LANDSCAPE STUDY OF V2X TECHNOLOGY
V2X is a generic term devised to describe use cases like V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), V2I (Vehicle- to-Infrastructure), V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian), V2D (Vehicle-to-Device), V2N (Vehicle-to- Network), etc. Properly put, V2X enables any vehicle to interact and communicate with other vehicles, roadside entities, pedestrians and networks with high reliability, low latency and high throughput. V2X creates collective mobility rather than just autonomy.
Topically, cellular-based technology is an emergent alternate for V2X communication and has been standardized by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). 3GPP is a conglomerate of seven “organisational partners” – ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC – functioning for the demarcation of telecommunication standards by releasing technical reports and specifications.
To understand the key patent contributions to V2X technology, we calculated the number of patent family declarations made against each V2X specification as well as other specifications containing V2X specific sections up to March 2022 using the 3GPP official website.
The modern era is the age of advancement, change, innovation, and technology. In such an era of technological advancement, V2X or Vehicle-to-Everything is a next-generation innovation in the automotive industry that endeavors to integrate ease, efficiency, mobility, and technology.
By design, C-V2X evolution can maintain backward compatibility such that LTE C-V2X will co-exist with 5G NR-based C-V2X. This implies that 5G NR-V2X will support LTE/V2X PC5 interface in addition to 5G NR-V2X PC5. Furthermore, 5G NR C-V2X will co-exist with the LTE-V2X in 5.9 GHz band while it is envisioned to use different channels.
Remarkably, V2X covers a broad set of technologies, like 4G and 5G and is not limited to V2X alone. Likewise, the V2X-related specifications too are not entirely relevant to V2X as many of the specifications apply to broader technologies as well. Hence, it requires V2X-relevant section consideration. But, many companies, as a part of their declaration practice, do not explicitly declare their SEPs down to the section numbers.
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) pioneered the standardisation of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) based V2X communication in 2010. IEEE is a specialised organisation of technical professionals that specifies technical standards for a wide range of technologies, sponsors conferences, provides professional education and fosters innovation for technological advancement.
IEEE has standardized Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) technology, a system involving V2V and V2I communication supported by Vehicular ad-hoc Network (VANET) involving the spontaneous creation of a wireless network due to proximity, as IEEE 802.11p. IEEE 802.11p is an extension of the IEEE 802.11 standard which was expanded to include Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) conjoined with the IEEE 1609 family of standards.
To understand the key patent contributions to V2X technology, we calculated the number of patent family declarations made against each V2X specification as well as other specifications containing V2X specific sections up to March 2022 using the 3GPP official website. The 3GPP V2X specifications are TS22.185, TS22.186, TS23.285, TS23.286, TS23.287, TS23.303, TS24.334, TS24.385, TS24.386, TS24.486, TS24.587, TS24.588, TS29.343, TS29.344, TS29.345, TS29.388, TS29.389, TS29.486, TS33.185, TS33.536, TS36.440, TS36.441 and TS36.442. Other specifications that contain V2X specific sections1 are TS36.101, TS36.133, TS36.211, TS36.212, TS36.213, TS36.214, TS36.300, TS36.302, TS36.304, TS36.306, TS36.321, TS36.331, TS36.508, TS36.509, TS36.521-1, TS38.101-1, TS38.101-3, TS38.101-4, TS38.133, TS38.202, TS38.211, TS38.212, TS38.213, TS38.214, TS38.300, TS38.304, TS38.306. TS38.321 and TS38.331. From the V2X specifications, we computed the number of patent families declared against each TS specification. From other specifications, we calculated the number of patent families declared in V2X related sections.
Since V2X technology involves other specifications that cover other technologies apart from V2X, declaration specificity to the section numbers holds much weight. As a result, it is obvious for the above reason that the patent count would be high for companies that specify section numbers and comparatively low for companies that only specify the specification. So, the resultant low patent count for companies not specifying section numbers does not necessarily mean that they hold a comparatively low number of patents relevant to V2X.
Many companies, as a part of their declaration practice, do not explicitly declare their SEPs down to the section numbers.
Consequently, the companies like Ericsson, Intel, Apple, NTT Docomo, Nokia, etc. that specify the section numbers of specification at a very high frequency as a part of their declaration practice would have a high patent count and companies like Huawei, Qualcomm, Samsung, LG, etc. that only specify the specification and not the specific section will have lower patent count.
Hence, it does not simply imply that such companies have a lesser contribution towards V2X. Therefore, it is difficult to determine all SEP holders using ETSI declaration data per se.
