The 2019 Patent 300™ Report details the top 300 companies, organizations, and universities obtaining patents in the United States. Data from the report shows that nearly 70% of the U.S. patents obtained in 2018 were for electrical, software, or computer-related technologies. The top 10 technology areas, which represent 49% of the 167,164 U.S. patents obtained by Patent 300 companies in 2018, are dominated by electrical technologies.
Chart 1 shows the Optics technology area ranked the 4th largest in 2018. There were 9,003 patents issued for Patent 300 companies in the U.S. Optics covers the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) technology classifications for apparatus and corresponding processes used for storing and retrieving optical or magneto-optical information. The basis of the technology is relative movement between an optical storage carrier or medium and a transducer along a continuous path.
The class includes apparatus and corresponding processes for making copies or editing optical records, falling within the above definition. It includes the transfer medium having a specific information storage structure. The scope of the Optics technology class overlaps with other classes and subclasses. It is an integral part of the class of patents covering Dynamic Information Storage or Retrieval.
Chart 1 – Top 10 Technology Areas for Patent 300 (2018 U.S. Patents)
Rank
Patent 300 Technology Area
2018 U.S. Patents
Percentage of Total 2018 U.S. Patents
1
Semiconductors/Memory
15,153
9%
2
Electrical Circuits and Systems
13,215
8%
3
Multiplex and VoIP
9,875
6%
4
Optics
9,003
5%
5
Printing/Measuring and Testing
8,641
5%
6
Thermal & Combustion Technology, Motive & Fluid Power Systems
7,017
4%
7
Selective Visual Display Systems
4,855
3%
8
Telecommunications: Analog Radio Telephone; Satellite and Power Control; Transceivers, Measuring and Testing; Bluetooth; Receivers and Transmitters; Equipment Details
4,761
3%
9
Computer Networks
4,544
3%
10
Cryptography and Security
4,311
3%
The top 20 companies in the Optics area, shown in Chart 2, are large global technology companies. They include Samsung (#1), Canon (#2), BOE Technology (#3), TCL Corporation (#4), and others. Samsung tops the list having obtained 672 U.S. patents, down from 2017. Canon had 366 U.S. patents. BOE Technology, at 326, was up 8% from 2017. The top 20 companies represent a cross-section of the technology sector.
Chart 2 – Top 20 Companies by U.S. Patents in Telecommunications
Patent 300 Company Name
Patent 300 Rank in Optics
Optics Patents 2018
% of Company's 2018 U.S. Patents
Optics Patents 2017
Change from 2017 Patents
Samsung
1
672
8%
769
-14%
Canon
2
366
10%
426
-16%
BOE
3
326
20%
301
8%
TCL
4
248
26%
193
22%
Carl Zeiss
5
246
67%
255
-4%
ASML
6
216
86%
199
8%
Philips
7
213
16%
224
-5%
Panasonic
8
201
11%
141
30%
Japan Display
9
198
32%
212
-7%
Seiko Epson
10
184
14%
203
-10%
GE
11
153
6%
143
7%
Nikon
12
150
63%
130
13%
Fujifilm
13
147
12%
186
-27%
Toshiba
14
139
8%
71
49%
Corning
15
137
28%
160
-17%
IBM
16
125
1%
123
2%
Hitachi
17
124
9%
175
-41%
Sony
18
122
6%
164
-34%
Olympus
19
120
18%
102
15%
LG Display
20
118
17%
107
9%
For more detailed information about this technology area, or any other data related to the 2019 Patent 300™ Report, please visit harrityllp.com/patent300/ or contact Rocky Berndsen directly via email at rberndsen@harrityllp.com.
Download a FREE Analytics Report on your Patent 300 Company!
See the trends in patent count, filing strategy, competitors, technology areas, outside counsel costs, patent prosecution statistics, and more. The free report is available to companies in the Patent 300® only. Sample Report for IBM below:
The free report is only available to companies in the Patent 300®.
Explore the Power of Analytics with the Patent 300 Dashboard!
