Electricity Charging is the greatest main technology when it comes to electric cars.
According to ‘2014 National Patent Strategy Blueprint Report’ that was co-published by Korean Intellectual Property Office and Korean Intellectual Property Strategy Institute, electric car’s electricity charging technology was chosen as one of the best promising technology. Including wireless charging equipment, battery replacement exchange equipment, integral charging equipment, and PLC communication for cars can be categorized as detailed technologies.
■ [Table] Analysis of major applicants in electric car’s electricity charging technologies
Rank company Country Wireless Detatchable Fixed PLC Sum
Recharger Battery Battery For Car
1.Toyota Motor Japan 160 19 31 44 254
2.KAIST Korea 102 102
3.WiTricity United States 60 60
4.YAZAKI Japan 43 14 57
5.TDK Japan 50 50
6.Panasonic Japan
7.Renault France 33 33
8.DENSO Japan 15 12 27
9.Hyundai Motors Korea 25 25
10.Korea Advanced Univ’s
Industry Cooperation Korea 19 19
11.Kookmin Univ’s
Industry Cooperation Korea 16 16
12.Better Place China 15 15
13.LSIS Korea
14.SUMITOMO ELECTRIC Japan 12 12
14..Honda Motor Japan 12 12
Trend of application for electric car’s electricity charging technology shows continuous increase by year and countries after 1993. Total number continuously increased after 2007, but there was a small temporal decrease in 2012.
There is greatest number of applies in America after comparing Europe, Japan, Korea, US, and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Rate of increase in applies from Korea, Japan, and PCT were similar after 2007, and margin of increase from Europe was relatively low.
According to rate of increase in applies in detailed technologies in electric car’s electricity charging technology, wireless charging equipment, battery replacement exchange equipment, integral charging equipment, and PLC communication for cars all showed increase after early and middle of 2000. They all showed rapid increase rate after late 2000.
Looking at Patent Family Size (PFS) and number of foreigner’s number of applies in detailed technologies that make up electric car’s electricity charging technology, wireless charging equipment (PFS: 25.2) and integral charging equipment (9.3) relatively showed higher PFS compared to medium division’s (electricity-based green car) average (8.61).
PFS of battery replacement exchange equipment (7.05) and PLC communication for cars (3.3) was low compared to average of medium division.
Number of foreign applies in America during 2009 and 2012 all increased compared to the number of applies during 2005 and 2008, which says that entry barrier to the market is rising.
After analyzing top 5 major applicants in detailed technologies, Japan’s Toyota Motor holds the most patents in all detailed technologies such as wireless charging equipment technology (160), battery replacement exchange equipment technology (19), integral charging equipment technology (31), and PLC communication cars technology (44) in total of 254.
Following Toyota, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), America’s WiTricity, and Japan’s YAZAKI have 102, 60, and 43 patents respectively.
After looking at countries by applicants in top 5 technologies, number of applicants from Japan was the most at 7.
It was determined that Korea’s KAIST, Hyundai Motors, and Korea Aerospace University’s Industry Cooperation has many patents. Detailed information can be found on IPNomics’ homepage (www.ipnomics.co.kr).
Staff Reporter Ryu, Kyungdong | ninano@etnews.com