US 10,951,675 B2Granted

Methods and systems for blockchain incentivized data streaming and delivery over a decentralized network

AssigneeTheta Labs, Inc.

InventorsJieyi Long, Mitchell C. Liu

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Abstract

Methods and systems for incentivizing the delivery of data contents among peer nodes in a decentralized data delivery network are disclosed. The network comprises peer-to-peer (P2P) connections implemented on top of a content delivery network (CDN) having CDN servers that provide data resources to network nodes. Such a hybrid network comprises viewer peer nodes, edge cacher peer nodes, tracker servers, and a payment service module. A micropayment pool is created on a blockchain by the payment service module. A cacher peer node downloads a data resource from a CDN server, and shares portions of the data resource with viewer peer nodes in the hybrid network. In return, the cacher peer node receives from the payment service module, off-chain transactions that encode cumulative payment amounts from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node. A last off-line transaction is submitted to the blockchain to claim a total payment amount.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method utilized by a cacher peer node in a decentralized data delivery network for receiving a blockchain-based payment incentive from a payment service module in a payment server node in the decentralized data delivery network, in exchange for sharing a data resource with at least a first viewer peer node and a second viewer peer node in the decentralized data delivery network, the method executable by a processor, the method comprising:

downloading the data resource from at least one content delivery network (CDN) server, wherein the decentralized data delivery network implements a hybrid architecture comprising one or more peer-to-peer (P2P) connections layered over a CDN having the at least one CDN server providing the data resource to the cacher peer node;
receiving a notification, upon creation of a micropayment pool on a blockchain by the payment service module, wherein the micropayment pool is created by submitting, to the blockchain, a funding transaction comprising an incentive deposit for sharing the data resource with the first viewer peer node and the second viewer peer node;
sharing a first portion of the data resource with the first viewer peer node;
receiving a first service receipt signed by the first viewer peer node for the first portion of the data resource;
submitting the first service receipt to the payment service module;
receiving a first off-chain transaction from the payment service module, wherein the first off-chain transaction encodes a first transfer of a first payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node, for the first portion of the data resource;
sharing a second portion of the data resource with the second viewer peer node;
receiving a second service receipt signed by the second viewer peer node for the second portion of the data resource;
submitting the second service receipt to the payment service module;
receiving a second off-chain transaction from the payment service module, as an update to the first off-chain transaction, wherein the second off-chain transaction encodes a second transfer of a second payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node, for the first portion of the data resource and the second portion of the data resource;
and
submitting the second off-chain transaction to the blockchain to claim the second payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool.

9 more elements

A cacher peer node system in a decentralized data delivery network for receiving a blockchain-based payment incentive from a payment service module in a payment server node in the decentralized data delivery network, in exchange for sharing a data resource with at least a first viewer peer node and a second viewer peer node in the decentralized data delivery network, comprising:

at least one processor;
and
a non-transitory physical medium for storing program code accessible by the at least one processor, wherein the program code when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
download the data resource from at least one content delivery network (CDN) server, wherein the decentralized data delivery network implements a hybrid architecture comprising one or more peer-to-peer (P2P) connections layered over a CDN having the at least one CDN server providing the data resource to the cacher peer node;
receive a notification, upon creation of a micropayment pool on a blockchain by the payment service module, wherein the micropayment pool is created by submitting, to the blockchain, a funding transaction comprising an incentive deposit for sharing the data resource with the first viewer peer node and the second viewer peer node;
share a first portion of the data resource with the first viewer peer node;
receive a first service receipt signed by the first viewer peer node for the first portion of the data resource;
submit the first service receipt to the payment service module;
receive a first off-chain transaction from the payment service module, wherein the first off-chain transaction encodes a first transfer of a first payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node, for the first portion of the data resource;
share a second portion of the data resource with the second viewer peer node;
receive a second service receipt signed by the second viewer peer node for the second portion of the data resource;
submit the second service receipt to the payment service module;
receive a second off-chain transaction from the payment service module, as an update to the first off-chain transaction, wherein the second off-chain transaction encodes a second transfer of a second payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node, for the first portion of the data resource and the second portion of the data resource;
and
submit the second off-chain transaction to the blockchain to claim the second payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool.

12 more elements

A non-transitory storage medium for storing program code, utilized by a cacher peer node in a decentralized data delivery network, for receiving a blockchain-based payment incentive from a payment service module in a payment server node in the decentralized data delivery network, in exchange for sharing a data resource with at least a first viewer peer node and a second viewer peer node in the decentralized data delivery network, wherein the program code is executable by a processor, and wherein the program code when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

download the data resource from at least one content delivery network (CDN) server, wherein the decentralized data delivery network implements a hybrid architecture comprising one or more peer-to-peer (P2P) connections layered over a CDN having the at least one CDN server providing the data resource to the cacher peer node;
receive a notification, upon creation of a micropayment pool on a blockchain by a payment service module, wherein the micropayment pool is created by submitting, to the blockchain, a funding transaction comprising an incentive deposit for sharing the data resource with the first viewer peer node and the second viewer peer node;
share a first portion of the data resource with the first viewer peer node;
receive a first service receipt signed by the first viewer peer node for the first portion of the data resource;
submit the first service receipt to the payment service module;
receive a first off-chain transaction from the payment service module, wherein the first off-chain transaction encodes a first transfer of a first payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node, for the first portion of the data resource;
share a second portion of the data resource with the second viewer peer node;
receive a second service receipt signed by the second viewer peer node for the second portion of the data resource;
submit the second service receipt to the payment service module;
receive a second off-chain transaction from the payment service module, as an update to the first off-chain transaction, wherein the second off-chain transaction encodes a second transfer of a second payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool to the cacher peer node, for the first portion of the data resource and the second portion of the data resource;
and
submit the second off-chain transaction to the blockchain to claim the second payment incentive amount from the micropayment pool.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/083,303Filed 29 Oct 2020 · continuation
Priority: 31 Jul 2019
Published: US 2021/0037076 A111 Feb 2021
Granted: 16 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

H04L 9/3239
Using cryptographic hash functions: involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
G06Q 20/223
Payment schemes or models: based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
G06Q 20/36
Characterised by the use of specific devices or networks: using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
H04L 9/0637
Block ciphers, i.e. encrypting groups of characters of a plain text message using fixed encryption transformation: modes of operation, e.g. cipher…

Family

Application62/880,682Us provisional application · filed 31 Jul 2019
Application62/914,176Us provisional application · filed 11 Oct 2019
Application16/751,772Parent of this division · filed 24 Jan 2020
Application16/948,031Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Aug 2020
US 2021/0044642 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Feb 2021
US 10,771,524 B1Parent of this division
Application16/948,031Parent of this division
US 10,979,467 B2Related patent
US 2021/0037076 A1Published application
US 10,951,675 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.