Cisco Files Patent Outlining The Idea of Confidential Group Chats Using Blockchain

While companies are burning a lot of intellect on the potential use of blockchain technology, multinational technology giant Cisco has recently filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on developing confidential group chats using the blockchain technology.

The patent application describes how blockchain can allow people to instantaneously form groups and share files and other information while still keeping the track of the membership.

Cisco said that it would help to solve some of the common problems that are faced by ad-hoc messaging groups like "how group membership is established, communicated, updated, and secured from unauthorized tampering ... in the context of dynamic, decentralized, and self-organizing groups.”

The document further notes the use of cryptographic keys to be shared among the group participants in order to establish a peer-to-peer network. This is like creating a completely decentralized group by authorizing only those members whom you want to allow to join.

A ‘genesis block’ will be created using the first participant’s device, while subsequent communications would then generate their own blocks as each member gets added to the conversation.

The filing notes one possible version of application wherein the first will “define the initial set of group members” wherein the blockchain would then be specifically used to record the group members. The next subsequent blocks will record the new members being added or old members who are removed. The filing also continues to mention another version which can enable secure file sharing.

It states: “In summary, presented herein is a method for achieving authorization in confidential group communications in terms of an ordered list of data blocks representing a tamper-resistant chronological account of group membership updates ... There are many applications of these techniques. One such application is enabling end-to-end encryption of instant messaging, content sharing, and streamed media. This is useful in developing a protocol or application designed to enable confidential group communications."

A lot of companies are looking forward to the potential applications of blockchain and cryptocurrency across multiple industrial uses. Recently, Intel filed a patent on low-power consuming Bitcoin mining hardware accelerator which defines it as “A System on Chip implementing a Bitcoin mining hardware accelerator [which] may include a processor core and a hardware accelerator coupled to the processor core.”

Also, U.S-based automotive giant Ford has been awarded a new patent that talks about the use of cryptocurrencies by vehicles in order to communicate with each other and reduce the on-road traffic congestion.