Photovoltaic Crystalline Silicon Cells Patent Landscape 2009

Table of Contents

METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

1. BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET

2. GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PATENTS

• 2.1. Technological segmentation
• 2.2. Segmentation by application
• 2.3. Zoom on companies involved in the market
• 2.4. Zoom on CANON
• 2.4.1. History of patent application filings and ambitions?
• 2.4.2. Segmentation of the patent portfolio
• 2.4.3. Filing policy
• 2.4.4. Analysis of the patent portfolio

3. CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELL PATENTS - GLOBAL ANALYSIS

• 3.1. Protection strategies
• 3.1.1. Evolution in patent filings
• 3.1.2. Priority filings
• 3.1.3. Protection cover
• 3.2. Technological maturity factors
• 3.2.1. Analysis of the evolution in filings
• 3.2.2. Analysis of industrial filings over time
• 3.2.3. Topology of the size of portfolios
• 3.2.4. Analysis of the granting of patents
• 3.2.5. Evolution in the number of applicants
• 3.3.Applicants
• 3.3.1. Major applicants
• 3.3.2. Emerging applicants
• 3.3.3. Major collaborations
• 3.4. Topology of patents in the sector
• 3.4.1. Segmentation of patents by technologies
• 3.4.2. Technological segments protected by the major players
• 3.4.3. Segmentation of patents by IPC code
• 3.4.4. Breakdown of the major IPC codes of the major players

4. CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELL PATENTS - JAPAN FOCUS

• 4.1. Overall data
• 4.2.Applicants
• 4.3. Inventors

5. CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELL PATENTS - EUROPEAN FOCUS

• 5.1. Overall data
• 5.2.Applicants
• 5.3. Inventors

6. CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELL PATENTS - UNITED STATES FOCUS

• 6.1. Overall data
• 6.2.Applicants
• 6.3. Inventors

CONCLUSIONS

APPENDIX

• APPENDIX 1: LIST OF 124 COMPANIES PRESENT ON THE PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET AND THEIR ASSOCIATED PATENT PORTFOLIOS
• APPENDIX 2: EVOLUTION OVER TIME OF THE FILINGS OF THE COMPANIES PRESENT ON THE PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET

List of Figures

• FIGURE 1 - PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL PRODUCTION (MW), ANNUAL PHOTOVOLTAIC PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY, 1995-2007
• FIGURE 2 - WORLD PHOTOVOLTAICS MARKET (CUMULATIVE INSTALLATIONS)
• FIGURE 3 - MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TECHNOLOGY (PHOTON INTERNATIONAL, MARCH 2006)
• FIGURE 4 - TOP CELL MANUFACTURERS (PRODUCTION MW, PHOTON INTERNATIONAL, 2007)
• FIGURE 5 - EVOLUTION IN GLOBAL PATENT FILINGS
• FIGURE 6 - TECHNOLOGICAL SEGMENTATION
• FIGURE 7 - NICHE MARKET BY APPLICANT - 1/2
• FIGURE 8 - NICHE MARKET BY APPLICANT - 2/2
• FIGURE 9 - TOPOLOGY OF THE PATENT PORTFOLIOS OF THE IDENTIFIED COMPANIES
• FIGURE 10 - EVOLUTION IN CANON' S PATENT FILINGS
• FIGURE 11 - CANON' S PORTFOLIO SEGMENTATION
• FIGURE 12 - CANON' S PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP
• FIGURE 13 - EVOLUTION IN CANON' S EXTENSIONS
• FIGURE 14 - CANON' S EXTENSION MODE OVER TIME
• FIGURE 15 - OVERVIEW OF CANON' S GRANTED PATENTS
• FIGURE 16 - CANON' S MAJOR TEAMS
• FIGURE 17 - EVOLUTION IN CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELL PATENT FILINGS
• FIGURE 18 - MAP OF PRIORITY FILINGS CONCERNING CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS
• FIGURE 19 - EVOLUTION IN PRIORITY FILINGS CONCERNING CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS
• FIGURE 20 - MAP OF PRIORITY FILINGS / ZOOM ON ASIA
• FIGURE 21 - CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELL PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP
• FIGURE 22 - EVOLUTION IN EXTENSIONS CONCERNING CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS
• FIGURE 23 - FORECAST OF THE NUMBER OF FILINGS
• FIGURE 24 - EVOLUTION IN THE BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS CONCERNING CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS
• FIGURE 25 - PORTFOLIO SIZE VS. NUMBER OF PLAYERS
• FIGURE 26 - OVERVIEW OF "CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS" GRANTED PATENTS
• FIGURE 27 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS
• FIGURE 28 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD
• FIGURE 29 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT
• FIGURE 30 - PRINCIPAL APPLICANTS OVER THE PERIOD 2004-2007
• FIGURE 31 - GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS MAP CONCERNING CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS
• FIGURE 32 - SEGMENTATION OF SILICON BASED PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL PATENT PORTFOLIOS
• FIGURE 33 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS
• FIGURE 34 - BREAKDOWN OF THE MAIN IPC CODES APPEARING IN PATENT APPLICATIONS
• FIGURE 35 - BREAKDOWN OF THE MAJOR IPC CODES OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS
• FIGURE 36 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF JAPANESE PRIORITY FILINGS
• FIGURE 37 - EVOLUTION IN JAPANESE FILINGS AND BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS
• FIGURE 38 - MAP OF EXTENSIONS (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 39 - EVOLUTION IN EXTENSIONS (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 40 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANT TIME OF JAPANESE PATENTS
• FIGURE 41 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANTING OF JP PATENTS
• FIGURE 42 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 43 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 44 - MAJOR JAPANESE COLLABORATIONS MAP
• FIGURE 45 - EMERGING JAPANESE INVENTOR TEAMS (SINCE 2003)
• FIGURE 46 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR JAPANESE INVENTORS
• FIGURE 47 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF FILINGS (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 48 - EVOLUTION IN EUROPEAN FILINGS AND BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS
• FIGURE 49 - MAP OF PRIORITY FILINGS / ZOOM ON EUROPE
• FIGURE 50 - PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 51 - EVOLUTION IN EXTENSIONS (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 52 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANT TIME OF EUROPEAN PATENTS
• FIGURE 53 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANTING OF EUROPEAN PATENTS
• FIGURE 54 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 55 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 56 - MAJOR EUROPEAN COLLABORATIONS MAP
• FIGURE 57 - EMERGING EUROPEAN INVENTOR TEAMS (SINCE 2003)
• FIGURE 58 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR EUROPEAN INVENTORS
• FIGURE 59 - EVOLUTION IN THE NUMBER OF FILINGS (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 60 - EVOLUTION IN US FILINGS AND BREAKDOWN OF INDUSTRIAL PATENTS
• FIGURE 61 - PATENT EXTENSIONS MAP (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 62 - EVOLUTION IN EXTENSIONS (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 63 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANT TIME OF US PATENTS
• FIGURE 64 - EVOLUTION IN THE GRANTING OF US PATENTS
• FIGURE 65 - MAJOR APPLICANTS IN THE FIELD (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 66 - BREAKDOWN OF PATENT PORTFOLIOS BY APPLICANT (US PRIORITY)
• FIGURE 67 - MAJOR US COLLABORATIONS MAP
• FIGURE 68 - EMERGING US INVENTOR TEAMS (SINCE 2003)
• FIGURE 69 - TOPICS OF THE MAJOR US INVENTORS

List of Tables

• TABLE 1 - FILINGS OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS OVER TIME CONCERNING CRYSTALLINE SILICON CELLS
• TABLE 2 - EMERGING APPLICANTS
• TABLE 3 - IPC APPEARANCE
• TABLE 4 - EVOLUTION IN THE PATENT FILINGS OF MAJOR PLAYERS (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• TABLE 5 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT APPLICATION FILINGS BY INVENTOR (JAPANESE PRIORITY)
• TABLE 6 - EVOLUTION IN THE PATENT FILINGS OF MAJOR PLAYERS (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• TABLE 7 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT APPLICATION FILINGS BY INVENTOR (EUROPEAN PRIORITY)
• TABLE 8 - EVOLUTION IN THE PATENT FILINGS OF MAJOR PLAYERS (US PRIORITY)
• TABLE 9 - EVOLUTION IN PATENT APPLICATION FILINGS BY INVENTOR (US PRIORITY)