1 Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 1. Analysis Background and Method □ Flexible display’s market scale has been increasing rapidly every year, and it is predicted to reach about 70 trillion won ($67.7 billion) by 2023. - The market size is expected to grow up to 1 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in 2016, along with a steep growth thereafter. - By 2023, the percentage of flexible display in the entire display market is expected to reach 20% [Flexible Display Market Forecast, IHS] □ Recently, the launching of curved smartphones with a flexible display became a big issue - Samsung launched Galaxy Round with Left/Right curved display, and LG Electronics launched G Flex with top/bottom curved display Although sales results were not so good, it is a meaningful product for it shows the possibility of innovative smartphones that can be freely bent or rolled hereafter. Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 2 [Samsung Galaxy Round] [LG G Flex] □ This report will examine the current patent application status of flexible displays in U.S., the world’s largest market field. □ Patent trend analysis will be done using WINTELIPS with patent application data applied from 1995 to 2011. - The final valid data is extracted by first categorizing flexible display technologies into fields of flexible display module, flexible display process/equipment, flexible display material, flexible parts, then coming up with a search formula to build population of data, and removing the noise document. - Based on the search result, we looked into the annual patent application trend, current patent status by technology field, and main applicant as well as current joint patent application status. [Reference] What is a Flexible Display? □ Flexible display is a type of display that uses thin paper-like panel which can be bent, folded, or rolled without damaging. - Not only is the exterior unbreakable, thin, and light, but it also premises on outstanding images similar to those of the current LCD or OLED - Based on the degree of flexible display’s advancement, it can be divided into 4 levels: Unbreakable, Bendable, Rollable, Foldable (1) Unbreakable (2) Bendable (3) Rollable (4) Foldable 3 Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display Display that is Display that can be Display that can Display that can be highly durable due gently curved or be rolled up folded or crumbled to its flexible and bended light qualities 2. Flexible Display’s Patent Analysis Result □ The total number of flexible display related documents applied in U.S. is 3,317. It had been showing the increase in number until the middle of year 2000, but has decreased rapidly in recent years. [Annual Patent Trend of Flexible Display] □ Among 3,317 patents applications, U.S. domestic applications were the highest with 65%, and Japan, Korea, Taiwan being the next highest. - Perhaps, it is because the current major flat-panel display manufacturing nations like Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are stepping up with their flexible display technology developments.1 1 Based on e-Narajipyo, the production scale of flexible display in 2012 was ; Korea 589.8 billion dollars (48.4%), Taiwan 329.4 billion dollars (27.0%), Japan 287.1 billion dollars (15.3%). Korea keeps its number 1 position based on its differentiated product competitiveness of high resolution LCD and AMOLED. Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 4 [Current Status of Applicant Countries] □ Current application status by technology field reveals that the majority of patent applications are on the field of flexible display modules and materials. - 1,383 cases amounting to 42% of the total patent applications were flexible display modules and 1,014 cases amounting to 31% of the total applications were technologies related to flexible display materials. - Current application status of technology fields by year shows a sizable increase in all technology fields since 2000 but doesn’t show much difference in its proportions, only a small increase in technology related to flexible parts in the late 2000. 5 Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display [Current Patent Application Status by [Current Patent Application Status by Year] Technology Field] □ Most of the major applicants were American applicants such as EINK, SIPIX IMAGING, QUALCOMM MEMS TECHNOLOGIES, followed by Japan’s SEMINDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY and Korea’s SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS. - The world leading E-Paper company EINK is taking a step up with their flexible display developments, and has revealed their new Smart Watch using flexible display technology.2 - SIPIX IMAGING is also an E-Paper producing company, and EINK took over in 2012. - QUALCOMM MEMS TECHNOLOGIES is QUALCOMM’s subsidiary company that develops Micro-Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) color display for mobile equipments as first in industry. - Japan’s SEMINDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY is a recognized research industry3 in display field, and they have announced the 3.4 inch flexible display with a bendable battery last May. 2 E Ink unveils 1.73-inch flexible e-paper smartwatch display, SLASH GEAR 3 EINK selected as Tomson Reuters 2013 Top 100 Global Innovators Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 6 - SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS garnered a lot of attention from IT industries last January by introducing their new flexible display prototype YouM at the international exhibition which is made with a plastic panel instead of glass, allowing it to be bendable and unbreakable. - [Current Major Applicants] [Japanese Semiconductor [Samsung Flexible Display [EINK Smart Watch] Energy Laboratory’s Flexible YOUM5] Display4] 4 SEL shows promising advances in flexible OLED displays, PHYS.ORG, Video clip captured from YOUTUBE 5 Samsung Flexible Display at CES 2013: 'YOUM', Video clip captured from YOUTUBE 7 Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display □ Major applicants by year show that EINK has been continuously applying from the past, and other companies such as QUALCOMM MEMS TECH, SEIKO EPSON, PIXTRONIX, and SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS rapidly rose to surface. - Looking into major applicants by year who filed more than 50 cases, EINK was the only applicant in the late 90s but new applicants such as IDC, IMAGING, SEMICNDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY, and SEIKO EPSON started to make their appearances in the mid 2000s. But in the recent years, not only EINK but also QUALCOMM’s subsidiary company QUALCOMM MEMS TECHNOLOGIES, PIXTRONIX, and Honeywell’s subsidiary company METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, and Korea’s SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS became major applicants as well. - [Current Status of Patent Applicants by Year] □ Looking into current patent application status by IPC field, the majority of patents appear to be the ones related to optical elements, semiconductor devices, and devices for control of indicating devices using static means to present variable information. Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 8 [Current Status of Major Applicants by Year] [Current Application Status by IPC] Number Percentage IPC Technology Field of Docs of Docs G02B Optical elements, systems, or apparatus 655 20% H01L Semiconducting devices 555 17% Arrangements or circuits for control of indicating devices G09G 545 16% using static means to present variable information devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, G02F 296 9% color, phase, polarization or direction of light G06F Electric digital data processing 168 5% H01J Electric discharge tubes or discharge lamp 151 5% Data recognition; data display; recording medium; handling G06K 120 4% of recording medium B32B Multilayered, flat or uneven form of surface 117 4% Printed circuit; casings or constructional details of electric H05K apparatus; manufacture of assemblages of electrical 50 2% components Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to B05D 47 1% surfaces, in general 9 Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display □ Joint patent activities between companies were only about 2% in flexible display field showing that most of the companies are processing patent documents based on independent researches. - Only 56 cases were joint applications, and they were between Japanese companies like KYODO PRINTING and NHK. [Current Joint Application Status] [Major Joint Applicants] Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 10 3. Summary □ Total number of flexible display patents filed in U.S. was 3,317, which continuously increased until mid 2000 but showed a recent decrease in number. □ Looking into the nationality of applicants, the percentage of domestic applicants were the highest and the next were Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, the current major flat-panel display manufacturers, who are taking a step up with their flexible display developments. □ Looking into current application status by field of technology, majority of patents filed were in the field of flexible display modules and flexible display materials - 1,383 cases which amount to 42% were flexible display module patents and 1,014 cases which amount to 31% were flexible display material patents. □ Major applicants were mostly U.S. applicants such as E-Paper manufacturer EINK and SIPIX IMAGING, Qualcomm’s subsidiary QUALCOMM MEMS TECHNOLOGIES, and PIXTRONIX. Yet, applications filed by Japan’s Semiconductor Energy laboratory and Korea’s Samsung Electronics were high in number as well. - Japan’s Semiconductor Energy laboratory and Korea’s Samsung Electronics garnered a great attention by introducing their new flexible display products □ Looking into current joint application activities between companies, Very little cooperative research was being done and it was mostly between Japanese companies. □ Currently, Korea ranks number one in the global display market share but competing countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and China are following with great pursuit. Therefore, in order for Korea to continue to take the leadership in the future display industry, greater effort is needed in securing 11 Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display and researching fundamental technology in the field of flexible display which is expected to expand its market size and create higher-values hereafter. Patent Trend Analysis of Flexible Display 12 .