The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by increasing penetration of electronics into vehicle systems to make mobility safer and intelligent and enhance in-car experiences. Megatrends governing the auto industry, which include more connected features, autonomy, shared and electrification, are growing the importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, robotics and cloud computing. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.2 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Internet of Things in Automotive: Vehicle anti-theft systems. 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 stabilising 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.
290+ innovations will shape the automotive industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the automotive industry using innovation intensity models built on over 619,000 patents, there are 290+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, smart car seats, tyre sensors, and predictive maintenance systems are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Acoustic vehicle signalling devices, brake temperature monitoring, and autonomous parking are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are disc brake actuators and AI-assisted dimming, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for IoT in the automotive industry
Vehicle anti-theft systems is a key innovation area in IoT
Anti-theft alarm system functions on internally and externally installed sensors in a vehicle. The sensors activate on encountering a vehicle impact or motion triggering an alarm to notify owner.
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 vehicle anti-theft systems.
Key players in vehicle anti-theft systems – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to vehicle anti-theft systems
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Tokai Rika | 336 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Denso | 268 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sumitomo Electric Industries | 238 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toyota Motor | 86 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alps Alpine | 51 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Auto Network Gijutsu Kenkyusho KK | 46 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mazda Motor | 29 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honda Motor | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panasonic | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nissan Motor | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Marelli Holdings | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Global Mobility Service | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MinebeaMitsumi | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nidec | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hitachi | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hyundai Motor Group | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Yamaha Motor | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhejiang Geely Holding Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Brose Fahrzeugteile | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| JVCKENWOOD | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ABUS Security-Center | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NEC | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kk | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Image | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Toko Rika has emerged as a leader in terms of total number of patents filed in anti-theft alarm systems. Toko Rika is a key supplier of electronics components including anti-theft alarm system to Toyota, which also happens to be a major shareholder in the company. Toko Rika has been working with other companies on the co-development of security solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles. It has recently partnered with Takenaka and two other companies to develop keyless entry system for aerial work vehicles.
Denso stands second in terms of number of patents filed in anti-theft alarm systems. Denso holds 9.72% share in ToTokaika. Denso have been heavily involved in innovations with respect to vehicle security. One such recent development is its partnership NTT Com to establish Security Operation Center (SOC) for vehicles to combat the threat of increasing vehicle cyber-attacks.
To further understand how IoT is disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things (IoT) in 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.
