Car manufacturers file record number of patents for autonomous tech

Patents for the technology thought to be crucial to autonomous cars have jumped to a new record high, research suggests.

Property law firm Mathys & Squire has found that patents for wireless communications technology filed by the top 20 carmakers have surged to 991 in the past year, up from 945 in the previous 12-month period and three-fold from the 323 patents applied for five years ago.

The law firm says that manufacturers have started to generate their own wireless communication patents to avoid clashes with the telecom industry. It is believed that this technology will be crucial to autonomous cars, allowing them to ‘talk’ to one another. It also allows autonomous cars to see other objects, therefore avoiding collisions.

Andrew White, partner at Mathys & Squire, said: “The automotive industry knows access to wireless communications technology is vital to its future. They fear that telecom companies might frustrate their access to this technology.

“They’ve decided the best way to have access to this technology is to develop and own their own IP in this area – hence the increase in these patents filed by carmakers.”

“Owning wireless communications patents is a win-win for the automotive industry. It gives them valuable IP in a growing field and reduces the risk of legal battles with telecoms firms.”

One example highlighted by Mathys & Squire is the dispute between Daimler and Nokia, which saw the pair debate over who should pay for the licensing fees for the Nokia-made navigation technology. Daimler claimed that it was the supplier of the part that should pay the fee, whereas Nokia thought the opposite. In the end, it was settled with Daimler paying Nokia an undisclosed amount.