Journey

CRF's first international standardization effort involved video coding technology. CRF's researchers began participating in standardization activities in the 2000s with the H.264/AVC standard, then went into full swing with the H.265/HEVC standard that succeeded it. Since contributing to the formulation of the latest H.266/VVC standard, they have been linking their activities to standardizing further next-generation standards. They are also working to standardize MPEG file format technology for storing and transmitting video and still images encoded using these technologies. Meanwhile, in the telecommunications field, CRF is working on the standardization of the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), the 3GPP standard for cellular networks such as 5G and Beyond 5G, and recently the WPC (Qi) standard for wireless power supply.
The international standardization process relies on standardization meetings held every two to four months. Companies develop technologies, including simulations, in a short period of time ahead of these meetings. Dozens, and sometimes even hundreds, of engineers from around the world participate in the standardization meetings. Participating companies submit their technical proposals in the form of "contributions," and intense discussions unfold in the meetings over their adoption or rejection. These discussions take place day and night, including out-of-meeting lobbying, and the direction of the technology to be standardized changes dynamically due to the complex intertwining of each company's intentions.

Many of the research themes CRF is currently working on are related to international standards, and the IP staff members of CRF are working hard every day to turn inventions generated by engineers participating in international standardization activities into standard essential patents (SEPs). A SEP is a patent that is essential for implementing a standard technology in a product. The more products in the world that comply with a standard, the more products that implement the patent will increase, so it can be said that SEPs are very valuable patents.
The relationship between international standardization and SEP application and rights acquisition is shown in the figure below.

One of CRF's strengths is the high level of technical knowledge and understanding of standard specifications among their IP staff members. Of course, IP staff members have the expertise to obtain patent rights. They also understand the technology well enough to discuss it with engineers on an equal footing. By checking every detail for consistency between patent claims and standard specifications, they contribute to obtaining the best possible outcomes for Canon's SEP activities.
CRF contributes to the development and market dissemination of technology through its standardization activities. But beyond this, by firmly protecting the original technologies that emerge from these activities as patents, CRF also strengthens Canon's overall intellectual property portfolio and contributes to the Canon Group's overall business, including cameras, printers, and medical products.

"Working at CRF as an intellectual property professional is as stimulating as it is demanding to meet high quality standards.
The role I've played since joining the CRF's IP department in 2003 has become increasingly central over time. It's at a core position between CRF engineers, agents and Canon Inc. In a way, I'm acting as a representative of the IPHQ in Tokyo to protect their IP assets, implement Canon Group IP policies and disseminate Canon IP’s know-how and DNA through training and daily interactions with engineers and IP team members. It's a role that's both effective and quite satisfying! In addition, being in direct contact with highly qualified engineers enables me not only to better understand the technology but also to grasp the essence of the innovations they bring. This prime position and the experience I have acquired over the years have enabled me to provide sound advice at critical moments, to act in a hurry to secure intellectual property rights, and to extend the initial ideas provided by inventors to make them valuable patents for a given product or standard".

While CRF focuses on the international standardization of telecommunications and image processing technologies, we also work on other development themes. One distinctive example could be solutions for vineyards (vineyards for wine). This is a way to take advantage of the geographical advantages of France, whose reputation as a wine-producing area is second to none, and to add value in vineyard management by using maps to manage the countless grapevines spread across vast vineyards. CRF is currently working with a venture company to provide technology to world-renowned chateaux (wine producers) in France, and the core technology required for this solution is well protected by patents.