General Motors files patent for decentralized blockchain-based cards

Vehicle construction is no stranger to blockchain technology and its diverse applications in space. General Motors (GM) has now applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office for “decentralized cards with blockchain”.

The abstract in the patent application describes the idea as “a system for updating distributed navigation maps of a motor vehicle that includes one or more sensors that evaluate and characterize an environment around the motor vehicle and a detector for discrepancies that compare the differences in the environment identify a known navigation map based on information received from one or more sensors. The differences are transferred to a card network in a blockchain »as read in the request.

The question that this patent is trying to solve in the driving space relates to card feedback around the vehicle. Currently, many automobiles, including autonomous ones, use a navigation system that provides the driver of the automobile or the automated driving system with detailed maps of the vehicle’s geographic location and directions to a desired destination.

However, it is difficult to maintain these dynamic allocation systems without incurring great costs. Here GM believes blockchain technology can help. Sensors is used to evaluate and characterize the area around the vehicleand a discrepancy detector is used to identify differences in the environment compared to the known navigation map based on information received from one or more sensors. The differences are transmitted to a network of cards in the blockchain.

Cards and blockchain are not alien

As mentioned earlier, vehicle manufacturers have long been concerned with blockchain technology to gain benefits in such a dynamic and competitive sector. With that in mind, BMW uses blockchain to track its supply chain while GM continues to deal with autonomous cars.

GM’s work with blockchain and autonomous cars has granted another patent that describes a process that uses self-driving cars They can save all of their information in a distributed book. The document created by GM Global Technology Operation LLC also points out that stored information can be easily shared by blockchain users.

Autonomous vehicle tracking is clearly at the forefront for GM, and this latest patent specifically names autonomous vehicles as a potential beneficiary of linking blockchain technology with mapping.

In addition, GM knows vehicle mapping and navigation systems because it offers navigation systems through its GM Navigation Store that have been specially developed for different models.

Translated version of Darryn Pollock’s article published on Forbes.