Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global push towards Industry 4.0, smart logistics, and autonomous systems is driving demand for reliable, high-precision positioning solutions. Companies are investing heavily in automation to counter rising labor costs and enhance supply chain resilience. This technology provides a critical enabler for these trends, offering a cost-effective way to deploy autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in complex operational environments, thereby improving productivity and safety across manufacturing, warehousing, and construction sectors.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Ensures stable, high-precision positioning indoors and outdoors, significantly reducing sensor errors and drift even in dynamic environments.

02

Leverages existing infrastructure by combining image data and wireless communication, enabling rapid deployment and cost-efficient operations without major new investments.

03

Establishes a robust intellectual property foundation, having successfully navigated rigorous prior art examination (4 citations) and office actions, ensuring strong patent validity.

Market Opportunity
Logistics & Warehouse Digital Transformation
$3.5B globally (AI est.)
The logistics industry faces severe labor shortages, making the rapid adoption of autonomous transport robots and drones critical. This drives significant investment in high-precision positioning technology as a foundational element.
Logistics automation solution providers E-commerce fulfillment center operators Warehouse robotics manufacturers Supply chain technology integrators
Smart Manufacturing
$2B globally (AI est.)
To maximize production efficiency and ensure stringent quality control, real-time tracking of parts and products on manufacturing lines, along with autonomous AGV operation, is essential. High-precision positioning forms the core of these capabilities.
Industrial automation integrators AGV and AMR manufacturers Large-scale discrete manufacturers Smart factory solution providers
Construction & Infrastructure Inspection
$1.5B globally (AI est.)
Driven by a shortage of skilled labor and the need for improved safety, the automation of construction machinery and drone-based infrastructure inspection is accelerating. High-precision positioning technology is crucial for unstable outdoor environments.
Heavy equipment manufacturers Drone inspection service providers Infrastructure management companies Construction technology developers
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a positioning system that combines image processing and wireless communication to achieve high accuracy and stability. Its validity is reinforced by successfully overcoming rigorous prior art examination and office actions, providing a strong legal foundation for long-term business development.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers image-based and wireless communication positioning. White space exists for licensees to develop complementary IP in advanced sensor fusion (e.g., integrating LiDAR or radar), or in secure data transmission and blockchain-based location verification systems.

Economic Impact
~$1.5M/year estimated operational cost reduction per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

In smart factory AGV operations, assuming 200 hours/month of stops, restarts, and manual intervention due to positioning errors. Two operators at ~$17/hour (AI est.) incur an annual labor cost of ~$80K (AI est.). This technology could reduce manual intervention by 80%, saving ~$64K/year (AI est.) in labor costs. Additionally, a 5% increase in AGV uptime could boost annual production by ~$0.5M (AI est.). Combined with maintenance savings and improved production efficiency, the total economic impact could reach ~$1.5M/year (AI est.).

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
This technology is a research outcome from a national R&D institution, combining established image processing and wireless communication elements. The core algorithms are likely proven at the proof-of-concept stage. Its high compatibility with existing image sensors and wireless communication devices means licensees could significantly reduce technology validation and prototype development compared to in-house development, shortening time-to-market by approximately 2.2 years.
Competitive Positioning

X: Environmental Adaptability & Precision
Y: Deployment Cost-Performance

Business Models & Applications
🧩 Positioning Module Supply
Provide positioning modules embedded with this technology to manufacturers of robots, drones, and AGVs, facilitating easy integration into existing products and accelerating market entry.
🌐 Positioning Data API Service
Offer high-precision positioning data, acquired from systems installed in factories and warehouses, as an API service. This enables seamless integration with third-party IoT platforms and operational systems.
💡 On-site Digital Transformation Solutions
Deliver comprehensive positioning solutions, centered on this technology, for smart factories and logistics warehouses. This provides tailored services to address specific on-site challenges for client companies.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🚗 Autonomous Driving & MaaS
High-Precision Positioning for Next-Gen Autonomous Vehicles
In urban areas with tall buildings or tunnels where GPS signals are unreliable, this system could provide highly accurate and stable position information for autonomous vehicles by integrating image data and wireless communication. This could enhance safety and efficiency for future mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) applications, reducing navigation errors by up to 90%.
🧑‍⚕️ Healthcare & Monitoring
Indoor Behavior Monitoring for Hospitals & Care Facilities
In hospitals and care facilities, this technology could accurately track patient and elderly movement indoors without sensor malfunctions, supporting fall prevention, wandering detection, and rapid emergency response. This could improve patient safety by reducing incidents by an estimated 30-50% and optimize staff response times.
🌳 Smart Agriculture
Precision Agriculture with Autonomous Farm Machinery & Drones
For vast farmlands or uneven terrains where GNSS signals can be unstable, this system could precisely control the autonomous navigation of unmanned farm machinery and agricultural drones. This enables highly accurate crop management and efficient operations, potentially boosting yield efficiency by 10-20% through optimized resource application.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technical Feasibility & Basic Design
Duration: 3 months
Licensees confirm compatibility with existing hardware (cameras, wireless communication devices) and develop a basic design for integrating the core algorithms with their systems.
Phase 2: Prototype Development & Validation
Duration: 6 months
Based on the basic design, a prototype system is developed in a small-scale environment. Positioning accuracy, stability, and data linkage are validated using actual mobile objects to identify and resolve issues.
Phase 3: Pilot Deployment & Full Integration
Duration: 9 months
Leveraging insights from prototype validation, a large-scale pilot is conducted in a near-operational environment. After final adjustments, full system deployment and operation commence.
Technical Feasibility
This technology comprises a sensor unit for acquiring image information of mobile objects, a server unit responding to wireless device requests, and a wireless unit. It can be implemented by combining general-purpose cameras and wireless communication modules. The patent claims indicate high compatibility with existing image processing systems and IoT devices, requiring no large-scale dedicated equipment investment, allowing licensees to integrate it into existing infrastructure with relatively low technical hurdles.
Success Scenario
Implementing this technology could enhance AGV positioning accuracy in logistics warehouses, potentially reducing out-of-route stops and collision risks by 90%. This could lead to a 15% increase in average AGV uptime, resulting in an estimated ~$1M/year (AI est.) improvement in operational efficiency and reduced insurance costs due to enhanced safety. Furthermore, a significant reduction in manual monitoring and intervention could alleviate operator burden and contribute to labor savings.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-006417
REGISTRATION NO.
7576836
FILING DATE
2021/01/19
GRANT DATE
2024/10/24
EXPIRATION DATE
2041/01/19
PATENT HOLDER
国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構
Examination History
2023年12月06日
出願審査請求書
2024年05月21日
拒絶理由通知書
2024年07月22日
意見書
2024年07月22日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2024年10月01日
特許査定