Autonomous vehicles are typically divided into six levels of autonomy as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). These levels are as follows:

  1. Level 0: No automation - the driver has full control and the vehicle has no autonomous functions.
  2. Level 1: Driver assistance - the vehicle has limited automation, such as cruise control or lane departure warning, but the driver is still responsible for all aspects of driving.
  3. Level 2: Partial Automation - The vehicle has multiple automated functions, such as steering and acceleration/deceleration, but the driver must still monitor the driving environment and be ready to take control at any time. In this level, it is no longer necessary to have your hands on the wheel all the time.
  4. Level 3: Conditional Automation - The vehicle can handle some driving tasks and monitor the environment, but the driver must be prepared to take control in certain situations.
  5. Level 4: high automation - the vehicle can handle all driving tasks under certain conditions, but the driver must be present and able to take control in emergency situations.
  6. Level 5: Full Automation - The vehicle is capable of handling all driving tasks under all conditions and the driver does not need to be present or able to take over the controls. [21]

It's worth noting that no vehicle on the road today has reached level 5 autonomy, and most are still at level 2 or 3. The most advanced vehicles on the road today are considered level 2 or 3 autonomous, meaning that they are able to handle some driving tasks and monitor the environment, but the driver must be ready to take control in certain situations.

Leading V2X Vendors

Fig G2: Leading V2X Vendors [G7]

V2X technology is a key advancement in the automotive industry, and companies are investing in research and development of V2X technology to improve communication between vehicles and other road users. Patent analysis shows that technology companies lead the way in V2X patents, with Qualcomm leading the way with 3,893 V2X patent families in its portfolio (Figure 2). However, the main reason is that technology companies are leading the way in C-V2X patents (Figure 3), a relatively new area of V2X technology. In contrast, automotive companies are focusing on WLAN-V2X technology (Figure 4), which is a short-range communication technology. This is evidenced by the fact that in the top 10 list of companies working on WLAN-V2X technology, there are 7 automotive companies and only 3 technology companies. This points to the different strategies of tech and automotive companies in the V2X market, with tech companies focusing on the latest and most advanced technology, while automotive companies focus on the more proven and practical WLAN-V2X technology. [7]

Companies with the largest number of V2X patents

Fig G3: Companies with the largest number of V2X patents [G7]