Patent Analytics on ICT-related Patents

(CY 2005-2013)

I – Introduction

The digital revolution has enormously changed the world’s technology and socio-economic
landscape in such a short period of time. The Philippines, being one of the improving
economies in Asia and one of the current “darlings” of global investors according to Religare
Capital Markets Ltd. [NWPH], has greater chances of benefiting from its vast opportunities.
In fact, the country’s development depends in part on Information and Communications
Technology (ICT). It brings along with it boundless economic prospects. Technologies which
are previously impossible are now becoming ordinary or common through developments in
ICT. It has even found wider applications in almost all areas imaginable. Thus, ICT really
touches on various parts of the society and the economy as well.

Alongside technological and economic development through R&D in ICT comes protection
of companies’ competitive advantage through patenting. Generally, the two factors that
have the most influence on firm’s patenting strategies appear to be increased product
market competition and the bargaining power of a strong patent portfolio in negotiations
with other firms. However, this is somewhat sector-dependent since ICT firms, based on
OECD Conference Proc, placed greater emphasis on the bargaining power of a strong patent
portfolio and potential licensing revenues as determinants of patent strategy. On the other
hand, less emphasis is placed on the importance of product market competition as a factor
affecting patenting strategy [OECD-CP].

This report provides a general scenario of the patenting activities and patent landscape
relating to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the Philippines. It
further analyzes, through patent analytics, the trends in ICT covering PCT-filed patents from
2005 until part of 2013. This report also describes specific subcategories comprising the ICT
field. This study is undertaken in hope of increasing the appreciation by the public/private
policy makers, experts, and other stakeholders on the key trends in ICT and its effect on
business and society. The findings may provide compelling facts that may help the
concerned authorities to identify and exploit published and patented ICT-related
technologies, and identify potential licensing opportunities and collaboration partners as
part of their business strategy.

The Information and Communications Technology

For the past decades, multitude of applications and innovations involving ICT like
computer, cell phone and the Internet, have been widely adopted and implemented. They
permeate every aspect of life − economic, social, political, cultural and otherwise − and have
created great interest regarding their actual and potential impact [GUI].

Executive Order No. 269 defines ICT as the totality of electronic means to collect, store,
process and present information to end-users in support of their activities. It consists of
computer systems, office systems and consumer electronics, as well as networked
information infrastructure, the components of which include the telephone system, the
Internet, fax machines and computers. The ICT products and services mainly consist of
hardware, software, contents and convergence thereof, which are intended to perform,
educate and/or entertain humans through mass communication media. Included therein are
the industries engaged in the production, publishing, and/or the distribution of content
information and cultural and entertainment products, where content corresponds to an
organized message intended for human beings [PMP].

ICT and Economic Development

ICT undoubtedly plays an important role in socio-economic and technological development

of a country. Not only does it serve as an important tool for sustainable development and
nation-building, but also as a key driver of innovation. OECD explains that this is
characterized by very high rates of technological progress, output and productivity growth,
which imply considerable contribution of the ICT sector to economy-wide performance
[OECD2011]. These rapid ICT developments provide a stream of new opportunities which
are creating new firms and new industries [AU-ICT]. AU-ICT suggests that to realize these
opportunities, proactive involvement in the development of ICT-related technologies and
active participation in the fast growing ICT markets are inevitable. It is not enough being an
ICT adopter if a country wants to really grab the opportunities that come along with it like
jobs and wealth creation. Participation in ICT development, therefore, requires strong R&D
effort thereby creating an environment for ICT innovation rather than just using the
technology.

As ICT is so fundamental to competitiveness it is just essential that a country make every

effort to strengthen its investment in ICT research, training & technology transfer
infrastructure to ensure that weakness does not constrain the country’s economic growth
potential [AU-ICT].

In the Philippines, the government as stipulated in Executive Order No. 269 also recognizes
that the development of ICT will have a higher chance of success and sustainability if it is
private sector-led, market-based and government-enabled. ICT development along with
promotion and advancement is a prerequisite for the continued growth of the Philippine
economy, the competitiveness of local industries and firms, and the achievement of national
goals [EO 269]. For the government to take advantage of the opportunities being offered by
these developments, ICT-related development, business and investment should be
encouraged.

In hope of realizing these socio-economic prospects thru ICT and fulfilling the priorities of
the government, the 2011-2016 Philippine Digital Strategy was crafted. The PDS sees ICT as
an enabling tool, a critical infrastructure like transportation, water and electricity. It keys in
approaches on how ICT can be adopted in major areas such as government/governance,
education, economy, employment, industries and small businesses; and how it can be
utilized for socio-economic development, citizen empowerment, corruption mitigation,
poverty alleviation and government transformation [PDS].
ICT, Patent Information and Patent Analytics

The rapid emergence of new technologies in the field of ICT necessitates measurement and
analysis to inform and support policy-makers, stakeholders and other concerned
institutions. One way of analyzing and measuring the ICT sector is to find out R&D output
through inventions filed in the patent office. The analysis on patent information that can be
found on published patents may describe the patenting activity on specific technology like
ICT and may serve as a guide for stakeholders of innovation such as policymakers,
managers of public research institutions and industry since PLR identifies what is actually
being patented, where and by whom, and with what implications for R&D strategy and new
products’ development by local innovation in a specific country [WIPO-CDIP].

Patent analytics is an in-depth study of patent data from which meaningful correlations
(relationships, connections) and patterns between and among inventors, key technologies,
industries and geographical distributions may be established to spot trends and identify
gaps [PD-PATMD]. It depicts a clear picture of the technological landscape of a region or
country which is indicative of its national innovative capacity and the relevance of its R&D
initiatives. It leads towards the establishment of a framework for future directions of R&D
activity to avoid fruitless investment in the development of known or outdated technology.

In business, patent analytics provides a strong basis for sound business decisions in
assessing opportunities, risks and challenges. It can even serve as a background material for
the preparation of product strategies and targeting of development efforts. It can also
provide information on the identity and activity of the various competitors active in a given
field of technology and even advance knowledge on the products or technologies of
competitors even before these are launched in the market.
II – Objectives

The objectives of the study are as follows:

To study the patenting trends in the field of Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) in the Philippines

To identify the key players (inventors, companies - applicant, assignees) in the
Philippine ICT sector and analyze their profile and patenting activities
o Who are the major players in the field of ICT in the Philippines?
o What specific technical areas of ICT are those companies involved in?

Identify white space in the field of ICT with respect to patented technologies in the
Philippines.

III - Scope and Methodology

The study covers the patent analytics of PCT-filed applications in the area of Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) in the Philippines from 2005 to 2012 and part of
2013. To acquire the needed datasets, patent information within this range were collected,
checked, cleansed and updated requiring the perusal of the following:

Checking the accuracy of the content of bibliographic information including the
format of the patent number and dates, elimination of unnecessary spaces in data
strings, consistency and uniformity of matching names and codes, and completeness
of data

Updating the IPC according to the latest edition

Profiling of inventors and assignees taking into account the consistency and
completeness of names, county codes and addresses

Access to databases such as Thomson Innovation, Patentscope, USPTO(PatFT and
AppFT), Espacenet and IPOPHL(Patent Search and E-Gazette Patent)

After the collection and cleansing of required data, the initial population was initiated
through patent search using the identified IPC based on the “Definition of ICT-related
patents based on IPC Codes” [OECD PDB]. The definition table was based on the 8th edition
of IPC, so a little rehash was carried out to update the classifications. The ICT sector based
on patent classification was subdivided into four categories namely, (1)Telecommunications,
(2)Consumer electronics, (3)Computers and office machinery, and (4)Other ICT. Results
were further reviewed and analyzed to filter out irrelevant information. The relevant patents
were subjected to patent analysis relative to the set criteria like patent filing trends over
time, geographical distribution (of patents, assignees and inventors), technology trend,
identification of key players, top assignees and inventors, and identification of white space.
The findings were visually presented through graphical images using common software.
IV – Analysis

1. Patenting Activities in the Field of Information and Communication Technology

(ICT)

1.1 Annual Filing Trend

Based on the published PCT-filed applications received by the Office from the year 2005 to
2013, there are a total of 3,638 ICT-related patents as against the total PCT filings of 22,720.

Fig 1.1a – Annual PCT Filing of ICT-related Patents, 2005-2013

Figure 1.1a shows the number of patents relating to ICT received and published by the
Office from year 2005 to part of 2013.

The graph exhibits a steady increasing trend in the filing of ICT-related patents from 2005
until 2008. The trend slightly declined by 1.7% in 2009. Subsequently, the maximum
patenting activity was reached in 2010, a very substantial increase to reach its peak with a
total of 680 patent filings. However, a sudden drop of around 40.3% was greatly felt the year
after. The decline continued until 2012 and 2013, although some of the data for the year 2013
are not yet publicly available.
 Fig 1.1b – Annual PCT Filing Based on the Date of Receipt of Applications, 2005-2013

Year (Date Received) ICT/Other Fields ICT %

2005 2346 303 13%
2006 2669 372 14%
2007 2966 441 15%
2008 2840 453 16%
2009 2505 445 18%
2010 2980 680 23%
2011 2694 406 15%
2012 2162 309 14%
2013 1558 226 15%
Total 22720 3635 16%
Table 1.1a – Number of Patents (ICT and Other Fields) Received by the Office from 2005-2009

Fig 1.1b shows the distribution of published PCT-filed applications with ICT-related
applications based on the date of receipt at IPOPHL.

Comparing the ICT-related patent filings with other fields of technology with reference to
Fig 1.1b and Table 1.1a, the general PCT-filing trend has also reached its peak on the same
year 2010, and reflected a decreasing trend until 2013.

It is still noteworthy to mention that from the year 2005 to 2013, the number of PCT filed
applications received by the Office ranged from approximately 2,000 to 3,000 applications,
while the number of ICT-related patents ranged from approximately 300 to 700 applications,
comprising 16% of the total PCT-filed applications.
1.2 Geographical Distribution of Assignees

The geographical distribution of assignees indicates the concentration of assignees globally

in the area of ICT where patent assignees or companies are located. It helps an investor or an
interested party to find where the major investors in research and development of ICT are
located [ASHMAR].

Fig 1.2a – Geographical Distribution of Assignees (show table in index)

Most of the patent assignees coming in, in the area of ICT are located in the United States of
America (US) having 415 assignees for the years 2005-2013, comprising 33% of the total
number of assignees involved in patenting ICT-related technology in the Philippines.

Taking the second topmost rank, Japan (JP) lags far behind the US with 169 patent assignees
accounting to 14% of the total number of assignees. This is equivalent to only 40% of the
number of US patent assignees.

Following JP are Korea, Germany, United Kingdom and Singapore, all of which have more
than 50 assignees. The rest of the countries involved in patent ICT in the Philippines have
less than 50 assignees.

Fig 1.2b – Number of Assignees per Year

The number of assignees with ICT-related patent applications in PH abruptly increased in

2006 and maintained its pace until 2008 as shown in Fig 1.2b. After experiencing a 27%
decline in 2009, it gradually gained momentum and increased steadily until 2011 accounting
to a stunning 21% increase.

Although the trend shows a decrease in the number of assignees in 2012 and 2013, it may be
attributed to the patent data that are not yet published, and therefore, not currently available
and accessible to the public.
 Fig 1.2c – Number of Assignees Per Country Per Year

Fig 1.2c exhibits the number of assignees with the corresponding countries and year. US has
massively taken the biggest share in the ICT patenting field in the Philippines every year
from 2005-20013.

The Philippines on the other hand has only seven (7) assignees in ICT-related PCT-filed
patents application. The lone company among the seven (7) assignees is Nextix Labs Inc.,
while the rest are individual inventors from the academe.

Some reasons may be:

• Local companies not considering global expansion; not feeling the need of patenting
technologies in other counties.
• Not yet riding the patent filing frenzy of harnessing the capability of PCT filing
system.
• Lack of R & D activity, and therefore no technology to offer.
Country of 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Assignee

US 62 80 92 70 55 58 65 48 53
JP 18 42 35 41 26 42 33 39 34
KR 8 14 17 18 5 11 8 15 10
DE 9 13 9 14 12 6 17 12 6
SG 1 13 9 11 7 13 12 7 6
GB 10 10 9 12 7 7 12 6 2
CH 6 6 7 9 13 8 8 9 6
FR 7 3 6 7 2 8 8 6 3
NL 4 10 5 8 2 3 4 2 3
AU 3 5 6 7 7 5 1 5 1
CA 2 7 3 6 6 2 3 2 3
CN 2 4 6 1 1 3 4 7
SE 3 6 4 3 2 3 2 1 2
FI 1 1 1 3 2 4 2 2 6
BE 2 1 4 1 2 2 4 4
IT 2 3 2 2 4 1 3 1
IL 1 1 1 1 3 3 2 3
IE 4 1 3 1 1 1 2
IN 1 2 1 1 2 2 2
NO 1 1 1 1 3 3
VG 2 3 3 1 1
Table 1.2a – Number of Assignees per Country Per year

In general, the trend shows that the patenting activity in the area of ICT in the Philippines is
heavily dominated by the US which just proves its enormity in terms of R & D in this area.
Asian countries such as Japan, Korea and Singapore, and European countries like Germany
and United Kingdom are also prime locations of assignees with patent applications in PH
relating to ICT.

In one way or another, the trend reflects their positive outlook towards the improving
business situation in the Philippines brought about by government initiative and the
dynamic IP system that we have.

1.3 Geographical Distribution of Patents

The geographical distribution of patents shows the geographical spread of patents filed
globally in the area of ICT. It helps in identifying the geographies where major assignees
have chosen to protect their technologies, thus giving an indication as to where major
assignees foresee the real market for their products [ASHMAR].
 Fig 1.3a – Geographical Distribution of Patents

Country Patent Country Patent Country Patent Country Patent Country Patent Country Patent
of Count of Count of Count of Count of Count of Count
Assignee Assignee Assignee Assignee Assignee Assignee
US 1769 NL 59 NO 12 MX 5 HK 2 PR 1
JP 662 AU 41 MY 11 BM 4 KP 2 PK 1
FI 144 CA 38 VG 10 NZ 4 LU 2 AE 1
SE 140 CN 31 BS 10 BR 4 SA 1 LI 1
DE 131 IT 21 TW 7 KY 3 TR 1 MD 1
KR 123 BE 18 ZA 6 PL 3 BG 1 UA 1
CH 117 IL 16 PH 5 GR 3 RM 1
GB 99 IE 14 AT 5 TH 3 PT 1
SG 96 MU 14 RU 5 CZ 2 CY 1
FR 86 IN 13 ES 5 JO 2 DK 1
Table 1.3a – Number of Patents Based on the Country of Assignees

Fig 1.3a shows that the US has the most number of PCT-filed patent applications in the area
of ICT in the Philippines with a total of 1,769 patents accounting to a staggering 47% of the
total ICT applications.
With 63% behind US, following the topmost rank in the country of assignee is Japan with
662 patent applications comprising 17.6% of the total ICT applications.

Finland, Sweden, Germany, Korea and Switzerland share the top ranks next to Japan with
144, 140, 131, 123 and 117 patent applications, respectively.

The figures indicate that the countries mentioned with the most number of patent
applications in the Philippines, characterized a mature ICT industry with heavy R & D
activities at its advanced stage.

2. Technology Trend Analysis

2.1 Distribution of Patents Across ICT Fields

Fig 2.1a – Distribution of Patents across Major ICT Fields

Fig 2.1a exhibits the spread or distribution of patenting activity on various areas under the
field of ICT corresponding to specific classes of the IPC.

The ICT area in terms of the patent applications filed in the Philippines via the PCT route is
largely dominated by Telecommunications with 1,602 patent applications, comprising 41%
of the total ICT-related patent applications. The field of Telecommunications comprises
several IPC classifications as shown in Table 2.1a [OECD PDB].
 Class (IPC) Sub-fields Under Telecommunications
G01S Radio Navigation
G08C Transmission systems for measured values
G09C Cyphering apparatus
H01P, H01Q Waveguides, resonators, aerials
H01S 3/, H01S 5/ Semiconductor lasers
H03B, H03C, H03D Generation of oscillations, modulation,
demodulation
H03H Impedance networks, resonators
H03M Coding, decoding
H04B Transmission
H04J Multiplex communication
H04K Secret communication
H04L Transmission of digital information
H04M Telephonic communication
H04Q Selecting, public switching
H04W Wireless communication networks
Table 2.1a – Various fields with corresponding IPC in the field of Telecommunications

The next heavily patent-populated field of ICT is Other Related Fields with 1,073 patent
applications comprising 28% of the total ICT-related patent applications. This area includes
systems and devices that encompass ICT features which may include control and regulation
of electronic systems, measurement and testing, semiconductor devices, electric discharge
tube, among others.

Class Sub-fields Under Other Fields of ICT

G01B, G01C, G01D, G01F, G01G, G01H, G01J, Measuring, testing
G01K, G01L, G01M, G01N, G01P,
G01R, G01V, G01W

G02B 6/ Light guides

G05B Control and regulating systems
G08G Traffic control systems
G09B Educational or demonstration appliances
H01B 11/ Communication cables
H01J 11/, H01J 13/, H01J 15/, H01J 17/, H01J 19/, Electric discharge tubes
H01J 21/, H01J 23/, H01J 25/, H01J 27/,
H01J 29/, H01J 31/, H01J 33/, H01J 40/, H01J 41/,
H01J 43/, H01J 45/
H01L Semiconductor devices
Table 2.1b – Various fields with corresponding IPC in Other related fields
The third largest area of ICT field is Computer and Office Machinery with 796 patent
applications comprising 20% of the total ICT-related patent applications. It includes
computing, checking devices, speech analysis and synthesis, among others.

Class Sub-fields Under Computer and Office

Machinery
B07C Postal sorting
B41J Typewriters
B41K Stamping apparatus
G02F Control of light parameters
G03G Electrography
G05F Electric regulation
G06 Computing
G07 Checking devices
G09G Control of variable information devices
G10L Speech analysis and synthesis
G11C Static stores
H03K, H03L Pulse technique, control of electronic oscillations or
pulses
Table 2.1c – Various fields with corresponding IPC in Computer and Office Machinery

Consumer Electronics, although bearing the smallest share, has 440 applications comprising
11% of the total ICT-related patent applications. It includes digital storage devices such as
flash disks and portable hard drive, sound-related inventions, broadcast communication,
pictorial communication, among others.

Class Sub-fields Under Consumer Electronics

G11B Information storage with relative movement

between record carrier and transducer
H03F Amplifiers, control of amplification
H03G Amplifiers, control of amplification
H03J Tuning resonant circuits
H04H Broadcast communication
H04N Pictorial communication, television
H04R Electromechanical transducers
H04S Stereophonic systems
Table 2.1d – Various fields with corresponding IPC in Consumer Electronics
 Fig 2.1b – Distribution of Patents across Top 10 ICT Sub-fields

Fig 2.1b shows the spread of patenting activity across various sub-fields of ICT based on the
International Patent Classification system as also reflected in Tables 2.1b-c.

The doughnut chart shows that Wireless Communication Networks under

Telecommunications has the most number of patents comprising about 19% of the total
number of patents considered. This is followed by H04M, G06F and H04Q having 17, 14 and
13 patents respectively. With the IPCs mentioned, these fall under Electric Communication
Technique with the addition of Computing and Measuring Techniques.
 Fig 2.1c – Distribution of Patents across the Whole ICT Fields

The top ICT sub-fields are widely distributed across the four (4) main-fields of ICT. The
topmost field, Telecommunications, garnered six (6) top sub-fields, while Consumer
Electronics, Computers and Other Fields all acquired two (2) top subfields each. Based on
this condition, the general trend tends to favor the inventions on specific classes of IPC
corresponding to the sub-fields which are inclined towards Telecommunications. The result
reflects how diverse and intricate an ICT invention can become.

3. Competitor (Assignee) Analysis

3.1 Top 20 Assignees

Fig 3.1a – Top 20 Assignees Based on Number of Patent Applications Via the PCT Route

Fig 3.1a above reveals the companies with the most number of PCT-filed patent applications
in PH in the field of ICT from 2005 to 2013.
Qualcomm Incorporated leads the other companies in this field, having a total of 851
published patent applications in its portfolio. Qualcomm’s share comprises 22% of the total
number of PCT-filed application in PH relating to ICT. NTT Docomo Inc.,
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (PUBL), Nokia Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Nokia
Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. having 118, 114, 73, 45 and 41 patent applications in
their respective portfolios go behind Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm Incorporated is an American global semiconductor company that designs,

manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services. Headquartered
in San Diego, CA, USA, the company has 157 worldwide locations. The parent company is Qualcomm
Incorporated (Qualcomm), which includes the Qualcomm Technology Licensing Division (QTL).
Qualcomm's wholly owned subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), operates substantially all
of Qualcomm's R&D activities, as well as its product and services businesses, including its
semiconductor business, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies [WIKI].

NTT DOCOMO is Japan's largest mobile service provider, serving more than 60 million customers.
The company operates a high-quality nationwide 3G network and an ultra-high-speed LTE network,
one of the world's first launched in 2010, which will be available to more than 98% of Japan's
population by FY2014 [NTT].

Ericsson (Telefonaktiebolaget L. M. Ericsson) is a Swedish multinational provider of

communications technology and services. The offering comprises services, software and infrastructure
within Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for telecom operators and other
industries, including telecommunications and IP networking equipment, mobile and fixed broadband,
operations and business support solutions, cable TV, IPTV, video systems, and an extensive services
operation. Ericsson is the world leader in the 2G/3G/4G mobile network infrastructure market (35%
in 2012) [WIKI].

Nokia Corporation (Nokia) has three operating segments: Devices & Services; NAVTEQ, and
Nokia Siemens Networks. Devices & Services is responsible for developing and managing the
Company’s portfolio of mobile products, as well as designing and developing services, including
applications and content. NAVTEQ is a provider of digital map information and related location-based
content and services for mobile navigation devices, automotive navigation systems, Internet-based
mapping applications, and government and business solutions. Nokia Siemens Networks provides
mobile and fixed network infrastructure, communications and networks service platforms, as well as
professional services and business solutions, to operators and service providers. In August 2012, the
Company sold a portfolio consisting of over 500 patents and patent applications worldwide to Vringo
Inc. In November 2012, it acquired Earthmine Inc. In August 2013, it acquired all of Siemens AG's
stake in Nokia Siemens Networks. [GOFI].

Microsoft Corporation is engaged in developing, licensing and supporting a range of software

products and services. The Company operates in five segments: Windows & Windows Live Division
(Windows Division), Server and Tools, Online Services Division (OSD), Microsoft Business Division
(MBD), and Entertainment and Devices Division (EDD). The Company’s products include operating
systems for personal computers (PCs), servers, phones, and other intelligent devices; server
applications for distributed computing environments; productivity applications; business solution
applications; desktop and server management tools; software development tools; video games, and
online advertising. In September 2013, Ericsson completed the acquisition of Microsoft's Mediaroom
business and TV solution. Effective October 23, 2013, Microsoft Corp acquired Apiphany Inc. Effective
February 4, 2014, Microsoft Corp acquired an undisclosed stake in Foursquare Labs Inc.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a South Korean multinational electronics company

headquartered in Suwon, South Korea. It is the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group and has
been the world's largest information technology company by revenues since 2009. Samsung
Electronics has assembly plants and sales networks in 88 countries and employs around 370,000
people [WIKI].
If we consider Nokia Inc. and Nokia Corp. as a single group of assignee, it will take the
second highest place in the rank with a total of 159, leading NTT Docomo, Inc. by 5 patent
applications and finally getting the 4% share in the total number of PCT-filed application in
PH relating to ICT.

Other major players as shown in Table 3.1a are Panasonic Corporation, Fisher-Rosemount
Systems, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Thomson Licensing S.A.,
Teradyne, Inc., Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., Nokia Siemens Networks Oy, Matsushita
Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and Flarion Technologies, Inc.

Assignee Number of
Applications
Panasonic Corporation 38
Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc. 34
International Business Machines Corporation 28
Thomson Licensing S.A. 27
Teradyne, Inc. 26
Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. 25
Nokia Siemens Networks Oy 24
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 23
Flarion Technologies, Inc. 23
Nhk Spring Co., Ltd. 21
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG 20
Xyratex Technology Limited 20
Multimedia Games, Inc. 19
Lintec Corporation 18
Thomson Licensing 18
Motorola, Inc. 17
Showa Denko K.K. 17
Sony Corporation 17
Genentech, Inc. 17
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. 17
Table 3.1a - Top 20 Assignees Based on Number of PCT-filed Patent Applications
3.2 Patenting Spread of Top 20 Assignees Across ICT Fields

Fig 3.2a – Distribution of Top 20 Assignees across ICT Fields

Assignee Compu Consu Other Teleco Countr Total Rank
ters, mer ICT mmuni y Code
Office Electro cations
Machin nics
ery
QUALCOMM 43 39 4 791 US 877 1
INCORPORATED
NTT DOCOMO, INC. 7 9 0 143 JP 159 2
NOKIA CORPORATION 10 27 3 86 FI 126 3
TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET 3 3 113 SE 119 4
L M ERICSSON (PUBL)

MICROSOFT 66 4 1 10 US 81 5
CORPORATION
THOMSON LICENSING 17 26 7 FR 50 6
S.A.
NOKIA INC. 2 12 1 34 US 49 7
PANASONIC 6 27 4 6 JP 43 8
CORPORATION
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS 2 30 1 10 KR 43 9
CO., LTD.

FISHER-ROSEMOUNT 4 31 2 US 37 10
SYSTEMS, INC.
TERADYNE, INC. 4 17 15 1 US 37 11
INTERNATIONAL 8 21 2 US 31 12
BUSINESS MACHINES
CORPORATION
FLARION 2 23 US 25 13
TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
NOKIA SIEMENS 2 1 22 FI 25 13
NETWORKS OY
SUMITOMO BAKELITE 25 JP 25 13
CO., LTD.
XYRATEX TECHNOLOGY 3 15 6 GB 24 14
LIMITED
MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC 19 3 1 JP 23 15
INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.

THOMSON LICENSING 7 12 3 FR 22 16
NHK SPRING CO., LTD. 1 20 JP 21 17
MOTOROLA, INC. 4 3 13 US 20 18
MULTIMEDIA GAMES, 19 US 19 19
INC.
SONY CORPORATION 2 11 6 JP 19 19
LINTEC CORPORATION 1 17 JP 18 20
Table 3.2a – Distribution of Top 20 Assignees across ICT Fields
Fig. 3.2a and Table 3.2a shows the patenting spread of top 20 assignees across the ICT
categories or subclasses. The graph shows the distribution of patents of the assignees in the
different ICT subclasses. This implies their technological interest and focus on certain areas
of the ICT field.

Based on Fig. 3.2a and Table 3.2a, Qualcomm Incorporated, the top ranked company in the
ICT field, has a wider scope in terms of technical areas, as it comprises all the categories of
ICT, although Telecommunications remains to be its major concern comprising around 93%
(791 patents) of its patent applications. The remaining 7% are distributed across the other
three ICT fields.

Other companies and their corresponding areas of concentrations are as follows:

NTT Docomo, Inc. allocates 92.3% (143 patents) of its ICT-related patent applications
in the field of Telecommunications. The rest of the applications were related to
Computers and Consumer electronics. The company has no application in Other ICT
category.

Nokia Corp., like Qualcomm Inc. has varied technical areas of expertise. 75.4% (86
patents) of its ICT-related patent applications were focused on Telecommunications,
while the remaining 25.6% were distributed across other areas of the ICT field.

Interestingly, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (PUBL) has the highest percentage of
share in the Telecommunications subclasses (95.76% - 113 patent documents) with
respect to its total ICT-related patent applications. The remaining 14.24% were
distributed over the rest of the subclasses except for the Other ICT category.

Microsoft Corp has strong patent portfolio in Computers and Office Machinery with
90.4% (66 patents) of its applications, although some 9.6% were distributed over
other subclasses having Other ICT being the least.

Among the top 20 assignees, Microsoft Corp showed high interest in
Computers/Office Machinery - 66 patents, Qualcomm in both Consumer Electronics
and Telecommunications -39 and 791 patents, respectively, and Fisher-Rosemount
Systems in Other ICT – 31 patents.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Korea’s electronics giant, garnered second best in
Consumer Electronics with 30 patents (75%) on its portfolio. 25% (10 patents) of its
applications were related to Telecommunications and the rest were distributed over
the remaining ICT categories.
4. Inventor Analysis

4.1 20 Most Prolific Inventor

Fig 4.1a – Top Inventors in the ICT field

 Country Inventor No of Rank
Patents
US AGRAWAL, Avneesh 80 1
US MONTOJO, Juan 80 1
US KHANDEKAR, Aamod D. 74 2
US MALLADI, Durga Prasad 71 3
US GOROKHOV, Alexei Y. 67 4
US NANDA, Sanjiv 57 5
US AGASHE, Parag A. 56 6
US PALANKI, Ravi 50 7
JP HIGUCHI, Kenichi 50 7
JP SAWAHASHI, Mamoru 50 7
US HORN, Gavin B. 49 8
US ULUPINAR, Fatih 45 9
US PRAKASH, Rajat 44 10
US JI, Tingfang 41 11
US YAVUZ, Mehmet 41 11
JP IWAMURA, Mikio 40 12
US BHUSHAN, Naga 38 13
JP KISHIYAMA, Yoshihisa 32 14
US GUPTA, Rajarshi 31 15
US GAAL, Peter 29 16
US KIM, Byoung-Hoon 28 17
US TEAGUE, Edward, Harrison 28 17
US TINNAKORNSRISUPHAP, Peerapol 28 17
US LUO, Tao 26 18
US DESHPANDE, Manoj M. 24 19
US DAMNJANOVIC, Aleksandar 23 20
US SONG, Osok 23 20
US TENNY, Nathan E. 23 20
JP ISHII, Minami 23 20
US WALTON, Jay Rodney 23 20
Table 4.1a – Top Inventors in the ICT field

Fig 4.1a and Table 4.1a shows the prolific inventors belonging to the top 20 amongst the
more than 5,000 inventors in the field of ICT. The graph also shows the number of patents
applied for by these technical experts, depicting the density of their work and dedication to
this particular field.

The most prolific inventors belonging to the highest rank in the list are Avneesh Agrawal
(US) and Juan Montojo (US). The two experts have 80 patents each to their credit.
Out of the 30 prolific inventors, 25 were residents from US and 5 from Japan. The US
inventors belong to only 1.2% of all the US inventors in this field, while the Japanese
inventors belong to a much lower 0.51% of all the JP inventors with ICT-related patent
filings.

In terms of ICT collaborations and other technical work arrangements which may be in-
licensing or cross licensing, these experts and their assignees can be primarily considered.

4.2 Patenting Spread of Top 20 Inventors Across IPC

Fig 4.2a – Patenting spread of the top inventors

Country Inventor Computers, Consumer Other Telecommunications No of
Code Office Electronics ICT Patents
Machinery
US AGRAWAL, Avneesh 2 80 80
US MONTOJO, Juan 1 80 80
US KHANDEKAR, Aamod D. 74 74
US MALLADI, Durga Prasad 1 71 71
US GOROKHOV, Alexei Y. 67 67
US NANDA, Sanjiv 57 57
US AGASHE, Parag A. 56 56
US PALANKI, Ravi 50 50
JP HIGUCHI, Kenichi 50 50
JP SAWAHASHI, Mamoru 50 50
US HORN, Gavin B. 49 49
US ULUPINAR, Fatih 45 45
US PRAKASH, Rajat 44 44
US JI, Tingfang 41 41
US YAVUZ, Mehmet 41 41
JP IWAMURA, Mikio 2 40 40
US BHUSHAN, Naga 1 38 38
JP KISHIYAMA, Yoshihisa 32 32
US GUPTA, Rajarshi 31 31
US GAAL, Peter 29 29
US KIM, Byoung-Hoon 28 28
US TEAGUE, Edward, Harrison 28 28
US TINNAKORNSRISUPHAP, 2 26 28
Peerapol
US LUO, Tao 26 26
US DESHPANDE, Manoj M. 24 24
US DAMNJANOVIC, Aleksandar 23 23
US SONG, Osok 23 23
US TENNY, Nathan E. 23 23
JP ISHII, Minami 23 23
US WALTON, Jay Rodney 23 23
Table 4.2a – Patenting spread of the top inventors

Fig 4.2a and Table 4.2a reveals the patenting spread of the top inventors in the field of ICT.

Almost all of the prolific inventors were strongly focused in the area of Telecommunications
making it the most favored category in the field of ICT. It was only Peerapol
Tinnakornsrisuphap (US) who has extended his/her technical area of expertise additionally
covering Consumer Electronics with 2 patent applications to his/her credit.
4.3 Inventor-Assignee/Company Network

Inventor Country of Assignee Country of Sum

Inventor Assignee

1 AGRAWAL, Avneesh US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 80

2 MONTOJO, Juan US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 80
3 KHANDEKAR, Aamod D. US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 74
4 MALLADI, Durga Prasad US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 71
5 GOROKHOV, Alexei Y. US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 67
6 NANDA, Sanjiv US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 57
7 AGASHE, Parag A. US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 56
8 PALANKI, Ravi US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 50
9 SAWAHASHI, Mamoru JP NTT DOCOMO, INC. JP 49
10 HIGUCHI, Kenichi JP NTT DOCOMO, INC. JP 49
11 HORN, Gavin B. US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 49
12 ULUPINAR, Fatih US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 45
13 PRAKASH, Rajat US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 44
14 JI, Tingfang US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 41
15 YAVUZ, Mehmet US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 41
16 IWAMURA, Mikio JP NTT DOCOMO, INC. JP 40
17 BHUSHAN, Naga US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 38
18 GUPTA, Rajarshi US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 31
19 KISHIYAMA, Yoshihisa JP NTT DOCOMO, INC. JP 31
20 GAAL, Peter US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 29
21 TINNAKORNSRISUPHAP, US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 28
Peerapol
22 KIM, Byoung-Hoon US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 28
23 TEAGUE, Edward, Harrison US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 28
24 LUO, Tao US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 26
25 DESHPANDE, Manoj M. US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 24
26 TENNY, Nathan E. US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 23
27 ISHII, Minami JP NTT DOCOMO, INC. JP 23
28 SONG, Osok US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 23
29 DAMNJANOVIC, Aleksandar US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 23
30 WALTON, Jay Rodney US QUALCOMM INCORPORATED US 23
Table 4.3 – Inventor-Assignee Network

Table 4.3 reveals the prolific inventors belonging to the top 20 amongst the more than 5,000
inventors in the field of ICT and their corresponding assignees/companies.

The data shows that 25 (83.3%) of the 30 inventors were US residents and worked under the
US semiconductor/telecom giant Qualcomm Incorporated, while the remaining 5 (16.7%)
were JP inventors from NTT Docomo, Inc. of Japan.
Interestingly, the graphs show that the two top ranked assignees/companies have the widest
network of the most prolific inventors giving them a strong patent portfolio and the best
competitive advantage they can have.

These inventors and assignees are to be sought when considering collaborative works and
other technical work arrangements in the area of Telecommunications.

5. White Space Analysis

To find a niche in the area of ICT research and development, white space analysis should be
carried out. In a white space analysis, available technological areas or space are carefully
identified from densely populated and much bigger regions of technology. This can give the
companies/corporations the options of carrying out new research activities in the identified
areas and/or combining new research with other crowded areas of technology.

The presence of white space in the field of ICT is analyzed as follows:

1. Fig 2.1c – Distribution of patents across the whole ICT field
• Fig 2.1c shows that the main ICT subfields under Telecommunications with the
least favored subclasses are Semiconductor lasers and Ciphering apparatus, each
of which has only 2 patents. Semiconductor lasers include H01S 3 and H01S 5
while the Ciphering apparatus includes only G09C.
• The same graph reveals that the least favored subclass in Consumer electronics is
Tuning resonant circuits with only 1 patent application. It is classified under H03J.
• In Computers and office machinery, the least favored subclass is Stamping
apparatus with only 1 patent application and classified under B01K.
• Electric discharge tubes subclass is the least favored subclass in Other ICT
subcategory. It is classified under H01J.
2. Fig 3.2a – Distribution of top 20 assignees across ICT field
• In terms of the technical areas in which the top 20 assignees are primarily
involved, we can say that there are fewer applications in Other ICT. These
assignees have weak patent portfolios in these areas.
• Taking into account all the players in the ICT field, the area of Consumer
electronics is the least favored subcategory comprising only 11.5% of all the
applications.
3. Fig 4.2a – Patenting spread of the top inventors
• Consumer electronics is the area with negligible patent filings in terms of the
patenting activity of the prolific inventors.

Although the white space analysis is a great analytical tool in identifying available areas of
technology, it is not, in any way, an absolute process of finding out what technological areas
need much consideration especially in terms of investment and frontier research as there are
other important factors that need to be equally considered.
6. FINDINGS/OBSERVATIONS

o We know the fact that the country’s development depends in part on

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and ICT, undoubtedly,
plays an important role in socio-economic and technological development of
a country. However, ICT-related patents filed in the Philippines through PCT
comprised only 16% of the total applications based on the patent data from
CY 2005-2013. How can we realize ICT’s boundless economic prospects when
we only have a fraction of the patent applications filed in the Philippines
through PCT?

AU-ICT suggests that to realize these opportunities, proactive involvement in

the development of ICT-related technologies and active participation in the
fast growing ICT markets are inevitable. It is not enough being an ICT
adopter if a country wants to really grab the opportunities that come along
with it like jobs and wealth creation. Participation in ICT development,
therefore, requires strong R&D effort thereby creating an environment for
ICT innovation rather than just using the technology.

o Most of the patent assignees coming in, in the area of ICT are located in the
United States of America (US) having 415 assignees for the years 2005-2013,
comprising 33% of the total number of assignees involved in patenting ICT-
related technology in the Philippines. Taking the second topmost rank, Japan
(JP) lags far behind the US with 169 patent assignees accounting to 14% of the
total number of assignees. This is equivalent to only 40% of the number of US
patent assignees. The Philippines on the other hand has only seven (7)
assignees in ICT-related PCT-filed patents application. The lone company
among the seven (7) assignees is Nextix Labs Inc., while the rest are
individual inventors from the academe.

The reasons may be attributed to the following:

a. Local companies not considering global expansion; not feeling the
need of patenting technologies in other counties.
b. Not yet riding the patent filing frenzy of harnessing the capability of
PCT filing system.
c. Lack of R & D activity, and therefore no technology to offer.

o In general, the trend shows that the patenting activity in the area of ICT in the
Philippines is heavily dominated by the US which just proves its enormity in
terms of R & D in this area. Asian countries such as Japan, Korea and
Singapore, and European countries like Germany and United Kingdom are
also prime locations of assignees with patent applications in PH relating to
ICT.

o The ICT area in terms of the patent applications filed in the Philippines via
the PCT route is largely dominated by Telecommunications with 1,602 patent
applications, comprising 41% of the total ICT-related patent applications. The
 field of Telecommunications comprises several sub-classifications like Radio
Navigation, Transmission Systems for Measured Values, Waveguides,
Multiplex Communication, etc.

The top ICT sub-fields are widely distributed across the four (4) main-fields
of ICT. The topmost field, Telecommunications, garnered six (6) top sub-
fields, while Consumer Electronics, Computers and Other Fields all acquired
two (2) top subfields each. The result reflects how diverse and intricate an
ICT invention can become.

o Qualcomm Incorporated leads the other companies in this field, having a

total of 851 published patent applications in its portfolio. Qualcomm’s share
comprises 22% of the total number of PCT-filed application in PH relating to
ICT. NTT Docomo Inc., Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (PUBL), Nokia
Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Nokia Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd. having 118, 114, 73, 45 and 41 patent applications in their respective
portfolios go behind Qualcomm Incorporated.

Qualcomm Incorporated, the top ranked company in the ICT field, has a
wider scope in terms of technical areas, as it comprises all the categories of
ICT, although Telecommunications remains to be its major concern
comprising around 93% (791 patents) of its patent applications. The
remaining 7% are distributed across the other three ICT fields.

o The most prolific inventors belonging to the highest rank in the list are
Avneesh Agrawal (US) and Juan Montojo (US). The two experts have 80
patents each to their credit. Out of the 30 prolific inventors, 25 were residents
from US and 5 from Japan. In terms of ICT collaborations and other technical
work arrangements which may be in-licensing or cross licensing, these
experts and their assignees can be primarily considered.

Almost all of the prolific inventors were strongly focused in the area of
Telecommunications making it the most favored category in the field of
ICT. It was only Peerapol Tinnakornsrisuphap (US) who has extended
his/her technical area of expertise additionally covering Consumer
Electronics with 2 patent applications to his/her credit.

25 (83.3%) of the 30 inventors were US residents and worked under the

US semiconductor/telecom giant Qualcomm Incorporated, while the
remaining 5 (16.7%) were JP inventors from NTT Docomo, Inc. of Japan.

o Interestingly, the analysis shows that the two top ranked

assignees/companies have the widest network of the most prolific
inventors giving them a strong patent portfolio and the best competitive
advantage they can have.

o The presence of white space in the field of ICT is analyzed as follows:

a. Based on the distribution of patents across the whole ICT field
o The main ICT subfields under Telecommunications with the least
favored subclasses are Semiconductor lasers and Ciphering apparatus,
each of which has only 2 patents. Semiconductor lasers include H01S 3
and H01S 5 while the Ciphering apparatus includes only G09C.
o The same graph reveals that the least favored subclass in Consumer
electronics is Tuning resonant circuits with only 1 patent application.
It is classified under H03J.
o In Computers and office machinery, the least favored subclass is
Stamping apparatus with only 1 patent application and classified
under B01K.
o Electric discharge tubes subclass is the least favored subclass in Other
ICT subcategory. It is classified under H01J.
b. Based on the distribution of top 20 assignees across ICT field
o In terms of the technical areas in which the top 20 assignees are
primarily involved, we can say that there are fewer applications in
Other ICT. These assignees have weak patent portfolios in these areas.
o Taking into account all the players in the ICT field, the area of
Consumer electronics is the least favored subcategory comprising
only 11.5% of all the applications.
c. Based on the patenting spread of the top inventors
o Consumer electronics is the area with negligible patent filings in terms
of the patenting activity of the prolific inventors.
7. REFERENCES

1. [NWPH] - http://www.president.gov.ph/daang_matuwid/philippines-new-darling-
of-global-investors-2/
2. [OECD-CP] - Patents, Innovation and Economic Performance, OECD Conference
Proceedings (2004) -
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+and+patenting&source=bl&ots=T0WK7_n7zR&sig=_5cDfMiKeHgVG54yBqdya0uz
WXc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jRHvUpvlOsnsoASrnYKoCA&ved=0CEUQ6AEwCDgK#v=on
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Patricia May M. Abejo, Information and Communications Technology Office
Department of Science and Technology
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no-269-s-2004/
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