Korea Ranks 2nd Globally in Patent Applications for Autonomous Driving 'Sensor Fusion Technology'

South Korea ranks second in the world for the number of patent applications in the field of sensor fusion related to autonomous vehicles. Sensor fusion is a technology that collects information obtained from multiple sensors such as cameras and LiDAR in autonomous vehicles to enable perception and response, and is considered a core technology for fully autonomous driving.

Conceptual diagram of LiDAR utilization. Photo by Asia Economy DB

On the 7th, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) analyzed the status of sensor fusion technology patents filed with major patent offices (IP5) including Korea, the U.S., Japan, China, and Europe, and found that from 2016 to 2020, patent applications for sensor fusion technology showed an average annual growth rate of 33.6%.

Sensor fusion technology complements and integrates the strengths and weaknesses of cameras and LiDAR to enhance the reliability of autonomous driving, and is used in ‘fully autonomous vehicles’ at level 4 or higher of autonomous driving.

By nationality of applicants, the United States held the leading position with 42.3% of the total. Following were South Korea with 16.1%, China with 14.4%, Israel with 10.9%, and Japan with 7.6%.

However, in terms of average annual growth rate by applicant nationality, South Korea ranked highest at 40.8%, followed by China at 38.8%, and the United States at 30.9%, indicating that South Korea’s patent application growth rate related to sensor fusion technology is the steepest.

Among the top applicants, Israeli company Mobileye ranked first with 9.0% (72 cases). Following were Waymo at 8.5%, Nuro at 7.8%, Baidu at 6.5%, and Hyundai Motor Company at 6.3%, all within the top five.

Patent application trends by applicant nationality related to sensor fusion technology from 2016 to 2020. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

Among South Korean companies, in addition to Hyundai Motor Company (5th), LG (2.0%·7th), Samsung (1.4%·17th), and Mando (1.1%·20th) also stood out.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office expects that competition among companies to secure camera and LiDAR sensor fusion technology will be fierce, and that this technology will rapidly develop and change our daily lives through the realization of fully autonomous driving.

Jeon Il-yong, head of the Autonomous Driving Examination Division at KIPO, said, “The field of sensor fusion for fully autonomous driving is advancing further and competition among companies is intensifying. The Korean Intellectual Property Office will continue to actively support related technology development through prompt and accurate examination services.”

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