目前全球的3G行動通訊標準主流包含有歐規的WCDMA、美規的CDMA2000，及中國大陸的TD-SCDMA，其多工存取方式皆是採用分碼多工存取（CDMA）技術，而高通（Qualcomm）是CDMA技術的領導廠商，其擁有許多CDMA關鍵技術專利並授權予全球行動電話及基地台設備製造公司，至2009年止的授權金與權利金收益已高達40億美金，台灣通訊產業廠商也是高通權利金收入的來源，本論文針對高通所擁有的CDMA相關專利技術內容做深入分析，並比對專利說明書中的申請專利範圍（Claim）與3GPP及3GPP2所制定有關WCDMA、TD-SCDMA與CDMA2000的技術說明書內容，藉以找出高通對於CDMA系統所申請的關鍵性專利（Essential Patent），根據本論文的研究結果發現高通對於展頻技術、功率控制技術與軟切換等技術，早已申請了多篇關鍵性專利與非關鍵性專利。另外，本論文同時根據分析結果設計了一套專利資料庫查詢管理系統，以系統化管理與查詢所分析的專利，本論文的研究結果除了可提供台灣通訊產業瞭解高通對CDMA技術所做的專利佈局情況及其CDMA關鍵性專利外，更可提供台灣通訊產業未來欲針對研發成果做好周全專利佈局、關鍵性專利判斷、及專利資料庫查詢管理方式的參考。The 3rd generation cellular communication standards currently include European WCDMA, American CDMA2000 and China TD-SCDMA, of which the multiple access is based on CDMA technique. Qualcomm, a global leader of CDMA technology, has many CDMA essential patents and has licensed them to cellular phone manufacturers and base station manufacturers worldwide, and its license and royalty revenues in 2009 was up to 4 billion US dollars including parts contributed by Taiwan communication industry. In this paper, we analyze Qualcomm’s CDMA related patents in detail so as to identify some of Qualcomm essential patents for CDMA technology, and compare the claims of Qualcomm’s CDMA related patents with WCDMA, TD-SCDMA and CDMA2000 specifications defined by 3GPP and 3GPP2 whereby identifying Qualcomm’s essential patents. According to our analysis result, we found that Qualcomm has essential patents and non-essential patents related to spreading frequency, power control and soft handoff techniques. In addition, we also propose a management and search system for licensing patent database, according to our analysis result, for systematically managing the analyzed patents; and further, the analysis result for Qualcomm’s CDMA related patents can not only help Taiwan communication industry to understand how Qualcomm develops its patent portfolio and what essential patents it possesses, but also be a reference for Taiwan communication industry to well develop patent portfolios for its research results, to determine essential patents, and to manage its patent database in the future.
