Report Title: Wireless Lighting Control IP and Litigation - A WTRS Report
Product Code: WT112309RIPR
Published: December 2009
Report Stats: 23 pages; 5 tables & figures; 139 companies mentioned
Format: Electronic PDF Document
Price: $3,500
Overview:
Home automation has been on the verge of mass adoption for several decades. One of the reasons that it has not grown substantially as a market lies with the IP protection activities of Lutron Electronics. This report analyzes the effect of litigation activities and IP protection strategies on the adoption of RF-only home control, or residential wireless control network, technologies. The report also documents the issues surrounding patent protection activities of key players in this market.
As the nascent Home Automation market matures and new products and vendors emerge, it is likely that Lutron will continue to engage in intellectual property protection activities. Based on recent activities, it appears that Lutron Electronics is focused on companies implementing ZigBee lighting profiles to produce end products, as well as those producing other lighting control products.
Executive Summary
Home automation has been on the verge of mass adoption for several decades. One of the reasons that it has not grown substantially as a market lies with the IP protection activities of Luton Electronics. This report analyzes the effect of litigation activities and IP protection strategies on the adoption of RF-only home control, or residential wireless control network, technologies. The report also documents the issues surrounding patent protection activities of key players in this market.
Today penetration of wireless into home automation technologies consist predominantly of a series of parallel and independent networks that control lighting, appliances, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), entertainment systems, communication systems, data systems, and security systems.
The wireless technologies in play in the home automation market include Lutron’s RadioRA, Smarthome’s INSTEON, ZigBee/802.15.4, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, and 433MHz short-range proprietary technologies. ZigBee, 802.15.4, and INSTEON predominantly take on lighting and appliance control functions but are also found in or applicable to audio/visual, security, landscaping, healthcare, and other applications. Bluetooth offers a link to the outside world (Internet) for computers as it is extended to higher data rates and in this sense can compete with Wi-Fi in some cases. Products based on the predominantly proprietary 433MHz wireless technology is generally used in garage door openers and home security systems that have in the past also had limited control over lighting systems.
The typical inhibitors of the adoption of home automation technologies are usually identified as low reliability, high cost, difficult installation and use, as well as the absence of an easily identifiable end customer value proposition. A previously unidentified risk to technology adoption is the control of key intellectual property assets covering wireless solutions by Luton Electronics.
Luton Electronics has a history of both licensing its intellectual property as well as successfully litigating those who infringe on patents. The risk to companies developing products in this market lies in overlooking potential issues from existing prior art owned by Lutron.
Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Lutron's IP Protection Strategies
3. Lutron's Litigation Arguements
4. Infringement Issues
5. Lutron's Patents: What they are and Who uses them
Figures and Tables
1. Issues with Wireless in Home Automation
2. Lutron Patent Litigation Cases
3. Lutron Litigation & Patent Analysis
4. Lutron's Wireless Lighting Patents
5. Analysis of IP Referencing Lutron's Patents
