Tag: patent

Nokia signs video technologies license agreement with Samsung

Nokia today announced that it has signed a multi-year patent license agreement with Samsung covering the use of Nokia’s video technologies in Samsung’s televisions. Under the agreement, Samsung will make royalty payments to Nokia. The new agreement is separate from Nokia and Samsung’s existing 5G patent license agreement. The terms of the agreement remain confidential between the parties.

Arvin Patel, Chief Licensing Officer, New Segments at Nokia, said: “We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Samsung covering the use of our video technologies in their world-class TVs. The agreement is yet another proof point of Nokia’s leadership in video and multimedia technologies, and further validation of our decades-long investments in multimedia R&D and standardization.”

Nokia is a leader in the development of video and multimedia technologies, including video compression, content delivery, content recommendation and aspects related to hardware. In the past 25 years, Nokia has created almost 5,000 inventions that enable multimedia products and services and continues to play a leading role in multimedia research and standardization. Nokia’s expertise in multimedia and video research is built on continuous investment to advance the industry. Nokia has invested around €150 billion in R&D since 2000 (including over €4 billion in 2023 alone) for cutting edge technologies including cellular and multimedia.

Resources and additional information

Webpage: Patents powering consumer electronics I Nokia

Nokia and Honor sign 5G patent license agreement

Nokia announced today it has signed a new patent cross-license agreement with Honor covering both parties’ fundamental inventions in 5G and other cellular technologies. The terms of the agreement remain confidential between the parties.

Susanna Martikainen, Chief Licensing Officer Mobile Devices at Nokia said: “We are delighted to have concluded an amicable patent cross-license agreement with Honor, one of the leading players in the Chinese smartphone market. It is the fourth major litigation-free smartphone agreement that Nokia has concluded over the past twelve months and highlights once again the strength of Nokia’s patent portfolio and decades-long contributions to cellular standards and other technologies.”

Wenyu Zhou, Head of Global Intellectual Property at Honor said: “As both 5G SEP holder and implementer, Honor highly respects IP rights and strongly believes that reasonable value of IP is important to the development of mobile industry. The conclusion of the patent cross-license agreement shows Honor’s commitment on innovation to enabling a smart life across all scenarios and all channels, for all people.”

Nokia’s industry-leading patent portfolio is built on more than €140 billion invested in R&D since 2000 and is composed of around 20,000 patent families, including over 6,000 patent families declared essential to 5G. Nokia contributes its inventions to open standards in return for the right to license them on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Companies can license and use these technologies without the need to make their own substantial investments in the standards, fueling innovation and the development of new products and services for consumers.

Huawei and Ericsson Sign Long-Term Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement

Huawei and Ericsson have signed a long-term global patent cross-licensing agreement that covers patents essential to a wide range of standards such as 3GPP, ITU, IEEE, and IETF standards for 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular technologies. The agreement covers the companies’ respective sales of network infrastructure and consumer devices, granting both parties global access to each other’s patented, standardized technologies.

“We are delighted to reach a long-term global cross-licensing agreement with Ericsson,” said Alan Fan, Head of Huawei’s Intellectual Property Department. “As major contributors of standard essential patents (SEPs) for mobile communication, the companies recognize the value of each other’s intellectual property, and this agreement creates a stronger patent environment. It demonstrates the commitment both parties have forged that intellectual property should be properly respected and protected.”

Over the past 20 years, Huawei has been a major contributor to mainstream ICT standards, including those for cellular, Wi-Fi, and multimedia codecs. In 2022, Huawei topped the European Patent Office’s applicant ranking for number of patent applications filed, with 4,505 applications. At the innovation and intellectual property forum Huawei held last month, it announced that licensing revenue in 2022 was about US$560 million. This is testament to the industry’s recognition of the value of Huawei’s IP.

“Our commitment to sharing leading technological innovations will drive healthy, sustainable industry development and provide consumers with more robust products and services,” added Fan.

Huawei is both a holder and implementer of SEPs and seeks to take a balanced approach to licensing. Through the signing of this agreement, it is both giving and receiving access to key technologies. Fan said, “This agreement is the result of intensive discussions that ensured the interests of both patent holders and implementers are served fairly.”

Irish physicists win European Inventor Award 2023 with their advanced acoustic material to tackle noise pollution

The European Patent Office (EPO) announced  that Irish inventors Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll are the winners in the ‘SMEs’ category of the European Inventor Award 2023. Selected from over 600 candidates, these inventors created an advanced acoustic material that reduces noise to address chronic sleep issues.

“We are honoured to win the European Inventor Award in the ‘SMEs’ category and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the European Patent Office. This award recognises many years of hard work and commitment to making the world a quieter place. It is a genuine privilege to be acknowledged alongside so many noteworthy inventors who have made such significant contributions to their fields,” say Togher and O’Carroll.

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) approximately 20% of the EU population lives in areas with unacceptable noise and vibration levels. High noise levels have been linked to poor sleep and higher instances of heart problems. Due to noise pollution, the EEA estimates that 22 million people across Europe currently suffer from chronic high annoyance, whilst 6.5 million suffer chronic high sleep disturbance. Exposure to loud noise can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress.

A sound solution for millions of people

Togher and O’Carroll’s invention, SoundBounce™, is a composite technology that reduces the negative effects of loud noise. It consists of a responsive material housed within a cellular structure that responds to agitation by becoming liquid and absorbing energy. One of its innovative features is the invention’s cellular structure; the second is a thixotropic gel (capable of liquefying when agitated and resolidifying when allowed to stand) placed inside the cells. Once sealed, they work together to dampen sound, reducing noise transmission from one space to another. This new material can also be integrated into machinery and vehicles to reduce noise output. It can be used in the automotive, construction, aerospace and home appliance industries.

This material is particularly effective at low frequencies, which present a significant challenge connected to products with engines, vibrations, and airflow. SoundBounce’s thinner material means that aeroplanes or vehicles using it could be lighter, thus reducing fuel consumption and leaving more space. In addition to the environmental advantages related to noise reduction, the materials used to make SoundBounce have a low environmental impact as they are non-toxic, and recyclable at end of life. Since SoundBounce was created, Togher and O’Carroll’s company has developed partnerships with renowned organisations such as the European Space Agency.

“Receiving this award serves as a reminder of the importance of innovation and the impact it can have on our society. We hope that this recognition will inspire others, especially young girls, to pursue their own inventions and to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible,” say Togher and O’Carroll.

The Irish duo behind the innovation have been named winners in the ‘SMEs’ category for this year’s European Inventor Award, which recognises outstanding inventors with inventions patented in Europe. All the winners of the 2023 edition of the European Inventor Award were announced at a hybrid ceremony in Valencia (Spain)

Irish environmentalist Fionn Ferreira comes third in Young Inventors Prize 2023 for drawing micro-plastics out of the ocean

The European Patent Office (EPO) announced  that Irish inventors Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll are the winners in the ‘SMEs’ category of the European Inventor Award 2023. Selected from over 600 candidates, these inventors created an advanced acoustic material that reduces noise to address chronic sleep issues.

“We are honoured to win the European Inventor Award in the ‘SMEs’ category and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the European Patent Office. This award recognises many years of hard work and commitment to making the world a quieter place. It is a genuine privilege to be acknowledged alongside so many noteworthy inventors who have made such significant contributions to their fields,” say Togher and O’Carroll.

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) approximately 20% of the EU population lives in areas with unacceptable noise and vibration levels. High noise levels have been linked to poor sleep and higher instances of heart problems. Due to noise pollution, the EEA estimates that 22 million people across Europe currently suffer from chronic high annoyance, whilst 6.5 million suffer chronic high sleep disturbance. Exposure to loud noise can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress.

A sound solution for millions of people

Togher and O’Carroll’s invention, SoundBounce™, is a composite technology that reduces the negative effects of loud noise. It consists of a responsive material housed within a cellular structure that responds to agitation by becoming liquid and absorbing energy. One of its innovative features is the invention’s cellular structure; the second is a thixotropic gel (capable of liquefying when agitated and resolidifying when allowed to stand) placed inside the cells. Once sealed, they work together to dampen sound, reducing noise transmission from one space to another. This new material can also be integrated into machinery and vehicles to reduce noise output. It can be used in the automotive, construction, aerospace and home appliance industries.

This material is particularly effective at low frequencies, which present a significant challenge connected to products with engines, vibrations, and airflow. SoundBounce’s thinner material means that aeroplanes or vehicles using it could be lighter, thus reducing fuel consumption and leaving more space. In addition to the environmental advantages related to noise reduction, the materials used to make SoundBounce have a low environmental impact as they are non-toxic, and recyclable at end of life. Since SoundBounce was created, Togher and O’Carroll’s company has developed partnerships with renowned organisations such as the European Space Agency.

“Receiving this award serves as a reminder of the importance of innovation and the impact it can have on our society. We hope that this recognition will inspire others, especially young girls, to pursue their own inventions and to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible,” say Togher and O’Carroll.

The Irish duo behind the innovation have been named winners in the ‘SMEs’ category for this year’s European Inventor Award, which recognises outstanding inventors with inventions patented in Europe. All the winners of the 2023 edition of the European Inventor Award were announced at a hybrid ceremony in Valencia (Spain).