NEC 2011 Annual Report Download - page 28

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INTELLECTUAL ASSETS STRATEGY
NEC positions intellectual assets as “the foundation for the
NEC Group’s business competitiveness and stability,” and
is working to strengthen its intellectual assets from both
quality and quantity standpoints. Specifically, NEC is
concentrating on establishing a global patent network,
to support achieving an overseas sales ratio of 50% as
targeted in the NEC Group Vision 2017. One key focus is
the core areas set forth in “V2012”, including “C&C Cloud
Strategy” related businesses and the Smart Energy and
Green business. In these areas, NEC is carrying out
Group-wide strategic patent projects on a global basis to
obtain strong patents and patents that are being utilized.
The NEC Group owns approximately 68,000 patents
worldwide, including approximately 24,000 patents in
Japan (as of March 2011).
Furthermore, NEC believes that participating in
standards initiatives will help create and expand
businesses, and will also contribute to the stable offering
of products and services. In addition to pursuing a
business model that utilizes standardization, NEC is
engaged strategically in standardization activities by
actively participating in standardization entities both in
Japan and overseas. Also, as part of external
engagements with intellectual assets, NEC is actively
pursuing licensing activities to reduce business risks and
expand business opportunities.
The popularization of electric vehicles (EVs) will
be a crucial step to realizing a low-carbon
society, and is therefore attracting a lot of public
interest. Charging infrastructure for EVs will
play a pivotal role in support of the full-scale
uptake of EVs.
EV charging facilities can be installed in a
variety of locations such as service stations
DEVELOPMENT OF CLOUD-BASED CHARGING SYSTEM ENABLING WIDE-AREA
DEPLOYMENT OF NETWORKED ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
SCHEMATIC OF CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE USING THE “C&C CLOUD”
(gas stations) convenience stores, shopping
centers, theme parks, train stations and
airports, because charging services can be
provided wherever a supply of electricity is
available. However, when deploying charging
facilities over a wide area, EV charging
service providers require infrastructure to
efficiently operate and maintain charging
facilities. It is also important to ensure that EV
users can utilize charging services from any
charging facility, without being restricted by
differences in EV charging service providers.
To this end, there is a need to ensure
compatibility with many different authentication
and billing methods, and establish links
among the charging systems of EV charging
service providers.
NEC has developed a cloud-based charging
system that enables EV charging service
providers to gather and manage information
about charging facility usage and technical
issues, as well as upgrade charging facility
software and perform other related tasks via a
network. The system is made possible by linking
the maintenance and operating functions of
charging facilities with the “cloud.” Because EV
charging service providers will be able to maintain
and operate charging facilities remotely, they will
be able to operate unstaffed charging facilities.
This will facilitate the deployment of charging
facilities in a variety of locations. In addition, by
installing FeliCa multi-service card reader/writer
systems in charging facilities, the system can be
made to accept a variety of electronic money
through links with cloud-based electronic money
platforms. In these ways, the system will help to
develop user-friendly charging infrastructure for
both EV charging service providers and users.
Looking ahead, NEC will trial the new system
together with partner companies, with the aim
of commencing commercial operation of the
system within fiscal 2012.
Battery-related
service provider
EV charging
service providers
EV users
Automakers
Charging facilities
service station Lithium-ion
batteries
Reuse
Recycling
Electric vehicles
Provide information about
charging facilities, etc.
Provide information about
maintenance and equipment, etc.
For EV users For service providers
Roadside service providersInformation service providers
SupermarketConvenience
stores
Transportation/
logistics center
Service
providers
Coin-operated
parking
“C&C Cloud”
Information about charging and
storage batteries
Food service
establishments
· Store information
· Local information, etc.
· Charging facility management
· Battery management, etc.
27 NEC Corporation
Annual Report 2011