The number of patent applications by Siemens jumped by 15 percent in 2005, to 5,700. Inventions registered also rose from 8,200 in 2004 to 8,800 this year. With approximately 47,000 researchers and developers, 53,000 registered patents, and €5.2 billion invested in research and development, Siemens is right among the world's frontrunners when it comes to innovation. Siemens has more patent registrations than any other company in Germany, and is among the top ten companies in this category in the U.S. CEO Klaus Kleinfeld yesterday presented 12 scientists with the "Inventors of the Year Award." The following is a selection of the researchers and their inventions: (IN 2005.12.1)


Modules for automobile cockpits
Those who purchase automobiles in the future will be able to enjoy a greater variety of cockpit equipment and design features. The inventor Winfried Möll and his team at Siemens VDO Automotive in Babenhausen, Germany, have developed a modular instrument panel concept consisting of three components. This makes it possible, for example, to retrofit a vehicle with multimedia devices that were not available on the market at the time the car was purchased. The cockpit modules can be installed and removed easily. Any new hardware added is automatically recognized and integrated — just like on a PC. Along with significantly greater flexibility, the modular concept — known as “CESAR” — also offers tangible economic benefits, as the clever integration of electronic and mechanical systems reduces the cost of building a vehicle cockpit. In addition, the CESAR components are 15 percent lighter and have up to 40 liters less volume than conventional components. They also take up to 80 percent less time to service. Automakers are already expressing great interest in the CESAR modular system.


Guidance system for data on the Internet
Inventor Joachim Charzinski has developed a type of traffic guidance system for data on the Internet. Use of this system can increase network capacity by up to 40 percent. Many network operators continue to regulate data flow manually, despite the fact that networks and data volume have become so large and complex that they can hardly be controlled through the reaction times of humans. As part of his work on the recently completed King research project for the next-generation Internet, Charzinski and his colleagues developed an automated network control system at Siemens Communications in Munich. Because network operators are wary of turning control over completely, the system makes it possible to gradually convert to automatic operation. To do this, optimized network configurations must first be manually confirmed. After the network operator has gained confidence in the system's decision-making abilities, it can convert more and more functions to the automated mode, and thus better utilize network resources.


Remind — providing patient-treatment recommendations
In order to increase efficiency in health care, while at the same time reducing costs, the inventor Bharat Rao from Siemens Medical Solutions in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has developed an information system that provides doctors with treatment recommendations. This system – known as "Remind" – collects patient data from scattered and in many cases differently structured sources. It then automatically analyzes the information and generates an optimized set of data. It does this on the basis of prescriptions issued, lab reports, and even handwritten notes. Regardless of whether it's used in a doctor's office or a large hospital, Remind provides doctors with recommendations that enable them to treat their patients better and more rapidly. In addition, it saves money by helping to prevent redundant examinations, and it also makes it easier for doctors to adhere to treatment guidelines. The system is already being used with five million patients in the U.S.