IBM granted patent for a DLT-based mobile data sharing platform

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IBM has racked up yet another patent that seeks to apply distributed ledger technology (DLT). The proposed platform will use DLT to verify information shared between mobile devices in real time.

According to a document published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, IBM will seek to apply the new platform to transform the artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) industries. With each day, more devices become interconnected, exchanging massive amounts of data between them. This data needs to be verified before it’s accepted as the single version of events. This is where DLT comes in.

The platform will be used in a diverse number of industries, the tech giant indicated. One of them is to facilitate the sharing of accurate and real-time information that helps drivers navigate swiftly. The company announced:

“In response to recent advances in IoT related technologies, platforms have been developed in which road hazard information, weather information, environmental information and the like are collected from running vehicles. By delivering the collected information to nearby vehicles or computing nodes, the platform utilizes collected information for map information updates and dynamic route navigations.”

Once a mobile device shares information about an event to other devices, the information will go through the distributed ledger where computing nodes will verify the information. Once verified, the event will be published on the ledger where it’s available to all the other devices with access to the platform.

Moreover, devices that share the information will receive compensations from those who access that information.

This is just the latest blockchain-related patent that IBM has been granted, or has applied for. Big Blue, as IBM is popularly known, has been one of the biggest investors in the research and development of blockchain technology.

As we reported just a week ago, the tech giant partnered with Swiss multinational Nestle and French retailer Carrefour in a blockchain-based food tracking system. The system targets food shipments across Europe, enabling the tracing of the products from the producer to the final consumer.

IBM has also partnered with many other huge enterprises on blockchain ventures. These include Spanish banking conglomerate Santander, Danish shipping giant Maersk, U.S carmaker Ford and British jewelry giant De Beers.