media may be any available
media that is accessible by computer system/server 602, and it
includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and
non-removable media. System memory 606, in one embodiment,
implements the flow diagrams of the other figures. The system
memory 606 can include computer system readable media in the form
of volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM) 608 and/or
cache memory 610. Computer system/server 602 may further include
other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer
system storage media. By way of example only, memory 606 can be
provided for reading from and writing to a non-removable,
non-volatile magnetic media (not shown and typically called a "hard
drive"). Although not shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from
and writing to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a
"floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading from or
writing to a removable, non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM,
DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided. In such instances,
each can be connected to the bus by one or more data media
interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below, memory
606 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at
least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out the
functions of various embodiments of the application.
[0107] Program/utility, having a set (at least one) of program
modules, may be stored in memory 606 by way of example, and not
limitation, as well as an operating system, one or more application
programs, other program modules, and program data. Each of the
operating system, one or more application programs, other program
modules, and program data or some combination thereof, may include
an implementation of a networking environment. Program modules
generally carry out the functions and/or methodologies of various
embodiments of the application as described herein.
[0108] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of
the present application may be embodied as a system, method, or
computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present
application may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment,
an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident
software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and
hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a
"circuit," "module" or "system." Furthermore, aspects of the
present application may take the form of a computer program product
embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer
readable program code embodied thereon.
[0109] Computer system/server 602 may also communicate with one or
more external devices via an I/O adapter 612, such as a keyboard, a
pointing device, a display, etc.; one or more devices that enable a
user to interact with computer system/server 602; and/or any
devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable computer
system/server 602 to communicate with one or more other computing
devices. Such communication can occur via I/O interfaces of the
adapter 612. Still yet, computer system/server 602 can communicate
with one or more networks such as a local area network (LAN), a
general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g., the
Internet) via a network adapter. As depicted, adapter 612
communicates with the other components of computer system/server
602 via a bus. It should be understood that although not shown,
other hardware and/or software components could be used in
conjunction with computer system/server 602. Examples, include, but
are not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing
units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and
data archival storage systems, etc.
[0110] Although an exemplary embodiment of at least one of a
system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium has
been illustrated in the accompanied drawings and described in the
foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the
application is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is
capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and
substitutions as set forth and defined by the following claims. For
example, the capabilities of the system of the various figures can
be performed by one or more of the modules or components described
herein or in a distributed architecture and may include a
transmitter, receiver or pair of both. For example, all or part of
the functionality performed by the individual modules, may be
performed by one or more of these modules. Further, the
functionality described herein may be performed at various times
and in relation to various events, internal or external to the
modules or components. Also, the information sent between various
modules can be sent between the modules via at least one of: a data
network, the Internet, a voice network, an Internet Protocol
network, a wireless device, a wired device and/or via plurality of
protocols. Also, the messages sent or received by any of the
modules may be sent or received directly and/or via one or more of
the other modules.
[0111] One skilled in the art will appreciate that a "system" could
be embodied as a personal computer, a server, a console, a personal
digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a tablet computing device, a
smartphone or any other suitable computing device, or combination
of devices. Presenting the above-described functions as being
performed by a "system" is not intended to limit the scope of the
present application in any way but is intended to provide one
example of many embodiments. Indeed, methods, systems and
apparatuses disclosed herein may be implemented in localized and
distributed forms consistent with computing technology.
[0112] It should be noted that some of the system features
described in this specification have been presented as modules, in
order to more particularly emphasize their implementation
independence. For example, a module may be implemented as a
hardware circuit comprising custom very large-scale integration
(VLSI) circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such
as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module
may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as
field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic,
programmable logic devices, graphics processing units, or the
like.
[0113] A module may also be at least partially implemented in
software for execution by various types of processors. An
identified unit of executable code may, for instance, comprise one
or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions that
may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or
function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module
need not be physically located together but may comprise disparate
instructions stored in different locations which, when joined
logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated
purpose for the module. Further, modules may be stored on a
computer-readable medium, which may be, for instance, a hard disk
drive, flash device, random access memory (RAM), tape, or any other
such medium used to store data.
[0114] Indeed, a module of executable code could be a single
instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over
several different code segments, among different programs, and
across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be
identified and illustrated herein within modules and may be
embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable
type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a
single data set or may be distributed over different locations
including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least
partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.
[0115] It will be readily understood that the components of the
application, as generally described and illustrated in the figures
herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different
configurations. Thus, the detailed description of the embodiments
is not intended to limit the scope of the application as claimed
but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the
application.
[0116] One having ordinary skill in the art will readily understand
that the above may be practiced with steps in a different order,
and/or with hardware elements in configurations that are different
than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although the application
has been described based upon these preferred embodiments, it would
be apparent to those of skill in the art that certain
modifications, variations, and alternative constructions would be
apparent.
While preferred embodiments of the present application have been
described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described
are illustrative only and the scope of the application is to be
defined solely by the appended claims when considered with a full
range of equivalents and modifications (e.g., protocols, hardware
devices, software platforms etc.) thereto.
* * * * *