The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the increasing penetration of electronics into vehicle systems to make mobility safer and intelligent and enhance in-car experiences. Megatrends governing the auto industry include more connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicles that have led to the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, robotics and cloud computing. 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 Cybersecurity in automotive: vehicle relay attack preventionBuy the report here.

Smarter leaders trust GlobalData

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over one million patents to analyze innovation intensity for the automotive industry, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry. 

Vehicle relay attack prevention is a key innovation area in cybersecurity

Relay attacks, also referred to as the two-thief attack in computer security, are a subset of hacking methods similar to relay attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks. An attacker intercepts and modifies communications between two parties that were started by one of the parties in a traditional man-in-the-middle attack.

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 150+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of vehicle relay attack prevention.

Key players in vehicle relay attack prevention – 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 vehicle relay attack prevention

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Hyundai Mobis 33 Unlock Company Profile
Marquardt 25 Unlock Company Profile
Alps Alpine 68 Unlock Company Profile
Faurecia 72 Unlock Company Profile
Tata Motors 79 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 201 Unlock Company Profile
Valeo 74 Unlock Company Profile
Tokai Rika 111 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 28 Unlock Company Profile
Apple 32 Unlock Company Profile
NXP Semiconductors 89 Unlock Company Profile
Zhejiang Geely 30 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor 110 Unlock Company Profile
Aisin 42 Unlock Company Profile
Nidec 34 Unlock Company Profile
Lear 89 Unlock Company Profile
Honda Motor 81 Unlock Company Profile
Mazda Motor 20 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 41 Unlock Company Profile
Porsche Automobil 131 Unlock Company Profile
General Motors 52 Unlock Company Profile
Bayerische Motoren Werke 101 Unlock Company Profile
Denso 408 Unlock Company Profile
Microchip Technology 42 Unlock Company Profile
Continental 337 Unlock Company Profile
Toshiba 40 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 79 Unlock Company Profile
Sumitomo Electric Industries 53 Unlock Company Profile
Ford Motor 217 Unlock Company Profile
Stellantis 23 Unlock Company Profile
Huf Hulsbeck & Furst 139 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 20 Unlock Company Profile
Gogoro 21 Unlock Company Profile
Zeppelin-Stiftung 26 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Ford Motor is one of the top patent filers in vehicle relay attack prevention. Ford revealed that the Fiesta and Focus cars will be the first vehicles to come equipped with a sleep mode to fend off hacking by relay car thieves. Denso, Continental, and Toyota Motor are some of the other notable patent filers in the vehicle relay attack prevention space.

In terms of application diversity, Huf Hulsbeck & Furst held the top position, while Bayerische Motoren Werke and Tata Motors stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Intel leads the pack, followed by Gogoro and Micron Technology.

To further understand how cybersecurity is disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cybersecurity in Automotive.

Data Insights

From

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

GlobalData

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.