2. 2Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
1. Analysis Background and Method
□ Various countries have been giving attention to Smart Cars as their new
growth power industry since 2000, and the market is expected to expand
gradually.
- U.S., Japan, and Europe have been putting in efforts to cultivate state level Smart
Cars since early 2000, and Korea has also been taking the lead in the state level
investments by selecting Smart Car as their new growth engine since February of
this year.1
- ABI Research expects Smart Car market to grow up to an annual average of 36.1%
by 2016, reaching $301.1 billion in size by 2019, 2
and Korean Automotive
Research Institute expects world’s Smart Car market to grow up to $274 billion in
size by 2017. 3
□ Moreover, as the competition between companies’ technology development
increases, patent disputes which developed mainly over IT industries are
spreading to automotive industries as well.
- Patent disputes occurred mainly in IT industry, but recently, it has expanded to
connecting Smart Car and Information Communication Technology (ICT), which
most of them are technologies related to ICT such as navigations, vehicle audios,
vehicle communication and networks, and travelling controls4
1
Expansion of the Smart Car market and domestic ICT industry’s corresponding task, KDB
Industrial Bank, Op.cit.
2
2014 IT Industry the Seven Megatrends, the Federation of Korean Information Industries, Op.cit.
3
Market Analysis on Smart Car/Green Car sensors, Korea Automotive Research Institute (Mirae
Corporation Monthly), Op.cit.
4
Patent Dispute Trend in Domestic and Foreign Automobiles, Korea Institute of Intellectual
Property, Op.cit.
3. 3 Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
- Recently, a U.S. patent administration company AVS, filed a lawsuit for patent
infringement related to vehicle diagnostic system and telematics against Hyundai
and Kia vehicles in U.S. Michigan Eastern District Court in August of this year.
□ This report will analyze the trend of Smart Car patents filed in four major
countries (South Korea, United States, Japan, and Europe) between 1975 and
2014, using WIPS Global.
- After creating a search formula and forming data groups by selecting major
Smart Car related words using synonyms/antonyms, noise documents were
removed and final valid data was extracted.
- Patent application trend by year, number of applicants by periods of years,
current status of patent application by technology, and major applicants as well
as current joint application status were examined.
[Reference] What is Smart Car?5
□ Smart Car refers to vehicles that provide high level of safety and convenience
functions with real-time detection of the interior and exterior of the vehicle by
merging advanced electric and electronic, information communication, and functional
control technologies with auto technology.
∙ In other words, Smart Car is a model combined with information related to various
vehicle operations, entertainment system, and network; in that sense, Smart Car is also
called ‘Connected Car’ with a network.
∙ The major functions of Smart Car are safety prevention, accident restraints, collision and
damage prevention, and various equipments for convenience.
∙ Along with it, Smart Car could be applied in various fields such as communication field
with WIFI, 3G, and LTE, vehicle remote controls using smart phones, vehicle
personalization using Smart Cars, connectivity of various data communication equipments
and vehicle, vehicle App store, and open platform provision.
5
Smart Car, KISTI MARKET REPORT, Op.cit.
4. 4Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
2. Smart Car Patent Analysis Result
□ The total number of Smart Car related patents applied to four major countries
is 6,033. Though with its repeated ups and downs, it shows upward trend
overall.
- U.S. and Japan holds majority of the patents with 2173 and 1869 cases
respectively, and the next is South Korea with 1215 cases, followed by Europe
with 786 cases.
- From 70s to 1985, average of 1.4 patents were filed per applicant, but this
percentage has increased gradually to 1.8 patents filed per applicant from 1986
to 1995 and 2.3 patents per applicant after 1996, showing steady increase in the
number of patents per applicant.
∙ After 2000, the level has remained similar with no drastic changes.
[Smart Car Patents by Application Trend Year and Number of Applicants]
5. 5 Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
□ Looking at the number of patent applications per country and the current
application status of domestic and foreign applicants, South Korea and Japan
mainly consist of domestic applications whereas U.S. and Europe consist up to
40% in foreign applications.
- U.S. started applying for Smart Car related patents earliest in the 70s, and Japan
and Europe followed in turn, but with respect to the number of applications,
Japan holds far more in number than others.
- For Korea, patent activities began to take off in the late 80s, though it has been
experiencing constant ups and downs, it shows significant increase up to recent
days. On the other hand, U.S. Japan, and Europe are showing recent decrease in
number of applications.
[Number of Korea’s patent application by year
and current status of domestic and foreign
applicants]
[Number of U.S.’s patent application by year and
current status of domestic and foreign
applicants]
6. 6Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
[Number of Japan’s patent application by year
and current status of domestic and foreign
applicants]
[Number of Europe’s patent application by year
and current status of domestic and foreign
applicants]
□ Looking into the nationality of major applicants, Japan turns out to be 36% of
entire applicants with 2197 patent applications, and the next is U.S., Korea,
Germany, and etc.
[Nationality of Smart Car Patent’s Major Applicants]
7. 7 Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
□ Major applicants are Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai Motors, Honda, and Hyundai
Mobis, and top patent holding applicants by country are Toyota for Japan,
Honda for U.S., Hyundai Motors for Korea, and Robert Bosch for Europe.
- Toyota which filed total of 253 patents, released ‘Fun-Vii’ futuristic concept car
that allows drivers to change the exterior of the car and use it as a touch screen,
including technology that enables exchanging information with nearby cars while
driving at the 2015 Busan Motor Show in May.
- Nissan which filed total of 202 patents, is developing a research with a goal to
commercialize Smart Cars by 2020, and is planning to introduce Smart Cars
which can drive on highways and park in 2016.6
- Likewise, Hyundai Motors, which filed total of 202 patents, is already providing
vehicles with telematics services which is an integrated wireless IT technology
with vehicle, a service called ‘Blue Link’ that includes remote start/assistance,
remote lock/unlock, locating parked cars, automatic warning signals for airbag
deployment, remote vehicle diagnostic, navigation, and restaurant reservations.7
[Current Status of Major Smart Car Patent Applicants]
□ Looking into major applicants by periods of years, Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan
showed relatively high number of applications from 1983~1993 but recently,
6
Japanese Electronics Industry, redeeming the smart phone “humiliation” with Smart Cars, Korea
Economics
7
IT integrated ‘Smart Car’ to enter into a blooming season next year, Digital Times
8. 8Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
new applicants such as Hyundai Motors, Hyundai Mobis, and Denso also
showed high number of applications other than Toyota and Nissan.
- Mazda applied a great number of applications in the early 90s, but it has shown
great decrease in the mid 90s and after, whereas Japanese/Korean applicants such
as Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai Motors, Kia Motors, Hyundai Mobis, and Denso have
shown great increase in the mid 90s and after.
- Especially for Hyundai Motors, their number of Smart Car patents reached up to
120 cases after 2005, exceeding Toyota that held greatest number of patents
before and ascending to the top ranking applicant recently.
[Current Status of Major Applicants by Periods of Years]
□ Looking at the current application status by IPC technology classification,
major field of technology that was filed the most was related to vehicles,
vehicle fittings, or vehicle parts, not otherwise provided for (B60R),
arrangement of signaling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting
thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general (B60Q), and electric
equipment or propulsion or electrically propelled vehicles (B60Q).
9. 9 Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
[Current Application Status by IPC Technology Classification]
[Current Application Status by IPC Technology Classification]
IPC Technology Classification
Number
of App.
% of
App.
B60R
VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE
PROVIDED FOR
2000 33%
B60Q
ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE
MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR
VEHICLES IN GENERAL
585 10%
B60L
ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLYPROPELLED
VEHICLES
571 9%
B60W
VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE
PROVIDED FOR
514 9%
B60K
CONTROL DEVICE RELATED TO DIFFERENT TYPES OR FUNCTIONS OF
VEHICLE PARTS; CONTROL SYSTEM UNIQUELY SUITED FOR HYBRID
VEHICLE; CONTROL SYSTEM NOT RELATED TO THE SINGLE SPECIFIC
PART BUT FOR VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WITH SPECIFIC PURPOSE
347 6%
B65G TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES 160 3%
B62D MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS 148 2%
B60N
VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED
FOR
126 2%
B60P
VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO
TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR
OBJECTS
97 2%
B65D
CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR
MATERIALS
93 2%
10. 10Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
□ Joint research between companies appeared to be slightly low, only 6% (367
cases) were joint applications, showing that most of the companies are
focusing on independent research.
- Major joint applicants are Toyota, Kia Motors, Hyundai Motors
[Percentage of Joint Application] [Current Status of Major Joint Applicants]
11. 11 Patent Trend Analysis of Smart Cars
3. Summary
□ Total number of Smart Car patents applied to 4 countries is 6,033 cases and is
repeatedly increasing and decreasing but with overall tendency to increase.
It appears that majority of patent applications were applied by U.S. and Japan.
- U.S. and Japan each hold 2173 and 1859 patents, Korea holds 1215, and Europe
holds 786 patents.
□ Looking at the current application status of domestic and foreign applicants
by country, Korea and Japan’s patents are mainly filed by domestic applicants,
whereas 40% of U.S. and Europe’s patents are filed by foreign applicants.
□ Looking at the country of major applicants, 36% of the applicants amounting
to 2,197 were Japanese, and the next was U.S, Korea, Germany, and etc.
- Major applicants were Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai Motors, Honda, and Hyundai
Mobis.
□ Looking at the current application status by IPC technology classification,
major field of technology that was filed the most was related to vehicles,
vehicle fittings, or vehicle parts, not otherwise provided for (B60R),
arrangement of signaling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting
thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general (B60Q), and electric
equipment or propulsion or electrically propelled vehicles (B60Q).
□ As recent number of Korea’s patent applications has increased, technology
development competition seemed to have become highly competitive, but
with increasing number of merge between IT technology and automobile
industry, the possibility of increased domestic corporate patent disputes are
expected as well. So, it appears that efforts are needed to
prepare precautionary measures for prior technology standards and conflict
responses.
