With the rise of new energy vehicles, the concept of SDV (Software Defined Vehicles) has been acknowledged by the public, and intelligent cabins and intelligent drives have been widely recognized as future development trends. The Intelligent Cabin is becoming a comprehensive application carrier for various new technologies due to its not difficult to implement and its easier being perceived by consumers.

Patents related to intelligent cabins have increased rapidly. As of the end of November 2023, there were a total of 51,376 patents related to intelligent cabins applied in China. The number of patent applications has entered a stage of explosive growth since 2020. Vehicle enterprises, suppliers of components and parts, communications enterprises, technology companies, etc. have made efforts to deploy in this field, the increasing trend is expected to continue (patents applied after 2022 have not been fully disclosed).

The continuous enrichment of interactive functions has been the focus of the patent layout of domestic enterprises. The intelligent cabin consists of three parts: cabin hardware (systems and components), cabin software (software and architecture), and human-computer interaction (user interface and interaction methods), in which human-computer interaction-related patents account for 45%, becoming an important driving force for corporate brand difference.

Chinese companies have applied for over 2,200 patents related to intelligent cabins overseas, more than 40% of these were approved as PCT now, which is still the main way for domestic companies to apply, followed by the United States and Europe.

The overseas layout of patents related to the intelligent cabins of Chinese enterprises can be seen from the top 10 patent applicants. Communication technology companies such as Huawei, Baidu, and Tencent occupy half of the TOP10, with stronger awareness of overseas patent layout; artificial intelligence companies such as BOE, PATEO, and iFlytek Smart or Internet of Vehicles companies are actively deploying in areas such as voice interaction, vehicle display, and multi-mode interaction.

From Automotive Intellectual Property

December 14th, 2023