Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to one or more of: distributed networks and in particular distributed wide-area networks; providing distributed network access; providing an internet connection; to a distributed wide-area Wi-Fi network; and to blockchain consensus.

Background to the Invention

Open, and/or public, Wi-Fi networks tend to be very-hit-and-miss. It can be difficult for a user to find a decent quality open Wi-Fi network and when they do it is only temporary until they need to move to a new location. Better-quality Wi-Fi networks often have one or more of complicated setups, high capital cost and high maintenance fees. Poor quality open Wi-Fi networks often suffer from intermittent connections, poor coverage, poor download speeds, bad latency, packet loss, troublesome logins, inability to authenticate, blocked websites, unknown security, and safety flaws. The unknown security of most open networks is enough to discourage any IT savvy user from wanting to connect or proceed with extreme caution.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide one or more of a distributed wide-area network, distributed network access, an internet connection, a distributed wide-area Wi-Fi network, and method of blockchain consensus; any one or more of which provides the public with a useful alternative to currently available networks and/or methods. According to at least one aspect of the invention there is provided a distributed wide area network in which network access and/or network services are provided via one or more hardware devices acting as a full or partial node in a blockchain, each of said hardware devices storing or accessing a copy of the blockchain and using credentials in the stored blockchain to authenticate access to the network.

Preferably, at least one hardware device acting as a node in the blockchain is connected with the internet.

Preferably, the hardware devices use the blockchain to facilitate routing of information between different ones of the hardware devices in the network and/or the internet.

Preferably, one or more hardware devices function as miners for the blockchain.

Preferably, one or more hardware devices facilitate the delivery of rewards to other hardware devices on the network. Alternatively, delivery of rewards is facilitated by smart contracts. Alternatively, delivery of rewards is facilitated by a centralized entity.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a hardware device configured to participate in a distributed wide area network, the hardware device including a communications module configured to facilitate a wireless network and/or connection with a wide area network, and a processor, the processor configured to access a distributed network blockchain, and to control access to the wireless network and/or wide area network based on credentials defined in the blockchain.

Preferably the hardware device further includes at least one memory module on which is stored a copy of the distributed blockchain.

Preferably, the processor is configured to validate transactions in the network and/or append blocks to the blockchain based on a proof-of-throughput consensus protocol.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method for facilitating a distributed wide area network including providing a network hardware device having memory and a processor configured to facilitate access to the network and/or the transmission of information between nodes on the network using information defined in a blockchain.

Preferably, achieving consensus between nodes in the network includes receiving a proof of throughput from a node proposing a transaction to add to the blockchain, validating the proof and adding the transaction in the blockchain.

Preferably, achieving consensus between nodes in the network includes receiving a proof of throughput from a node, validating the proof, adding the node to a consensus group, and storing transactions proposed by members of the consensus group.

Preferably, transactions on the network comprises the paying or receiving a network token. Preferably, an amount of network tokens is based on the transaction.

Preferably, one of more transactions on the network are facilitated by smart contracts.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is a method of authenticating network access using a blockchain as herein described.

Preferably, the method of authenticating network access includes providing a network hardware device having memory and a processor configured to facilitate access to the network and/or the transmission of information between nodes on the network using information defined in a blockchain.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is a method of establishing consensus in a blockchain network using a proof-of-throughput scheme.

Preferably, the method of establishing consensus includes providing a network hardware device having memory and a processor configured to validate transactions in the network and/or append blocks to the blockchain based on a proof-of-throughput consensus protocol

According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is a method of facilitating an internet connection including validating credentials using blockchain and Preferably, the method of facilitating an internet connection includes providing a network hardware device having memory and a processor configured to facilitate access to the internet using credentials information defined in a blockchain.

Preferably, the method includes rewarding a facilitator based on a throughput scheme and/or an initial stake scheme.

Further aspects of the invention, which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the following description and viewing the attached drawings, which are given by way of example only to illustrate the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Examples of some aspects of the invention are illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: figure (Fig) 1 is a perspective illustration of a first distributed wide area network according to the invention, figure 2 is a perspective illustration of a second distributed wide area network according to the invention, figure 3 is a perspective illustration of a network provider setup according to the invention, figure 4 1 is a perspective illustration of a hardware device for participating in a distributed wide area network according to the invention, and figure 5 illustrates network rewards for network providers.

Description of Preferred examples of the invention

According to some examples of the invention there is a decentralised wide area network with no centralised entity or administrator coordinating network access. The decentralised network comprises one or more network providers who provide network services and/or establish network gateways through which end users can access the network. The network is facilitated by a distributed Blockchain database (the network blockchain) in which is recorded, amongst other information, credentials of both network providers and end users. Network providers may participate in the network by establishing a network service and/or access gateway and staking one or more native network tokens as a deposit. End users may join the network by connecting with a provided network gateway and, in one example of the invention, paying a network token for receiving network services from one or more network providers. In other examples the network usage is free to access, and in yet further examples free network access is based on a smart contract stored in the network blockchain. A network service may include, but is not limited to, validating network transactions (i.e., blockchain mining), providing an internet connection, providing access to a VPN, providing access to other nodes/services on the decentralised network, or delivering data to a device. For example, an end user may connect with a network provider gateway to access the internet, or to connect with a home network via a VPN tunnel, or to access other service on the decentralised network. Instructions for coordinating or directing the network traffic and authenticating end user connections are facilitated by the network blockchain which is fully replicated and stored by two or more network providers.

In some examples the value of provided network services is negotiated between a respective network provider and end user providing/receiving a network service. In some examples an end user may specify a price, in network tokens, that it is willing to pay for services such as data transmission, Internet coverage, VPN access, message delivery and the like. In some examples a network provider may specify a price, in network tokens, that it is willing to receive for a minimum network access bandwidth and/or network service such as data transmission, Internet coverage, VPN access, message delivery and the like. In some examples the negotiation is preferably facilitated by smart contacts in the network blockchain. In some examples the negotiated value for network services creates a supply and demand environment where network providers in a common geographical location are incentivised to provide the best quality network service at the best (lowest) price. In some examples of the network where end users pay for access then a smart contract with criteria are reached and payment is only executed once both parties will be happy with the outcome. For example, and end user is needing to upload a large file in a short amount of time and the network provider cannot deliver what they promise then the end user is not charged or only partly charged and the network provider is not paid or only partly paid. In other examples an entity governing the network token will decide token reward values and deliver tokens to network providers directly.

A network provider is allowed to join the network by purchasing or building a network work service device running a proprietary network software configured to enabled network access using Blockchain technology with a native network token. It is envisaged that the hardware is a readily available off-the-shelf network hardware such as a Wi-Fi access point, embedded system or computer connected to the internet. In some examples of the invention a network gateway is commodity hardware available from a wide variety of vendors such as a Wi-Fi router or access point on which is installed a proprietary network firmware that conforms with a protocol in use by the network and enables using the Blockchain and a native network token for providing network services. It is envisaged that network gateway hardware could be any one of a wide variety of wireless routers available in the market with proprietary network firmware designed to replace a manufacturer's original firmware with custom firmware offering features and functionality to enable the hardware to participate in the decentralised wide area network. Other network services are provided by commodity computer hardware running proprietary network software, such as a desktop application, which conforms with a protocol in use by the network and enables using the Blockchain and a native network token for providing network services. Yet further network services may be provided by a mobile device, such as a smartphone, running a proprietary network mobile application. Mobile network providers may, for example, function as network gateways by sharing their internet connection in a 'hotspot' arrangement. Network providers may function as Blockchain 'miners' to perform validation of network transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain based on a Proof of Throughput consensus protocol in which the ability to mine a block is based on the quantity of network services provided and to the extent to which such quantity is proven, or in some examples, by staking network tokens.

End users may participate in the network by providing a device that can connect to a network provider gateway and by downloading or running on the device a proprietary network application. A new end user after installing the app must first connect to a network provider gateway to undertake an initial onboarding process. The onboarding process is defined in the blockchain and preferably includes at least establishing network credentials for the new end user including a wallet funded with network tokens for purchasing network services from network providers NP. The respective network provider creates a block that represents the new end user's network credentials and sends this to all other network providers on the network for validation. Once validated the block containing the new end user's credentials is added to the blockchain shared with all network providers so that the user can subsequently be validated automatically by the network when the user connects to any network gateway. The network credentials preferably include an end users public key to facilitate the transaction of tokens between the end user and network providers. In some examples one end user may undertake a transaction with another end user in the network. In yet other examples interactions and transactions between end users and network providers or other end users or between two or more network providers are facilitated by smart contracts written into the blockchain. These smart contacts are executed automatically by nodes on the blockchain when certain conditions are meet.

The network blockchain may become quite large. Some network gateways provided on commodity hardware, or mobile network providers, might have limited processing or memory for providing full network throughput while also storing and validating the network blockchain. In some examples of the invention it is envisaged that network providers may participate in the network as a full blockchain node or a partial blockchain node. In some examples a full blockchain node stores a full copy of the blockchain and is elected to a consensus group to participate in the network as a miner to validate network transactions and add new blocks to the network blockchain by verifying that other network providers are acting honestly. Election to the consensus group may be based on a threshold Proof of Throughput or by staking a minimum number of network tokens. A partial network node, on the other hand, is a network provider that provides a network service and has access to the network blockchain but does not function as a miner to validate transactions or add blocks to the network blockchain. In some examples an end user may also be a full or partial node network provider.

A Proof of Throughput consensus protocol provides useful work for the network work by incentivising network providers to allocate sufficient resources and bandwidth to their network services. Proof of Throughput for each miner is audited and verified by other miners. In some examples proof of throughput is provided by router statistics or traffic metering modules in network firmware or applications. Rewarding those Network providers who allocate the most resources and bandwidth to their network services enhances the stability and end user experience of the network. In some examples when a full node network provider, miner, is allocated a new block in the blockchain they are rewarded financially with network tokens. In other examples blockchain mining is not rewarded, with network rewards only provided for nonmining network service. It is expected that the network providers will be rewarded only for their services and as such receive tokens. Tokens are planned to be distributed each week via an allocation of new tokens minted and distributed to last week's network providers. Providing network rewards only for non-mining network service (further) incentivising network providers to allocate sufficient resources and bandwidth to their network services.

Referring to Figure 5, in some examples the token value of the reward is linked to an initial stake put up by the rewarded network provider and the service they provide. In some examples a negotiated value for providing network services combined with a proof of throughput consensus scheme establishes an enhanced incentive for network providers to provide the best quality network service at the best price regardless of geographical location. In some examples an amount of Stake required may be a function of the quality of service provided by a network provider. For example, network providers who are constrained by available bandwidth may stake a higher number of tokens while other network providers with a greater available bandwidth to provide to the network may stake a lower amount of network tokens. One purpose of this system is to prevent network providers from acting dishonestly by making it unattractive to attempt to manipulate the network for profit. For example, this system makes it less attractive for a network provider with significant available bandwidth to throttle that bandwidth merely to match other network providers in a certain geographical area. In some examples of the network where end users have access to free connections the network provider could be expected to receive portions of a weekly token allocation based on the service they have provided and the number of tokens they have already staked on the network. For example; Abby is a network provider who has staked a small amount of network token on her basic old router, she lives in a subdivision that has an average internet connection and suffers power cuts (power outages) every now and then. In a period of one week Abby only gets two new users and two regular users connecting to Abby's network; the rewards Abby could expect would be minimal. In another example: Billy is a network provider who has staked a large amount of token on his good range Wi-Fi 6 router, Billy lives above a busy cafe with neighbouring apartments and has fast fibre and his power never cuts out. In a period of one week Billy gets twenty new users and twenty regular users connecting to Billy's network; the rewards Billy could expect would be large by comparison. In some examples the number of Staked tokens on a node directly affects the feature set of the node. For example, a basic home user does not need the same level of administration or networking features that an enterprise user needs. Assuming the hardware can support the features, various levels of features would be unlocked at different levels of staking.

In some examples of the invention, at launch network token will be available to trade on decentralized exchanges. Tokens will work with some existing wallets and also work on the network's own wallet. Network tokens will not expire and staked tokens can be expected to have a lockup period. It is likely that the supply of new tokens will be deflationary, for example initial token supply might be, say, 50,000,000 at launch with a weekly supply of newly minted tokens of, say, 1,000,000 to be distributed to network providers. Every 18 months new token supply reduces by half.

In the various figures there is shown at least one exemplary decentralised network 100 according to the invention. The network 100 comprise one or more network provider gateways 110 established by network providers 200 and configured to provide a connection to the internet 130 to one or more end user devices 120, thereby providing network coverage to the one or more devices 120. Network providers 200 comprise an entity that typically has an internet connection through an internet service provider (IPS) 210 and operates a private local area network 220, such as a home or business network, outside the scope of this invention. In such installations the ISP 210 provides the entity with a modem 240 for connection with its network and the internet 130. The invention envisages that such entities can become network providers 200 by utilising a router 250 to establish a network gateway 110, or other network service, of the invention that shares the entities ISP internet connection 130 outside of their private network 220. In a simple examples the network gateway 110 is one of a number of commonly available commodity Wi-Fi routers that have had the router vendors firmware flashed over with the network 100 proprietary firmware. In some examples of the invention a network provider 200 provides a network service such as a VPN server 115 where an end user must first connect with a network gateway 110 and then establish an encrypted or incognito connection with the internet via the VPN server 115. The gateways 110 and other non-gateway servers 115 are nodes of the network blockchain 300 and each store a copy of the blockchain 300.

In some examples of the invention, routing rules for the network 100 are configured by the blockchain 300 which may include rules for a virtual router 310 to coordinate peer-to-peer traffic between different nodes 110/115/120 on the network or between an end user node 120 and the internet 130. In some examples the virtual router is provided by a distributed application stored on and executed by nodes 110/115 of the blockchain. In some examples routing rules, such routing of an end user connection from a gateway 110 through a VPN node 115, on the network 100 may be facilitated automatically by smart contracts based on conditions written to an end user 120 or network provider 200 profile stored in the blockchain 300.

A hardware device 110/115 configured to participate in a distributed wide area network may include a communications module 111 configured to facilitate a wireless network and/or connection with a wide area network, at least one memory module 113 on which is stored a copy of a distributed blockchain, and a processor 112 configured to control access to the wireless network and/or wide area network based on credentials defined in the blockchain.

One or more aspects and alternatives of the invention have been described by way of example only. It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred aspects and alternatives described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be included within the present invention. The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the drawings and/or specification, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features.

Where reference has been made to integers or components having known equivalents, those equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country in the world.