U.S. Patent 10739997 was awarded to INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION on August 11, 2020 and is entitled “Deletion of blocks in a blockchain.” The first named inventor is Yutaka Oishi of Kawasaki, . The abstract contains an overview of the patent disclosure:

In a mechanism for deleting blocks from a blockchain, a retention period (T), a minimum number of blocks (L), and a hash of the oldest block are defined. A participant node creates the new block including a block header. The participant node determines whether a timestamp in an oldest block in the blockchain is older than a current time plus T, and whether a current number of blocks in the blockchain is greater than or equal to L. When both are true, the participant node deletes an oldest block in the blockchain. The participant node adds a hash of an oldest remaining block and an original number of blocks of the blockchain to the block header of the new block. The participant node broadcasts a message announcing the new block to remaining participant nodes of the plurality of participant nodes. Link to Full Patent

This blockchain patent was originally filed on November 20, 2017  as U.S. Patent Application 15/817908 at the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office. The application was them awarded a patent grant and published as U.S. Patent 10739997. The assistant examiner was Mohammad Solaiman Bhuyan.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, who is the original assignee of this patent, has at least 150818 total granted patents in the United States as of the date of this article. This blockchain patent has been cited 3 times by other U.S. patents according to our law firm research, and can be considered an innovative patent in the field of cryptocurrency and blockchain.

Select IP monitors top patents and patents which have been allowed and granted worldwide. We are experts in patent law with experience blockchain technology and IP law and intellectual property law as it pertains to blockchain technology and cryptocurrency patents. If you are interested in connecting with an IP law attorney or patent law attorney, please contact us via the contact form.

Patentability Searches – Determine the patentability of your inventions.
Freedom to Operate Searches & Opinions – Identify patents may give you potential infringement issues (including in the recording, communication or information retrieval equipment field).
Non-Infringement Opinions – Determine if your product infringes a competitor’s patent.
Patent Invalidity Searches & Opinions – Find prior art to invalidate a competitor’s patent.
U.S. Provisional Patent Applications – Receive cost-effective “patent pending” status for your invention.
U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Applications (Utility) – Apply for patent protection on the structural and functional aspects of your invention.
U.S. Design Patent Applications – Apply for patent protection on the ornamental appearance of your invention.