Leading automakers such as Ford Motor and Toyota Motor have caught up with the IT giants in a competition to develop self-driving technology. This is evidenced by the latest data on the number of patents.
The aforementioned companies took the top two positions in the list of the most competitive firms in terms of patents related to self-driving technologies. The list was compiled on the basis of a survey of patents granted in the United States as of the end of January carried out by Tokyo-based Patent Result, commissioned by Nikkei.
According to Patent Result, Ford and Toyota have overtaken Alphabet’s Waymo, which topped the previous July 2018 list.
As self-driving technology moves closer to practical applications, it has been argued, automakers have taken over from IT companies by leveraging their expertise in conventional car manufacturing.
The competitiveness of a patent was determined by the number of references to it in the reports of international organizations, the number of attempts by other companies to challenge it, and the number of appeals filed.
Ford topped the list with 6,054 with 1,195 patents in force. It is followed by Toyota with 5349 points and 1705 patents. The top 10 positions of the list are shown below:
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