Optics Ranks as the #4 Technology Area in the 2019 Patent 300™ Report
By Rocky Berndsen
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.