The Japan Patent Office (JPO) announced on June 6 that it has begun to make available its multi-category classifications for patent inventions directed toward Internet of Things (IoT) technology in various sectors. This is to enable more precise searching and analysis of IoT technology that is being developed in Japan.
This change builds on the addition the JPO made of subcategories to the IoT classification ZIT back in April 2017, which itself was a new thing in the world of patent office classification systems. Now the JPO’s searchable database J-Plat Pat treats the subcategories as acceptable input for searches
The subcategories under category ZIT are given as follows by the JPO (subcategory translations are Keisen’s):
| Code |
Classification |
| ZIT | Internet of Things (IoT) |
| ZJA | Agriculture/Fisheries/Mining IoT |
| ZJC | Manufacturing IoT |
| ZJE | Electricity, Gas, or Water Supply IoT |
| ZJG | Home and Building/Home Appliances IoT |
| ZJI | Construction IoT |
| ZJK | Finance IoT |
| ZJM | Services IoT |
| ZJP | Health Care (e.g. hospitals, medical care, or diagnosis)/Social Welfare enterprise IoT |
| ZJR | Logistics (e.g. storage, cargo, delivery or transportation) IoT |
| ZJT | Transportation IoT |
| ZJV | Information and Communications IoT |
| ZJX | Amusement/Sports/Gaming IoT |
This subcategory classification should serve to make Japan’s IoT technologies easier to find and monitor, highlighting threats and opportunities to inventors and businesses.
Sources
Japan Patent Office. “IoT関連技術の特許分類情報の蓄積 [Storing up of IoT-related technology patent classification information],” updated June 6, 2018.
Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. “World-First and New Patent Classification Created for IoT-based Technologies,” release date November 14, 2016.
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