RFID Technology Innovations: Use of Patent Data

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RFID Technology Innovations Use of Patent Data

• Yen-Chun Wu
• Tzu-Chin Yen
• National Kaohsiung First University of Science
  Technology

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Agenda

• Abstract
• Definition and Application of RFID
• Difference between RFID Tags and Traditional Bar
  Codes
• How RFID Works
• Introduction to Patent Analysis
• RFID Patent Mapping Analysis
• Conclusions

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Abstract

• RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
• RFID market - US92 million (2003)
• - US1.3 billion (2008)
• Database - USPTO
• Analysis Tool Patent Guider
• Research Motive With systematic tools, it can
  help explore tens of thousands of patent
  documents in details to produce patent
  information for data mining and analysis by
  experts in order to turn the information into
  knowledge of business values.

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FIG. 1 Ratio of North American Firms Using RFID
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1. Definition and Application of RFID

• Accenture(2001)
• RFID is a technology which enables
  electronic tags and the item identification
  system to communicate through radio frequency. It
  is a technology free from spatial limits and
  capable of faster data exchange, item tracking,
  categorization, statistics, analysis and
  acquisition of related data.

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2. Difference between RFID Tags and Traditional
Bar Codes

• The major difference between bar coding and RFID
  lies in the fact that RFID can automatically read
  250 tags per second, contain more data and
  monitor inventory in real time. Compared with the
  bar coding currently in use, RFID can automate
  product registration, significantly reducing
  labor costs and enhancing operation efficiency.

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3. How RFID Works
FIG. 2 How RFID Works Source IDTechEx, 2004
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4. Introduction to Patent Analysis

• One of the most effective methods to keep in
  touch with technology innovations
• A tool to find out the connection between
  technology development and economic growth
• To help understand the processes of technology
  innovations by local and international
  enterprises.

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5. RFID Patent Mapping Analysis

• Patent mapping can provide technology developers
  and enterprise managers clear and comprehensive
  guidelines. Patent mapping can provide technology
  developers and enterprise managers clear and
  comprehensive guidelines.

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5.1 Technology Life Cycle Analysis

• 5.1.1 Patent/Assignee Count

FIG. 3 Patent Counts/Assignees Technology
Lifecycle Chart
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5.1 Technology Life Cycle Analysis

• 5.1.2 Patent/Inventor Count

FIG. 4 Patent Counts/Inventors Technology
Lifecycle Chart
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5.1 Technology Life Cycle Analysis

• 5.1.3 Patent Count by Year

FIG. 5 Application Date Issue Date by Year
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5.2 Patent/Assignee Count by Country Analysis
Country Patents Assignees
US 131 78
Canada 4 3
Germany 4 4
Britain 2 2
Bermuda 2 1
Netherlands 2 1
Table 1 Patents and Assignees by Country
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5.3 Company RD Capability Comparison
Company Relative RD Capability Relative RD Capability Indicator
Micron Technology 26 100
3M Innovative 16 60
Intermac IP Corp. 16 58
NCR Corporation 14 50
Microchip Technology 12 43
Marconi Communications 12 42
TABLE 2 Company RD Capabilities
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5.4 Detailed RD Capability Indicator Analysis
Company Patent counts RD (Year) Inventor counts Patent age
Micron Technology, Inc. 12 4 17 4
Intermec IP Corp. 7 2 18 4
NCR Corporation 6 3 2 2
3M Innovative Properties 6 2 21 3
Marconi Communications 5 3 5 3
Moore North America, Inc. 4 3 4 3
Microchip Technology 4 3 8 3
TABLE 3 Detailed RD Capability Indicators
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5.4 Detailed RD Capability Indicator Analysis

• 5.4.1 Ranking - (1)

Rank Company Patents
1 Micron Technology, Inc. 7
2 Intermec IP Corp. 6
3 HID Corporation 3
4 Motorola, Inc. 2
TABLE 4 Patents Ranking (Prior To 2000)
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5.4 Detailed RD Capability Indicator Analysis

• 5.4.1 Ranking - (2)

Rank Company Patents
1 3M Innovative Properties 6
1 NCR Corporation 6
3 Marconi Communications Inc. 5
3 Micron Technology, Inc. 5
5 Microchip Technology Incorporated 3
5 Moore North America, Inc. 3
TABLE 5 Patent Ranking (After 2000)
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5.4 Detailed RD Capability Indicator Analysis

• 5.4.2 Patent Count by Year

FIG. 6 Patent Ranking (After 2000)
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5.4 Detailed RD Capability Indicator Analysis

• 5.4.3 Citation Analysis for top firms

Company Citations by Others Total Citations Citation Rate
SAMSys Technologies Inc. 1 1 0.5
Microchip Technology Incorporated 1 1 0.25
3M Innovative Properties 1 1 0.167
TABLE 6 Citation Analysis
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5.5 Inventor Analysis - (1)
Inventor Company Patents
Ovard, David K. Micron Technology 6
Forster, Ian J. Marconi Communications 5
Tuttle, Mark E. Micron Technology 4
Tuttle, ohn R. Micron Technology 4
Goodwin, III John C. NCR Corporation 4
St. Amand, Roger Microchip Technology 3
Piotrowski, Chester 3M Innovative Properties 3
Pax, George E. Micron Technology 3
Lake, Rickie C. Micron Technology 3
King, Patrick F. Marconi Communications 3
TABLE 7 Top 10 Logistics Inventors
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5.5 Inventor Analysis - (2)
FIG. 7 Patent Counts VS Inventor by Year
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5.6 Citation Analysis for top patents
Patent No. Citations Patent Title Assignees
US6509828 1 Interrogating tags on multiple frequencies and synchronizing databases using transferable agents PRC Inc.
US6496806 1 Method and system for tracking clustered items SAMSys Technologies Inc.
US6486780 1 Applications for radio frequency identification systems 3M Innovative Properties
US6480110 1 Inductively tunable antenna for a radio frequency identification tag Microchip Technology Incorporated
US6476756 1 Method and apparatus to determine the direction to a transponder in a modulated backscatter communication system TC
TABLE 8 Top 10 Key Patents
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5.7 IPC Analysis

• 5.7.1 IPC Analysis Chart (1)

FIG. 8 IPC Analysis (3-tier)
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5.7 IPC Analysis

• 5.7.1 IPC Analysis Chart (2)

IPC Code (3-tier) Description Patent Counts Processing Days Means Processing Days S.D.
G08B SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS, ORDER TELEGRAPHS, ALARM SYSTEMS 34 904 264
G06K RECOGNITION OF DATA, PRESENTATION OF DATA, RECORD CARRIERS, HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS 29 945 344
H04Q SELECTING 24 1286 341
Table 9 Top 3 IPC Areas
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5.7 IPC Analysis

• 5.7.2 Patent Count of Competitors by IPC

FIG. 9 Top 3 IPC Areas
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5.8 UPC Analysis

• 5.8.1 UPC Analysis Chart - (1)

FIG. 10 UPC Analysis (2-tier)
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5.8 UPC Analysis

• 5.8.1 UPC Analysis Chart - (2)

UPC Code (2-tier) Description Patent Counts Processing Days Means Processing Days S.D.
340/572.100 Detectable device on protected article (e.g., "tag") 31 1053 324
340/010.100 New category. This is the residual home for subject matter, not elsewhere classified, relating to communication by means which are in part or in whole electrical. 25 1166 364
340/572.700 Specified antenna structure 14 926 358
TABLE 10 Top 3 UPC AREAS)
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5.8 UPC Analysis

• 5.8.2 Patent Counts of Competitors by UPC

FIG. 11 Top 5 Competitors by UPC
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Conclusions

• RFID is being widely applied in the industries
• the future development of RFID is expected to
  move toward identification of smaller items and
  smarter tags
• The company should adopt a patent application
  strategy that focuses on quality and quantity to
  supplement its technological insufficiency and to
  prevent its competitors from entering the market
  through design-around schemes.

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The End!