Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

Industries worldwide face growing pressure to improve safety, driven by stringent regulations and the rising cost of accidents. Labor shortages in sectors like logistics and construction also necessitate technologies that enhance worker safety without increasing headcount. This system offers a critical solution by providing superior situational awareness, enabling companies to meet safety mandates, reduce operational downtime, and protect their workforce in an increasingly complex operational environment.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Achieves high-precision multi-detection of pedestrians and vehicles from blind spots over a wide range, potentially reducing accident risk significantly.

02

Provides intuitive information display directly on the vehicle's windshield, allowing drivers to grasp situations without shifting gaze, improving judgment speed and avoidance accuracy.

03

Prevents unpredictable head-on collisions at blind intersections or curves by utilizing weak radio waves from pedestrian mobile terminals, addressing challenges difficult for prior art.

Market Opportunity
$600M–$700M globally (AI est.)
There is a growing need for collision prevention between forklifts and workers, and for efficient safety management within warehouses, which could accelerate adoption.
Major logistics fleet operators Warehouse automation solution providers Forklift and material handling equipment manufacturers
$500M–$600M globally (AI est.)
Contact accidents between heavy machinery and workers are frequent, making high-precision location detection for safety and improved operational efficiency an urgent requirement.
Heavy construction equipment manufacturers Construction site safety technology providers Large-scale infrastructure project developers
$7.5B–$8.5B globally (AI est.)
As autonomous driving levels advance, demand for beyond-line-of-sight detection and blind spot coverage, exceeding the capabilities of existing sensors, is rapidly increasing.
Tier 1 automotive suppliers for ADAS Autonomous vehicle technology developers Automotive OEMs integrating advanced safety features
$3B–$3.5B globally (AI est.)
Building city-wide traffic safety infrastructure, particularly pedestrian protection at intersections and crosswalks, is a priority, and this technology could play a crucial role.
Smart city infrastructure developers Urban planning and traffic management authorities Public safety and emergency response technology providers
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a collision prevention system that integrates weak radio wave detection from pedestrian and vehicle terminals with road-installed relays, displaying combined position information on a vehicle's windshield. The claims are robust, having successfully navigated a rigorous examination process, indicating strong novelty and inventiveness.

Competitive White Space

While this patent covers multi-sensor detection and intuitive display, it leaves white space in areas such as advanced predictive analytics for collision trajectories, integration with active vehicle control systems, or novel human-machine interfaces beyond windshield projection.

Economic Impact
~$850K/year estimated accident-related cost reduction per facility (AI est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Assuming an average of 5 vehicle-to-person or vehicle-to-vehicle collisions per year for an adopting company, with an average cost of $200,000 per incident (AI est.) (including repairs, compensation, insurance increases, production losses, and reputational damage). A 50% reduction in these incidents could save ~$500,000 annually. Additionally, if 100 minor contact incidents or near misses occur annually, each costing ~$3,500 (AI est.), a 50% reduction could save ~$175,000. Total potential annual cost savings could reach ~$675,000 (AI est.).

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
This technology integrates multiple elements such as weak radio wave detection and windshield information display. Developing it from scratch in-house could take at least 4 years for R&D, system integration, and validation. However, licensing this patent significantly shortens the core technology validation phase, enabling prototype development and early market entry in approximately 1 year. With the technical foundation established by this patent, licensees can optimize development resources and gain a competitive edge.
Competitive Positioning

X: Detection Accuracy & Reliability
Y: Intuitive Driving Assistance

Business Models & Applications
🚗 Product Licensing
This model grants permission to integrate the technology into vehicles, autonomous driving systems, and smart devices developed and manufactured by licensees. It is expected to generate widespread market deployment and revenue through royalties and licensing fees.
🏢 B2B Solution Provision
This model offers a collision prevention and safety management system, with this technology at its core, as a SaaS/PaaS solution for specific industries like logistics, construction, and factories. It can establish a stable revenue base through monthly subscriptions and implementation fees.
🌐 Infrastructure Integration Services
This model involves collaborating with smart city initiatives and traffic infrastructure operators to deploy wide-area traffic safety information services utilizing the road relay network. It aims to contribute to overall urban safety and foster new data-driven businesses.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
👵 Elderly Care & Monitoring
Elderly Wandering Prevention & Monitoring System
This system could be applied to continuously track the location of elderly individuals wearing weak radio wave tags, linked with indoor and outdoor relay devices. It has the potential to issue alerts upon entry into dangerous areas or falls, thereby reducing caregiver burden and enhancing senior safety, potentially improving response times by 50%.
🏭 Smart Factory Operations
Hazard Zone Intrusion Detection & Worker Safety
Workers and AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) in factories could carry terminals, enabling real-time detection of proximity to dangerous machinery or areas. Adapting the windshield display principle to directly warn workers could prevent accidents and improve productivity by reducing incidents by up to 60%.
🚨 Disaster Prevention & Security
Disaster Evacuee Location Tracking System
In disaster scenarios, this system could be used to track the location of evacuees carrying mobile terminals and identify dangerous spots on evacuation routes via a network of relay devices. This could optimize rescue operations and evacuation guidance, potentially speeding up search and rescue efforts by 30%.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Requirements & Design
Duration: 3 months
Define integration requirements with existing systems and begin core module design. Prepare for Proof of Concept (PoC) environment setup.
Phase 2: Prototype & Field Validation
Duration: 9 months
Develop prototypes based on the design. Conduct field trials in small-scale environments or test courses to verify functionality and performance, identify issues, and implement improvements.
Phase 3: Commercialization & Market Launch
Duration: 6 months
Based on validation results, proceed with final development for commercialization and establish mass production systems. Launch full market introduction alongside targeted marketing strategies.
Technical Feasibility
This technology is achievable by combining general-purpose weak radio wave modules, GPS modules, communication modules, and display devices. The patent claims clearly describe the coordination of these components, suggesting easy integration into existing vehicle systems and traffic infrastructure. Specifically, relay devices are envisioned for installation on roadside utility poles or existing structures, indicating technical compatibility that allows for phased deployment without massive new infrastructure investment.
Success Scenario
Implementing this technology could reduce the collision accident rate caused by human error in logistics warehouses and construction sites by up to 70% from the current annual average. This would ensure employee safety, significantly reduce work interruptions and liability risks due to accidents, and is estimated to avoid economic losses potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Ultimately, it is expected to greatly contribute to increased site productivity and enhanced employee confidence.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2020-218471
REGISTRATION NO.
7008785
FILING DATE
2020/12/28
GRANT DATE
2022/01/13
EXPIRATION DATE
2040/12/28
PATENT HOLDER
坂本　昂志
Examination History
2021年01月20日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2021年05月25日
出願審査請求書
2021年10月11日
早期審査に関する事情説明書
2021年10月20日
早期審査に関する通知書
2021年11月04日
拒絶理由通知書
2021年11月25日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2021年11月25日
意見書
2021年12月22日
特許査定