NFT Description Method for Managing Ownership of Media Thing Content

1. IoMT architecture and scope

The IoMT media data formats and API standard (i.e., ISO/IEC 23093-3) specifies the syntax and semantics of description schemes to represent data exchanged by media things (e.g., media sensors, media actuators, and media storages). Moreover, it specifies the APIs to exchange these data between media things.

The IoMT media data formats and API for distributed AI processing standard specifies the syntax and semantics of description schemes to represent data exchanged by media analysers for distributed AI processing. Moreover, it specifies the APIs to exchange these data between media things. The following interfaces are under the scope of these documents:

• •APIs for accessing media sensors, analysers, actuators, storage, managers, controllers, and aggregators;
• •structured data formats (XML) representing media thing’s base data types, including sensors, analysers, actuators, storage, managers, aggregators, controllers, and their elements (described in section 3.1.1);
• •structured data formats (XML) representing the media sensor and analyser output data referred to in Figure 1-2’; and,
• •structured data formats (XML) representing media actuator’s commands referred to in Figure 1-3.

Fig. 1.

Architectural view of the Internet of Media Things[2]

2. Use case of NFT from media sensors and analysers

The content generated from MThings can be a unique resource defined as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT). The video or audio clip generated from MSensors can be NFTs, while the analysed data from MAnalysers can also be NFTs. Figure 2 shows how the MObjectDetector requests an NFT from the MCamera.

Fig. 2.

An example of the NFT generation process of MSensor

The process description is as follows:

• ① A MObjectDetector asks an MCamera the cost of creating NFT content (getNFTVideoURL_CostPerMinute()), checks where to pay the cost (getWalletAddress() defined in ISO/IEC 23093-2, SubClause 4.2), pays the amount (sendTokens()defined in ISO/IEC 23093-2, SubClause 4.2), checks transaction completion (check TransactionCompletion() defined in ISO/IEC 23093-2, SubClause 4.2), and request the NFT address by sending tid through getNFTVideoURL(tid, address). Here, the address parameter indicates the recipient wallet address of the MObjectDetector (Figure 2-1).
• ② The MCamera mints the NFT with NFT metadata, including the video URL. The NFT is transferred to the MObjectDetector’s address through the smart contract's automated purchase function (assuming it is implemented) (Figure 2-2). (Outside of IoMT)
• ③ The MCamera returns the NFT address to the MObjectDetector (Figure 2-3).
• ④ The MObjectDetector checks whether the NFT has been transferred properly through the blockchain using the returned NFT address (Figure 2-4). (Outside of IoMT)
• ⑤ After verification, the MObjectDetector can legally access the video URL in the NFT (Figure 2-5). (Outside of IoMT)

The following example demonstrates a similar case for generating an NFT of an MAnalyser. Figure 3 shows how the MFaceDetector requests an NFT from the MObject-Detector.

Fig. 3.

An example of the NFT generation process of MAnalyser

The process description is as follows:

• ① A MFaceDetector asks a MObjectDetector the cost of creating NFT content (getNFTObjectDetectionResult_Cost()), checks where to pay the cost (getWallet Address()defined in ISO/IEC 23093-2, SubClause 4.2), pays the amount (sendTokens()defined in ISO/IEC 23093-2, SubClause 4.2), checks transaction completion (checkTransactionCompletion() defined in ISO/IEC 23093-2, SubClause 4.2), and request the NFT address by sending the transaction ID (i.e., tid) through getNFTGetObjectDetectionResult(tid, address). Here, the address parameter indicates the recipient wallet address of the MFaceDetector (Figure 3-1).
• ② The MObjectDetector mints the NFT with NFT metadata, including the object detection result URL. The NFT is transferred to the MFaceDetector’s address through the smart contract's automated purchase function (assuming it is implemented) (Figure 3-2). (Outside of IoMT)
• ③ The MObjectDetector returns the NFT address to the MFaceDetector (Figure 3-3).
• ④ The MFaceDetector checks whether the NFT has been transferred properly through the blockchain using the returned NFT address (Figure 3-4). (Outside of IoMT)
• ⑤ After verification, the MFaceDetector can legally access the object detection result URL in the NFT (Figure 3-5). (Outside of IoMT)

1. MThing base data type and elements

This subsection specifies base data types and elements of MThing data formats. An MThing can have a data ID, a device ID, an IP address, and a URL as base attributes. Besides, data can include the supported cryptocurrencies and legal tenders to use (or borrow) functionalities, resources, NFT data, and information on MThings. The NFT data of the MThing base data type includes the NFTName, MinterAddress, Datalink, and Description^[4].

1.1 Syntax of NFT data type in MThing base data type

The NFT data of the MThing base data type includes the NFTName, MinterAddress, Datalink, and Description (Figure 4). These data are used for NFT generation in the blockchain.

Fig. 4.

Syntax of NFT data type required for generating NFT media data

1.2 Syntax of the root element

The “NFTData” element can be generated optionally In the root element “MThingInfo” (Figure 5). In other words, the “NFTData” can be described as one of the MThing information generated by a media thing.

Fig. 5.

Syntax of the IoMT root element containing the NFT data

1.3 Binary syntax of NFT data type

The NFT data type can be described in binary format as defined in the following binary syntax (Table 1). This binary syntax makes the NFT description data more concise and compact.

Table 1.

The binary syntax of NFT data

1.4 Semantics of NFT data type

The detailed definition of each element and attribute of the NFT data type is shown in the following table 2. According to this semantics, each element and attribute can be transformed into the attributes forming the NFT.

Table 2.

The semantics of NFT data type and its element and attribute

1.5 Example

Figure 6 shows an XML instance following the syntax described in Figures 5 and 6. The NFT media data named “mcam1” was minted from the address “0x123456789abcdef123456789abcdef123456789” (i.e., camera’s account). It contains a simple data link, “http://iomtvideo.com/1.mp4”, enabling access to the video content.

Fig. 6.

An XML instance describing an NFT video from a camera.3.2 Example of APIs related to NFT

Table 3.

APIs for requesting NFT video data from the camera

As shown in Figure 2, any MAnalyser can ask an MCamera the cost of creating NFT content using the standard API getNFTVideoURL_CostPerMinute(). It will return the amount of payment per minute to use getNFTVideo URL(). The standard API getNFTVideoURL() returns an NFT address, including a video URL, to the MAnalyser (i.e., NFT requester).