Blockchain Patent: Walmart To Manage Smart Applications Using Blockchain Tech

walmart blockchain technology patent 2018

Global retail giant Walmart filed a patent application in the blockchain sector to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Thursday, August 2. Its latest blockchain-related patent describes a system for the management of smart appliances using blockchain technology.

The filing illustrates a system of using blockchain technology for controlling and organizing smart appliances like a desktop or server computer, a kiosk and other portable computing devices, such as a wearable or gaming devices, laptop computers to improve administrative work.

A System that Connects the IoT Ecosystem

Walmart proposes the use of a blockchain server network to support an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. Walmart explains:

“the blockchain server network includes one or more secondary or second server systems that use one or more server-side applications to provide one or more client-side services at one or more other resources in the IoT ecosystem.”

The patent also added that resources in the IoT ecosystem may be associated with multiple roles and also a single role in the context of a single corresponding transaction. Practically, users will use blockchain-powered IoT-enabled devices that hold the private keys (a secret alpha-numerical password) to authorize a transaction.

One other notable innovative solution Walmart presented is a stationary kiosk for receiving packages from delivery drones thus, “…a user may obtain a kiosk and add the newly obtained kiosk to the distributed ledger structure utilizing their smart device to provision and/or authorize the kiosk.

It gave an illustration:

“the user device may be a wearable device that maintains the private key used to authorize the transaction. The kiosk may sync with the user device and be automatically provisioned as a home delivery station and added as a device in the distributed ledger management system.”

Walmart noted that its new innovation can be applied in many areas like a home setting as well as in several industries like the Entertainment, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Energy, Retail, and Agric. sectors

This latest Walmart patent filing follows a number of previous applications for blockchain patents including medical record storage systems, blockchain package delivery systems, and other blockchain-based digital solutions.

Solomon Sunny is the market reporter for Smartereum, one of the global leaders in Ethereum, blockchain and currency news. He produces technical price updates on digital currencies and writes recent developments about blockchain.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.