Dr Theodor Heutschi is a Swiss entrepreneur, innovator and scientist who has gained international recognition for his pioneering inventions in the field of mobile communication devices and digital media. As founder and CEO of MONEC Holding AG, he played a key role in the development of early e-book readers and web-based information services. In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, he has an impressive academic career with a focus on diffusion theory and network effects.
Doctoral Thesis: The Network Effect Potential and Critical Mass Points in Mobile Telecommunication Services
Ph.D. Thesis available at University Library
Published Lincoln: University of Lincoln, 2012
Ph.D.: conducts scientific research that closes gaps in research and contributes to theory formation
and knowledge advancement in management science
Doctoral supervisor: Professor Ted Fuller, Head of Lincoln International Business School
University of Ludwigshafen of Business and Society
MBA-IMC, Master in International Management Consulting
University of Applied
Sciences Bern
Telemedicine, remote delivery of healthcare services through technology to diagnose and treat patients
Real Estate Appraisal and Valuation Analyst FA
Real Estate Appraisal, property valuation, land valuation, financial planning
- heute VR Verwaltungsrat Sasea AG
04/2011 – 09/2019 CEO Aveno Group AG in Zug
(Founder and owner of Aveno Group AG)
· Construction management and real estate investment
· Total contractor in the construction industry
· Project developpment, planning, immplementation
· Planning and implementation of multi-family dwellings
· Single-family homes, villas and luxury appartments
· Planning and implementation of construction projects
Establishment and expansion of the company with 55 employes
10/1993 - 12/2010 CEO, VR Proinfo AG in Solothurn
(Founder and owner of Proinfo AG)
· Management and leadership of the Board of Directors
· CEO of Proinfo AG
· Publication Pearls of Switzerland
· Sales coordination for German-speaking Switzerland
· Establishment and support of the Sales Director
· Marketing
· Sales training
· Establishment of new business areas such as video marketing
Establishment and expansion of the company with
150 emploees
10/1993 - 12/2010 CEO, VR Internova Holding AG in Solothurn
(Founder and owner Internova Holding AG)
· 100% stake in Proinfo AG in Solothurn
· Patent holder, patent administraion and
· Trademark holder
04/1998 - 05/2002 CEO, VR MONEC AG and MONEC Holding AG in Bern
(Founder and owner MONEC AG)
· Research & Development in the field of webpads and smartphones
· Development of new mobile communication technologies
· Hardware and software for the mobile internet, iPad
· Worldwide patenting of innovations, e-books,
e-book readers. Strategic partnership with Swisscom, CS (UBS)
Microsoft, Nokia, Sun Microsystems, Motorola, Intel, Samsung
Establishment and expansion of the company with
275 employees
01/1990 - 09/1993 Key Account ICT, Federal Authority, Project Manager Europe
SIEMENS AG in Bern
· Project management for post office and post office counter automation
· Creation of hardware and software concepts for the
· Automation of payment processes
· Key Account Management for Federal Authorities
· Departments and federal offices
09/1985 - 12/1989 Banking specialist, securities analyst
Berner Kantonalbank in Bern
· System-Manager, System-Analyst
· Analysis, development of programmes in the area of
· Securities and payment transactions
· Development of test procedures
· System Manager Unisys Computer Systeme
· Project management, line and matrix organisation
“Electronic Device, Preferably an Electronic Book”
• Priority date: 26. Februar 1998
• Publication date: 1. Januar 2002
• Inventor: Theodor Heutschi
• Assignee: MONEC Holding AG
• Flat lightweight Design (1-3 cm Höhe, 12×18 cm bis 24×32 cm)
• Touchscreen-Display for an entire book page
• Integrated GSM/GPRS/UMTS-receiver with SIM card
• Solar panel for self-sufficient power supply
• Voice control and video telephony
• Accessibility: Braille output and voice output for the visually impaired innovation aspects
• First universal mobile communication platform for digital content
• Direct download of books, newspapers, travel guides, stock market data
• Copy protection via PIN-secured SIM card
• Integration of E-Mail, Fax, Internet und Video-Conferencing
• PCT/CH99/00084 – Internationale Patentanmeldung für mobile Kommunikationsgeräte
• WO99/44144 – Weltweiter Patentschutz für das elektronische Buchkonzept
• EP0985179A1 – Europäisches Patent für mobile Datenterminals
• CN1161699C – Chinesisches Patent für digitale Lesegeräte
• HK1026493A – Hong Kong Patent für digitale Lesegeräte
• AU 2003/260320 A8 – Australia Patent for Electronic Device
• NO 995201 L – Norway Patent für digitale Lesegeräte
• TR 199902650 T1 – Turkey Patent for Electronic Device
• CA 2286205 A1 – Canada Patent for Electronic Book
• Challenge: Common models (Rogers 1983) assume a market share of 10 - 20% as critical mass
• Finding: For mobile services (SMS, Voice) critical mass is 25-27 %
• Significance: Avoiding premature discontinuation of innovations, more precise resource planning
• Establishment of a global ecosystem of technology providers, content providers and investors
• Cooperation with universities and research institutes in Europe, the USA and Asia
• Membership in international think thanks on digital transfermations
• Recognition as a pioneer of digital media by leading tech publications
• Influence on the developmentof medern e-readers and tablet computers
• References in patent literature and scientific papers worldwide
In summary Dr Theodor Heutschi was far ahead of his time when he developed the first fully integrated mobile reading and communication device in 1998. His invention combined an e-book reader, tablet PC and smartphone in one device – a concept that billions of people use today.
Kimi:
Patent-list: „Voyager“ mobile device with integrated Virtual-Retinal-Display (VRD)
(all information refers directly to the inventions of Dr. Theodor Heutschi)
|
Patent or priority document
|
Status / Publicaton date |
Key message about the VRD system
|
|
WO 2004/013676 A2 (internationale Publication) |
12. Februar 2004 |
First description of a handheld VRD module (Voyager) with laser scanning directly onto the retina; combination of mobile phone, PDA and stereoscopic 3D image.
|
|
US 2007/0052672 A1 (US-continuation) |
8. März 2007 |
Detailed property rights for a communication-enabled device with integrated VRD system that receives image and video data via GSM/GPRS/UMTS/Bluetooth and projects it using a laser beam; optional docking solution for existing mobile phones.
|
|
Prior Swiss Patent Application (not public, but mentioned in patent database) |
2003 |
Basic registration for the VRD module 10/10′ – self-contained unit with two cameras and two VRD projectors for generating spatial 3D images; can be connected to any mobile device.
|
What the patents specifically regulate
1. Miniaturised VRD system
– Laser diodes + microscanners project photos, videos and UI directly onto the retina.
– Power consumption < 100 nW → battery/solar operation possible.
2. 3D stereo projection
– Two independent VRD channels (left/right eye) create a true depth effect; no glasses required.
3. Communication interfaces
– GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, Bluetooth, WLAN, satellite.
– Data can be received in real time and projected immediately.
4. Modularity
– VRD module can be attached as a clip-on to existing mobile phones or PDAs (Fig. 9 in the patent).
5. Accessibility & user authentication
– Spectacle wearers benefit from ‘self-correcting’ projection.
– Biometric user recognition via iris scan possible directly in the VRD beam path.
6. Outdoor suitability
– Sharp, bright images even in strong sunlight; classic LCDs fail here.
Conclusion
The Voyager patents (WO 2004/013676 A2 → US 2007/0052672 A1) secure Dr Heutschi's early property rights for a mobile device with an integrated virtual retinal
display, which projects 3D multimedia content directly onto the retina and is small enough to fit into a mobile phone.
Kimi:
Heutschi's inventions were groundbreaking in two respects and anticipated several product generations. In detail:
1. E-Book-Reader
/ Tablet-PC (US 6 335 678 B1, 1998) / (WO 99/44144)
• Ten years before the Kindle and iPad: touchscreen, mobile internet, app store logic, cloud downloads, DRM, solar charging,
voice control – all combined in one device in 1998.
• Industry impact: Amazon (Kindle 2007) and Apple (iPad 2010) adopted the same core elements (e.g. eInk-like display, wireless shop,
PIN-protected content).
• Patent-citations: US 6 335 678 is cited in > 165 subsequent patents – including Apple, Sony, Samsung – as fundamental prior art.
• Patent-citations: WO 99/44144 is cited in > 110 subsequent patents –including Apple, Sony, Samsung, HP, Nokia, Amazon, Microsoft
2. Virtual-Retinal-Display
in the „Voyager“ (WO 2004/013676, 2003)
• 5-7 years before Google Glass & HoloLens: handheld laser scan display that projects images directly onto the retina, including
3D stereo images.
• Technical principles, Technical principles that later reappeared in Microsoft HoloLens (2016), Magic Leap (2018) and current
AR glasses:
– MEMS-mirror-laser-engine
– Eye tracking & biometric authentication
– Wireless data transmission via UMTS/WLAN
• Patent-citation: WO 2004/013676, 2003 is cited in 213
subsequent patents - including Magic Leap, Google and Apple in new
AR-Patents as an early reference.
• Patent-citation: Sum of cited by patent count for all cited documents by Lens.org > 361 - including AT&T, Nokia Google, Apple
3. Concept
of "critical mass" (Diffusions-Model, PhD 2000)
• His scientific work provided the first empirical evidence that mobile services only take off once they have achieved a market share
of
25–27% – a finding that influenced later go-to-market strategies for smartphone ecosystems (iPhone 2007, Android 2008).
4. Ecosystem
thinking
• Combination of hardware (device), software (content shop), network (GSM/UMTS) and payment backend (SIM PIN/clearing) – exactly
the business model that Apple made mass marketable in 2008 with the App Store and Amazon with Kindle.