TPC Investment & Its Markets

Prepared by Peter Li-Chang Kuo

I. Overview

A "chip" is a physical entity of a semiconductor between metal and glass. It is the "brain" of all electronic devices and is responsible for processing and storing information. It is widely used in daily life - from personal identification to space shuttles, such as mobile Communication devices, cashless payments, computers, televisions, transportation, electronic stores, space satellites, etc.

Chip was originally a "contact" silicon-based product. In order to solve social problems, we invented the "contactless" TranSmart chip, which uses gallium arsenide as raw material to achieve the function of radio frequency transmission and open up another path of the semiconductor industry.

While we were developing TranSmart chip, we also used laminated material technology to produce power chip to commercialize cashless transaction system. In the future, the development of advanced "TranSmart Power Chip" (TPC) will provide fast and accurate support for cross-disciplinary semiconductor such as in ICT/IoT/AI/V2X and satellite telecommunication.

Fig 1: Application Scope of TPC

II. Expected Market Contribution of TPC in Various Fields:

We invented the contactless induction "TranSmart Chip" and "Power Chip" to form a new tech-economic system, creating many high-tech emerging industries in the 21st century. In the future, we will further develop the "TranSmart Power Chip" (TPC), which benefits are mainly reflected in 9 major fields. The expected market scale will grow from USD 1.5 trillion to USD 5.9 trillion. The expected output value of TPC is USD 65 billion to USD 148 billion, as shown in the following table:

Fig 2: TPC Market List

Notes:

1) Estimated Contribution of TPC: Calculate the potential contribution amount of each market scope based on the current market scale and the size of possible growth in the next 10 years. Subtotal is calculated in "billion USD."

2) Investment Performance: The "cashless payment" investment in technology and equipment in the table is USD 149 billion, but the annual transaction volume has reached USD 22 trillion in APEC alone and USD 36 trillion globally.

III. Description

After more than two decades of promotion, “non-contact (contactless) semiconductors” have become increasingly important in the high-tech industry, particularly in nine key fields: ICT, IoT, AI, V2X, cashless payment, electric vehicle, wearable device, satellite communication, and drone. Contactless semiconductors — by integrating TranSmart chip and power chip into a "TranSmart Power Chip" (TPC)—will play a crucial role in the fields of digital economy and intelligent applications. With their advantages of high performance, low power consumption, and low heat generation, TPCs are expected to bring revolutionary changes to these nine fields. As technology continues to develop, TPCs will become a core driving force in global digital transformation and the smart society, promoting breakthroughs across industries in efficiency, security, and sustainability.

Fig 3: Integrated into Transchip Power Chip (TPC) to meet future needs

1. ICT Related Products:

Fig 4: APEC 2000 Initiative on ICT

In 2000, the APEC initiative in Brunei added "communication" to "information technology," creating the term "ICT" (Information and Communication Technology). ICT has gradually become the locomotive of the high-tech industry, leading the development of various sectors, and is a key topic in every APEC summit. TPC (Smart Power Chip) will play a key role in the ICT industry, especially in driving digitalization, intelligence, and high-performance computing applications, ensuring that devices can operate stably over long periods. The ICT field's market scale has reached USD 500 billion, and it is expected to reach USD 1.2 trillion in the next decade, with an annual compound growth rate (CAGR) expected to be between 6% and 8%. Specific products in this field include:

1) Hardware Equipment: Including semiconductors (wafers, chips, integrated circuits, microprocessors), computers, mobile phones, displays, servers, storage devices, communication equipment, electronic products and components.

2) Software and Services: Including cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, enterprise management software systems, etc.

3) Communication Services: Including 5G communication services, network transmission services, and wireless communication.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Related Products:

Fig 5: From Global Channel-TES to AI

As "Global Channel-TES" promotes the widespread application of E-Commerce industry and ICT, the infrastructure for artificial intelligence has been steadily improving. The current market scale has reached USD 50 billion and is expected to grow to USD 200 billion or more in the next decade. The role of TPC in the AI industry, particularly in AI inference and machine learning at the edge, is as follows:

1) AI Inference Acceleration: For many embedded and connected devices, the computational acceleration provided by TPC helps improve the efficiency of AI model inference, enabling devices to quickly process and respond on-site.

2) Machine Learning: TPC supports data analysis and pattern recognition in machine learning applications. Relevant scenarios include smart surveillance, voice recognition, image processing, etc., all of which require highly computationally intensive processing units.

3) Low Power, High Performance: AI inference typically involves the processing of large amounts of data. TPC can provide low-power, high-performance support, especially in battery-limited devices (such as wearable devices), extending their operational time.

3. Internet of Things (IoT) Related Products:

Fig 6: From Steering the E-Commerce to IoT

After advocating for the bill of steering the e-commerce alongside representatives from the United States and Japan at the 1998 APEC, we led the world into the e-commerce industry at the turn of the century, which gradually developed into the "Internet of Things" (IoT), where everything can be connected. IoT technology enables smart connections through various devices, supporting applications such as smart cities, smart homes, and smart factories. As the demand for automation and remote management grows, the market for IoT devices and services has reached USD 474 billion, with an estimated market value of USD 1.98 trillion in the next decade. TPC, used for real-time data processing and analysis at the device end, can provide the following functions:

1) Real-time Data Processing: TPC can perform data preprocessing or inference computation locally on devices, reducing reliance on cloud computing and further lowering latency and bandwidth requirements, enabling efficient edge computing.

2) Sensors and Data Collection: In IoT devices, TPC can collaborate with various sensors for real-time data collection, analysis, and transmission. For example, in smart cities or smart manufacturing, TPC can efficiently support data collection and processing, ensuring stable operation of devices.

4. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Related Products:

Fig 7: From TranSmart Chip to V2X

In 1986, to address the issue of unemployment, we invented "Contactless Technology"—a key product of which was the "RF Transmitter." The application of RF conversion technology has promoted the development of various sensors, visual processing, and decision algorithms, which in turn has driven the growth of the V2X market, reaching USD 6 billion, with an estimated market size of USD16 billion in the next decade. This is driving the development of intelligent transportation systems, autonomous driving, electric vehicles, and real-time communication technologies between vehicles and infrastructure. TPC can serve as a key component in in-vehicle systems, providing powerful computational support as follows:

1) Vehicle Perception and Decision-making: Autonomous vehicles need to quickly process data from radar, micro-cameras, and laser sensors. TPC can accelerate the processing of this data, supporting the vehicle in making real-time decisions.

2) Low Latency and High Reliability: Autonomous driving requires extremely low latency and high reliability. The high performance and stability of TPC make it an ideal choice for in-vehicle systems.

5. Cashless Transaction Related Products:

Fig 8: Invention of A Cashless Transaction System

To create new job opportunities, when we invented "the eStore System" (TES), we decided to adopt a "cashless" transaction system. Today, the global annual transaction volume for cashless payments has surpassed USD 30 trillion, with USD 22 trillion in the APEC region alone. The market for related equipment and services has reached USD149 billion, and is expected to grow to USD 827 billion in the next decade. TPC in cashless transactions will demonstrate the following:

1) Security of Cashless Transactions: With the widespread adoption of contactless payments and identity authentication technologies such as fingerprint and facial recognition, the contactless payment market will continue to grow, especially in connection with the expansion of e-commerce and digital currencies. TPC's application in fintech and digital currency transactions can provide fast and secure transaction processing, ensuring the security of payment systems.

2) Digital Security and Identity Authentication: In the digital economy, data security and identity authentication are critical. TPC can support contactless identity authentication (such as fingerprint and facial recognition), blockchain applications, electronic payments, and digital currencies, providing strong encryption processing capabilities and security protection. It can be applied in smart access control systems, supporting biometric technologies to enhance the security of homes and businesses.

Fig 9: Cashless Transaction Amount to USD 22 Trillion in APEC Region

6. Electric Vehicle (EV) Related Products:

Driven by government policies and increasing consumer awareness of environmental protection, the "Electric Vehicle" (EV) market is experiencing strong growth with the expansion of charging infrastructure. The market for EV equipment and services has reached USD 260 billion and is expected to grow to USD 830 billion in the next decade. The "TranSmart Power Chip" (TPC), as an advanced product in contactless RF conversion technology, will drive multiple applications in the EV field, including contactless charging, vehicle identification, V2X technologies, autonomous driving development, and vehicle safety improvements. Especially in areas such as smart connectivity, seamless integration, and high-performance control, TPC will play a positive role in promoting the development of the EV market. As the EV market grows rapidly, TPC can play a key role in the following areas:

1) Enhancing Energy Management: Applied in contactless charging technology, TPC effectively solves the issues of plugging and unplugging in traditional charging processes, improving convenience and optimizing the charging experience. TPC used in contactless charging station systems utilizes RF technology to enable fast information exchange between vehicles and charging stations, including charging status, battery management, energy calculation, and small base station communication.

2) Smart Communication Between Vehicles: TPC facilitates communication between vehicles and other devices (such as roadside cell sites, pedestrians, traffic lights, etc.), enabling smart communication. This contactless communication can enable real-time collaboration between vehicles and other road participants, improving road safety, reducing accident risks, and promoting the realization of intelligent transportation systems. For example, vehicles can use TPC to quickly and accurately exchange information with cell sites, ensuring that vehicles on busy city streets or highways can make optimized driving decisions based on real-time traffic conditions.

3) Supporting Smart Cities and Green Transportation Development: As smart city construction advances, electric vehicles, as green transportation tools, are playing an increasingly important role in urban environments. TPC will facilitate seamless integration between vehicles and urban infrastructure, supporting intelligent transportation management and collaboration between vehicles and city energy systems. For example, TPC can enable communication between electric vehicles and the power grid, optimizing overall management.

7. Wearable Device Related Products:

With advances in technology and changing consumer demands, "Wearable Devices" not only meet users' needs for convenience, health monitoring, data analysis, and smart living, but also show immense market potential in various fields (such as fitness, healthcare, smart homes, etc.). The current market scale is approximately USD 84 billion, and it is expected to grow to USD 137 billion in the next decade. The role of TPC in wearable devices is primarily reflected in contactless charging, energy management, data processing, wireless communication, and intelligent analysis. It not only enhances the functionality and ease of use of wearable devices but also helps extend battery life and supports the realization of more intelligent functions, as follows:

1) Smart Sensing and Data Processing: TPC's high-efficiency data processing capabilities enable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers to quickly process data from sensors and provide real-time responses. This allows for accurate health reports or alerts, which are then transmitted to smartphones or the cloud for further analysis.

2) Wireless Data Transmission and Communication: Seamless integration and intelligent connectivity with related devices (such as smartphones, smart home devices, etc.), cloud platforms, V2X, IoT, and health monitoring systems. TPC can reduce the size and weight of the device, improving the user experience.

3) Energy Efficiency and Long-lasting Operation: Wearable devices have extremely high power consumption demands because their battery capacity is limited and needs to operate for extended periods. TPC can effectively manage energy, optimizing the device's power consumption, allowing wearable devices to run continuously without frequent recharging. TPC can dynamically adjust power modes based on the device's operating state and user behavior, ensuring minimal energy consumption while in standby mode, and providing sufficient energy support when high performance is required.

Fig 10: Wearable device and Its Applications

8. Satellite Telecommunication Related Products:

Fig 11: Achieving the “Satellite Support” at APEC 2006

Since we proposed the "Satellite Support" initiative at the APEC CEO Summit in 2006, satellite communication has become increasingly important in promoting the development of 3C products, the e-commerce industry, and the digital economy. The current market scale is approximately USD 31 billion, and with the acceleration of global digitization and the development of internet infrastructure, it is expected to grow significantly to USD 624 billion in the next decade. TPC can play multiple roles in satellite telecommunication equipment, providing efficient energy management, data processing, wireless communication support, and energy optimization. Whether in "Low Earth Orbit" (LEO) satellites, microsatellites, or satellite constellation communication, its applications can significantly improve the reliability, stability, and energy efficiency of satellite communication systems, promoting the development of satellite technology in a smarter and more sustainable direction, with the following roles:

1) Enhancing Satellite Communication's Wireless Data Transmission Capacity: TPC can serve as an efficient wireless communication management module in satellite communication equipment, supporting data transmission between satellites and ground stations. It can enhance the wireless data flow between satellites and ground stations, supporting two-way data communication to ensure that satellite signal processing, data exchange, and updates are carried out efficiently and stably. Since satellite communication equipment often requires communication across multiple frequency bands, TPC can enable efficient energy conversion and data processing across bands through intelligent frequency tuning and automatic spectrum management, supporting flexible switching between frequency bands, improving communication stability, and enhancing data transmission efficiency.

2) Energy Management and Optimization for Satellite Communication Equipment: TPC can manage the energy consumption of satellite communication devices, ensuring efficient RF energy conversion through intelligent adjustment. It ensures that devices with limited energy sources and storage capacity operate with the minimum energy consumption under different conditions, dynamically adjusting energy use and extending the satellite's operational lifespan.

3) Collaboration Between Satellites and Ground Equipment: Satellite communication systems typically involve collaboration between multiple satellites and ground stations. TPC supports multi-point connections, ensuring stable data communication between satellites and ground stations under various conditions. It can also support satellite constellation collaboration, ensuring that each satellite achieves optimal communication performance with minimal energy consumption, enhancing the overall reliability and efficiency of the satellite network, enabling data sharing, and facilitating seamless global communication.

9. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Related Products:

The advancement of technology has led to disruptive applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or Drone) in fields such as logistics and freight, agricultural monitoring and crop protection, urban surveillance and patrolling, as well as disaster rescue. The current market scale is approximately USD 30 billion, and it is expected to grow to USD 95 billion in the next decade. TPC can provide support in multiple areas, including contactless charging, energy management, seamless data transmission, and intelligent collaboration, extending drone flight times, improving operational efficiency, reducing maintenance costs, and enhancing the reliability and stability of UAVs in complex environments. TPC will play an even greater role in the commercialization of UAVs, as follows:

1) Enhancing UAV Reliability and Stability: Drones often operate in environments where electromagnetic interference can occur, especially in urban or complex settings. TPC has anti-interference capabilities, ensuring stable operation even in noisy environments, preventing interruptions or delays in communication and data processing. TPC can also perform intelligent fault detection and adaptive handling, providing fault tolerance. If a UAV's system malfunctions or experiences anomalies, TPC can adjust energy usage in real-time, ensuring other critical systems (such as communication or navigation systems) continue to function normally, thereby improving the overall reliability of the UAV.

2) Reducing Maintenance Costs and Improving Operational Convenience: TPC simplifies the drone charging process by eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements or physical contact with charging interfaces. This facilitates the operation of multiple UAVs (e.g., in logistics, aerial photography, inspection applications), reducing labor maintenance costs and increasing operational convenience. TPC supports smart diagnostics and fault prediction, allowing UAVs to monitor their energy consumption and operational status in real-time during operation. This enables the early detection of potential issues, allowing for proactive maintenance or adjustments, further reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

IV. Conclusion

K-Horn Science Inc. (KSI), established in 1979 in New York as a research and development incubator, initially focused on the development of satellite receivers and cable television. In 1986, in response to the issue of taxi drivers being robbed, we invented "the eStore System" (TES), selecting "contactless" induction technology to develop the "TranSmat Chip" and create a universal "cashless" transaction system, which helped promote the digital economy.

Fig 12: From TranSmart Chip to Cashless Transaction System

Looking ahead, the cross-disciplinary semiconductor product, the "TranSmart Power Chip" (TPC), will integrate the TranSmat chip and power chips, leveraging the strengths of both Taiwan and the United States. It will connect mobile devices, remote systems, and service platforms, playing a key role in data transmission and interaction, enabling seamless integration of various systems to meet the demands of the new tech-economic era. At the same time, it will drive trillion-dollar business opportunities and contribute to the United Nations' goals for energy transformation and carbon reduction.

In conclusion, the TPC, as the core semiconductor component for future generations, will have a profound impact on the digital economy and the field of artificial intelligence. It will not only provide powerful support for data processing, AI computing, ICT, IoT devices, and other sectors but also play a critical role in innovative applications such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X), autonomous driving, smart cities, and fintech. With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the TPC is expected to drive a market size ranging “from USD 65 to USD 148 billion,” becoming an infinite driving force and a cornerstone for global digital transformation and intelligent future, bringing endless development potential and innovation opportunities to various industries.

Fig 13: Investment Benefit of Dual-Profit

Peter Lichang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. Peter was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.