Konica Minolta 2005 Annual Report Download - page 36

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY UPDATE
While each business company in the Konica Minolta Group conducts its own
development of products within its business domain, the Konica Minolta Technology
Center, Inc. develops basic technologies shared within the Group, as well as leading-
edge technologies for the creation of new businesses.
The Group’s total research and development expenditures in the fiscal year ended
March 2005 were ¥66 billion, are in an upward trend, and accounted for
approximately 6% of total sales.
For an overview of the strategic direction of the Group’s businesses, please refer to
the review contained in the first half of this report.
1. R&D SEGMENTS AND OVERVIEW OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
(1) Business Technologies
In Business Technologies, the Konica Minolta Group already owns many patents in
strategic areas of focus, and is strengthening the acquisition of intellectual property
rights (patent applications filed in Japan in the fiscal year ended March 2005 were up
10% year on year). Key areas include polymerized toners that provide high resolution
and high picture quality at a low cost, integrated firmware (controllers) that allow
a cost competitive product lineup, high speed printing technology that strengthens
competitiveness in the light production market, and color image processing
technology that has achieved industry leading image quality. Particular emphasis is
being placed on retaining industry-leading technologies in the field of polymerized
toner, as the Group builds a wide-ranging portfolio of patents that includes
manufacturing methods and applications in addition to toner composition.
(2) Optics
In optical pickup lenses, the Group is concentrating on acquiring patents for optical
pickup lenses, in which it has a leading market share. In the field of CD pickup
lenses, it is building a portfolio of core patents in Japan and around the world to
provide a strong underpinning for the optics business. The Group also holds patents
covering core technologies for DVD/CD compatible pickup lenses, including a patent
for the diffraction-type objective pickup lenses that make possible recording and
playback on two types of disks with one objective lens. The Group is also accumu-
lating intellectual property in the area of next-generation pickup lenses employing
blue lasers, a technology expected to have a significant impact. Patent applications
related to the optics business filed in Japan in the fiscal year ended March 2005 were
up 25% from the previous fiscal year.
(3) Photo Imaging
The Group is shifting resources in the Photo Imaging business from film and other
photosensitive materials to new dry printing systems, and is actively acquiring patents
related to digital imaging input/output and image optimization. Konica Minolta
already holds numerous valuable patents for unique materials and manufacturing
methods related to photo paper suited to digital exposures, sublimation printing
material that provides high-quality images and produces images with enduring quality
for long-term storage, and inkjet paper that offers superior color reproduction at
a low cost.