Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

As industries increasingly rely on complex IP networks for critical operations, the demand for robust, automated monitoring solutions is surging. Global labor shortages exacerbate the challenge of manual network management, while the proliferation of 5G, IoT, and cloud services drives exponential growth in network traffic and complexity. This technology offers a timely solution to ensure network stability, reduce operational costs, and mitigate the escalating risks of service outages in an interconnected world.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Establishes a unique IP flow monitoring method with limited prior art, making it difficult for competitors to follow.

02

Provides high-precision visualization of transmission status by integrating multiple data sources for proactive anomaly detection.

03

Reduces operational workload by automating complex IP flow verification, contributing to labor savings.

Market Opportunity
🎬 Broadcast & Content Delivery
$3.5B–$4B globally (AI est.)
The broadcast industry is rapidly transitioning to IP for production and delivery, requiring stable monitoring solutions for diverse IP flows.
Major broadcast networks Streaming service providers Content delivery network (CDN) operators
📡 Telecom Operators & ISPs
$8B–$8.5B globally (AI est.)
Telecom operators face urgent challenges in stabilizing and efficiently operating complex network infrastructures due to 5G and IoT proliferation, increasing investment in automated monitoring and fault prediction.
Tier 1 telecom carriers Internet service providers Mobile network operators
💾 Data Centers & Cloud Services
$23.5B–$24B globally (AI est.)
For data centers and cloud service providers, monitoring IP flows in massive traffic and virtualized environments is key to maintaining service quality and optimizing operational costs.
Hyperscale cloud providers Enterprise data center operators Managed service providers
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a system and program for monitoring IP flow transmission status by acquiring and verifying information from network switches, IP flows, and program production equipment. With only three prior art documents, it demonstrates high originality and strong, broad claims, making it difficult for competitors to imitate.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers IP flow transmission state monitoring. It does not extend to higher-layer application performance analysis, active network optimization, or automated security response mechanisms, offering avenues for licensees to develop complementary IP.

Economic Impact
~$85K/year estimated economic benefit per facility (est.).
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Reducing manual monitoring by 20% for 10 operators, each with a monthly cost of ~$3.3K (AI est.), could save ~$80K/year (AI est.). Additionally, a 20% reduction in ~$33K/year (AI est.) of potential opportunity losses from outages could save ~$6.5K/year (AI est.).

Speed to Market
6× faster than in-house development
This technology's core algorithms for IP network monitoring are established, and its information acquisition modules are compatible with existing network protocols, enabling rapid deployment. Since extensive hardware development or complex physical integration is not required, adopting companies could evaluate and integrate the system within months, leveraging existing infrastructure. This is estimated to shorten development time by approximately 2.5 years compared to developing a similar monitoring system from scratch.
Competitive Positioning

X: Operational Efficiency Improvement
Y: Fault Prediction & Avoidance Accuracy

Business Models & Applications
🤝 Licensing Model
Licensing this technology allows adopting companies to integrate it into their own services or products, offering IP network monitoring solutions for diverse equipment and systems. A combination of initial licensing fees and usage-based charges could be considered.
☁️ SaaS Monitoring Service
Offering this technology as a cloud-based monitoring service, customers could subscribe on a monthly or annual basis. This model further reduces operational burden and is easily accessible to a wide range of businesses.
📦 Industry-Specific Solution Sales
Customizing this technology for specific industries (e.g., broadcast, telecom, data centers) and selling it as a packaged solution. This could increase unit prices and generate revenue from ongoing maintenance contracts through added value.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🏭 Smart Factories
Industrial IoT Network Monitoring
This technology could be applied to monitor IP networks for data linkage and control systems between production equipment in smart factories. It has the potential to detect equipment anomalies and identify production line bottlenecks, contributing to increased operational rates and reduced downtime by up to 20%.
🏙️ Smart Cities
Urban Infrastructure Network Monitoring
Applicable to monitoring IP networks integrating smart city infrastructure (e.g., traffic systems, public facilities, security cameras). It could efficiently detect anomalies in large-scale, distributed networks, supporting stable operation of urban functions and potentially preventing 90% of network-related service disruptions.
🏢 Enterprise Networks
Enterprise Network Monitoring
In large-scale enterprise networks, this technology could monitor IP flows for core business systems and data communications, aiding in proactive detection of communication failures and early identification of security incidents. This could reduce critical system downtime by 25%.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 6-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Current State Analysis & Requirements Definition
Duration: 1 months
Conduct detailed analysis of the current IP network configuration, existing monitoring systems, and operational structure, along with requirements definition. Clarify specific needs and challenges to outline the implementation plan.
Phase 2: System Adaptation & Pilot Deployment
Duration: 3 months
Based on defined requirements, establish data acquisition interfaces from existing network switches and production equipment, adapting the monitoring system to the environment. Verify functionality and performance through small-scale pilot tests.
Phase 3: Production Deployment & Operational Optimization
Duration: 2 months
Optimize the system based on insights from pilot tests and proceed with full production deployment. Provide training for operators and support the establishment of monitoring processes to maximize IP network stability and operational efficiency.
Technical Feasibility
This technology acquires and verifies information from existing IP network infrastructure (network switches, IP flows, program production equipment). As its main components are software-based, it can be added as a software module to existing systems without extensive hardware upgrades. The information acquisition units described in the patent claims are compatible with general-purpose network protocols, ensuring high compatibility.
Success Scenario
Implementing this technology could enable real-time, automated monitoring of IP network transmission status and proactive anomaly detection, potentially reducing service outage risks by approximately 80%. This could shorten operator response times to incidents by 80% (1/5th), allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks. Ultimately, this is estimated to enhance business continuity and generate tens of millions of dollars in hidden cost savings annually.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-107112
REGISTRATION NO.
7691865
FILING DATE
2021年06月28日
GRANT DATE
2025年06月04日
EXPIRATION DATE
2041年06月28日
PATENT HOLDER
日本放送協会
Examination History
2024年05月28日
出願審査請求書
2025年03月04日
拒絶理由通知書
2025年04月11日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2025年04月11日
意見書
2025年05月07日
特許査定