IBM Awarded Patent for Autonomous Self-Servicing Devices Within Blockchain-Based IoT System

IBM has won a patent for the autonomous self-servicing of networked devices that form part of its Autonomous Decentralized Peer-to-Peer Telemetry environment.

The patent, first filed in late June 2016, was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office September 18.

The system uses a blockchain protocol as a basis for a distributed network of devices - what Samsung has called "a sort of decentralized Internet of Things."

As IBM explains as a background to its new patent filing, "IoT controllers are often centralized [] [with] different IoT solution vendors [providing] proprietary solutions that follow similar centralized architectures," suggesting that a decentralized architecture can offer improved cost and operational efficiency.

According to the patent filing, the autonomous self-servicing loop would work by enabling a first ADEPT peer to connect to one or more further peers "Based on peer consensus," with the first peer then "Determin[ing] service needs based on receiving diagnostic inputs."

The patent continues to outline further functionalities as part of the decentralized IoT system, in which the devices would engage in controlled self-servicing "Based on foundational IoT trusted transactions in a peer-to-peer and decentralized manner."

These functionalities could include peer-to-peer messaging, distributed file sharing, and autonomous inter-device coordination to "Negotiate service contracts between trading partners" - these being ADEPT networked devices and related service providers.

IBM has been steadily diversifying its involvement in blockchain across multiple fields.

Just last week, Cointelegraph reported on a new blockchain-related patent filed by IBM that would harness the technology to tackle privacy and security concerns for drones.

Having filed 89 blockchain patents, IBM was only just outflanked by its rival - which filed 90.