Microsoft announces connected car patent licensing program

Microsoft yesterday announced a new program for automakers to license its intellectual property (IP) for connected cars. Microsoft also announced that Japanese automaker Toyota has reached an agreement with them to license their IP for connected cars. Read more about it here.

“The connected car represents an enormous opportunity for the auto industry, and at the core it’s a software challenge,” says Peggy Johnson, executive vice president of Business Development at Microsoft. “Our mission is to empower car makers with technology that allows them to focus on building even better driving experiences for their customers.”

As part of this patent licensing program for connected cars, automakers can get access to patents related to operating systems, AI, voice recognition, gesture recognition, and more.

• Operating systems: Microsoft’s 40-year history building operating systems is unparalleled in the industry. For decades, we have been innovating on Windows solutions from scaling down to the first hand-held OS, to hyper-scaling from IoT devices, to cloud solutions.
• File Storage: Microsoft’s industry-leading exFAT file storage and transfer solution connects devices with portable media (through SD cards and other USB-enabled storage devices).
• Connectivity: Microsoft is a pioneer in WiFi and mobile connectivity. We continue to make bold bets on the technologies that are powering the future of connected devices, developing wireless, telegraphic, and telephonic communications networks.
• Sensors: Sensor innovations are the foundation of intelligent data collection and the future of augmented reality. Microsoft has a long history of developing the technologies that power breakthrough products, from the touch stylus to the revolutionary facial recognition tracking used in gaming, mobile, and aware computing.
• Gesture Computing: Microsoft is building on innovations in its motion-sensing Kinect systems to create engaging new technologies that are the future of augmented reality and virtual reality.
• Graphical User Interface: Microsoft designs and tests user interfaces relentlessly to make the user experience as frictionless and simple as possible.
• Voice recognition: From our heritage in Microsoft voice command to digital personal assistant Cortana, Microsoft has a long and continuing history in interactive technologies.
• Multi-Touch: We lead the industry in multi-touch technologies.
• Security: Microsoft has always been ahead of the curve in developing technologies to protect data and information. More than a decade ago, we created a model for the industry by developing a trustworthy computing initiative to make security a top priority, and we established a digital crimes unit to address this ever evolving landscape to keep data safe.
• AI: The next wave of computing means infusing intelligence into the digital experience. With our cloud-backed technologies, we are unique in having the technologies and scale to push forward in this area.

You can find more information on this program here.