The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity in collision avoidance system is driven by increasing use of radar, lasers, and cameras to monitor the road ahead and provide real-time alerts about potential hazards, and growing importance of technologies such as adaptive cruise control, electronic stability control, and lane departure warning systems. In the last three years alone, there have been over 720,000 patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Internet of Things in automotive: collision avoidance systems. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
300+ innovations will shape the automotive industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the automotive industry using innovation intensity models built on over one million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, autonomous steering, LiDAR scanners and intelligent predictive maintenance are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Sensor-integrated mirrors, smart street lighting and automatic parking assist are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among the maturing innovation areas are remote trip monitoring and smart speed governors, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for Internet of Things in the automotive industry
Collision avoidance systems is a key innovation area in Internet of Things
Collision avoidance systems refer to technologies and methods implemented in vehicles to prevent collisions or minimize the impact of collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles. These systems use sensors, cameras, radar, and algorithms to detect potential collisions and provide timely warnings or take autonomous actions to avoid accidents.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 1010+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of collision avoidance systems.
Key players in collision avoidance systems – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to collision avoidance systems
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Ford Motor is one of the leading patent filers in collision avoidance systems. Ford introduced a pre-collision assist feature using camera technology to help drivers both during daytime and nighttime to identify a possible collision with a car or pedestrian in front of them. It can lessen the severity of a frontal collision and perhaps prevent one in certain situations. An alarm sound and an alert message appear in the message center if a possible collision is detected. Furthermore, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system allows brakes to engage on their own when the driver doesn't intervene and an accident is about to happen.
Some other key patent filers in this space include Mazda Motor, Renault, and Suzuki Motor.
In terms of application diversity, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance leads the pack, while Intel and Amazon.com stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Intel held the top position, followed by Crown Equipment and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things (IoT) in Automotive.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
