Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global push for industrial automation, smart infrastructure, and environmental monitoring is driving demand for robust, self-sufficient sensor technologies. Companies face increasing pressure to reduce operational expenditures, minimize environmental impact, and deploy data collection systems in challenging, off-grid locations. This technology offers a strategic advantage by enabling autonomous sensor networks, reducing reliance on costly power infrastructure, and accelerating the transition to more sustainable and efficient industrial practices worldwide.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Eliminates external power, significantly reducing wiring installation and battery replacement costs.

02

Enables flexible deployment of measurement devices in remote, underwater, or mobile environments, expanding data collection range.

03

Achieves extremely high-precision acoustic pressure measurement in liquids by matching piezoelectric element resonance with ultrasonic transducer oscillation frequency.

Market Opportunity
Smart Factory Solutions
$6.5B–$33.5B globally (AI est.)
Eliminating power wiring for equipment condition monitoring sensors significantly reduces installation costs and maintenance burden, directly leading to improved production efficiency.
Industrial IoT solution providers Factory automation equipment manufacturers Large-scale manufacturing enterprises
Infrastructure Monitoring
$2B–$13.5B globally (AI est.)
Introducing autonomous sensors for structural health monitoring in remote locations like bridges, tunnels, and power lines contributes to aging infrastructure countermeasures.
Civil engineering and construction firms Infrastructure management companies Remote sensing technology developers
Underwater and Marine Survey
$350M–$3.5B globally (AI est.)
Integration into underwater drones and fixed observation buoys enables long-duration, wide-area marine data collection, reducing survey costs.
Marine robotics and AUV manufacturers Oceanographic research equipment suppliers Offshore energy and exploration companies
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a power generation mechanism that uses an ultrasonic transducer to vibrate a liquid, with a piezoelectric element detecting these vibrations and converting them into voltage to drive a measurement device. Its claims specifically cover matching the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element with the oscillation frequency of the ultrasonic transducer, establishing a robust and stable exclusive right that is difficult for competitors to circumvent. The patent's novelty and inventiveness were affirmed after rigorous comparison with nine prior art documents and multiple examination processes.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers ultrasonic power generation for measurement devices in liquid. White space exists in applying similar energy harvesting principles to other vibration sources or for powering non-measurement IoT devices, and integrating advanced energy storage solutions.

Economic Impact
~$400K/year estimated savings per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Assuming a company deploys 100 ultrasonic measurement devices annually, eliminating external power installation costs of ~$3,500 (AI est.) and annual battery/maintenance costs of ~$700 (AI est.) per unit could save ~$400K (AI est.) annually. This represents an estimated 25% reduction in total measurement-related costs.

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
This technology is based on the clear principle of synchronizing the resonance frequency of a piezoelectric element with an ultrasonic transducer. Its core mechanism is well-established, allowing for rapid implementation by selecting and combining existing elemental technologies. While in-house R&D for an ultrasonic power generation mechanism could take several years from principle verification to practical application, adopting this patent could significantly shorten that development period by approximately 2.2 years, enabling faster market entry and competitive advantage.
Competitive Positioning

X: Installation Flexibility
Y: Operational Cost Efficiency

Business Models & Applications
🤝 Technology Licensing
A licensing model for adopting companies to integrate this technology into their own products. Revenue can be generated through technology usage fees, specialized for specific markets or product categories.
💡 Joint Development Partnerships
Collaborate with adopting companies to jointly develop ultrasonic self-powered measurement systems for specific applications. This disperses development risks while rapidly providing solutions tailored to new market needs.
⚙️ Module Supply
Modularize this power generation mechanism and provide it as a component for integration into third-party measurement devices and IoT devices. This promotes versatile application across various equipment and establishes a position as a supplier.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🏥 医療・ヘルスケア
Autonomous Wearable Biosensors
This technology could enable autonomous wearable biosensors, eliminating the need for power cables or battery replacements and improving patient quality of life. It could be implemented as a patch-type sensor, utilizing subtle body vibrations or external ultrasound to self-generate power, enabling continuous physiological data monitoring for extended periods.
🌊 環境モニタリング
Self-Powered Wide-Area Environmental Sensor Networks
This enables autonomous water quality, level, and temperature sensors in remote areas lacking power infrastructure, such as rivers, oceans, or groundwater. Sensor nodes could be deployed to harvest energy from ultrasonic vibrations in river currents or waves, establishing a network for real-time, wide-area environmental data collection.
🚗 自動車・交通インフラ
Road-Mounted Self-Powered Traffic Sensors
This technology could convert tire and subtle road vibrations into ultrasound to power sensors and small devices. For instance, road-embedded sensors could self-generate power to measure traffic volume, providing critical data for smart city traffic optimization and management.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Technology Verification & Requirements
Duration: 3 months
Verify technical compatibility between this technology's core module and the adopting company's existing systems, defining specific implementation requirements. Establish target performance indicators and cost objectives.
Prototype Development & Testing
Duration: 6 months
Develop a prototype incorporating this power generation mechanism based on defined requirements. Conduct internal functional tests, performance evaluations, and stability tests to identify and improve initial issues.
Field Validation & Rollout Prep
Duration: 9 months
Conduct field validation of this technology in a limited operational environment to confirm performance and reliability in real-world use. Based on feedback, make final adjustments and prepare for mass production and full-scale deployment.
Technical Feasibility
This technology is considered relatively easy to integrate into existing ultrasonic systems and measurement devices. Comprising clear components—liquid tank, ultrasonic transducer, piezoelectric element, and measurement device—it could be introduced as an upgrade to existing equipment by synchronizing the piezoelectric element's resonance frequency with the existing ultrasonic transducer's oscillation frequency. Utilizing general-purpose piezoelectric elements and ultrasonic transducers is expected to enable efficient system construction while minimizing large-scale new capital investment.
Success Scenario
Implementing this technology could eliminate external power installation costs for current ultrasonic measurement devices and potentially reduce annual maintenance costs by up to 25%. This flexibility would allow measurement devices to be deployed in locations previously constrained by power availability, potentially enabling comprehensive monitoring of entire factory equipment operational status and an estimated 5% improvement in production efficiency.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2020-025530
REGISTRATION NO.
7431610
FILING DATE
2020/02/18
GRANT DATE
2024/02/06
EXPIRATION DATE
2040/02/18
PATENT HOLDER
株式会社ディスコ
Examination History
2022年12月16日
出願審査請求書
2023年08月29日
拒絶理由通知書
2023年10月26日
意見書
2023年10月26日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2023年11月07日
拒絶理由通知書
2024年01月05日
意見書
2024年01月05日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2024年01月16日
特許査定