Olympus 2010 Annual Report Download - page 23

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Number and Ratio of Patents Held by Business Group
Corporate
Imaging Medical Life Industrial R&D
Systems Systems Science Systems Center Total
Japan patents ........................................................................................ 1,894 2,562 649 200 996 6,301
% to total (%) ...................................................................................... 30 41 10 3 16 100
U.S. patents ........................................................................................... 1,480 936 454 171 894 3,935
% to total (%) ...................................................................................... 38 24 12 4 23 100
China patents ........................................................................................ 370 257 65 7 54 753
% to total (%) ...................................................................................... 49 34 9 1 7 100
Other patents ........................................................................................ 69 459 119 14 120 781
% to total (%) ...................................................................................... 9 59 15 2 15 100
Total ...................................................................................................... 3,813 4,214 1,287 392 2,064 11,770
% to total (%) ...................................................................................... 32 36 11 3 18 100
Percentages of Patents Held in Core Competence Technologies
(%)
12
3
Optical
Technology
37
22 Electronic
and Imaging
Technology
Precision Technology
26
Applied
Technology
10
Biomechanical
and Biological
Fundamental
Technology
Number of Patents Held by Country
(Number of patents, thousands)
04 05 06 07 08
China
Others
United
States
Japan
12
9
6
3
09 10
Contribution of the Patent Portfolio to Company Business
Olympus actively pursues a policy of converting R&D results into
patented IP while strictly screening which technologies to apply
for patents for. The achievements of this policy over the past six
years, broken down by country, are shown in the chart below.
In Japan, Olympus will review the patents it holds in terms of
investment effectiveness, while promoting patent application
activities overseas with the aim of increasing the number of
patents obtained.
The number and ratio of Olympus’ patents in each business
area at the end of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010 are
shown in the table below. Olympus holds patents that offer busi-
ness potential in each of its Imaging Systems, Medical Systems and
Life Science and Industrial Systems businesses. The Company’s
core Imaging Systems and Medical Systems businesses account
for 68% of all patents held. The number of patents held by the
Life Science and Industrial Systems Business edged down due
to the sale of Olympus’ diagnostic systems business to Beckman
Coulter, Inc. of the United States in August 2009.
OLYMPUS 2010 21