Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is responding to the RCE amendment filed on 1/8/2026.
Claims 10-12 and 14-21 are pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 10-12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The limitation “whether the field device has to behave as one or the other of the full node or the light node” is not described in the specification. The specification describes that the field device functions as a participant node, in particular as a light node and the login routine contains specific information about how the field device has to behave in the distributed ledger, for example in which frequency data for the distributed ledger can be transmitted, whether the field device forms an active participant node ([0023]; [0033]). However, “whether the field device forms an active participant node” is not the same as whether the field device has to behave as one or the other of the full node or the light node.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 10-12, 14-17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biernat et al. (US20190339668, hereafter Biernat) in view of Popov et al. (US20210342427, hereafter Popov) and Brady et al. (US 20180167217, hereafter Brady).
Per claim 10:
Biernat teaches: A field device of automation technology, including operating electronics and a plurality of parameters, wherein the operating electronics are configured to operate the field device on the basis of the parameters and to gather or process data on the basis of the parameters (Biernat, see at least [0039] Industrial controllers and their associated I/O devices are central to the operation of modern automation systems. These controllers interact with field devices on the plant floor to control automated processes relating to such objectives as product manufacture, material handling, batch processing, supervisory control, and other such applications; [0162], Computers and servers include one or more processors—electronic integrated circuits that perform logic operations employing electric signals; [0066], industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameter; [0064], having operating electronics comprising memories, processors; [0068]; [0069]; [0070] Other user-configurable instruction parameters of these industry-specific blockchain instructions may allow the developer to specify parameters of their specific application),
wherein firmware with a software is assigned to the operating electronics, wherein the software comprises (Biernat see at least [0034], mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry which is operated by a software or a firmware application executed by a processor; [0064], [0073], blockchain engine 1128 can be implemented as a special-purpose chip, a firmware module embedded in the blockchain-enabled industrial controller 1210, a component built into the hardware design, a software module executing in an open operating system, or another implementation; [0077], with the configuration parameters associated with the blockchain instruction 1202, blockchain engine 1128 (i.e. software container) can assign one or more industrial transactions to a block 1322 having a format similar to those described above ( Biernat, see, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 6) and assign the block 1322 to a blockchain)
a finite quantity of inputs for acquiring the data gathered or processed according to the parameters of the field device (Biernat see at least [0066], Input data that can be received via user interface component 1112 can include, but is not limited to, user-defined control programs or routines that include industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameters of the blockchain instructions), or other such data; [0078] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating example inputs 1414 to the industrial blockchain engine 1128 and example outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications);
a finite number of outputs which correspond to communication channels of the field device, wherein the communication channels are designed for connecting the field device to a higher-level communication network (Biernat see at least [0078], outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications (e.g., industrial controller 1210 or other types of blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 such as HMI terminals, motor drives, sensor and telemetry devices, IIoT devices, ERP and MES systems, industrial gateway devices, industrial data historians, or other such devices) to participate in a blockchain network comprising other blockchain-enabled industrial devices as well as non-industrial blockchain entities …local intranet);
a specific amount of reserved memory space in the operating electronics in order to install code (Biernat see at least [0084], a memory 1504 on which is stored the control program 1204 executed by the controller 1210 and the data table 1508 that stores real-time values of the controller's digital and analog inputs and outputs, setpoint values, calculated values, or other data tag values. … execution engines execute the control program 1204 and control updating of data values in the data table 1508 in accordance with measured data from the I/O modules 1512 and execution of the control program 1204);
a specific amount of reserved main memory in the operating electronics that is required for executing the installed code (Biernat see at least [0064] memory 1118. In various embodiments, one or more of the proof engine component 1104, a cryptographic component 1106, a hashing component 1108, an instruction execution component 1110, a user interface component 1112, the one or more processors 1116, and memory 1118 can be electrically; [0084], [0084] Each blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can include a secure storage area (e.g., memory 1118) that is separate from the storage used for real-time monitoring and control. Similarly, processing resources used by the blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can be segregated from the primary processing resources that perform real-time monitoring and control (e.g., the processing resources used to execute control program 1204; [0076]);
a specific amount of processor runtime of the operating electronics that is reserved for executing the installed code (Biernat see at least [0084], processing resources used by the blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can be segregated from the primary processing resources that perform real-time monitoring and control (e.g., the processing resources used to execute control program 1204 and update the device's I/O) …One or more controller processors 1502 or execution engines execute the control program 1204 and control updating of data values in the data table 1508 in accordance with measured data from the I/O modules 1512 and execution of the control program 1204);
a reserved resource of the operating electronics specific to a functionality of the field device as one of a full node or a light node in a distributed ledger; (Biernat see at least [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; *Note that the devices including an industrial controller, a motor drive, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, a barcode stamper etc. are considered a lightweight node in a network due to their limited hardware capabilities such as processing power, storage and energy resources compared to full nodes like servers or central computers for complex tasks; Also an device that only verifies affected nodes, instead of the entire blockchain is considered a lightweight node relying on full nodes in a network for complete data and validation).
wherein the software is designed to execute the installed code and, by means of the code, to establish a communication link to the distributed ledger via at least one of the outputs via the higher-level communication network, to integrate the field device into the distributed ledger, (Biernat see at least [0053], A blockchain consists of a data structure that orders blocks and links the blocks cryptographically, thereby acting as an immutable, verifiable, distributed ledger; [0056], The core blockchain ledger is distributed throughout the network, and is independently validated by network members; [0069]; [0071]; [0073]; [0080, configure the blockchain engine 1128 to perform updates to the controller's ledger 1126 to add one or more transactions of a new block after the block's transactions have been validated by proof engine component 1104. The proof engine component 1104 can also validate transactions generated by other node devices on the industrial blockchain network; [0081], controller's ledger 1126 ; [0085]) and to process and/or combine at least a portion of the gathered or processed data into result data, and to transmit the result data to the distributed ledger ( Biernat, see at least [0076]; [0077]; [0104], changes made to the firmware of the industrial controller or other control devices as a result of reimaging or patching are recorded in the public blockchain ledger, as are modifications made to the OEM-developed control program or application executed on the industrial controller; [0144], This ledger-based control is not limited to the use of plant-level events to effect control of control outputs 1314. For example, if the ledger 1126 records business-level transactions (e.g., work order information, inventory information, etc.), program execution component 1306 can leverage this information as parameters or inputs into control program 1204.).
wherein the code has a network address of the distributed ledger and a login routine for the distributed ledger (Biernat, see at least [0056], Public blockchains are secured by the amount of work required to create a new block 404. This proof-of-work model can prevent network peers from improperly hijacking or tampering with the blockchain. Private blockchain models—including blockchain applications used within an industrial facility as will be described herein—can employ a central authority to manage the ledger, user identities, and creation of new blocks; [0087], metadata 1618 can define data boundaries specifying who is permitted to access respective subsets of the transaction data 1608. In this regard, selected subsets of the data 1608 may be associated with respective user roles or user identities that are permitted to access and view those data subsets. In a related aspect, metadata 1618 can also define public/private boundaries for the data 1608. These boundaries can specify which sets of the data 1608 are to be made publicly accessible regardless of user roles or identities, and which sets are to be made privately accessible only to users within a given plant or industrial enterprise; [0088], verify that the recipe is from a trusted source before executing, and to verify that the controller itself has been authorized to execute the recipe; [0146], the user identity information).
including access data and field device behavior information specific as to how the field device has to behave in the distributed ledger including as the one of the full node or the light node (Biernat, see at least [0087], metadata 1618 can define data boundaries specifying who is permitted to access respective subsets of the transaction data 1608. In this regard, selected subsets of the data 1608 may be associated with respective user roles or user identities that are permitted to access and view those data subsets. In a related aspect, metadata 1618 can also define public/private boundaries for the data 1608; [0093], [0105] In response to determining that information stored in the public ledger satisfies a criterion (e.g., a criterion defined in a smart contract) indicating that the OEM is contractually obliged to perform a component replacement or other maintenance action on the machine; [0088] to verify that the controller itself has been authorized to execute the recipe. Distribution and use of the recipe data can be subject to a smart contract implemented by the blockchain network; [0049]; [0057] Participants in the network 704 (the peer devices) are uniquely identified with digital signatures granted by the network; [0060] enforcing smart contracts, which define rules or agreements between participants in the blockchain network. … generate new types of transactions in accordance with rules defined by the logic,,, let the user check the objects to be included in the blockchain; [0082], the blockchain engine 1128 can allow a user to specify transaction criteria that the industrial device 1102 will use as a basis for determining the types of transactions on which the device will perform validation analysis. … to verifying all blocks of a blockchain; [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; Note that the behavior of an industrial device is specified in the blockchain-enabled industrial device and the scope of access is defined by identifying the devices, entities, or blockchain systems that are to be permitted access to data).
Biernat does not explicitly teach behavior information including whether the field device has to behave as one or the other of the full node or the light node. Popov teaches behavior information including whether the field device has to behave as one or the other of the full node or the light node in the distributed ledger (Popov, see at least [0062] The nodes participating in the blockchain 300 may be divided into full nodes and light nodes; [0065] Unlike the full node, the light node may perform some of the functions that may be performed as the node of the blockchain 300; [0066]; [0068] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 400 may participate in the blockchain 300 as full nodes or light nodes). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Popov’s node type specification with Biernat’s blockchain system to modify Biernat’s system to combine the teachings by Beecham, with a reasonable expectation of success, since they are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor related to blockchains. Combining popov’s functionality with that of Biernat results in a system that allows downloading code from a database over a network or the Internet. The modification would be obvious because one having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this combination to specify a particular node participation in the blockchain (Popov, see at least [0062] The nodes participating in the blockchain 300 may be divided into full nodes and light nodes; [0065] Unlike the full node, the light node may perform some of the functions that may be performed as the node of the blockchain 300; [0066]; [0068] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 400 may participate in the blockchain 300 as full nodes or light nodes).
Biernat and Popov in combination teach wherein the specific amount of reserved memory space for installing the code, and the specific amount of reserved main memory and the specific amount of processor runtime for executing the code, are maintained free for the integration of the field device into the distributed ledger (Biernat, see at least [0064]; [0084]; [0085] blockchain engine 1128 is embodied as a sub-system of controller 1210, and is implemented using separate memory and processing resources from control components 1514. For example, blockchain engine 1128 can utilize its own processor 1116 and memory 1118, which are separate from controller processor(s) 1502 and memory 1504. In this way, blockchain functions (e.g., transaction processing and validation, block generation, smart contract processing and enforcement, etc.) performed by the blockchain engine 1128 is segregated from control-related analytics, and is not necessarily implemented using the primary control language of the controller 1210. While components of the blockchain engine 1128 can read data from and write data to the controller's data table 1508 (e.g., via a data bus 1518) in connection with performing blockchain creation and management functions, the processing resources used to carry out these blockchain functions are physically separated from those used to carry out control. In this way, blockchain functions carried out by the blockchain engine 1128 do not impact performance of the controller's basic control functionality).
Biernat does not explicitly teach that the blockchain engine is implemented as a software container that maintains memories and processor runtime free for an integration of a field device into a distributed ledger. Brady teaches such a software container that maintains own resources including memories and processors free for an integration of a field device into a distributed ledger (Brady, see at least [0015] Software containers or containers are virtual machines instances which are isolated from each other and run concurrently on a hardware node as an intermediate layer between the hardware and the operating system; [0016] Docker containers run on Linux® applications and wrap up a self-contained piece of software that includes everything needed to run, such as an operating system, system tools, system libraries, so that it will always run in the same way;[0021] each system instance comprises a virtual machine and a set of containers, wherein the containers are operable to run on the virtual machine and each comprise a blockchain subsystem operable to run the blockchain on the container, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the containers of the set are the members of the blockchain in that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of each container of the set, so that each container of the set can with reference to the public ledger determine whether another container in the distributed network also belongs to the set, thereby creating a system boundary for the set of containers which acts as a barrier to prevent undesired interaction with other containers that are not in the set; [0026] a software container operable to run on a virtual machine, the container comprising: a memory resource; a processing resource; a blockchain subsystem operable to run a blockchain on the container using the processing resource, wherein the blockchain has a public ledger; and a copy of the public ledger stored in the memory resource, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of the said container and each of at least one other container, these containers collectively constituting a set of containers who are members of the blockchain. The container may have the exclusive right to create new containers for the blockchain; [0028]; [0033]; [0078] The instant system provides a way for a business to secure its own container-based systems in isolation to the underlying hypervisor and/or container host system(s) while still remaining 100% cloud based). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Brady’s container that maintains own resources with Popov’s node type specification and Biernat’s blockchain system to modify Biernat’s system to combine the teachings by Brady, with a reasonable expectation of success, since they are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor related to blockchains. Combining Brady’s functionality with that of Biernat and Popov results in a system that implement the blockchain engine as a software container to bundle self-contained code with everything needed to run consistently across any computing environment (Brady, see at least [0015] Software containers or containers are virtual machines instances which are isolated from each other and run concurrently on a hardware node as an intermediate layer between the hardware and the operating system; [0016] Docker containers run on Linux® applications and wrap up a self-contained piece of software that includes everything needed to run, such as an operating system, system tools, system libraries, so that it will always run in the same way;[0021] each system instance comprises a virtual machine and a set of containers, wherein the containers are operable to run on the virtual machine and each comprise a blockchain subsystem operable to run the blockchain on the container, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the containers of the set are the members of the blockchain in that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of each container of the set, so that each container of the set can with reference to the public ledger determine whether another container in the distributed network also belongs to the set, thereby creating a system boundary for the set of containers which acts as a barrier to prevent undesired interaction with other containers that are not in the set; [0026] a software container operable to run on a virtual machine, the container comprising: a memory resource; a processing resource; a blockchain subsystem operable to run a blockchain on the container using the processing resource, wherein the blockchain has a public ledger; and a copy of the public ledger stored in the memory resource, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of the said container and each of at least one other container, these containers collectively constituting a set of containers who are members of the blockchain. The container may have the exclusive right to create new containers for the blockchain; [0028]; [0033]; [0078] The instant system provides a way for a business to secure its own container-based systems in isolation to the underlying hypervisor and/or container host system(s) while still remaining 100% cloud based).
11. The field device according to claim 10, wherein the field device is a measuring device with at least one sensor unit for acquiring a physical raw measurement variable of a process- engineering process, a network device, in particular a gateway, a remote input/output (I/O), a switch or an edge device, or a control unit ( Biernat, see at least [0042], measured or calculated values representing operational states of a controlled machine or process (e.g., tank levels, positions, alarms, etc.) or captured time series data that is collected during operation of the automation system (e.g., status information for multiple points in time, diagnostic occurrences, etc.; [0076]; [0041], Example input devices can include, but are not limited to, telemetry devices (e.g., temperature sensors, flow meters, level sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), manual operator control devices (e.g., push buttons, selector switches, etc.), safety monitoring devices (e.g., safety mats, safety pull cords, light curtains, etc.), and other such devices. Output devices may include motor drives, pneumatic actuators, signaling devices, robot control inputs, valves, and the like).
12. The field device according to claim 10, wherein data gathered or processed according to the parameters are at least one of the following: raw measurement variables acquired by the sensor unit; measured values formed from the raw measurement variables; status information, in particular corresponding to a User Association of Automation Technology in Process Industries (NAMUR) recommendation; and diagnostic data, in particular heartbeat data (Biernat, see at least [0042], measured or calculated values representing operational states of a controlled machine or process (e.g., tank levels, positions, alarms, etc.) or captured time series data that is collected during operation of the automation system (e.g., status information for multiple points in time, diagnostic occurrences, etc.; [0076]; [0041], Example input devices can include, but are not limited to, telemetry devices (e.g., temperature sensors, flow meters, level sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), manual operator control devices (e.g., push buttons, selector switches, etc.), safety monitoring devices (e.g., safety mats, safety pull cords, light curtains, etc.), and other such devices. Output devices may include motor drives, pneumatic actuators, signaling devices, robot control inputs, valves, and the like).
14. A method for incorporating the field device according to claim 10 into a distributed ledger, in accordance with blockchain, blockDAG or TDAG, comprising: installing a code loaded into the field device in the software container; processing or combining data from at least one of the inputs into result data; establishing a communication link to the distributed ledger via at least one of the outputs via a higher-level communication network; and transmitting the result data to the distributed ledger via at least one of the outputs ( Biernat, see at least [0074] Blockchain-enabled industrial controller 1210 includes a program execution component 1306 that executes a control program 1204, which was developed and installed on the controller 1210 as described above in connection with FIG. 12. As noted above, control program 1204 can include one or more blockchain instructions 1202 that facilitate creation of transaction blocks and management of industrial blockchains that include these blocks; [0115] Blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can also be configured to support the use of blockchains in connection with distribution of proprietary recipes between supply chain entities and execution of those recipes on industrial controllers. A recipe may comprise a set of executable instructions and/or parameter values for manufacturing a specific type of product or material. When installed and executed on an industrial controller, the recipe instructs the controller how to produce the specified product or material; [0053], A blockchain consists of a data structure that orders blocks and links the blocks cryptographically, thereby acting as an immutable, verifiable, distributed ledger; [0056], The core blockchain ledger is distributed throughout the network, and is independently validated by network members; [0066], Input data that can be received via user interface component 1112 can include, but is not limited to, user-defined control programs or routines that include industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameters of the blockchain instructions), or other such data; [0078] outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications (e.g., industrial controller 1210 or other types of blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 such as HMI terminals, motor drives, sensor and telemetry devices, IIoT devices, ERP and MES systems, industrial gateway devices, industrial data historians, or other such devices) to participate in a blockchain network comprising other blockchain-enabled industrial devices as well as non-industrial blockchain entities …local intranet; [0069]; [0071]; [0073]; [0080], configure the blockchain engine 1128 to perform updates to the controller's ledger 1126 to add one or more transactions of a new block after the block's transactions have been validated by proof engine component 1104. The proof engine component 1104 can also validate transactions generated by other node devices on the industrial blockchain network; [0081], controller's ledger 1126 ; [0085]; [0076]; [0077]; [0104], changes made to the firmware of the industrial controller or other control devices as a result of reimaging or patching are recorded in the public blockchain ledger, as are modifications made to the OEM-developed control program or application executed on the industrial controller; [0144], This ledger-based control is not limited to the use of plant-level events to effect control of control outputs 1314. For example, if the ledger 1126 records business-level transactions (e.g., work order information, inventory information, etc.), program execution component 1306 can leverage this information as parameters or inputs into control program 1204.).
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the field device is integrated into the distributed ledger following a first-time establishment of a communication connection with the distributed ledger according to the code ( Biernat, see at least [0004]; [0005] Also, one or more embodiments provide a method, comprising controlling, by an industrial device comprising a processor, one or more output signals to respective one or more devices of a first industrial system of a first supply chain entity in accordance with an industrial control program executed by the industrial device; performing, by the industrial device in cooperation with one or more other industrial devices on a blockchain network, a consensus-based validation of a manufacturing event originating at a second industrial system within the first supply chain entity or at a second supply chain entity… adding, by the industrial device, a record of the manufacturing event to a ledger of an industrial blockchain stored on the industrial device and on another industrial device of the second industrial system).
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, after integration into the distributed ledger, the field device functions as a participant node ( Biernat, see at least [0049] Blockchain-enabled industrial devices can create multiple versions of such industrial blockchains associated with respective different levels of access permissions, including public blockchains that allow all participants within an industrial blockchain ecosystem to view information relating to the product as well as private or semi-public blockchains that can only be shared with selected members of the industrial blockchain ecosystem; [0057] Applications 706 that employ blockchains are constructed on top of the network layer, which exposes the core blockchain functions. Participants in the network 704 (the peer devices) are uniquely identified with digital signatures granted by the network).
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the code is created by a user and loaded into the field device (Biernat, see at least [0066] user-defined control programs or routines that include industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameters of the blockchain instructions), or other such data; [0069] Device configuration application 1208 also supports inclusion of configurable blockchain instructions 1202 within the control program 1204 for execution by the industrial controller 1210. Each blockchain instruction 1202 added to the control program 1204 can have an associated set of instruction parameters 1212 that can be configured by the user via the device configuration application; [0077]; [0093]).
Per claim 19:
Biernat teaches: A method for operating a field device of automation technology comprising: installing code on a specific amount of reserved memory space of firmware of a software container assigned to operating electronics of the field device and including a finite quantity of inputs for acquiring data gathered or processed according to a plurality of parameters of the field device and a finite number of outputs which correspond to communication channels of the field device; executing the installed code via a specific amount of reserved main memory in the operating electronics that is required for executing the installed code and via a specific amount of processor runtime of the operating electronics that is reserved for executing the installed code (Biernat, see at least [0039] Industrial controllers and their associated I/O devices are central to the operation of modern automation systems. These controllers interact with field devices on the plant floor to control automated processes relating to such objectives as product manufacture, material handling, batch processing, supervisory control, and other such applications; [0162], Computers and servers include one or more processors—electronic integrated circuits that perform logic operations employing electric signals; [0066], industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameter; [0064], having operating electronics comprising memories, processors; [0068]; [0069]; [0070] Other user-configurable instruction parameters of these industry-specific blockchain instructions may allow the developer to specify parameters of their specific application; [0034], mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry which is operated by a software or a firmware application executed by a processor; [0064], [0073], blockchain engine 1128 can be implemented as a special-purpose chip, a firmware module embedded in the blockchain-enabled industrial controller 1210, a component built into the hardware design, a software module executing in an open operating system, or another implementation; [0077], with the configuration parameters associated with the blockchain instruction 1202, blockchain engine 1128 (i.e. software container) can assign one or more industrial transactions to a block 1322 having a format similar to those described above ( Biernat, see, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 6) and assign the block 1322 to a blockchain;[0066], Input data that can be received via user interface component 1112 can include, but is not limited to, user-defined control programs or routines that include industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameters of the blockchain instructions), or other such data; [0078] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating example inputs 1414 to the industrial blockchain engine 1128 and example outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications; [0078], outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications (e.g., industrial controller 1210 or other types of blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 such as HMI terminals, motor drives, sensor and telemetry devices, IIoT devices, ERP and MES systems, industrial gateway devices, industrial data historians, or other such devices) to participate in a blockchain network comprising other blockchain-enabled industrial devices as well as non-industrial blockchain entities …local intranet; [0084], a memory 1504 on which is stored the control program 1204 executed by the controller 1210 and the data table 1508 that stores real-time values of the controller's digital and analog inputs and outputs, setpoint values, calculated values, or other data tag values. … execution engines execute the control program 1204 and control updating of data values in the data table 1508 in accordance with measured data from the I/O modules 1512 and execution of the control program 1204; [0064] memory 1118. In various embodiments, one or more of the proof engine component 1104, a cryptographic component 1106, a hashing component 1108, an instruction execution component 1110, a user interface component 1112, the one or more processors 1116, and memory 1118 can be electrically; [0084], [0084] Each blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can include a secure storage area (e.g., memory 1118) that is separate from the storage used for real-time monitoring and control. Similarly, processing resources used by the blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can be segregated from the primary processing resources that perform real-time monitoring and control (e.g., the processing resources used to execute control program 1204; [0076]; [0084], processing resources used by the blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can be segregated from the primary processing resources that perform real-time monitoring and control (e.g., the processing resources used to execute control program 1204 and update the device's I/O) …One or more controller processors 1502 or execution engines execute the control program 1204 and control updating of data values in the data table 1508 in accordance with measured data from the I/O modules 1512 and execution of the control program 1204);
establishing a communication link to a distributed ledger via at least one of the outputs; (Biernat see at least [0053], A blockchain consists of a data structure that orders blocks and links the blocks cryptographically, thereby acting as an immutable, verifiable, distributed ledger; [0056], The core blockchain ledger is distributed throughout the network, and is independently validated by network members; [0069]; [0071]; [0073]; [0080, configure the blockchain engine 1128 to perform updates to the controller's ledger 1126 to add one or more transactions of a new block after the block's transactions have been validated by proof engine component 1104. The proof engine component 1104 can also validate transactions generated by other node devices on the industrial blockchain network; [0081], controller's ledger 1126 ; [0085]) and to process and/or combine at least a portion of the gathered or processed data into result data, and to transmit the result data to the distributed ledger ( Biernat, see at least [0076]; [0077]; [0104], changes made to the firmware of the industrial controller or other control devices as a result of reimaging or patching are recorded in the public blockchain ledger, as are modifications made to the OEM-developed control program or application executed on the industrial controller; [0144], This ledger-based control is not limited to the use of plant-level events to effect control of control outputs 1314. For example, if the ledger 1126 records business-level transactions (e.g., work order information, inventory information, etc.), program execution component 1306 can leverage this information as parameters or inputs into control program 1204.).
and integrating the field device into the distributed ledger via a login routine of the installed code containing information specific as to how the field device has to behave in the distributed ledger; wherein the integrating the field device into the distributed ledger further includes integrating the field device as one or the other of the full node or the light node in the distributed ledger via a reserved resource of the operating electronics specific to functionality of the field device as the one of the full node or the light node in a distributed ledger (Biernat see at least [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; *Note that the devices including an industrial controller, a motor drive, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, a barcode stamper etc. are considered a lightweight node in a network due to their limited hardware capabilities such as processing power, storage and energy resources compared to full nodes like servers or central computers for complex tasks; Also an device that only verifies affected nodes, instead of the entire blockchain is considered a lightweight node relying on full nodes in a network for complete data and validation); [0056], Public blockchains are secured by the amount of work required to create a new block 404. This proof-of-work model can prevent network peers from improperly hijacking or tampering with the blockchain. Private blockchain models—including blockchain applications used within an industrial facility as will be described herein—can employ a central authority to manage the ledger, user identities, and creation of new blocks; [0087], metadata 1618 can define data boundaries specifying who is permitted to access respective subsets of the transaction data 1608. In this regard, selected subsets of the data 1608 may be associated with respective user roles or user identities that are permitted to access and view those data subsets. In a related aspect, metadata 1618 can also define public/private boundaries for the data 1608. These boundaries can specify which sets of the data 1608 are to be made publicly accessible regardless of user roles or identities, and which sets are to be made privately accessible only to users within a given plant or industrial enterprise; [0088], verify that the recipe is from a trusted source before executing, and to verify that the controller itself has been authorized to execute the recipe; [0146], the user identity information; [0087], metadata 1618 can define data boundaries specifying who is permitted to access respective subsets of the transaction data 1608. In this regard, selected subsets of the data 1608 may be associated with respective user roles or user identities that are permitted to access and view those data subsets. In a related aspect, metadata 1618 can also define public/private boundaries for the data 1608; [0093], [0105] In response to determining that information stored in the public ledger satisfies a criterion (e.g., a criterion defined in a smart contract) indicating that the OEM is contractually obliged to perform a component replacement or other maintenance action on the machine; [0088] to verify that the controller itself has been authorized to execute the recipe. Distribution and use of the recipe data can be subject to a smart contract implemented by the blockchain network; [0049]; [0057] Participants in the network 704 (the peer devices) are uniquely identified with digital signatures granted by the network; [0060] enforcing smart contracts, which define rules or agreements between participants in the blockchain network. … generate new types of transactions in accordance with rules defined by the logic,,, let the user check the objects to be included in the blockchain; [0082], the blockchain engine 1128 can allow a user to specify transaction criteria that the industrial device 1102 will use as a basis for determining the types of transactions on which the device will perform validation analysis. … to verifying all blocks of a blockchain; [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; Note that the behavior of an industrial device is specified in the blockchain-enabled industrial device and the scope of access is defined by identifying the devices, entities, or blockchain systems that are to be permitted access to data).
Biernat does not explicitly teach information including whether the field device has to behave as one or the other of the full node or the light node. Popov teaches such information including whether the field device has to behave as one or the other of the full node or the light node in the distributed ledger (Popov, see at least [0062] The nodes participating in the blockchain 300 may be divided into full nodes and light nodes; [0065] Unlike the full node, the light node may perform some of the functions that may be performed as the node of the blockchain 300; [0066]; [0068] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 400 may participate in the blockchain 300 as full nodes or light nodes). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Popov’s node type specification with Biernat’s blockchain system to modify Biernat’s system to combine the teachings by Beecham, with a reasonable expectation of success, since they are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor related to blockchains. Combining popov’s functionality with that of Biernat results in a system that allows downloading code from a database over a network or the Internet. The modification would be obvious because one having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this combination to specify a particular node participation in the blockchain (Popov, see at least [0062] The nodes participating in the blockchain 300 may be divided into full nodes and light nodes; [0065] Unlike the full node, the light node may perform some of the functions that may be performed as the node of the blockchain 300; [0066]; [0068] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of electronic devices 210, 220, 230, and 400 may participate in the blockchain 300 as full nodes or light nodes).
Biernat does not explicitly teach that the blockchain engine is implemented as a software container. Brady teaches such a software container that maintains own resources including memories and processors free for an integration of a field device into a distributed ledger (Brady, see at least [0015] Software containers or containers are virtual machines instances which are isolated from each other and run concurrently on a hardware node as an intermediate layer between the hardware and the operating system; [0016] Docker containers run on Linux® applications and wrap up a self-contained piece of software that includes everything needed to run, such as an operating system, system tools, system libraries, so that it will always run in the same way;[0021] each system instance comprises a virtual machine and a set of containers, wherein the containers are operable to run on the virtual machine and each comprise a blockchain subsystem operable to run the blockchain on the container, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the containers of the set are the members of the blockchain in that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of each container of the set, so that each container of the set can with reference to the public ledger determine whether another container in the distributed network also belongs to the set, thereby creating a system boundary for the set of containers which acts as a barrier to prevent undesired interaction with other containers that are not in the set; [0026] a software container operable to run on a virtual machine, the container comprising: a memory resource; a processing resource; a blockchain subsystem operable to run a blockchain on the container using the processing resource, wherein the blockchain has a public ledger; and a copy of the public ledger stored in the memory resource, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of the said container and each of at least one other container, these containers collectively constituting a set of containers who are members of the blockchain. The container may have the exclusive right to create new containers for the blockchain; [0028]; [0033]; [0078] The instant system provides a way for a business to secure its own container-based systems in isolation to the underlying hypervisor and/or container host system(s) while still remaining 100% cloud based). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Brady’s container that maintains own resources with Popov’s node type specification and Biernat’s blockchain system to modify Biernat’s system to combine the teachings by Brady, with a reasonable expectation of success, since they are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor related to blockchains. Combining Brady’s functionality with that of Biernat and Popov results in a system that implement the blockchain engine as a software container to bundle self-contained code with everything needed to run consistently across any computing environment (Brady, see at least [0015] Software containers or containers are virtual machines instances which are isolated from each other and run concurrently on a hardware node as an intermediate layer between the hardware and the operating system; [0016] Docker containers run on Linux® applications and wrap up a self-contained piece of software that includes everything needed to run, such as an operating system, system tools, system libraries, so that it will always run in the same way;[0021] each system instance comprises a virtual machine and a set of containers, wherein the containers are operable to run on the virtual machine and each comprise a blockchain subsystem operable to run the blockchain on the container, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the containers of the set are the members of the blockchain in that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of each container of the set, so that each container of the set can with reference to the public ledger determine whether another container in the distributed network also belongs to the set, thereby creating a system boundary for the set of containers which acts as a barrier to prevent undesired interaction with other containers that are not in the set; [0026] a software container operable to run on a virtual machine, the container comprising: a memory resource; a processing resource; a blockchain subsystem operable to run a blockchain on the container using the processing resource, wherein the blockchain has a public ledger; and a copy of the public ledger stored in the memory resource, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of the said container and each of at least one other container, these containers collectively constituting a set of containers who are members of the blockchain. The container may have the exclusive right to create new containers for the blockchain; [0028]; [0033]; [0078] The instant system provides a way for a business to secure its own container-based systems in isolation to the underlying hypervisor and/or container host system(s) while still remaining 100% cloud based).
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the integrating the field device into the distributed ledger includes integrating the field device as the one of a full node or a light node without overwriting the firmware (Biernat, see at least [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; Note that the behavior of an industrial device is specified in the blockchain-enabled industrial device and the scope of access is defined by identifying the devices, entities, or blockchain systems that are to be permitted access to data; *Note that the devices including an industrial controller, a motor drive, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, a barcode stamper etc. are considered a lightweight node in a network due to their limited hardware capabilities such as processing power, storage and energy resources compared to full nodes like servers or central computers for complex tasks; Also an device that only verifies affected nodes, instead of the entire blockchain is considered a lightweight node relying on full nodes in a network for complete data and validation). [0091] To accommodate brownfield environments that include non-blockchain-capable devices, blockchain-enabled gateway devices can also be deployed. These gateway devices can allow legacy devices without integrated blockchain capability to proxy into the blockchain infrastructure. The gateway devices can create and link blocks of a blockchain based on data generated by the legacy devices and monitored by the gateway device via the network. In an example hybrid architecture, blocks can be created in an industrial controller while the blockchains that record transactions on the controller can reside within the gateway device. In another example architecture, an MES system can perform the blockchain creation and management functions for multiple monitored devices and systems within the plant. These proxy systems can synchronize blockchains from different sources, certify which chains are trusted, and perform other such blockchain management functions - *Note that the gateway acts as an intermediary (proxy) between the legacy devices and the blockchain to integrate the non-blockchain capable legacy devices (e.g. IoT) into the blockchain network without modifying the existing firmware).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biernat in view of Popov, Brady and Beecham (US20190340379).
Per claim 18:
Biernat does not explicitly teach wherein the field device downloads the code from a database via the Internet or the higher-level communication network. Beecham teaches wherein the field device downloads the code from a database via the Internet or the higher-level communication network (Beecham, see at least abstract, download the firmware…from the tamper-evident, immutable data repository; and executing, with the processor of the embedded computing device; [0059], [0062], via the Internet 22; [0087]). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Beecham’s downloading code from a database via the Internet or a higher-level communication network with Biernat’s blockchain system combined with Popov and Brady’s systems to modify Biernat’s system to combine the downloading method as taught by Beecham, with a reasonable expectation of success, since they are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor related to blockchains. Combining Beecham’s functionality with that of Biernat, Popov and Brady results in a system that allows downloading code from a database over a network or the Internet. The modification would be obvious because one having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this combination to allow obtaining code that are available for access from a database via a network/Internet for efficient code distribution (Beecham, see at least abstract, download the firmware…from the tamper-evident, immutable data repository; and executing, with the processor of the embedded computing device; [0059], [0062], via the Internet 22; [0087]).
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biernat in view of Brady et al. (US 20180167217, hereafter Brady).
Per claim 21:
Biernat teaches: A field device of automation technology, including operating electronics and a plurality of parameters, wherein the operating electronics are configured to operate the field device on the basis of the parameters and to gather or process data on the basis of the parameters (Biernat, see at least [0039] Industrial controllers and their associated I/O devices are central to the operation of modern automation systems. These controllers interact with field devices on the plant floor to control automated processes relating to such objectives as product manufacture, material handling, batch processing, supervisory control, and other such applications; [0162], Computers and servers include one or more processors—electronic integrated circuits that perform logic operations employing electric signals; [0066], industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameter; [0064], having operating electronics comprising memories, processors; [0068]; [0069]; [0070] Other user-configurable instruction parameters of these industry-specific blockchain instructions may allow the developer to specify parameters of their specific application),
wherein firmware with a software is assigned to the operating electronics, wherein the software comprises (Biernat see at least [0034], mechanical parts operated by electric or electronic circuitry which is operated by a software or a firmware application executed by a processor; [0064], [0073], blockchain engine 1128 can be implemented as a special-purpose chip, a firmware module embedded in the blockchain-enabled industrial controller 1210, a component built into the hardware design, a software module executing in an open operating system, or another implementation; [0077], with the configuration parameters associated with the blockchain instruction 1202, blockchain engine 1128 (i.e. software container) can assign one or more industrial transactions to a block 1322 having a format similar to those described above ( Biernat, see, e.g., FIGS. 5 and 6) and assign the block 1322 to a blockchain)
a finite quantity of inputs for acquiring the data gathered or processed according to the parameters of the field device (Biernat see at least [0066], Input data that can be received via user interface component 1112 can include, but is not limited to, user-defined control programs or routines that include industrial blockchain instructions, blockchain configuration parameters (which may be provided as configuration parameters of the blockchain instructions), or other such data; [0078] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating example inputs 1414 to the industrial blockchain engine 1128 and example outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications);
a finite number of outputs which correspond to communication channels of the field device, wherein the communication channels are designed for connecting the field device to a higher-level communication network (Biernat see at least [0078], outputs 1416 generated by the blockchain engine 1128. In general, blockchain engine 1128 allows industrial devices and applications (e.g., industrial controller 1210 or other types of blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 such as HMI terminals, motor drives, sensor and telemetry devices, IIoT devices, ERP and MES systems, industrial gateway devices, industrial data historians, or other such devices) to participate in a blockchain network comprising other blockchain-enabled industrial devices as well as non-industrial blockchain entities …local intranet);
a specific amount of reserved memory space in the operating electronics in order to install code (Biernat see at least [0084], a memory 1504 on which is stored the control program 1204 executed by the controller 1210 and the data table 1508 that stores real-time values of the controller's digital and analog inputs and outputs, setpoint values, calculated values, or other data tag values. … execution engines execute the control program 1204 and control updating of data values in the data table 1508 in accordance with measured data from the I/O modules 1512 and execution of the control program 1204);
a specific amount of reserved main memory in the operating electronics that is required for executing the installed code (Biernat see at least [0064] memory 1118. In various embodiments, one or more of the proof engine component 1104, a cryptographic component 1106, a hashing component 1108, an instruction execution component 1110, a user interface component 1112, the one or more processors 1116, and memory 1118 can be electrically; [0084], [0084] Each blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can include a secure storage area (e.g., memory 1118) that is separate from the storage used for real-time monitoring and control. Similarly, processing resources used by the blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can be segregated from the primary processing resources that perform real-time monitoring and control (e.g., the processing resources used to execute control program 1204; [0076]);
a specific amount of processor runtime of the operating electronics that is reserved for executing the installed code (Biernat see at least [0084], processing resources used by the blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 can be segregated from the primary processing resources that perform real-time monitoring and control (e.g., the processing resources used to execute control program 1204 and update the device's I/O) …One or more controller processors 1502 or execution engines execute the control program 1204 and control updating of data values in the data table 1508 in accordance with measured data from the I/O modules 1512 and execution of the control program 1204);
a reserved resource of the operating electronics specific to a functionality of the field device as one of a full node or a light node in a distributed ledger; (Biernat see at least [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; *Note that the devices including an industrial controller, a motor drive, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, a barcode stamper etc. are considered a lightweight node in a network due to their limited hardware capabilities such as processing power, storage and energy resources compared to full nodes like servers or central computers for complex tasks; Also an device that only verifies affected nodes, instead of the entire blockchain is considered a lightweight node relying on full nodes in a network for complete data and validation).
wherein the software is designed to execute the installed code and, by means of the code, to establish a communication link to the distributed ledger via at least one of the outputs via the higher-level communication network, to integrate the field device into the distributed ledger, (Biernat see at least [0053], A blockchain consists of a data structure that orders blocks and links the blocks cryptographically, thereby acting as an immutable, verifiable, distributed ledger; [0056], The core blockchain ledger is distributed throughout the network, and is independently validated by network members; [0069]; [0071]; [0073]; [0080, configure the blockchain engine 1128 to perform updates to the controller's ledger 1126 to add one or more transactions of a new block after the block's transactions have been validated by proof engine component 1104. The proof engine component 1104 can also validate transactions generated by other node devices on the industrial blockchain network; [0081], controller's ledger 1126 ; [0085]) and to process and/or combine at least a portion of the gathered or processed data into result data, and to transmit the result data to the distributed ledger ( Biernat, see at least [0076]; [0077]; [0104], changes made to the firmware of the industrial controller or other control devices as a result of reimaging or patching are recorded in the public blockchain ledger, as are modifications made to the OEM-developed control program or application executed on the industrial controller; [0144], This ledger-based control is not limited to the use of plant-level events to effect control of control outputs 1314. For example, if the ledger 1126 records business-level transactions (e.g., work order information, inventory information, etc.), program execution component 1306 can leverage this information as parameters or inputs into control program 1204.).
wherein the code has a network address of the distributed ledger and a login routine for the distributed ledger including access data and field device behavior information specific as to how the field device has to behave in the distributed ledger (Biernat, see at least [0056], Public blockchains are secured by the amount of work required to create a new block 404. This proof-of-work model can prevent network peers from improperly hijacking or tampering with the blockchain. Private blockchain models—including blockchain applications used within an industrial facility as will be described herein—can employ a central authority to manage the ledger, user identities, and creation of new blocks; [0087], metadata 1618 can define data boundaries specifying who is permitted to access respective subsets of the transaction data 1608. In this regard, selected subsets of the data 1608 may be associated with respective user roles or user identities that are permitted to access and view those data subsets. In a related aspect, metadata 1618 can also define public/private boundaries for the data 1608. These boundaries can specify which sets of the data 1608 are to be made publicly accessible regardless of user roles or identities, and which sets are to be made privately accessible only to users within a given plant or industrial enterprise; [0088], verify that the recipe is from a trusted source before executing, and to verify that the controller itself has been authorized to execute the recipe; [0146], the user identity information; [0087], metadata 1618 can define data boundaries specifying who is permitted to access respective subsets of the transaction data 1608. In this regard, selected subsets of the data 1608 may be associated with respective user roles or user identities that are permitted to access and view those data subsets. In a related aspect, metadata 1618 can also define public/private boundaries for the data 1608; [0093], [0105] In response to determining that information stored in the public ledger satisfies a criterion (e.g., a criterion defined in a smart contract) indicating that the OEM is contractually obliged to perform a component replacement or other maintenance action on the machine; [0088] to verify that the controller itself has been authorized to execute the recipe. Distribution and use of the recipe data can be subject to a smart contract implemented by the blockchain network; [0049]; [0057] Participants in the network 704 (the peer devices) are uniquely identified with digital signatures granted by the network; [0060] enforcing smart contracts, which define rules or agreements between participants in the blockchain network. … generate new types of transactions in accordance with rules defined by the logic… let the user check the objects to be included in the blockchain; [0080]; [0082], the blockchain engine 1128 can allow a user to specify transaction criteria that the industrial device 1102 will use as a basis for determining the types of transactions on which the device will perform validation analysis. … to verifying all blocks of a blockchain; [0064] Blockchain-enabled industrial device 1102 can comprise substantially any type of data-generating industrial device, including but not limited to an industrial controller, a motor drive, an HMI terminal, a vision system, an industrial optical scanner, a meter, a telemetry device, an industrial safety device, a safety relay, a barcode stamper, an ERP server, an MES server, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device, or other such device or system; [0082] blockchain-enabled industrial devices 1102 may be configured such that only nodes (blockchain-enabled industrial devices) affected by a transaction will verify the transaction in order to reduce CPU usage relative to verifying the entire blockchain; Note that the behavior of an industrial device is specified in the blockchain-enabled industrial device and the scope of access is defined by identifying the devices, entities, or blockchain systems that are to be permitted access to data).
Biernat teaches wherein the specific amount of reserved memory space for installing the code, and the specific amount of reserved main memory and the specific amount of processor runtime for executing the code, are maintained free for the integration of the field device into the distributed ledger (Biernat, see at least [0064]; [0084]; [0085] blockchain engine 1128 is embodied as a sub-system of controller 1210, and is implemented using separate memory and processing resources from control components 1514. For example, blockchain engine 1128 can utilize its own processor 1116 and memory 1118, which are separate from controller processor(s) 1502 and memory 1504. In this way, blockchain functions (e.g., transaction processing and validation, block generation, smart contract processing and enforcement, etc.) performed by the blockchain engine 1128 is segregated from control-related analytics, and is not necessarily implemented using the primary control language of the controller 1210. While components of the blockchain engine 1128 can read data from and write data to the controller's data table 1508 (e.g., via a data bus 1518) in connection with performing blockchain creation and management functions, the processing resources used to carry out these blockchain functions are physically separated from those used to carry out control. In this way, blockchain functions carried out by the blockchain engine 1128 do not impact performance of the controller's basic control functionality).
Biernat does not explicitly teach that the blockchain engine is implemented as a software container that maintains memories and processor runtime free for an integration of a field device into a distributed ledger. Brady teaches such a software container that maintains own resources including memories and processors free for an integration of a field device into a distributed ledger (Brady, see at least [0015] Software containers or containers are virtual machines instances which are isolated from each other and run concurrently on a hardware node as an intermediate layer between the hardware and the operating system; [0016] Docker containers run on Linux® applications and wrap up a self-contained piece of software that includes everything needed to run, such as an operating system, system tools, system libraries, so that it will always run in the same way;[0021] each system instance comprises a virtual machine and a set of containers, wherein the containers are operable to run on the virtual machine and each comprise a blockchain subsystem operable to run the blockchain on the container, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the containers of the set are the members of the blockchain in that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of each container of the set, so that each container of the set can with reference to the public ledger determine whether another container in the distributed network also belongs to the set, thereby creating a system boundary for the set of containers which acts as a barrier to prevent undesired interaction with other containers that are not in the set; [0026] a software container operable to run on a virtual machine, the container comprising: a memory resource; a processing resource; a blockchain subsystem operable to run a blockchain on the container using the processing resource, wherein the blockchain has a public ledger; and a copy of the public ledger stored in the memory resource, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of the said container and each of at least one other container, these containers collectively constituting a set of containers who are members of the blockchain. The container may have the exclusive right to create new containers for the blockchain; [0028]; [0033]; [0078] The instant system provides a way for a business to secure its own container-based systems in isolation to the underlying hypervisor and/or container host system(s) while still remaining 100% cloud based). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined Brady’s container that maintains own resources with Popov’s node type specification and Biernat’s blockchain system to modify Biernat’s system to combine the teachings by Brady, with a reasonable expectation of success, since they are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor related to blockchains. Combining Brady’s functionality with that of Biernat and Popov results in a system that implement the blockchain engine as a software container to bundle self-contained code with everything needed to run consistently across any computing environment (Brady, see at least [0015] Software containers or containers are virtual machines instances which are isolated from each other and run concurrently on a hardware node as an intermediate layer between the hardware and the operating system; [0016] Docker containers run on Linux® applications and wrap up a self-contained piece of software that includes everything needed to run, such as an operating system, system tools, system libraries, so that it will always run in the same way;[0021] each system instance comprises a virtual machine and a set of containers, wherein the containers are operable to run on the virtual machine and each comprise a blockchain subsystem operable to run the blockchain on the container, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the containers of the set are the members of the blockchain in that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of each container of the set, so that each container of the set can with reference to the public ledger determine whether another container in the distributed network also belongs to the set, thereby creating a system boundary for the set of containers which acts as a barrier to prevent undesired interaction with other containers that are not in the set; [0026] a software container operable to run on a virtual machine, the container comprising: a memory resource; a processing resource; a blockchain subsystem operable to run a blockchain on the container using the processing resource, wherein the blockchain has a public ledger; and a copy of the public ledger stored in the memory resource, wherein the blockchain is defined such that the public ledger records encrypted copies of at least selected parts of the said container and each of at least one other container, these containers collectively constituting a set of containers who are members of the blockchain. The container may have the exclusive right to create new containers for the blockchain; [0028]; [0033]; [0078] The instant system provides a way for a business to secure its own container-based systems in isolation to the underlying hypervisor and/or container host system(s) while still remaining 100% cloud based).
Examiner’s Note
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 10-12 and 14-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/INSUN KANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2193