IBM inventors received 9,043 patents in 2017. The patents were granted to more than 8,500 IBM researchers, engineers, scientists and designers in 47 different U.S. states and 47 countries, said the company in a statement.
Ginni Rometty, IBM chairman, president and CEO, said, “Today, nearly half of our patents are pioneering advancements in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, blockchain and quantum computing.”
IBM inventors received more than 1,900 cloud patents last year, including a patent for a system that uses unstructured data about world or local events, to forecast cloud resource needs. The system can monitor data sources – including news feeds, network statistics, weather reports and social networks – to identify where and how cloud resources should be allocated to meet demand – says IBM.
Among the 1,400 AI patents IBM inventors were granted in 2017, is a patent for a system that can help AI analyze and mirror a user’s speech patterns to improve communication between AI and humans, says the company.
IBM inventors also received 1,200 cybersecurity patents, including one for technology that enables AI systems to bait hackers into email exchanges and websites.
IBM inventors also patented inventions in quantum computing, including a way for improving a quantum computer’s ability to acquire and retain information – otherwise known as signal readout fidelity. This can lead to efficiency in the components necessary to build a quantum computing system.
Other patented innovations from IBM inventors in 2017 include:
- A machine learning system designed to shift control between an autonomous vehicle and a human driver as needed, such as in an emergency.
- A method that leverages blockchain technology to reduce the number of steps involved in settling transactions between multiple business parties, even those that are not trusted and might otherwise require a third-party clearinghouse to execute.
- A technique that automatically elevates the security protection of a mobile device when it determines that device is located far from its owner and is likely under
[Image courtesy: IBM]