Intelligent cockpit patents being pursued worldwide as reported in TIPO’s analysis

　The automotive industry has developed the concept of “intelligent cockpit” to respond to the growing popularity of 5G network, the arrival of the era of vehicle-to-every (V2X), and the rise of demand for intellectualization and personalization.  In order to assist domestic suppliers and manufacturers in keeping pace with the development of smart cockpit technology, Taiwan IPO recently released the “Analysis of Patent Trends for Key Technologies in Vehicle Intelligent Cockpit System” (hereinafter the “Analysis Report”), which provides the analysis of the key technologies of intelligent cockpit system and the trends of patent applications, provides reference materials for establishing the R&D and marketing strategies, with an aim of creating infinite business opportunities for Taiwanese suppliers and manufacturers that are well-experienced in developing information and communication technologies.   

　Taiwan IPO compiled the Analysis Report mainly from the user’s perspective to categorize and analyze the technologies relating to intelligent cockpit system in terms of the four sectors of vision, audio, entertainment experience, and intelligent interaction as summarized below.  

1.  Vision 

With respect to the vision-related technologies, the Analysis Report mainly presents the analysis of the HUD-related (head-up display) technologies.  The countries or regions with the highest number of patent applications for such technologies are Japan, the U.S., and China, with these applications having been steadily going upward since 2013, except for 2020 when a slight decrease in the number of applications was observed.  Also, according to the statistics, from 2005 through 2022, the top 10 applicants in terms of cumulative patent applications are mostly the traditional automotive manufacturers and automotive parts suppliers.  

2.  Audio

With respect to the audio-related technologies, the Analysis Report mainly analyzes the technologies relating to voice interaction, acoustic input and output, and acoustic environment.  The countries or regions with the highest number of patent applications for such technologies are China, the U.S., and Japan, and the number of patent applications for these technologies had gone upward since 2011 but began to move down after 2019.  Despite the overall decline in the number of patent applications for audio-related technologies, the examination of these technologies by category indicates that the patent applications for acoustic input technologies are still on the rise.  Also, the statistics shows that the top three applicants for acoustic input technologies had been Hyundai Motor of South Korea, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan, and Ford Motor Company of the United States from 2004 through 2022.  

3.  Entertainment Experience 

The Analysis Report with respect to entertainment experience focuses on the technologies regarding traditional entertainment experience and immersive ride entertainment experience that integrates virtual and physical environments.  The main origins of the patent applications for these technologies are the U.S., China, and the WIPO, with the number of these applications beginning to rise from 2013 and the rise turning moderate after 2020.  Notably, the growth in the applications for the technologies regarding the immersive ride entertainment experience became explosive after 2018.  According to the statistics, in addition to traditional automotive manufacturers and automotive parts suppliers, the companies engaging in V2X also break into the top 10 applicants list for these technologies.  

4.  Intelligent Interaction 

The Analysis Report with respect to intelligent interaction focuses on the technologies regarding driver assistance system, sleepiness and fatigue detection system, occupant monitoring system, and alleviation of electric vehicle range anxiety.  The main sources of the patent applications for these technologies are China, the U.S., and Japan.  The number of patent applications filed for these technologies has been steadily going upward since 2013, except for the slight decrease only in 2022.  Apart from the technologies for reduction of range anxiety, the top 10 applicants for these technologies are mostly traditional automotive manufacturers and vehicle component suppliers.  

　The Taiwan IPO indicated that the patents relating to intelligent cockpit has been growing at a steady pace.  Currently, there is no unified standard for these technologies; that is, the inventions that offer personalized, intelligent, and immersive experiences can be applied to vehicles intelligent cockpits.  Certain patents for specific technologies are also being pursued by telecommunication companies, in addition to traditional vehicle manufacturers and vehicle component suppliers.  Moreover, the Taiwan IPO emphasized that the next few years to come will be the best time and will bring the best opportunity for the domestic telecommunication companies to strive for a share of the market for vehicle intelligent cockpit.  It is expected that the industry, the academia, and the research institutions will team up to create prosperity for the automotive industry.  (Released 2024.01.04) 
/CCS