Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The automotive industry is rapidly evolving towards shared mobility and autonomous fleet operations, demanding highly flexible and cost-effective vehicle management solutions. As regulatory pressures increase for efficient resource utilization and reduced carbon footprints, optimizing fleet operations through advanced remote control and multi-vehicle compatibility becomes critical. This technology supports these trends by simplifying complex fleet logistics, enabling greater asset utilization, and driving down operational overheads across diverse vehicle ecosystems.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Reduces device procurement and management costs by up to ~30% annually by standardizing relay units across multiple vehicle types, optimizing capital expenditure and enhancing profitability.

02

Enhances communication quality and operational reliability by automatically switching to vehicle-specific optimized communication parameters, significantly improving remote control stability and user experience.

03

Establishes strong market differentiation due to high technical originality, evidenced by only three prior art documents cited by the examiner, securing a competitive advantage and first-mover benefits.

Market Opportunity
Car Sharing & Rental
$3B–$3.5B globally (AI est.)
Enhancing user convenience and optimizing vehicle management are critical. Multi-vehicle compatibility enables flexible fleet configuration and cost reduction, boosting service competitiveness.
Car sharing platform providers Major rental car companies Fleet management software developers
Fleet Management (Logistics & Commercial)
$5B–$5.5B globally (AI est.)
There is a high demand for efficient operation of numerous vehicles and maximizing utilization rates. This technology resolves complex key management and facilitates remote vehicle movement and status checks, contributing to reduced operational and labor costs.
Logistics and delivery fleet operators Commercial vehicle manufacturers Telematics solution providers
Smart Parking Systems
$2B–$2.5B globally (AI est.)
Integration with automated valet parking and remote vehicle movement systems within parking facilities is anticipated. Multi-vehicle compatibility could promote automation and efficiency in parking operations, offering new value-added services.
Smart parking solution developers Real estate and property management firms Automotive OEMs developing autonomous parking
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a relay system that enables common use of portable and vehicle-mounted relays across different vehicle types by storing and switching vehicle-specific communication parameters. The patent has demonstrated strong originality and novelty, having overcome multiple rejections with precise arguments and amendments, indicating a robust and difficult-to-invalidate right.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers the multi-vehicle relay system and its parameter switching. White space exists in developing advanced biometric authentication for remote access or integrating the system with broader V2X communication protocols for enhanced smart city applications.

Economic Impact
~$150K/year estimated operational cost savings per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Implementing this technology could enable fleet management companies operating multiple vehicle types to reduce procurement costs for dedicated relay units and associated labor costs for setup and maintenance. For example, a company managing 5 vehicle types, each with 50 relay units (total 250 units), could achieve approximately 20% device cost reduction by using common relay units instead of 250 vehicle-specific units, saving ~$100K annually (AI est.). Additionally, reducing setup and maintenance efforts by 200 hours per year could yield labor cost savings of ~$50K annually (AI est.). Total estimated annual cost savings could exceed ~$150K (AI est.).

Speed to Market
6× faster than in-house development
This technology utilizes existing components by housing the internal circuit board assembly of genuine or smart keys. Communication parameter switching is primarily software-controlled, eliminating the need for extensive new hardware development. This significantly shortens complex processes like multi-vehicle communication protocol analysis and dedicated hardware design, which would be required for in-house development. With established algorithms, integration into existing vehicle systems can be minimized, enabling market entry in approximately six months.
Competitive Positioning

X: Multi-Vehicle Compatibility
Y: Remote Operation Reliability & Convenience

Business Models & Applications
🤝 Technology Licensing (Integration into Existing Systems)
License this technology to automotive manufacturers and major fleet management system vendors, promoting its integration into existing vehicle control systems and management platforms for rapid, broad market deployment.
📦 Relay Device Sales (B2B)
Develop and manufacture portable and vehicle-mounted relay devices implementing this technology, selling directly to B2B customers such as car-sharing operators, rental companies, and logistics firms, offering high cost-effectiveness and low initial deployment.
☁️ Remote Management Platform Integration Service
Leverage this technology to offer services integrating with cloud-based platforms for unified remote management of multiple vehicles. A monthly subscription model ensures recurring revenue and comprehensively addresses customer operational challenges.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🏭 Factory & Warehouse Management
Universal Remote Control for AGVs & Robots
Implement a common relay system for Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and industrial robots from various manufacturers operating in factories and warehouses. By switching communication parameters based on the robot type, a single controller could efficiently remotely operate and manage multiple devices, potentially improving operational efficiency by ~25%.
🏢 Smart Building & Facility Management
Multi-Site, Multi-Device Universal Access Control
Control access rights and operations for various facilities (doors, elevators, HVAC) across large-scale or multi-site properties using a common portable device and relay system. Switching optimal access parameters based on user authority could create a smart access system that balances security and convenience, potentially reducing access management overhead by ~30%.
🏠 Smart Home & IoT Appliances
Multi-Vendor IoT Appliance Universal Hub
Develop a universal hub for smart home environments with mixed smart appliances and IoT devices from different manufacturers. The relay could automatically identify and switch communication protocols for each device, enabling seamless operation and management of all appliances from a single user interface, potentially boosting user convenience by ~40%.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 15-Month Deployment
Phase 1: PoC & Requirements Definition
Duration: 3 months
Conduct communication protocol analysis for specific vehicle types of the adopting company and perform a Proof of Concept (PoC) for the technology's core functions (parameter switching, remote control). Simultaneously, define concrete implementation requirements and system design direction.
Phase 2: Prototype Development & Validation
Duration: 6 months
Develop prototypes for the portable and vehicle-mounted relay units based on defined requirements. Thoroughly validate communication quality, operational reliability, and multi-vehicle compatibility in real-world environments to ensure stable system operation.
Phase 3: Mass Production & Market Rollout
Duration: 6 months
Transition to mass production design, incorporating insights from prototype validation. Establish manufacturing partnerships, finalize preparations for market launch, and execute deployment strategies for target markets. Implement continuous improvements based on post-adoption feedback.
Technical Feasibility
This technology features a structure that houses the internal circuit board assembly of existing genuine or smart keys, with its switch and auxiliary switch arranged in an overlapping manner. This design allows for relatively easy system integration without significant modifications to existing key modules. Communication parameter switching is primarily software-based, eliminating the need for extensive hardware changes or new dedicated equipment. Built upon generic wireless communication modules, feature expansion through software updates is also straightforward, indicating a low technical barrier to adoption.
Success Scenario
Upon adoption, fleet management companies could centralize the remote control of multiple vehicle types from different manufacturers using a single system. This may significantly reduce the management burden of dedicated keys and relays for each vehicle, with estimated operational cost reductions of ~20% annually. Smoother remote vehicle movement and status checks could also improve vehicle utilization by ~10%, ultimately enhancing service delivery speed and quality for customers and fostering new business opportunities.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2020-075082
REGISTRATION NO.
6957052
FILING DATE
2020/04/21
GRANT DATE
2021/10/08
EXPIRATION DATE
2040/04/21
PATENT HOLDER
株式会社ユピテル
Examination History
2020年05月19日
出願審査請求書
2021年02月09日
拒絶理由通知書
2021年04月12日
意見書
2021年04月12日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2021年06月15日
拒絶理由通知書
2021年08月13日
意見書
2021年08月13日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2021年08月31日
特許査定