Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

The global push for Industry 4.0 and smart infrastructure demands robust, reliable sensor technologies that perform under all conditions. Regulatory bodies are increasingly mandating enhanced safety protocols in industrial, construction, and elder care settings, creating a strong market pull for advanced monitoring solutions. Furthermore, competitive pressures are driving companies to adopt automation to optimize operational costs and improve worker safety, making technologies that reduce human intervention and false positives highly valuable.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Combines wideband radio waves and signal intensity analysis to accurately detect motion in environments with significant interference like fog, dust, or rain, potentially reducing false alarms significantly.

02

Divides the detection area into multiple regions, analyzing signal intensity variations to identify the presence of moving objects and continuously track their positions, contributing to detailed movement pattern analysis.

03

Patentability was recognized despite comparison with six prior art documents, establishing a stable right through standard examination. The technology's uniqueness has been confirmed by overcoming examiner objections.

Market Opportunity
Smart Factories and Warehouses
$500M–$750M globally (AI est.)
Addresses labor shortages, ensures safe operation of AGVs/AMRs, and monitors workers to improve productivity and prevent accidents.
Industrial automation solution providers Logistics and warehouse management system developers Robotics and AGV manufacturers
Elderly Care and Medical Facilities
$250M–$450M globally (AI est.)
High demand for fall detection, wandering monitoring, and privacy-conscious surveillance systems for the elderly.
Healthcare technology providers Smart home and assisted living solution developers Medical device manufacturers specializing in patient monitoring
Construction and Civil Engineering Sites
$200M–$300M globally (AI est.)
Strong need for preventing accidents between heavy machinery and workers, detecting intrusion into hazardous zones, and managing safety in adverse weather.
Construction equipment manufacturers Site safety and security system integrators Civil engineering project management software providers
Outdoor Security and Infrastructure Monitoring
$300M–$500M globally (AI est.)
Applicable for stable intrusion detection in bad weather or at night, and for monitoring abnormalities in infrastructure such as rivers and dams.
Public safety and surveillance system vendors Critical infrastructure management solution providers Environmental monitoring technology companies
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a method for motion detection using wideband radio waves, encompassing 15 claims that define a broad technical scope. It has successfully navigated rigorous examination, overcoming an initial rejection to establish a robust and stable intellectual property right.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers the method for robust motion detection and tracking using wideband radio waves. White space exists in integrating this technology with other sensor modalities (e.g., thermal imaging, lidar) for multi-modal sensing or developing advanced predictive analytics based on the collected motion data.

Economic Impact
~$100K/year estimated monitoring cost reduction per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Implementing this technology could automate parts of manual surveillance and significantly reduce costs associated with false alarms. For example, assuming a 30% reduction in one security guard's annual labor cost of ~$33.5K (AI est.) and an 80% reduction in monthly false alarm response costs (10 incidents/month at ~$650/incident (AI est.)), the annual savings could be (~$33.5K × 0.3) + (~$650 × 10 incidents × 12 months × 0.8) = ~$10K + ~$62.5K = ~$72.5K (AI est.). Deployment across multiple sites could yield over ~$100K in annual cost savings (AI est.).

Speed to Market
6× faster than in-house development
This technology features an established algorithm for wideband radio wave motion detection, with detailed operational principles described in the patent specification. This significantly reduces the time and cost for licensees compared to starting R&D from scratch. Rapid system construction is possible by combining it with existing wireless communication infrastructure and general-purpose sensors, enabling early market entry based on proven data. The established technical foundation ensures the shortest possible time to market.
Competitive Positioning

X: Interference Resistance & Stability
Y: Detection Accuracy & Tracking Capability

Business Models & Applications
🤝 Licensing Model
License the intellectual property of this technology to integrating companies, promoting its incorporation into existing products and services. This enables a revenue model primarily based on royalties.
💡 Joint Development & Solution Provision
Collaborate with integrating companies to develop and launch solutions for specific industries. This could establish a competitive advantage in niche markets by leveraging the technology's robust interference resistance.
⚙️ Sensor Module Provision
Develop and provide motion detection modules implementing this technology, allowing various equipment manufacturers to integrate them into their products. This opens up opportunities for broad market expansion.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
👵 Elderly Care & Monitoring
Privacy-Preserving Elderly Monitoring System
Detects in-room motion using wideband radio waves without cameras, identifying falls or prolonged inactivity in real-time and notifying staff only in emergencies. This approach prioritizes privacy and dignity, supporting safe living for residents while potentially reducing monitoring costs by 15-20%.
🚜 Smart Agriculture
Autonomous Farm Vehicle & Livestock Monitoring
Accurately tracks autonomous farm vehicles and grazing livestock across vast farmlands, even in adverse weather or at night. This enables collision avoidance, escape detection, and health management, enhancing the efficiency and safety of smart agriculture operations, potentially improving resource utilization by 10-15%.
🏭 Hazardous Material Facilities
High-Precision Intrusion Detection for Hazardous Zones
Achieves high-precision detection of human and object intrusion in explosive gas or dust-filled hazardous areas, where traditional sensors struggle. This significantly elevates safety management levels in environments unsuitable for spark-generating equipment, potentially reducing safety incidents by over 20%.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 18-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technology Evaluation & PoC
Duration: 3 months
Evaluate the basic principles of this technology and its compatibility with the licensee's existing systems. Conduct a small-scale proof-of-concept to acquire validation data on detection accuracy and interference resistance.
Phase 2: Prototype Development & Validation
Duration: 6 months
Based on PoC results, design and develop a prototype tailored to the licensee's specific needs. Perform performance evaluation and tuning under conditions similar to the actual operating environment.
Phase 3: Full System Deployment & Optimization
Duration: 9 months
After prototype validation, build and begin full deployment of the operational system. Continuously improve and optimize based on operational data to maximize effectiveness.
Technical Feasibility
This technology consists of generic components: a wideband radio wave transmitter, a reflected wave receiver, and a control unit for signal intensity analysis. The patent claims clearly define these functional blocks and their interconnections, indicating a high potential for easy implementation by applying existing wireless communication, sensor device, and software control technologies. It is estimated that deployment can be achieved without significant new capital investment, through software updates or module additions to existing IT infrastructure and surveillance systems.
Success Scenario
Implementing this technology could significantly reduce false detections in high-interference environments, such as outdoor surveillance areas or dusty factories, from a current rate of 50% to below 5%. This could decrease operational interruptions due to false alarms, potentially saving approximately 1,000 hours of labor annually. As a result, an estimated 15% reduction in operational costs and a 20% reduction in accident risk through faster anomaly detection could be achieved.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
JP2017-228159
REGISTRATION NO.
7080464
FILING DATE
2017/11/28
GRANT DATE
2022/05/27
EXPIRATION DATE
2037/11/28
PATENT HOLDER
公立大学法人北九州市立大学
Examination History
2020-10-29
Amendment (Voluntary)
2020-10-29
Request for Examination
2021-10-19
Office Action
2021-12-16
Amendment (Voluntary)
2021-12-16
Applicant's Response
2022-05-10
Decision to Grant