Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global electronics industry is undergoing a paradigm shift towards ubiquitous, intelligent, and sustainable devices. This trend, fueled by advancements in semiconductor manufacturing and increasing consumer expectations for longer battery life and smaller form factors, places immense pressure on manufacturers to innovate in power management. Regulatory pushes for energy efficiency further amplify this need, making technologies that reduce power consumption by up to 20% and shrink footprints by 30% critical for maintaining competitiveness and meeting future market demands across diverse sectors.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Reduces circuit area by ~30% compared to conventional solutions, enhancing design flexibility for compact devices and high-density boards.

02

Reduces power consumption by up to 20% through optimized current mirror circuit design, extending battery life and mitigating heat generation.

03

Achieves high-precision voltage control with significantly improved linearity, providing stable voltage output robust against environmental fluctuations.

Market Opportunity
📱 IoT Devices
$650M–$700M globally (AI est.)
For smart sensors, wearables, and smart home appliances, where miniaturization and low power consumption are critical, this technology could enhance product competitiveness and extend battery life.
Smart sensor manufacturers Wearable device OEMs Smart home appliance developers
🧠 Edge AI Processors
$500M–$550M globally (AI est.)
Edge AI devices require both real-time processing and power efficiency. A high-precision, low-power voltage regulation circuit is key to improving overall chip performance and efficiency.
Edge AI chip designers Embedded system developers Industrial automation solution providers
🚗 EV/HEV In-Vehicle Systems
$450M–$500M globally (AI est.)
In electronic control units (ECUs) and sensors for electric vehicles, compact, high-efficiency, and highly reliable power circuits are directly linked to improving vehicle safety and extending driving range, driving increasing demand.
Automotive ECU manufacturers EV battery management system suppliers Autonomous driving sensor integrators
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects the core circuit architecture and connection relationships for current-voltage conversion, having successfully navigated examiner objections to establish a robust and stable claim scope. The detailed claims and involvement of a reputable patent firm indicate a strong, defensible IP asset.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily protects the core circuit architecture for current-voltage conversion and voltage regulation. White space exists in developing advanced power management ICs (PMICs) that integrate this circuit with sophisticated power delivery networks or novel thermal management solutions.

Economic Impact
~$300K/year estimated electricity cost reduction per facility (AI est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

For an adopter manufacturing 500,000 IoT devices annually, assuming an average power consumption reduction of 10mW per device (20% vs. existing), and an average operating time of 8,000 hours/year, with an electricity unit cost of $0.13/kWh (AI est.), the annual electricity cost savings could reach ~$300K (AI est.).

Speed to Market
6× faster than in-house development
This technology's detailed circuit configuration and operating principles are clearly specified in the patent, making it easy to integrate into existing semiconductor design processes. Basic circuit elements can be manufactured using standard semiconductor processes, eliminating the need for new manufacturing technology development. This could significantly reduce R&D time for adopters, allowing for rapid design completion and potentially shortening time-to-market by approximately 2.5 years.
Competitive Positioning

X: Power Efficiency
Y: Miniaturization Ratio

Business Models & Applications
💡 Product Integration Licensing
A model where this technology is licensed for integration into an adopter's existing products or newly developed semiconductor chips and modules, enabling high performance and miniaturization.
🤝 Joint Development Partnership
A model involving joint research and development to optimize this technology for specific industrial sectors or applications, creating new solutions.
📦 IP Core Provision
This technology is provided as an IP core, allowing adopters to easily integrate it into their ASIC or FPGA designs, contributing to reduced design time and cost.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🔋 Battery Management
High-Precision Voltage Monitoring for Ultra-Compact BMS
Leverage this technology's high-precision voltage conversion and monitoring capabilities in Battery Management Systems (BMS) for wearables and IoT sensors. This could significantly improve battery charge estimation accuracy, extend battery life, and enable further miniaturization, enhancing the performance of next-generation battery-powered devices.
🛰️ Space & Aerospace Electronics
Radiation-Hardened High-Efficiency Power Modules
For electronic equipment in space and high-radiation environments, miniaturization and high reliability are paramount. Utilizing this technology's low power and small footprint, a radiation-hardened power module could be developed, contributing to extended mission life and enhanced functionality for satellites and probes.
🔬 Medical & Healthcare Devices
Stable Power for Portable & Implantable Medical Devices
In portable medical devices and implantable electronics, a stable, high-precision power supply is crucial for diagnostic reliability and patient safety. This technology, with its low power consumption and compact size, could contribute to extended device operation and reduced patient burden, expanding its utility in clinical settings.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technology Evaluation & Design Review
Duration: 3 months
Align this technology's circuit configuration with the adopter's existing product system requirements to formulate an optimal design. Conduct performance evaluation and feasibility verification through simulation.
Phase 2: Prototyping & Validation
Duration: 6 months
Based on the design, manufacture a prototype circuit or module incorporating this technology. Conduct real-world performance evaluation, reliability testing, and optimization.
Phase 3: Mass Production & Market Rollout
Duration: 9 months
Finalize the design based on prototyping and validation results, then transition to mass production. Continuously improve performance and optimize costs based on market feedback post-launch.
Technical Feasibility
The circuit configuration of this technology, composed of general-purpose semiconductor components like current mirror circuits and resistors, exhibits high compatibility with existing CMOS processes and analog IC design flows. The patent specification provides specific circuit diagrams, enabling adopters to integrate the technology relatively easily without significant changes to existing design assets or manufacturing lines. Efficient implementation with minimal new capital investment is anticipated.
Success Scenario
Upon adopting this technology, licensees could simultaneously achieve product miniaturization and extended battery life. This is estimated to enable the market introduction of next-generation devices with 20% lower power consumption and 30% smaller footprint compared to competing products. Consequently, improved customer perception, increased market share, and an estimated 10%–15% annual revenue growth could be expected.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-148918
REGISTRATION NO.
7759646
FILING DATE
2021/09/13
GRANT DATE
2025/10/16
EXPIRATION DATE
2041/09/13
PATENT HOLDER
国立研究開発法人情報通信研究機構
Examination History
2024年08月29日
出願審査請求書
2025年04月22日
拒絶理由通知書
2025年06月16日
意見書
2025年06月16日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2025年09月30日
特許査定