LG Innotek granted license for three EV charging patents

LG Innotek has been granted licensor status by Via LA for three EV charging patents, including technology for controlling charging based on battery status and reserving charging time. It aims to strengthen its presence in future car technologies.

LG Innotek CEO Jeong Cheol-dong [LG INNOTEK]

LG Innotek obtained three essential patents related to electric vehicle charging, pushing forward LG Group's vision for the EV business.

The electronics component affiliate of LG Corp. said Sunday it had been given a licensor status by Via LA on three of its EV charging related patents, enabling LG Innotek to collect royalties in return for permitting use of its licensed technology to other firms.

Via LA, an American licensing company, has granted the licensor status to less than 10 companies worldwide related to EV charging including GE, Bosch and Siemens.

LG Innotek's patented technology includes two related to controlling charging based on the battery status and one related to reserving charging time.

LG Innotek has been fortifying its presence in future car technologies including EVs and autonomous driving.

It has been conducting research on charging EVs with wireless technology, converting electricity for EVs and converting electricity of a charger.

The components company acquired 180 autonomous driving-related technologies from Argo AI last year, including the LiDAR technology which is considered essential in realizing self-driving cars.

“Obtaining original technology is more important than anything else in becoming an industry's No. 1,” said Kim Ji-hyun in charge of LG Innotek's intellectual property business.

“Acquiring and managing patents and intellectual property is important in that sense. [LG Innotek] will continue to generate value through research and development utilizing such intellectual property.”

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]