Ethereum Energy Enterprise LO3 Files Patent Application for Using Computationally Generated Thermal Energy

5/6/16

Yesterday the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published LO3 Energy Inc’s patent application 20160123620 “Use of Computationally Generated Thermal Energy.” The patent was initially filed with USPTO on November 4, 2015.

As reported by Michael del Castillo for CoinDesk, in “Ethereum Used for ‘First’ Paid Energy Trade Using Blockchain Tech” LO3 is collaborating with another industry favorite ConsenSys:

The joint effort called TransActive Grid, struck between between LO3 and decentralized applications startup ConsenSys, allowed Brooklyn resident Eric Frumin to sell excess renewable energy generated from his own solar panels directly to Bob Sauchelli, a former program manager at EnergyStar, a government-backed green energy initiative.

Lawrence Orsini and Yun Wei are listed as the inventors. While the application appears not to mention Ethereum specifically it is probably (?) because LO3 was uncertain which blockchain there were going to utilize at the time.

While I have been covering Bitcoin patent applications for quite some time this is the first Ethereum related filing that I have taken interest to report on. There are a half dozen or so other filings such as “Systems And Methods For Transferring Digital Assests Using A De-centralized Exchange” from more obscure companies such as Raistone.

While this application does not specifically mention Ethereum I think it will serve as a first in many Ethereum patent applications to come.

Below is an extract from the filing

[0026] The computation device may operate as a node in the distributed computing network. For example, computation devices 114, 124 and 134 may operate as nodes on a distributed computing network that can confirm transactions between each other or with other devices on the network on a cryptographically-secured, public ledger called a blockchain. In addition to executing assigned workloads to generate heat, each computation device can execute local workloads (workload assigned locally at the heat recovery site of the computation device) and workloads assigned via distributed computation applications. The distributed computation applications may be turing-complete which allows for their creation and operation on the distributed computing network that is independent of the individual nodes of the network. This provides for the autonomous, secure control of computing devices on the network.

[0027] The controller is capable of determining computation workload assignment platforms, type, size, schedule, sequence, speed, value based on received signals. The controller is capable of contracting, transacting, relaying and transmitting cryptographically secure workloads and commands to computation devices, and dynamically re-determining computation workload assignment based on additional signals received and previous commands sent to computation devices which may be recorded on the blockchain ledger. The heat recovery system can also include a computer system which may act as a node in the decentralized network wherein the computation device is communicatively coupled with the controller, upon receiving signals from the controller carry out the workload assigned to generate heat via electricity input, is further contained in or coupled with an energy reservoir, where energy may be drawn to satisfy immediate energy demand and future energy demand from building end use systems.