AI Leading Fully Autonomous Driving Technology... Patent Applications Also Soaring

Trends in Patent Applications for Autonomous Driving Artificial Intelligence Technology. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] As artificial intelligence-based autonomous driving technology emerges as a prerequisite for full autonomous driving, related patent applications are also rapidly increasing.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 11th, the annual number of patent applications in all fields related to autonomous driving technology increased from 2,860 in 2016 to 4,082 in 2020, showing an average annual growth rate of 9.3%.

In particular, the proportion of AI-based technology in total patent applications soared from 1.08% (31 cases) in 2016 to 5.26% (200 cases) in 2019. This is interpreted as reflecting the increased potential for utilizing AI technology in the autonomous driving field.

In fact, as accidents involving autonomous vehicles have occurred consecutively recently, skepticism about full autonomous driving has risen, and the Korean Intellectual Property Office analyzes that there is growing demand for technology to enhance the safety and reliability of autonomous driving through AI.

Typically, for an autonomous vehicle to drive by itself, technologies such as ▲ perception ▲ judgment ▲ control are essential. Through sensors like cameras, radar, and LiDAR, the vehicle must recognize surrounding environmental information (perception), select safe and effective driving options based on the perceived information (judgment), and move the vehicle according to the chosen options (control). These technologies are essential requirements in the autonomous driving field.

In this context, AI is a core technology that enables the automation of perception, judgment, and control functions. As the autonomous vehicle market grows recently, the Korean Intellectual Property Office sees an increase in patent applications for related technologies that enhance safety and reliability.

From 2016 to 2020, the proportion of patent applications by AI-based technology was highest in perception technology with 171 cases (28%), followed by judgment technology with 113 cases (18%), and control technology with 48 cases (8%).

The Korean Intellectual Property Office analyzes that the reason for the higher proportion of patent applications related to perception technology compared to other technologies is that perception technology plays a crucial role in accurately recognizing static environmental information such as lanes and traffic signals, as well as dynamic environmental information such as vehicles and pedestrians during autonomous driving.

The proportion of domestic applicants for AI-based autonomous driving technology patents accounted for more than 90%, while foreign applicants accounted for around 10%.

Among domestic applicants, large corporations accounted for 23% (140 cases), universities and research institutes 22% (136 cases), mid-sized companies 5% (31 cases), small and medium enterprises 30% (186 cases), and individuals 8% (49 cases), in that order.

Among companies with multiple patent applications in the entire autonomous driving technology field, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors ranked high, while in the AI-based autonomous driving technology field, LG Electronics (66 cases), Samsung Electronics (27 cases), Hyundai Motor Company (18 cases), Mobileye (14 cases), Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (9 cases), and Mando (8 cases) were ranked in that order.

Kim Ju-hee, an examiner of the Autonomous Driving Examination Team at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, “To realize fully autonomous driving that humans can trust, the use of AI is essential not only in the perception field but also in the judgment and control fields.” She added, “Considering this, patent applications in related fields are expected to continue increasing steadily.”

She also emphasized, “To secure a leading position in the rapidly growing autonomous vehicle market, it is important for our companies to actively develop and utilize core AI-based autonomous driving technologies related to perception, judgment, and control.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.