FIST SA publishes new patent landscape on lithium metal phosphate batteries

PARIS, FRANCE: In the current roadmap on emerging battery technologies, LiMPO4 cathodes raises high hope concerning the possibility of efficient energy storage at high charge and discharge rate, thus raising the technical potential of hybrid and plug‐in hybrid electric vehicles as well as wind and solar energy storage.

The patent war has already started in this sector: more than 1100 patents have been filed and a growth rate of 50 percent of new published patent in 2009! This report identifies all protected solutions and provides a comprehensive panorama of the intellectual property landscape in LiMPO4 batteries sector.

Report highlights
* Strong attractiveness of the sector - Very high research and patenting activity in the last years with a strong rise of new entrants as of 2005 (new applicants represent half the number of total applicants in 2008).

* Strategic protection of battery manufacturers but also of institutional laboratories and of end-users companies on their specific applications.

* Map of patent protection and dependency – While a “patent war” has been engaged for a long time concerning the Dr. Goodenough key patent, other actors are building up their portfolio notably in China where this key patent is not extended.

* Segmentation by type of material – Strategic positioning of the actors on LiFePO4 cathodes (60 percent), but also other metal or combinations of metals (Mn, Co, V, Ni, etc.) (20 percent).

* Applicant’s strategy - Analysis of the patent strategy of current major players which are not necessarily the major patent holders (Sony, Toyota, A123 SYSTEMS, Valence). The question can be raised for a few of them of their possibility to evolve rapidly enough to maintain their market position towards better protected competitors.