LG Electronics has filed a U.S. patent for technology that registers usage data from smart home appliances such as TVs and refrigerators on a blockchain and trades access rights to the data in the form of tokens.
LG Electronics has developed technology that uses blockchain to trade user data collected from everyday appliances, including televisions, refrigerators and washing machines, and has filed it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The move is viewed as an attempt to record users’ device-usage information on a decentralized network and systematically distribute access rights to that information.
The patent, publicly disclosed in the United States under the title “Blockchain-Based Data Trading Device and Method,” was formally published on September 17. The core of the technology is to select only the necessary information from user data generated by smart home appliances, register it on a blockchain network, and manage and trade access rights to the data in the form of digital tokens.
The devices covered by the patent span major smart home appliances, including televisions, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. The data subject to collection includes specific information closely tied to daily life, such as television viewing records, content usage histories and application-use information; air conditioner operating modes and usage times; washing machine usage frequency; and the number of times a refrigerator door is opened and closed.
Device-usage data accumulated in smart-home environments has significant value for developing personalized services and conducting precision marketing. Market attention is focused on whether the patented technology can establish infrastructure for transparently and securely distributing necessary appliance data while protecting users’ privacy.