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The State of Innovation in theAutomotive Industry

2015

INTRODUCTIONSince the turn of the 20th Century, almost from the time they were fi rst invented, automobiles have been actively dreamed about, and speculated upon in works of science fi ction. The most persistent of these stories was the idea of the fl ying car, which has been a staple of science fi ction for more than a hundred years, and even led Henry Ford in 1940 to remark, “Mark my word. A combination airplane and motor car is coming. You may smile. But it will come.”1

While the world may still be waiting for a mass-produced fl ying car, there has been a tremendous amount of innovation in the automotive industry since these vehicles were fi rst invented. Looking back over the last fi ve years, a signifi cant amount of technology has been introduced into the ever-evolving automobile. In terms of innovation activity, worldwide patent fi lings in the automotive industry ranks third overall across the top 12 technology sectors, just barely behind Telecommunications and trailing industry leader Computing and Peripherals, according to the latest Thomson Reuters innovation data. While the automotive industry ranks third in the list of the sectors covered, it had the highest percent change in patenting volume of all areas between 2013 and 2012.2

Today, innovation related to alternative powered vehicles, navigation systems, and safety top the list of automotive technology improvements. The automotive industry is extremely progressive, leading some in the fi eld to claim that the car may well be the most technologically advanced product that most consumers will ever buy. A 2014 Center for Automotive Research report, entitled Advanced Information Technology Solutions: An Engine of Innovation3, summarizes this sentiment by saying: “The industry is transitioning from a primarily mechanical-based industry to a software-based industry. In fact, some would argue that the industry is transitioning from a transportation focus to a technology focus.”

This report examines recent patenting trends in the automotive space, including the companies doing the innovating and segments that have been growing the fastest over the last fi ve years. Collecting and organizing patent data can help analysts compare companies by their areas of investment in technology, and how they may have changed over time. As an example of this, several companies and their patent fi ling practices will be studied. Finally, a few hot topic areas of interest will be explored, identifying the technologies and companies that are fi ling patents today, forthe new features that consumers will buy in their vehicles tomorrow.

1 Popular Science: Looking back at Henry Ford’s Flivver: A plane-car for the man of average means, December 2001—http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-space/article/2001-12/looking-back-henry-fords-fl ivver

2 Derwent World Patents Index—2014 State of Innovation Report—http://thomsonreuters.com/articles/2014/global-innovation-activity-rises3 http://www.cargroup.org/?module=Publications&event=View&pubID=107

Today, innovation related to alternative powered vehicles, navigation systems, and safety top the list of automotive technology improvements. The automotive industry is extremely progressive, leading some in the fi eld to claim




Today, innovation related to alternative powered vehicles, navigation systems, and safety top the list of automotive technology improvements. The automotive industry is extremely progressive, leading some in the fi eld to claim extremely progressive, leading some in the fi eld to claim


Today, innovation related to alternative powered vehicles, navigation systems, and safety top the list of automotive Today, innovation related to alternative powered vehicles,

The State of Innovation in the Automotive Industry: 2015

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GENERAL INDUSTRY OBSERVATIONSThe automotive industry has experienced a period of consistent, high growth in the number of innovations fi led around the world over the past few years, as can be seen in Figure 1. Year on year, over the past fi ve years, the automotive sector has been growing by double-digit fi gures.

FIGURE 1: AUTOMOTIVE INVENTIONS BY PUBLICATION YEAR

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 1—Overall Patent Filings in the Automotive Industry Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family by the Publication Year of the Earliest MemberSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

While it is useful and important to look at the trend for the industry as a whole, a true sense of the real growth areas within the fi eld can be better illustrated by dividing the sector into categories, and looking at the fi ling trends associated with each individually. At a very high level, the automotive industry can be divided into fi ve broad categories as seen in Table 1.

CATEGORY DEFINITION VEHICLE COMPONENTS

Propulsion Systems and components of automobiles responsible for generating motion, or movement of the vehicle

Engine Design, Transmissions, Alternate Power Systems, Powertrains

Navigation Systems and components dedicated to determining where the vehicle is located and how it interacts with other vehicles

GPS, Dedicated Short Range Communications

Handling The aspects of automobiles responsible for determining the direction and velocity of the vehicle

Braking Systems, Steering Systems, Suspension Systems

Safety & Security Systems and components for protecting the vehicle and its inhabitants

Safety Systems, Seats, Seatbelts, Airbags, Security Systems, Locks

Entertainment Systems and components for occupying passengers and for allowing them to interact with internet based systems

Smartphone Integration, Heads Up Display (HUD), In-Car Communication

Source: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

TABLE 1: FIVE BROAD CATEGORIES IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY


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The State of Innovation in the Automotive Industry: 20155 6

FIGURE 3: TOP AUTOMOTIVE PATENT ASSIGNEES (2009 - 2013)

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1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Toyota

Bosch

Hyundai

Honda

Denso

Daimler

GM

Seiko Epso

n

Mitsubish

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Continenta

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Panasonic

Peugeot

Nissan

Hitachi

Zhejiand G

eelyFord

ZF FriedAisi

nAudi

BMW

Volkswagen

Renault

Autoliv

Devel

Schaeffler

Valeo

Figure 3—Top Automotive Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions Source: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

There are representatives from Japan (Toyota, Honda, Denso, Seiko Epson, Mitsubishi), Korea (Hyundai), Germany (Bosch, Daimler, Continental) and the United States (GM) in the top 10. These companies represent 20 percent of all the fi lings that take place within the automotive industry.

TOP INNOVATORS BY CATEGORYReturning to the individual categories, it is also possible to identify the top companies in each of the more detailed areas in the automotive industry. Figures 4 through 8 highlight the top 10 companies within each category.

FIGURE 4: TOP 10 PROPULSION ASSIGNEES

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500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Toyota

Bosch

Denso

GM

Honda

Daimler

Hyundai

Mitsubishi

Continental

Peugeot

Figure 4—Top Ten Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions for the Propulsion CategorySource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

Many of the companies in the top ten here are also in the top ten overall since propulsion is the largest of all of the categories. Notably, Hyundai is seventh in this category but third overall, suggesting that propulsion may not be the major focus of its portfolio.

FIGURE 5: TOP 10 NAVIGATION ASSIGNEES

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500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Seiko Epso

n

Toyota

Denso

Bosch

Semicon

Energy L

ab

Panasonic

Hyundai

Mitsubish

i

Fujitsu

Aisin

Figure 5—Top Ten Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions for the Navigation CategorySource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

In Navigation, Japanese electronics company Seiko Epson is at the top of the fi eld, joined by other electronics companies including Semiconductor Energy Lab, Panasonic, Fujitsu and Aisin.

FIGURE 6: TOP 10 HANDLING ASSIGNEES

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500

1000

1500

2000

Hyundai

Honda

Bosch

Toyota

Mando Corp

ZF Fried

Seiko Epso

n

Daimler

Continenta

l

Peugeot

Figure 6—Top Ten Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions for the Handling CategorySource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

While Toyota is the top fi ler overall, and leads many of the individual categories, it is listed fourth for the handling category. This is contrasted with Hyundai, which is the top inventive company in this category and plays a prominent role in most of the other categories as well.

Looking at these categories over the past fi ve years, as seen in Figure 2, it can be determined that the main driver for technology development in the automotive industry is investment in propulsion systems.

FIGURE 2: AUTOMOTIVE INVENTIONS BY PUBLICATION YEAR

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2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Propulsion

Navigation

Handling

Safety & Security

Entertainment

Figure 2—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Category and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family MemberSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

TOP AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATORS With recent government emphasis on fuel economy, which will be discussed in more detail in the Hot Topics section, and a growing market for hybrid and alternately powered vehicles, it is no surprise that propulsion is a category of high interest to the auto industry. Generally, all of the categories are seeing growth, but none has experienced the rapid rise seen in propulsion.

In addition to developing categories within the automotive industry, this study also looks at the organizations generating the most innovations in each fi eld. The companies that fi le the most automotive patents represent the groups that are investing the most in new technology, and provide a glimpse into the areas of innovation in which they are most interested. Figure 3 shows a chart of the top 25 most frequent invention fi lers in the automotive industry.


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The State of Innovation in the Automotive Industry: 20157 8

Looking over all fi ve categories, only three companies, Toyota, Bosch and Hyundai, are in the top 10 in all of them. Toyota has been a perennial leader in automotive innovation, but Hyundai appears to be an up-and-coming organization that may be worth paying more attention to in the future from an innovative standpoint.

The emergence of Hyundai can be seen clearly in Figure 9, which looks at the top 10 companies and their fi ling history over the last 10 years.

FIGURE 9: AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES PLOTTED BY UNIQUE INVENTIONS (2009 - 2013)

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500

1000

1500

2000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Daimler

GMToyota

Bosch

Hyundai

Honda

Denso

Seiko Epson

MitsubishiContinental

Figure 9—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Company and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family MemberSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

Starting in 2011, Hyundai increased its rate of patent fi ling dramatically and could soon end up with more patent publications than any other automotive company. Increases in patent fi lings year-over-year are common among the top three companies. This appears to be a major driver for the continued increase in fi lings that is seen across the segment. The other seven companies in the top 10 have shown moderate increases, or have, for the most part, remained fl at.

Now that the major categories and companies have been identifi ed and studied, it is possible to combine the two to provide a more detailed perspective on the categories that are most critical to the top ten companies. Figure 10 provides this breakdown of company by category.

FIGURE 10: INNOVATION ACTIVITY ACROSS FIVE CATEGORIES FOR TOP 10 AUTOMOTIVE ASSIGNEES

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1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Toyota

Bosch

Hyundai

Honda

Denso

Daimler

GM

Seiko Epso

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Mitsubish

i

Continenta

l

Entertainment

Safety & Security

Handling

Navigation

Propulsion

Figure 10—Top Ten Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions Organized by Category (Each Invention Only Appears in a Single Category)Source: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

Looking specifi cally at Toyota and Bosch, these companies have remarkably similar profi les when it comes to the categories in which they operate. With the exception of the safety & security area, in which Bosch has a relatively small interest, the two companies have an almost equal distribution of fi lings between the categories and display predominance in propulsion innovations.

This is in contrast to most of the other companies in the top 10 that show a more even distribution among the categories with the exception of Seiko Epson, which is almost exclusively interested in navigation.

Having established that Toyota and Hyundai are some of the most innovative companies in the segment, and that they have different categories where they are fi ling patents, it is also possible to see if and how their focus has changed over time, and the areas where investment has changed. Figures 11 and 12 plot category interest over time for Toyota and Hyundai.

FIGURE 11: TOYOTA PATENT FILINGS ACROSS FIVE AUTOMOTIVE CATEGORIES

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200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Propulsion

Navigation

Safety & Security

Handling

Entertainment

Figure 11—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family for Toyota Plotted by Category and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family Member Source: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

In the case of Toyota, its growth is coming exclusively from an interest in the propulsion area. While it is also fi ling in the other categories, its pace of fi ling has either stayed constant or decreased across them.

FIGURE 12: HYUNDAI PATENT FILINGS ACROSS FIVE AUTOMOTIVE CATEGORIES

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100

200

300

400

500

600

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Handling

Propulsion

Safety & Security

Navigation

Entertainment

Figure 12—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family for Hyundai Plotted by Category and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family MemberSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

When looking at Hyundai, on the other hand, it appears that handling might be its area of highest interest from Figure 10, yet it has dramatically decreased its rate of fi ling there. While handling still remains an area of interest, it is the propulsion and navigation areas that are driving recent growth in its portfolio. With the exception of entertainment, the increase in pace of innovation at Hyundai appears to be spread across all of the categories.

FIGURE 7: TOP 10 SAFETY & SECURITY ASSIGNEES

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200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Toyota

Autoliv

Devel

Hyundai

Daimler

Honda

Denso

Tokai Rika

GM

Takata

Bosch

Figure 7—Top Ten Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions for the Safety & Security CategorySource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

Some new companies begin to make a top 10 appearance in the safety & security category including Autoliv Development, Tokai Rika and Takata, second, seventh and ninth, respectively.

FIGURE 8: TOP 10 ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES

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50

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150

200

250

300

350

400

Hyundai

Panasonic

Toyota

Denso

Bosch

Continental GM

Fujitsu

Honda

Daimler

Figure 8—Top Ten Patent Assignees from Publication Year 2009 to 2013 Based on Number of Individual Inventions for the Entertainment CategorySource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

Surprisingly, in contrast to the navigation category, which included several electronics companies as the top innovators, the entertainment category is lead by traditional automotive companies, with the exception of Panasonic and Fujitsu.


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HOT TOPICSLooking at the automotive industry at a relatively high level provides insight into the rate of innovation occurring in the sector, what new areas are generally being explored, and which companies are expressing the most interest. To gain a greater understanding of where the automotive business

is headed in the future, it is also possible to drill into the individual categories. These drill downs provide a lens on specific instances of innovation that may be unveiled in the near future. Table 2 provides a list of the hot topic areas, their definitions, and the categories to which they correspond.

TOPIC AREA DEFINITION CATEGORY

Fuel Economy Also knows as fuel efficiency, or the maximization of the distance traveled on a unit of fuel

Propulsion

Telematics Global Positioning System technology integrated with computers and mobile communications technology in automotive navigation systems

Navigation

Autonomous Driving

Automobiles that are capable of driving themselves without input from a human passenger

Handling

Driver Assistance Various systems such as auto braking, lane departure warning, and traffic sign recognition that help the driver become aware of and avoid road hazards

Safety & Security

Heads-Up Displays (HUDs)

Systems for displaying data from a smartphone to the windshield of an automobile so a driver can keep his/her eyes on the road

Entertainment

Table 2—List of Hot Topic Areas, Definitions, and Corresponding Categories Source: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

TABLE 1: HOTTEST AREAS OF AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION


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While alternate power systems get a lot of the attention in the propulsion category, innovations to increase the fuel economy of internal combustion engines is also an area of intense interest and innovation. Motivation for increases in fuel economy have been provided by different countries, including by President Obama in the United States when he mandated that cars and light-duty trucks by Model Year 2025 have an equivalent fuel economy of nearly 55mpg4. Additionally, Obama continues to look for effi ciencies and has suggested that standards for heavy-duty vehicles will also soon be adjusted.5

An illustration from US20110160020A1 fi led by GM showing how a torque converter can help with fuel economySource: Thomson Innovation

In Figure 13, the top 10 companies and the number of patent publications by year from 2009 to 2013 associated with innovations in fuel economy are provided.

FIGURE 13: TOP 10 AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATORS FOCUSED ON FUEL ECONOMY

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50

100

150

200

250

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Denso

Bosch

GE

Daimler

Sumitomo

Hyundai

GM

Ford

Toyota

Honda

Figure 13—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Company and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family Member for Fuel Economy InnovationsSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

While Hyundai is once again a leader in this area, which suggests that it may be more interested in fuel economy than alternative power, the next two companies, GM and Ford, are based in the U.S., as should be expected based on the standards President Obama set forth for 2025. GM is listed in the top 10 companies overall in the segment, but this is the fi rst appearance of Ford in a top 10 list. Ford is number 16 in the overall list of automotive companies.

TELEMATICSTelematics is defi ned as an interdisciplinary fi eld encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.) and computer science (multimedia, Internet, etc.) 6. It involves the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics for application in vehicles and with control of vehicles on the move. Some of the specifi c technologies involved in telematics include:

• Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC)—a two-way, short-range wireless communications technology designed for the auto industry

• IntelliDrive—a plan to put wireless communications similar to Wi-Fi on every new car, which that car will use to broadcast its “heartbeat” continuously, including basic facts such as speed, location and direction

An illustration from WO2011136456A1 fi led by LG demonstrating the principles of telematicsSource: Thomson Innovation

In Figure 14, the top companies in the fi eld of automotive telematics are provided.

FIGURE 14: 10 AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATORS FOCUSEDON TELEMATICS

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2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Honda

UPS ofAmerica Inc.

Mitsubishi

Toyota

ElectrsAnd TelecomRes Inst

GM

Hyundai

Marvell

LG

Denso

Figure 14—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Company and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family Member for Telematics InnovationsSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

The list is populated by some of the usual suspects, as well as some new entrants, including the Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute and the United Parcels Service (UPS), neither of which has been seen in a list to this point. Hyundai once again appears as an organization on the rise in this particular topic area.

6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telematics

4 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-offi ce/2012/08/28/obama-administration-fi nalizes-historic-545-mpg-fuel-effi ciency-standard4 http://science.time.com/2014/02/18/white-house-to-toughen-fuel-standards-for-heavy-duty-vehicles/

FUEL ECONOMY


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AUTONOMOUS DRIVINGCars that drive themselves are part of the science fi ction landscape discussed at the beginning of this report, but recent advances, most publicly by Google, demonstrate that the future of autonomous driving may be closer than previously thought. Experts claim the technology is still decades away from being viable in all traffi c conditions, but there has still been a great deal of innovation taking place in the fi eld, as evidenced in the listing of the top companies in Figure 15.

An illustration from US8321067 fi led by Google entitled Transitioning a mixed-mode vehicle to autonomous modeSource: Thomson Innovation

FIGURE 15: TOP 10 AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATORS FOCUSED ON AUTONOMOUS DRIVING, PLUS GOOGLE

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5

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15

20

25

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Mitsubishi

Bosch

Denso

Honda

Toyota

GM

Hyundai

Hitachi

Daimler

Google Inc.

Daihatsu Motor

Figure 15—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Company and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family Member for Autonomous Driving InnovationsSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

While Google may get the majority of the headlines related to autonomous driving, it is actually Toyota, GM and Hyundai that are fi ling the most patents in this area. GM, in particular, has shown an amazing increase in interest with the most documents published in 2013.

DRIVER ASSISTANCETelematics allows cars to communicate with one another while on the road, while autonomous driving allows a vehicle to be driven without input from its passengers. These areas, along with driver assistance, are similar to one another, but in this topic area the driver is fully in control of the vehicle but is provided with assistance in certain tasks or circumstances should he/she become distracted. Specifi c technologies associated with driver assistance include:

• Rear-mounted radar

• Automatic high-beam control

• Back-up assistance

• Blind spot detection

• Pedestrian detection

• Lane departure warning (LDW)

• Intelligent braking

• Traffi c signs recognition

• Active cornering headlight

An illustration from US8064643 fi led by Mobileye Technologies on road sign detectionSource: Thomson Innovation

FIGURE 16: TOP 10 AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATORS FOCUSED ON DRIVER ASSISTANCE

0

20

40

60

80

100

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

BMW

Toyota

Volkswagen

GM

Bosch

Daimler

Continental

Valeo

Audi

Denso

Figure 16—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Company and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family Member for Driver Assistance InnovationsSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

As shown in Figure 16, Bosch is the clear leader in the fi eld of driver assistance with the most fi lings and the most rapid, recent increases in patent publications. European companies dominate this area with the addition of Audi, BMW, Continental, Daimler, Valeo and Volkswagen to this collection.

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HEADS-UP DISPLAYS (HUDs)Harkening to the fl oating displays of the movie “Minority Report,” or the advanced information and targeting systems associated with Tony Stark’s armor in “Iron Man,” the idea of HUDs, and their ability to allow operators to keep their eyes forward while interacting with contextual information from the outside world, has been sought after for some time. These systems started with the display of vehicle information on the front windshield, but have evolved to include input from a driver’s cell phone, such as directions, and incoming phone calls that are displayed on the front window. Some systems also allow the driver to use voice commands or simple motions to interact with the system without picking up the phone.

An illustration from WO2013168396A2 fi led by Yazaki Technologies on a HUD systemSource: Thomson Innovation

FIGURE 17: TOP 10 AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATORS FOCUSED ON HUDS

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5

10

15

20

25

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Toyota

YazakiUniversal Display

Johnson Controls

GM

Pioneer

Delphi

Bosch

ADC TechHonda

Figure17—Automotive Patent Filings Reduced to One Document per DWPI Family Charted by Company and the Publication Year of the Earliest Family Member for HUD InnovationsSource: Thomson Innovation & Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index

Figure 17 shows that of all the categories and topics discussed to this point, HUDs have by far the most rapid, recent growth in patent publications. The topic is also led by non-automotive companies with four of the top fi ve companies coming from outside the traditional automotive fi eld. The converging leaders in this area are Universal Display and Johnson Controls, neither of which have appeared in the list of top assignee companies thus far.

CONCLUSIONThe automotive industry is one of the most innovative industries in the world and was recently described as making the transition from being mechanically based to being software based. Technology is most certainly playing a key role in developing next generation automobiles that will be more fuel effi cient, safer, and fun to drive. During the course of this report looking at the patenting trends associated with the automotive industry, the following observations were made:

• The top 10 companies are responsible for 20 percent of the fi lings in the segment

• The propulsion category is responsible for most of the recent growth in the segment

• The top three companies are responsible for most of the recent growth within the top 10 companies

• Toyota’s primary interest is in propulsion, and it has been consistent over time

• Hyundai is an up-and-coming player, and while its interest was originally in handling, it has transitioned to an interest in propulsion but maintains a balanced portfolio over all fi ve categories

• American companies are leading the way in increasing fuel economy

• While Google grabs the headlines in autonomous driving, it’s Toyota, GM and Hyundai that have the most fi lings

• Bosch is the undisputed leader in the area of driver assistance

• HUDs have seen the most recent and rapid rise in patent publications of any category or topic in this study

• Hyundai has taken a lesson from its Korean colleagues, Samsung and LG, and is becoming a major patent force in the automotive industry

WHO WE ARE

METHODS

ABOUT THOMSON REUTERS

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Data for this report were aggregated using the Thomson Reuters Derwent World Patents Index® (DWPISM) to identify global innovation activity in the automobile industry. Within each category, researchers analyzed the total number of unique inventions (each invention was counted only once) issued in published patent applications and granted patents during application year 2009 to July of 2014. The analysis

focused on fi ve overarching categories of automotive industry R&D representing the majority of new inventive activity within the sector during the studied time period. Each unique invention was assigned to a primary category, and this designation was used for the subsequent analyses to eliminate repeats and overlap between different technology areas.

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