The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by factors such as the increasing focus on energy conservation, the rising adoption of smart home technologies, the need for enhanced user experience, and growing importance of technologies such as machine learning, data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) integration, and natural language processing (NLP). In the last three years alone, there have been over 3.6 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: Smart climate control systems. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
300+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 2.5 million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, finite element simulation, ML-enabled blockchain networks and generative adversarial network (GAN), are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Demand forecasting applications, intelligent embedded systems, and deep reinforcement learning are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are wearable physiological monitors and smart lighting, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for artificial intelligence in the technology industry
Smart climate control systems is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
Smart climate control systems are advanced automated systems that utilize sensors and other technologies to detect and promptly adapt to fluctuations in temperature and humidity within a room or area. These systems can be customized to regulate temperature, humidity, and ventilation settings, ensuring a consistently comfortable indoor environment. Additionally, they have the capability to conserve energy by reducing power consumption during periods of inactivity or when the space is unoccupied.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 190+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of smart climate control systems.
Key players in smart climate control systems – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to smart climate control systems
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Mitsubishi Electric is a leading patent filer, in smart climate control systems. One of the company’s patents describes an air-conditioning system controller that manages multiple air-conditioning units in a building. It uses a processor to calculate control commands for the air-conditioning units, ensuring that a pre-defined evaluation index meets a specific condition within a set control period while adhering to certain limitations. By dividing the control period into time sections, considering factors such as room temperature, heat load estimation, and operation efficiency, the controller determines appropriate operation frequencies and start-stop timings for each air-conditioning unit to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Midea Holding and LG.
By geographic reach, HUNTAIR leads the pack, followed by Compagnie de Saint-Gobain and Delta-T. In terms of application diversity, Eberspacher Gruppe holds the top position, followed by Signify and Greensleeves.
Artificial intelligence (AI) innovation in smart climate control systems has revolutionized the way the indoor environment is managed. These systems utilize advanced AI algorithms to collect and analyse data from various sensors and devices, enabling precise temperature and humidity control, energy efficiency, and personalized comfort settings.
To further understand how artificial intelligence is disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Thematic Intelligence.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
