Patent Analytic Report on Multi Touch Technology

Description

Touch technology has gathered the interest of many in recent times although it’s been around for some time now. IP activity and patent data
are great indicators of exactly what is happening in this space and could help uncover several insights while answering questions that
manufacturers, technology enthusiasts, inventors, scientists, investors and others would seek answers to. Has touch related technology come of
age?

• When did IP activity around this technology start picking up and is it still showing a strong increase?
• Who are the innovators behind the best this highly sought after technology has to offer?
• Who are the manufacturers and players showing interest in this field?
• What are the industries and markets showing interest in licensing opportunities for touch technology patents?
• What does the growth trend look like for the current year based on the first month patent filings?

To look into various touch based technologies and get a better insight into the IP activity that surrounds it, we carried out a quick analysis using
Patent iNSIGHT Pro software

IP Activity across last 40 years

What has been the IP activity trend for touch technologies from 1970 till present date?

We know the first patents for touch based computing technology were filed as early as the 1970’s but we have witnessed these technologies
making an impact in the markets in recent years. Patent filings across timelines are an indicator of how much activity and research interest
there is within a particular space and here is what we discovered for touch technology:

Till the end of the 1990’s although it appears that innovators were testing the waters around this technology and the realization that this
would be ‘hot’ technology happened between 2000 and 2002 where the number of patents filed went from 165 patents in the year 2000 to 871
patents in 2002. Research activity peaked in 2002 after which is remained consistent till 2007 where we can see between 800 to a 1000 new patents filed each year for touch based innovation. 2008 till the present date is where activity around touch technology and computing has really taken off and
shown the kind of rapid growth we are witnessing in the interest around products that use this technology and are hitting the markets in recent
times. Just a month and a half into 2010 and we are already seeing over 200 patents. It’s clear that this technology picked up slowly, grew
consistently and has now reached new heights and is evidently on an upward trend.

Top Assignees in the Last 5 Years

Who have been the top companies or assignees in touch technology over the last 5 years?

While from marketing or product launches one can assume a certain manufacturer is the number one player for a certain type of technology,
it could be misleading. Patent portfolios are a more accurate indicator of how much a business invests in a particular technology such as touch and
gives a better picture of who the top assignees in this space are. Here is what we uncovered with respect to the top 15 assignees in the last 5
years:

Top 15 Assignees

1. Samsung Electronics Co
2. Apple Inc
3. LG Electronics Inc
4. Nokia Corporation
5. Microsoft Corporation
6. Sony Corp
7. International Business Machines
8. K Phillips Electronics NV
9. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co
10. Motorola Inc
11. Siemens AG
12. HTC Corporation
13. Research In Motion Limited
14. Intentec Corporation
15. Immersion Corporation

You can download / view complete report here