Zigbee for M2M Patent Landscape 1Q 2011

ZigBee is a low-cost, low-power, wireless mesh networking standard based on the IEEE 802.15.4-2003 for Wireless Personal Area Networks. Zigbee is one of key enableing technologies for M2M (Machine-to-Machine) applications: smart grids. connected home, building automation, mobile helath, security, and automatic control.

To find the key IPR holders for zigbee for M2M patents, a keyword search of the USPTO patent data base has been performed. Total of 864 patents (727 published patent applications) are identified as of Feb. 28, 2011. Samsung Electronics is the leader followed by Philips, Abbott Diabetes Care, ITRI, LG Electronics, Motorola, and RIM.


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M2M: S. Korean Telco’s New Strategic Options

S. Korea’s major telecom service providers – SKT and KT – selected M2M as a new strategic business option for the next generation profit center:

SK Telecom formed a new business division, ‘IPE (Industry Productivity Enhancement)’ center, for the development of new M2M innovative technologies and providing M2M based B2B services. SKT aims $20 B market creation based on M2M services for conventional industry’s productivity enhancement.

S. Korea’s largest Telco, KT, also plan to provide M2M based B2B services using 3G mobile and Mobile WiMAX networks. The KT's M2M services are also targeting several newly developing green businesses such as smart grids and environment monitoring services.

In parallel with the private sector’s efforts, Korean government (KCC: Korean Communication Commission) are going to launch several trial projects by providing M2M test-bed platform for public-private collaborations. KCC also plan to assign a unique IP address for each individual M2M devices to form a ‘network of things’.


©2009 TechIPm, LLC All Rights Reserved
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Global Smart Grids Patent Portfolios Analysis

Using the Innography, which is a business intelligent solution for IP management (http://www.innography.com/), the patent portfolios for smart grid technologies are analyzed. To find the key IPR (issued patents and published applications) holders and their patent portfolios, semantic method is used for the keyword searching of the global patent data bases (USPTO, EPO, JIPO, KIPO, CIPO, WPO etc.)

As of Oct. 20 2009, the key IPR holders and their IPR shares for smart grid are as follows:

Abb (78), Siemens (50), GE (41), Hitachi (35), Microsemi (32), Samsung SDI (31), Superpower (26), and Nexans (25).

Using the identified key IPR holders' patents, patent portfolios are compared with respect to portfolio quality measures (citations, number of patents, and technology coverage) and portfolio utilization measures (revenue, global families, and litigation information).

As for the smart grids, Abb, Siemens, and GE form a leader group in portfolio management capability.


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Smart Grids M2M Monitoring System Patent Landscape 2Q 2009

M2M monitoring system (e.g. smart meter) is one of key technologies for smart grids which is an electricity (energy) delivery network electricity using digital technology to save energy.

Analysis for top 10 assignees in US patents issued before May 1, 2009 shows that Power Measurement is the leader followed by Elster Electricity and Itron.

©2009 TechIPm, LLC All Rights Reserved
http://www.techipm.com/