Wireless Power Transmission: Patent Landscape Analysis · adequately charged at all times becomes important. Most of these devices are mobile and do not require wires for data connectivity,

Wireless Power Transmission: Patent Landscape Analysis

Wireless Power Transmission: Patent Landscape Analysis

Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 1

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 2

Taxonomy ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Top Assignees ..................................................................................................................................... 8

LexScoreTM .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Qualcomm v. Industry ...................................................................................................................... 11

Patent Strength ................................................................................................................................ 12

Licensing Heat Map .......................................................................................................................... 14

Geographical Coverage .................................................................................................................... 16

Products ............................................................................................................................................ 17

Appendix A: Taxonomy heads definition ........................................................................................ 18

Appendix B: Year-wise filing in sub-domain.................................................................................... 21

Appendix C: Year wise filing of Top 15 Assignees ........................................................................... 23

Authors ............................................................................................................................................. 24

Page | 1 Wireless Power Transmission: Patent Landscape Analysis

Executive Summary

As mobile technology advances and continuously adds new features, devices such as wearables, tablets

and smartphones get used for longer durations. With this development, the need to keep the devices

adequately charged at all times becomes important. Most of these devices are mobile and do not

require wires for data connectivity, however charging still demands tying up these devices to a cord.

Wireless power aims to cut these cords and transmit power to these devices wirelessly. This is done by

transmitting power from source to device in the form of an electric field, magnetic field, or

electromagnetic radiation.

In this report, we study the technological landscape of this impactful technology from the perspective

of Intellectual Property (Patents). We have found that the majority of patenting activity under this

technology has occurred in inductive coupling technology. Smartphones, cameras, laptops and

computers are the most common application areas of wireless power transmission technology. We also

find that a large number of the patents and patent applications are distributed among the top three

companies that hold patents in this technology domain. Samsung is at the top and holds around 1,136

patents/patent applications. Samsung is followed by Qualcomm and LG, with a significant number of

patents in their portfolio. The share of the top 3 assignees is around 20% of the total patents/patent

applications (considered for analysis) in this technology domain. Geographically, China has seen the

maximum patent filings related to this technology domain, followed by USA, Japan and South Korea.

Using our proprietary patent analytics tool, LexScoreTM, we identify Qualcomm as the leader in this

technology domain, with a high quality patent portfolio and high patent filing activity. Samsung also

holds a significant number of patents in this domain. Toyota and Access Business Group have filed

more than 95 percent of patents after 2009 and have showed potential to compete with Qualcomm as

market leaders in this technology.

Startups like WiTricity Corporation and Mojo Mobility Inc. also have a considerable number of high

strength patents. Our analysis also highlights that Qualcomm dominates the long range power

transmission sub-domains, such as “Microwave power transmission.”

The following sections contain our detailed analysis of the Patent Landscape of this technology domain.


Introduction

Back in the 1890s, Nikola Tesla showed the world that electricity could be

transferred without the use of a wire. He invented a device (Tesla coil) that

could transfer electricity over the air. More than 100 years later, the world has

adapted this breakthrough technology for commercial application to recharge a

variety of electronic items, beginning with the electric toothbrush. Wireless

power technology is evolving rapidly, with an increasing number of applications

coming to market in the last few years. As an increasing number of gadget

makers warm up to a world without wires, this technology category is

positioned to explode. The growth in mobile computing has led to more slim

and stylish devices without connectors. Most of the data transfer in mobile

devices is done wirelessly through Wi-Fi and mobile data networks. It is only

natural to eliminate the power chord needed to charge these devices to make

them truly wireless. With the advent of more pervasive mobile computing

technologies, the need to keep these power-hungry devices charged without

wires has initiated the next wave of innovation in wireless power transfer.

Wireless charging finds its application in smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth

headsets, portable computers and game controllers. Smartphone

manufacturers have already released phones with built in wireless charging

capability, and wireless charging pads are already being offered at several select

Starbucks outlets.

So the big question is – how does wireless charging work?

At present there are two primary methods by which wireless charging can be

done. These are called non-radiative and radiative methods. In near-field or

non-radiative techniques, power is transmitted over a short distance via

coupling between coils of wire using magnetic induction or by capacitive

coupling between electrodes. In radiative or far-field techniques, also called

power beaming, power is transmitted by means of electromagnetic waves or

laser beams. In this scenario waves or beams should be directed towards a

particular receiver.

Wireless charging technology has diverse application in the electronic industry.

The Total Available Market (TAM) for wireless power charging is high, due to a

large number of mobile devices and is expected to grow by more than forty

times in terms of revenue by 20181. Pike Research has forecasted that the

number of wireless power systems in mobile devices will grow from 3.74 million

in 2012, to 27.63 million in 20162. Another market research by the marketing

consultancy company Markets & Markets suggests that the wireless power

1 Global Market Revenue for Wireless Charging to Rise by Nearly Factor of 40 by 2018,.IHS, March 13, 2014 2 Wireless power for mobile devices market to reach $5 billion by 2020, Information Age, 16 November 2014

A new highlight

in the series of

Wireless Power

developments is

RRC, which is a

proprietary 20-

Watt transmitter

and receiver

system solution.

Cota Wireless

Power Solution

Improves With

Long Range

Charging

Through Closed

Doors


sector will generate revenues of $17.04 billion by 2020 with an estimated CAGR

of 60.49%3.

Figure 1: Market Revenue Prediction (Source: Pike Research)

Smartphone manufacturers have already started integrating wireless charging

features in their flagship smartphones as early as 2013. Phones by Nokia (Lumia

830), Samsung (Galaxy S4), LG (Nexus 4) and HTC (Droid DNA) are some of the

initial devices that incorporate wireless charging. Wireless charging in mobile

devices is expected to become as ubiquitous as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Intel has

already promised the world its first completely wireless computer by 2016.

Toyota, in association with WiTricity, has introduced a wireless charging device

for automotive use. Researchers at Stanford University have undertaken a

research to study the feasibility and applicability of cars powered wirelessly

through electricity induced via magnetic coils on a highway4. Thoratec, a health

care company has also partnered with WiTricity to facilitate wireless charging of

heart pumps and other medical equipment. Lockheed Martin, the aeronautics

defense major, is looking at wireless power transmission to charge drones mid-

air. Researchers at NASA have already flight-tested a small model aircraft

powered by propulsive power from a ground based infrared laser5. The scientific

development has not only been restricted to the academic world, but is also

being developed for commercial applications in the aviation industry. Leggett

and Platt automotive in association with AML are developing a PED wireless

charger for the aviation industry6.

Also WiPower, a Qualcomm patented technology has made its commercial

debut last year in Qualcomm Toq™, the first smartwatch to include wireless

charging. Qualcomm is actively out-licensing its wireless power reference design

3 Wireless Power Transmission Market worth $17.04 Billion by 2020, Markets and Markets. 4 Wireless power could revolutionize highway transportation, Phys.org, 1 February 2012. 5 NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Beamed Laser Power for UAVs, Dunbar, B., NASA, 28 February 2014. 6 Inductive Wireless Charging (IWC), Aviation Modification Leaders Inc.

Global home

furnishings

retailer IKEA

announced a

product launch

of Qi-powered

bedside tables,

lamps and desks

that eliminates

cable mess and

makes it easier

to stay

connected with

always-charged

mobile devices.


to licensees, giving them the tools and know-how to incorporate WiPower in

their products. The list of WiPower licensees continues to grow. These are

companies that have signed agreements specifically to work with the WiPower

solution, and include key consumer electronics accessory manufacturers, Tier I

automotive suppliers, furniture manufacturers, and many more.

Long range wireless power transmission techniques are being tested to check

feasibility of power transmission from space. If successful, these techniques

could enable satellites to harvest and transfer solar energy to Earth. Mitsubishi

has already conducted a successful ground demonstration of long range

wireless power transmission. In the demonstration, 10 kW of power was sent

via microwaves to a receiver 500 meters away, causing an LED light to blink at

the receiving end. Japan shows interest in long-range wireless power transfer to

solve its perennial energy needs.

Although wireless power was named one of the top 5 disruptive technologies at

CES 2013 by Forbes, it has still not met its full market potential7. This is primarily

because the technology is still in its nascent state and would require more

research and development. Secondly, the failure of the two power associations,

namely, Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA)

to converge on common standards has subdued research and mass

commercialization efforts. The presence of various standards had made the

industry highly fragmented. Wireless power technology appears to be headed

towards a convergence of standards since last year as PMA and A4WP have

agreed to partner. Qi is a wireless charging standard established in 2008 by the

Wireless Power Consortium, and is supported by notable companies such as

IKEA, Verizon, Samsung, Motorola, Philips, Haier, Sony, Panasonic, LG,

Microsoft, Haier, Texas Instruments, etc. After the merger of A4WP and PMA it

became one of the two biggest power consortiums that are trying to establish a

standard for wireless charging. This merged standard group includes high

revenue companies like Samsung, LG, Broadcom, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Haier,

Asustek, Acer, HTC, Toshiba, Motorola, Texas Instruments, etc. Interestingly, a

few companies such as Samsung, Qualcomm, LG, and Texas Instruments were

earlier members of WPC and made a switch to A4WP. These companies have

started to invest increasingly in A4WP, as they believe that this standard has

potential for becoming the wireless charging technology of the future, with its

advantage over the Qi standard because of a ‘one to many’ kind of charging

principle and a longer charging range.

7 The Five Most Disruptive Technologies at CES 2013 by Larry Downes | Forbes, 12 January 2013.

Intel

Corporation

announced that

it has acquired

more than 1,400

patents and

patent

applications

from The Gores

Group, a private

equity firm. The

patents

belonged to

Powerwave

Technologies


Figure 2: Wireless Power Associations (Source: Global Wireless Power Standard by Niranjan Pathare)

It is not just big companies that are tapping into this highly profitable vertical;

there are many startups that are entering this market as well. One of the most

prominent of all such start-ups is WiTrcity. WiTricity started as a project under

MIT professor Marin Soljačić in 2007. Since then, it has become the industry

pioneer in coupled magnetic wireless power transfer. In the last few years it has

expanded into automotive, aviation, consumer electronics, healthcare and

military industries by collaborating with big players such as Toyota and

Therotac, by providing them with wireless power applications and technologies.

It has Intel, Mediatek, Toyota, IHS, TDK and Delphi as licensees.

In such a financially lucrative and fast evolving market, safeguarding a

company’s interest using Intellectual property is an important strategy for

market players. Assessing the IP landscape is therefore an important exercise

for current market players as well as new entrants in this market. In the

following paragraphs, we analyze the patent landscape of Wireless Power

Transmission. First, a technological taxonomy is presented, followed by a

discussion on the important players in this market.

Leading Battery

Charger

Manufacturer

CTEK announces

a technology and

patent license

agreement with

WiTricity

Technology to

help

revolutionize

the battery

charging

industry

Imagination

Technologies

announced low-

power wireless

IP for wearable

and IoT


Taxonomy

Wireless power transmission is being targeted for application in products of

companies who are constantly trying to provide a better user experience. It has

created huge opportunities for new technology companies such as WiTricity and

Ubeam, who are trying to eliminate wired charging cords for all home

appliances. However, wireless power transmission is not limited to wirelessly

charging and powering household devices. Techniques such as microwave

power transmission and power beaming are coming up, which aim to transmit

power over longer distances. These techniques are being applied for automotive

vehicle charging, aerial vehicle propulsion, solar power satellites along with a

variety of other uses.

In our study, we have classified patents and patent applications according to

technology, performance, hardware and application.

The mobile smartphone, laptop, and computer domains have the highest

number of patent filings, with 7,769 and 6,691 patents/patent applications

respectively, along with 6,991 patents/patent applications belonging to the

inductive technique domain. This is because of the growing mobile smartphone

market and the increasing growth of power intensive apps and devices. So,

keeping smartphones charged without needing to be bogged down by a wire

has become the prime driver of wireless power technology.

Magneto-dynamic coupling and Defense have the least number of patents

filings with only 138 and 516 patents, respectively. Such a small number of

patent filings in the magneto dynamic coupling domain can be owed to the fact

that magneto dynamic coupling is a very new technology and there are hardly

any products in the market pertaining to this technology. Defense has seen an

increased number of wireless power applications in recent years with Lockheed

Martin and NASA attempting research on charging drones wirelessly, but this

research is yet to materialize into products.

Table 2 in appendix gives year-wise filings (since 2005) of patents in all the

subdomains. Table 3 in appendix provides year-wise filings (since 2006) of

patents in all the subdomains by Qualcomm. The definitions of Level 2 domains

are given in Table 1.

Powermat CEO

Thorsten Heins

says any future

Samsung

smartphone

with wireless

charging will

include his

company's

wireless

charging

standard.

Qualcomm’s

WiPowerBand

Extends the

Apple Watch

Battery Life


Figure 3: Taxonomy

Level 1 Level 2 Total Documents

Inductive technique 6991

Magnetic resonance coupling 2991

Magneto-dynamic coupling 138

Capacitive coupling 4499

Microwave power transmitter 2571

Laser 2223

Distance Range 3851

Directivity 870

Frequency 5460

Efficiency 2058

Power Capacity 2233

Oscillator 564

Control Circuit 4521

Power Amplifier 1024

Transmitter 4102

Receiver 6194

Rectifier 1735

Automotive 4874

Healthcare 2568

Industrial 5121

Mobile Smartphones and cameras 7769

Defence 516

Home Appliances 1920

Laptops and computers 6691

Application

Technology

Performance Parameters

Hardware


Top Assignees

The figure below shows the assignees with maximum number of patents/patent

applications related to wireless power transmission. Samsung, Qualcomm and

LG are the top 3 patent filers in this domain with 1,136, 1,014 and 723

patents/patent applications respectively.

The top assignees mainly consist of companies operating in the electronics

domain. Toyota with 353 patents/patent applications and Mitsubishi with 130

patents/patent applications are two leading automobile manufacturers also

appearing in the list, indicating that the automobile industry will soon

incorporate wireless power transmission technology to power vehicles.

Electronics companies seem to be the early adopters of wireless charging

products in the market. Most of the leading smartphone manufacturers have

already released phones that support wireless charging.

Samsung has patents/patent applications on wireless power technology that

relate to smartphones and cameras. Samsung’s patent landscape reveals a lack

of filings of patents on directivity and magneto-dynamic coupling.

Qualcomm has majority of its patents pertaining primarily to the inductive

technique. The patent filing trend indicates that Qualcomm hasn’t focused on

magneto-dynamic coupling. LG has a strong portfolio in Inductive technique,

Magnetic Resonance coupling and mobile computing device.

Table 4 in appendix provides year wise patent filing trend of top assignees since

2005.

Figure 4: Top Assignees

Samsung1136

Qualcomm1014

LG723

Toyota353

Panasonic253

Hanrim Postech245

Sony222

Toshiba190

Access BusinessGroup International

186

Philips144

TDK Corp137

Milux Holding132

Fujitsu130

Mitsubishi130

Haier GroupCorporation

116

LG Innotek has been providing power transmission modules for wireless charging to global smartphone companies since 2012 including LG Electronics, Motorola, and Kyocera.


LexScoreTM

We use LexInnova’s proprietary LexScoreTM framework to identify intellectual

property portfolio strength and weakness in wireless power transmission

technology. The figure below depicts the competitive positioning of the top 15

assignees in the wireless power transfer domain. The assignees are compared

on the basis of filing score and quality score. We use our proprietary algorithm

(based on bibliographical information and claim characteristics of an invention)

to calculate the quality of inventions.

The green region comprises of the assignees with the best patent portfolios,

which are exemplary in terms of quality and number of patents. Qualcomm is

the only assignee lying in the green region of the chart and it can be assumed

that it dominates the domain in terms of intellectual property. Samsung and LG

are in the orange region that implies assignees with large patent portfolios in

terms of the number of patents, but lacking in quality. LG and Samsung lag

behind Qualcomm owing to their lower citation and geographical score. The

geographical score can be improved by filing the patents in foreign jurisdictions.

LG and Samsung have filed most of the patents in last 5 years (2010-2014)

resulting in a low citation score. We expect the citation score of these assignees

to improve as further research is carried out in this domain.

Figure 5: LexScore™

Assignees in the blue region possess patent portfolios of good quality but lack in

the number of filings. Toyota, Access Business Group, Philips and Milux Holdings

are the assignees in this region. Toyota is the 4th largest assignee in terms of

patent filings after LG, Samsung and Qualcomm. Toyota and Access Business

Samsung

Qualcomm

LG

Toyota

Fujitsu

Mitsubishi

Panasonic

Hanrim PostechSony

Toshiba

Access Business Group

Philips

TDK Corp

Milux Holding

Haier

Po

rtfo

lio Q

ua

lity

Sco

re

Portfolio Filing Score

Powermat

Acquires

Finland’s

PowerKiss, Stirs

up Wireless

Power Standard

War

Hanrim Postech

unveils wireless

charger dubbed

as "Etoss" for

Samsung

Electronics'

Galaxy S4 and S3

LTE models in

compliance with

Qi standards


Group have filed more than 95 percent of the patents after 2009, and appear to

be advancing towards the green region.

The Remaining top assignees lie in the red region that comprises of assignees

with patent portfolios lacking in quality as well as in number of filings.

AT&T's LG G3

supports PMA

wireless

charging,

instead of Qi


Qualcomm v. Industry

The heat map compares Qualcomm with the rest of the industry. The colors

represent Qualcomm’s share in the sub-domain, based on the number of patents

that Qualcomm has filed in the sub-domain, compared to the entire patent set of

the sub-domain. The domains where Qualcomm has contributed significantly are

marked green and the domains where Qualcomm’s share is not significant are

marked in shades of red.

The heat map highlights that Microwave power transmission is one area where

Qualcomm has contributed significantly. Roughly, it owns a quarter of the

patents of this sub-domain. Magnetic resonance coupling is another technology

area where Qualcomm has contributed significantly.

Figure 6: Qualcomm vs. Industry Heat map

‘Distance Range’ is one area where Qualcomm hasn’t contributed significantly,

compared to the rest of the industry. ‘Mobile Smartphones and cameras’ and

‘Automotive’ sectors are the application areas where Qualcomm doesn’t enjoy a

good share of patents. This may be due to the fact that these sub-domains are

the most competitive domains in wireless power transmission. The electronics

industry is one of the first industries that have whole heartedly accepted wireless

power technology. We can find wireless charging enabled smartphones flooding

the markets. The Automotive sector is also trying to revolutionize the electric

vehicle market by providing wireless charging of electric vehicles. Companies are

collaborating to conceptualize and develop infrastructure for charging of electric

vehicles.

The next-

generation Qualc

omm®

Snapdragon™

810

processors will

support Qualco

mm®

WiPower™

technology,

bringing

wireless

charging to the

chipset level on

devices powered

by these

Snapdragon

processors.


Patent Strength

The patents in our report are ranked automatically by our proprietary tool that

relies on the algorithm developed by Mark A. Lemley, Kimberly A. Moore, John

R. Allison, and R. Derek Trunkey in their research paper, "Valuable Patents".

Historical research has proven that 97% of the litigation-worthy patents in a

portfolio are found in Top bracket of the patents ranked by using this algorithm.

Qualcomm has 121 high strength patents (which lies in the top bracket), which

is maximum for any company related to this sector. Samsung also has 55 high

strength patents, which is low as compared to its competitor, Qualcomm.

Moreover, new companies in this sector such as WiTricity Corporation, Mojo

Mobility Inc. also have 22 and 19 patents respectively in the top bracket. Many

non US companies like, Semiconductor Energy Lab Corporation and Hanrim

Postech Corporation also have patents that feature in the top bracket. An

important point to note here is that there are companies like Fujitsu that does

not appear in this list but still they have possess pretty good patent portfolio.

This is due to the fact that although they don’t have many prolific patents

(patents appearing in the top bracket), the average patent strength of their

portfolio is better than others.

Figure 7: Companies with maximum number of High-strength patents

2015 model year

Toyota Camry to

have wireless

charging

available as an

option


The figure below shows the distribution of Qualcomm patents in the domain of

Wireless Power transmission. The table also represents the percentage of high

strength patents in Qualcomm’s patent portfolio related to the corresponding

Level-2 technology domain.

From the figure, we can see that there is a uniform distribution of Qualcomm’s

high strength patents among different level-2 technology domains except in

‘Magneto-dynamic coupling’ and ‘Defense’ level-2 domains, where Qualcomm

has zero high-strength patents. With 39 high strength-patents, ‘Home

Appliances’ category has the highest percentage share (i.e. 15.23%) of high-

strength patents.

Figure 8: Qualcomm High-Strength patent distribution

Level 1 Level 2 Qualcomm PatentsPercentage of high

strength patents

Inductive technique 816 12.87

Magnetic resonance coupling 445 12.36

Magnetodynamic coupling 7 0.00

Capacitive coupling 424 13.44

Microwave power transmitter 640 12.97

Laser 759 11.99

Distance Range 209 9.57

Directivity 518 12.36

Frequency 508 13.98

Efficiency 95 14.74

Power Capacity 214 12.62

Oscillator 37 10.81

Control Circuit 353 13.31

Power Amplifier 176 13.07

Transmitter 508 12.99

Receiver 621 13.69

Rectifier 177 11.30

Automotive 302 11.59

Healthcare 234 11.97

Industrial 825 11.76

Mobile Smartphones and cameras 592 11.66

Defence 33 0.00

Home Appliances 256 15.23

Laptops and computers 909 12.65

Hardware

Application

Technology

Performance

Parameters


Licensing Heat Map

We use our Licensing-Heat Map (Figure 8) framework to identify sub-domains in

the field of wireless power transmission where licensing activity is expected to

be high. The size of the sections (representing different technology domains) in

the Heat Map indicates the number of patents/patent applications filed in this

domain. This implies the relative importance of the sub-domain whereas the

color represents the chances of future licensing activity in this domain. We

study the patent holding pattern to color code the technology sub-domain for

future licensing activity.

Red color (and shades thereof) signifies a high chance of licensing activity in a

certain sub-domain whereas the green color (and shades thereof) represents a

low chance of licensing activity in the sub-domain. We follow 80-20 rule to

decide the colors, yellow is assigned to the domains that lie on the average case

(i.e. 20% assignees having 80% of the patents/patent applications). The color

drifts towards shades of red if 20% assignees possess less than 80% of the

patents/patent applications, while it drifts towards shades of green in the

reverse case.

Figure 9: Licensing Heat Map

Japanese car

giant Toyota -

which made an

early investment

in Witricity -

now plans to

introduce

wireless

charging in the

2017 Prius.

WattUp router

can beam

wireless power

to 12 devices 15

feet away


It is evident from the above figure that Inductive technique, Magnetic

Resonating coupling and Microwave Power transmission are the sub-domains

where top assignees possess a good share of patents.

‘Inductive technique’ utilizes magnetic coupling to transfer energy from one coil

to another. Nickola Tesla introduced/invented this technique for wireless power

transmission. This is the most filed technology sub-domain and 7 out of the top

15 assignees have extensively filed in this domain. Access Business Group

International, Fujitsu, Haier Group Corporation, Hanrim Postech, LG, Milux

Holding, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony, TDK Corp,

Toshiba, Toyota are the top filers in this domain.

‘Magnetic resonance coupling’ is a modification of inductive coupling that

increases the range of the inductive coupling significantly. LG, Qualcomm,

Samsung and Toyota are the top filers in this domain. ‘Distance Range’ and

‘Power capacity’ are dark red in color which reflects a very distributed portfolio

with no monopoly of any assignee in these domains, hence they have higher

chances of licensing activity. While on the other hand, domains like ‘Inductive

techniques’ & ‘Magnetic Resonance coupling’ fall in the lighter shades reflecting

that the patent portfolio in these domains is predominantly held by some top

players.

Toshiba

Launches

Wireless Power

Receiver IC

Supporting

Quick Charging


Geographical Coverage

China is the jurisdiction that has witnessed the maximum patent filings, with

4,770 patent applications. The US is in the second place after China with 3,845

patent application filings followed by Korea and Japan. Remaining countries

have less than 200 patents/patent applications.

China is ahead in the total number of filings in spite of the fact that the top 5

assignees have more patent filings in USA than in China. This could be due to the

fact that there are numerous universities and academic institutions along with a

number of small-scale organizations that have 5 or less patents/patent

applications filed in China. China as a nation is putting its resources to lead the

intellectual property creation activity in the world in wireless transmission of

electricity. Assignees with more patent application filings in China as compared

to that in USA are, Haier Group, Huawei, ZTE and Tianjin Polytechnic University

with 76, 43, and the other two with 41 patents/patent applications each in

China and with 2, 6, 5 and zero patents/patent applications in USA respectively.

Overall the maximum numbers of patent filings in China are filed by Qualcomm,

Samsung, Haier and LG with 129, 82, 76 and 62 patent applications respectively.

Whereas the maximum numbers of patent filings in USA are filed by Qualcomm,

Samsung and LG with 376, 237 and 120 patent applications respectively.

Figure 10: Geographical Coverage Heat Map

Ossia raises

$10M from

KDDI and

Others to Help

Bring Wireless

Power to Japan


Products

Samsung showcased an IoT based wireless charging solution at CES 2015. The

device is a table for cafes and stores with a display, wireless charging facility

and wireless communication technology8. Samsung has also released a wireless

charging pad. The pad charges devices that have a compatible wireless

charging cover and other Qi compatible devices9. Samsung is top filer of

patents in the wireless power transmission domain and has actively

participated in the standards (Qi, PMA, Rezence).

Qualcomm has also actively filed in the wireless power transmission domain

and occupies the second spot after Samsung. Qualcomm has announced that

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor will support wireless charging, extending

the wireless charging technology to chipset level. Qualcomm Halo is another

leap of faith that Qualcomm has taken in the direction of wireless charging. The

Qualcomm halo project is a venture of Qualcomm and the University of

Auckland to create a wireless ecosystem for wireless charging of electric

vehicles.

LG, Toyota and Panasonic are the other top assignees in the wireless power

transmission domain. LG has introduced several phones (such as LG Optimus

F5, LG Optimus G Pro, LG LTE2 and LG Spectrum 2) that are compatible with

wireless charging systems. They also have released wireless charging pads,

WCP-700 and WCP-300 for charging Qi enabled products. Toyota plans to

introduce WiTricity wireless charging systems in its car models Prius and

Avalon. Panasonic is coming up with wireless power control IC’s that are

intended to support all electronic devices (such as DSC, DVC, portable audio,

cellphone, smartphone, etc.) that comply with Qi standard. Panasonic has

introduced transmission control IC (NN32251A) for wireless chargers and

receiver control IC for (AN32258A) the electronic devices compatible with

wireless charging. “The combination of NN32251A and AN32258A allows the

extension of high-power transmission of up to 10 W from the WPC 1.1 (Qi

standard)-compliant 5 W output.”10

8 Samsung Electro-Mechanics Unveils Smart Wireless Charging Solution| Samsung Electro-Mechanics, 06 January 2015. 9 Wireless Charging Pad Mini | Samsung 10 Wireless Charging System ICs | Panasonic

Figure 11: Samsung's wireless charging table for Cafes

Figure 12: Panasonic wireless charge pad


Appendix A: Taxonomy heads definition

Taxonomy Heads Definition

Inductive coupling:

The electro-dynamic induction wireless transmission technique relies on the use of a magnetic field generated by an electric current to induce a current in a second conductor. This effect occurs in the electromagnetic near field, with the secondary coil in close proximity to the primary coil.

Capacitive Coupling:

In capacitive coupling (electrostatic induction), the power is transmitted by electric fields between electrodes such as metal plates. The transmitter and receiver electrodes form a capacitor, with the intervening space as the dielectric. An alternating voltage generated by the transmitter is applied to the transmitting plate, and the oscillating electric field induces an alternating potential on the receiver plate by electrostatic induction, which causes an alternating current to flow in the load circuit.

Magneto-dynamic coupling

In this method, power is transmitted between two rotating armature (containing magnets), one in the transmitter and one in the receiver, which rotate synchronously, coupled together by a magnetic field generated by permanent magnets on the armatures.

Magnetic Resonance Coupling Magnetic Resonant power transmission is a special, but widely used method of inductive power transmission and is limited by the same constraints of magnetic fields emissions and efficiency.

Microwave power transmitter Power transmission via microwaves can be made more directional, allowing longer distance power transmission, with shorter wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, typically in the microwave range.

Lasers

In the case of electromagnetic radiation closer to the visible region of the spectrum (tens of micrometers to tens of nanometers), power can be transmitted by converting electricity into a laser beam. This mechanism is generally known as "power beaming" because the power is beamed at a receiver that can convert it to electrical energy.

Distance Range Distance range refers to that performance parameter that denotes the range, that is, the distance up to which transmission of power can be achieved effectively.

Directivity It mostly refers to directional power transmission that is employed in far field power transmission. It is a parameter of performance for wireless power transmitters.

Frequency

This parameter mostly refers to power transmission technique that involves resonance and electromagnetic radiation. For example in the case of microwave power transmitter frequency becomes the primary decisive factor that determines the power transmission range.

Efficiency It is simply the ratio of power received by the receivers to the power transmitted by the transmitter.


Power Capacity These parameters simply refer to the maximum power that can be effectively transmitted by a wireless power transmitter.

Oscillator An electronic oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a periodic, oscillating electronic signal. Oscillators convert direct current (DC) from a power supply to an alternating current signal.

Control Circuit A type of circuit that uses control devices to determine when loads are energized or de-energized by controlling current flow to the transmitters and from the receivers.

Power Amplifier A power amplifier is a device that is usually employed whenever a voltage is to be increased in a wireless power system for transmission in order to achieve the desired power output.

Transmitter A circuit that accepts signals in form of electric current and translates them into a magnetic field or an electric field or a radio wave that can be sent across a medium.

Receiver Circuits that receive transmitted signals from a transmitter and convert it into a usable form of electric power.

Rectifier A rectifier is an electrical device composed of one or more diodes that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). A diode is like a one-way valve that allows an electrical current to flow in only one direction.

Automotive This refers to application of wireless power system in vehicles and vehicular transportation

Healthcare This domain refers to application of wireless power systems in health care systems like a wirelessly powered heart pump and other health monitoring system.

Industrial

This domain refers to the application of wireless power systems in Industrial sector, particularly in manufacturing and production sector. It may also be used in places where switches and traditional electricity is hazardous to use like in the case of coal mines, refineries and oil wells.

Mobile Smartphone and cameras

This domain refers to the charging of mobile smartphones and cameras wirelessly.


Defense This refers to wireless power transmission in defense establishment and devices, for example wirelessly powered drones that can be used for surveillance.

Home Appliance Wireless powering of domestic appliances like, fans, bulbs, air conditioner is what this domain is all about. Although it is pretty far-fetched, developments are going on pretty rapidly.

Laptops and Computers Powering laptops and computers wirelessly via transmitters and receivers is what this domain deals with.

Table 1: Taxonomy Definitions


Appendix B: Year-wise filing in sub-domain

Table 2 below shows the overall year-wise filing trend in the sub-domains of Wireless Power Transmission

Technology

Subdomain/ Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Mobile Smartphones and cameras

81 127 128 207 239 323 610 940 1695 2539 607 7496

Inductive technique 28 47 71 126 181 359 633 993 1612 2324 505 6879

Laptops and computers

84 129 130 197 240 354 583 869 1366 1972 519 6443

Receiver 38 94 76 138 195 357 604 837 1413 1889 400 6041

Frequency 33 71 77 114 183 327 570 749 1227 1633 348 5332

Industrial 47 89 88 140 136 249 449 749 1068 1565 392 4972

Automotive 46 76 59 108 141 234 409 637 1060 1553 386 4709

Control Circuit 54 79 59 141 163 206 452 628 973 1357 298 4410

Capacitive coupling 23 50 62 79 158 298 446 649 965 1370 295 4395

Transmitter 25 63 63 105 154 270 435 576 903 1137 261 3992

Distance Range 26 52 55 67 139 223 387 518 846 1153 263 3729

Magnetic resonance coupling

6 5 4 18 38 115 262 425 755 1129 209 2966

Microwave power transmitter

11 37 34 60 113 205 332 396 523 661 138 2510

Healthcare 16 28 48 69 106 179 255 294 517 769 214 2495

Power Capacity 22 16 23 50 65 113 203 309 563 692 121 2177

Laser 18 27 42 47 96 204 282 282 421 600 152 2171

Efficiency 6 14 18 28 30 67 201 348 544 641 143 2040

Home Appliances 10 19 19 53 77 158 236 258 381 528 140 1879

Rectifier 9 18 32 44 55 84 183 264 403 491 117 1700

Power Amplifier 15 13 28 32 33 52 114 155 243 255 48 988

Directivity 8 11 15 24 25 84 159 147 149 174 40 836

Oscillator 2 4 4 13 12 19 62 94 151 162 25 548

Defense 4 15 10 27 15 44 62 103 140 68 15 503


1 2 2 7 5 19 16 10 25 37 14 138

Table 2: Year wise filing in Sub-domain: Overall


Table 3 below shows the year-wise filing trend in the sub-domains of Wireless Power Transmission by

Qualcomm.

Technology

Subdomain/ Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Laptops and computers

4 3 6 23 51 129 129 175 265 65 852

Industrial 3 4 3 15 31 120 125 161 245 60 768

Inductive technique 1

2 15 49 115 126 156 237 60 761

Laser

2 9 20 111 119 147 234 60 702

Microwave power transmitter

3 12 23 117 120 122 155 36 588

Receiver 1

3 14 35 90 83 124 182 49 581

Mobile Smartphones and cameras

3 3 6 13 35 71 72 133 174 45 555

Transmitter 1

1 14 26 72 71 103 141 47 476

Frequency

4 16 51 73 57 106 144 24 475

Directivity

9 30 116 104 96 92 26 473

Magnetic resonance coupling

4 35 49 51 82 149 45 415

Capacitive coupling

1 16 44 61 54 78 107 34 395

Control Circuit 2 3 4 9 12 40 46 73 117 25 333

Automotive 1

3 8 31 32 37 55 97 24 289

Home Appliances

3 5 34 39 65 33 48 14 241

Healthcare

5 21 28 50 86 26 216

Power Capacity

7 25 32 34 41 47 15 202

Distance Range

1 8 24 27 23 28 75 14 200

Power Amplifier

9 9 41 25 35 41 3 164

Rectifier

7 14 26 20 45 42 8 162

Efficiency

1

10 14 11 17 24 10 87

Oscillator

2 7 7 15 4 35

Defense

5 6 11 8 3

33


1

1 3 2 7

Table 3: Year wise filing in Sub-domain: Qualcomm


Appendix C: Year wise filing of Top 15 Assignees

Table 4 below shows the year-wise filing trend of top 15 Assignees in the domain of Wireless Power

Transmission

Assignee\ Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total

Samsung 1 4 4 1 1 8 123 210 288 397 91 1128

Qualcomm

4 4 6 29 109 158 151 191 289 71 1012

LG 4 5 8 13 11 24 23 100 236 236 56 716

Toyota 1

1 5 26 59 57 92 89 20 350

Hanrim Postech 3 5 2 16 10 16 15 31 62 77 7 244

Panasonic

4 2 2 1 8 22 54 56 66 11 226

Sony 3 1 2 4 7 5 33 43 41 70 7 216

Access Business Group International

1

4 24 37 37 33 43 7 186

Toshiba 1 2 2

4

6 29 45 70 13 172

TDK Corp

28 30 21 61 12 152

Philips 4 4 12 7 17 12 11 15 20 29 5 136

Milux Holding

32 60 24 6 3 3 4 132

Fujitsu 2

1 2 6 11 28 23 43 9 125

Haier Group Corporation

18 24 14 56 4 116

Mitsubishi 6 6 4 6 4 7 14 11 22 26 3 109

Table 4: Year-wise filing of Top Assignees


Authors

Mayank Laroia

Mayank is a Senior Technology Analyst at LexInnova. He completed his bachelors in Chemical

Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. He specializes in portfolio analysis,

competitive benchmarking, and white space analysis. Apart from this he is proficient in

invalidity/validity searches, patentability searches, freedom-to-operate searches and technology

due-diligence. He has managed 100+ IP projects related to Electronics, Chemical Engineering,

Control Systems, Life Sciences and Chemical Manufacturing domains.

Aditya Bansal

Aditya is a Senior Technology Analyst at LexInnova. He completed his bachelors in Electronics &

Communication Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi. He is proficient in

invalidity/validity searches, landscape, whitespace, portfolio analysis and technology due-diligence.

He has managed 100+ IP projects related to Electronics, Electrical, Control Systems, Computer

engineering, Mechanical, Networking, and Chemical Manufacturing domains.

Alok Nath Yadav

Alok is a Technology Analyst at LexInnova. He completed his bachelors in Mechanical Engineering

from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He specializes in indirect arc welding, design and

vibration analysis of the passenger seat in automobiles. His area of expertise includes IPR,

contentions, infringement, invalidity search and FTO. He has also worked on patent portfolio

analyses for various firms.

Soureesh Ghosh

Soureesh is a Technology Analyst at LexInnova. He completed his Bachelors in Chemical

Engineering from BITS Pilani. He specializes in Electronics, Chemical Engineering, Control Systems,

Environment Safety, Petroleum Engineering, Life Sciences and Chemical Manufacturing domains.

His area of expertise includes IPR, Contentions, Infringement, Invalidity search and FTO. He has also

worked on Patent Portfolio Analysis for various firms.

Rana J Pratap

Rana is LexInnova’s Principal Consultant - Technology and works with the Intellectual Property

group to deliver on complex technology projects. A Silicon Valley veteran of 15 years, Rana uses his

technical acumen and knowledge to connect with client needs at deeper level and achieve better

outcomes. He is a proven technologist in the area of semiconductors and has a deep technical

expertise in the field of microprocessors, digital and analog/RF IC design and hardware reference

platforms. He has authored more than 10 technical papers in scientific conferences and journals.
