​China files for most infotainment system patents worldwide: report

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Today, the innovation intelligence company, PatSnap released a report on the global intelligent cockpit and onboard infotainment system insights, stating that China’s relevant patent applications accounted for 1/4 of the global industry.

Photo credit: Li Auto

The report showed that as of now, patent applications in the intelligent cockpit category amounted to roughly 193,000 cases, with China, Japan, and the USA holding nearly 70% of the sum. Moreover, at 82,300 cases, China was deemed the major targeting country of the technology, accounting for 42.56% of the global sum.

Developing smart cockpits is a relatively young trend in the automotive industry, combining the digitalization and intellectualization of the industry. According to the report, the patent application volume has grown yearly since 2011, with onboard infotainment systems being popular.

Generally speaking, the infotainment system holds the most automotive market share among all functional configurations. PatSnap’s data showed that corresponding patent applications summed up to about 20,000 cases worldwide. From 2014 to 2020, global application volume surged rapidly, to 38.15% of the total to-date cases. 

So far, China has filed for 6,542 patents in the onboard infotainment system field, accounting for 32.85% of the global sum, ranking first place in volume among the 50 countries and regions. The report explained that the massive market demands in China, the USA, Japan, and Germany helped push forward the development of the said technologies in each country.

On the other hand, patent litigations happen each year in the infotainment territory. The accumulated lawsuits surpassed 200 cases so far, involving over 50 designated patents. Companies within the industry need to improve to keep their edge in the fierce market constantly.