Patent Analysis of Power Electronic Technologies for Electric Mobility

This paper examines the research landscape for automotive power electronics as key technology for electric mobility in a time frame from 2000 until 2012 by conducting in-depth patent and publication analyses. Using complex and dedicated search strategies, more than 3,800 peer-reviewed scientific publications and 47,000 patent applications in 6 different world regions could be identified. With the help of automated text and data mining functionalities, the evaluation of patent and publication content was possible to achieve, resulting in sophisticated statements for technology development trends and research activities. Results visualize the situation of Japan, USA, China, Europe, Germany and France in comparison based on the assessment of the respective patent markets on the one hand as well as technology driving and leading institutions on the other hand. The scope of the study comprises automotive power electronics on system level, semiconductor technologies on component level as well as Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride on material level. The analysis shows that Japanese institutions are by far leading the technology development, while China’s patent market has gained significant importance for international patentees since 2010.