ZKW 4th in New Patent Registrations in Europe
2019 was a record year for Austrian inventions: Globally, a total of 11,731 patent registrations came out of Austria. Of these, 2,724 were registered from Austria and 264 from Lower Austria.
ZKW patent registrations focused on new products in the digital light field for premium vehicles, many of which will be hitting the streets soon. As an international group company, ZKW is increasingly submitting its patents in international markets including China, the USA, and Germany. Overall, the ZKW Group submitted 51 new registrations worldwide – 17 of them to the Austrian patent office. ZKW is 4th in the European rankings.

Lighting systems for autonomous driving
The ZKW Group continues to develop lighting systems for the future, such as headlights with intelligent functions for autonomous driving. The company’s key patent registrations include digital lighting systems (digital light processing). These systems use over a million tiny, individual mirrors in place of one large, single-piece headlamp reflector. The individual mirrors can be individually adjusted using a complex web of electronics and sensors. The goal is to focus as much light as possible on the road, while avoiding blinding oncoming vehicles or vehicles in front of the driver. The digital lighting system also protects passengers against glare. In addition, it can specifically illuminate traffic signs or project information or warning symbols onto the road.