The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, which allows vehicles to send, receive, and retransmit data through a wireless mesh network, and growing importance of technologies such as embedded systems that facilitate adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rear parking sonar, and backup cameras. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.7 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in automotive: V2V distance monitoring.  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 Foresight, 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, integrated multi-motor drivetrains, electric power steering (EPS), and post-collision handing are useful technologies that are in the early stages of wider application and should be tracked closely. Variable compression engines, V2V distance monitoring, and turbocharger shaft bearings are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) and plasma-jet ignition, which are now well-established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the automotive industry

V2V distance monitoring is a key innovation area in automotive 

The potential of vehicle-to-vehicle communication to wirelessly communicate data regarding the speed and location of nearby cars offers significant promise in aiding in the prevention of collisions, reducing traffic congestion, and enhancing environment performance. 

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 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of V2V distance monitoring. 

Key players in V2V distance monitoring – 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 V2V distance monitoring

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Tata Motors 25 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 6 Unlock Company Profile
Baidu 11 Unlock Company Profile
Valeo 7 Unlock Company Profile
Alphabet 60 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 3 Unlock Company Profile
Zhejiang Geely 5 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor 33 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Autoever 3 Unlock Company Profile
Aptiv 2 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi 7 Unlock Company Profile
Chery Automobile 2 Unlock Company Profile
Honda Motor 9 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Electric 14 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 23 Unlock Company Profile
Porsche Automobil 2 Unlock Company Profile
General Motors 12 Unlock Company Profile
LG 18 Unlock Company Profile
Denso 7 Unlock Company Profile
Lumen Technologies 2 Unlock Company Profile
BlackBerry 10 Unlock Company Profile
Continental 2 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 17 Unlock Company Profile
Intel 6 Unlock Company Profile
Ford Motor 22 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Mnsoft 6 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 6 Unlock Company Profile
Hanwha Aerospace 2 Unlock Company Profile
Uni-President China 4 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Hyundai Motor is one of the top patent filers in V2V distance monitoring systems. Other leading innovators in V2V distance monitoring system for the automotive industry include Alphabet, Tata Motors, Panasonic, and Ford Motor. 

In terms of application diversity, Hitachi held the top position, while Intel and BlackBerry stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Tata Motors leads the pack, followed by Alphabet and Panasonic.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on 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.