# US 2022/0046027 A1 · Distributed digital currency mining to perform network tasks

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- Number: US 2022/0046027 A1
- Document ID: US20220046027A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/281,512
- Filed: 2019-10-07
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-09
- Assignees: Northwestern University
- Applicants: Northwestern University
- Inventors: Uri Klarman; Marcel Flores; Aleksandar Kuzmanovic
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220046027A1

## CPC

- H04L 63/12: {Applying verification of the received information (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32)}
- H04L 63/123: {received data contents, e.g. message integrity}
- H04L 9/3239: {involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD}
- H04L 9/50: {using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees}
- H04L 2209/56: Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A system to generate a web index includes a computing device having a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the memory. The computing device is configured to access a plurality of webpages through a network along a directed route. The computing device is also configured to generate an index corresponding to the plurality of webpages. The computing device is further configured to distribute a digest corresponding to the index to one or more additional computing devices in the network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system to generate a web index, the system comprising:
a computing device including a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the computing device is configured to:
access a plurality of webpages through a network along a directed route;
generate an index corresponding to the plurality of webpages; and
distribute a digest corresponding to the index to one or more additional computing devices in the network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device receives a request to verify its Internet Protocol (IP) address from at least one of the one or more additional computing devices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to propagate a received index to the one or more additional computing devices.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to receive the directed path along which to access the plurality of webpages from a central controller of the system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to generate a block that includes a hash of a plurality of elements.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of elements includes an anybit value that is selected by the computing device or an operator of the computing device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of elements includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computing device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of elements includes a digest yielded by hashing of an entire block that precedes the block being generated.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the entire block precedes the block being generated by 32 blocks.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of elements includes a current time in seconds.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the computing device is configured to distribute the block to the one or more additional computing devices for verification.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device receives an incentive responsive to a successful verification of the block performed by at least a portion of the one or more additional computing devices.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the incentive comprises a digital currency.

### Claim 14

A method of performing web indexing, the method comprising:
accessing, by a networking interface of a computing device, a plurality of webpages along a directed route;
generating, by a processor of the computing device, an index corresponding to the plurality of webpages; and
distributing, by the network interface, a digest corresponding to the index to one or more additional computing devices in the network.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the processor, a block that includes a hash of a plurality of elements.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of elements includes an anybit value that is selected by the computing device or an operator of the computing device and a time in seconds.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of elements includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computing device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of elements includes a digest yielded by hashing of an entire block that precedes the block being generated.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising distributing, by the network interface, the block to the one or more additional computing devices for verification.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, an incentive responsive to a successful verification of the block performed by at least a portion of the one or more additional computing devices.