Selective Visual Display Systems Ranks as the #6 Technology Area in the 2020 Patent 300®

The 2020 Patent 300® details the top 300 companies, organizations, and universities obtaining patents in the United States. Data from the report shows that nearly 56% of patents obtained in the U.S. in 2019 were by Patent 300® companies.  The top 10 technology areas, which represent 47% of the 189,796 U.S. patents obtained by Patent 300® companies in 2019, are again dominated by electrical technologies.

Chart 1 shows the Selective Visual Display Systems technology area ranked 6th largest in 2019. Selective Visual Display Systems covers United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) technology classifications related to processes and apparatus for selective, electrical control of two or more light-generating or light-controlling display elements. Processes and devices under these classifications use received or stored image data signal. The image data includes character, graphical information, or display attribute data. Image data sources may consist of peripheral input devices, television signals, image data recognition, or computers.

This class also includes digital data processing systems or methods for visual presentation. Data processing consists of the creation or manipulation of graphic objects (e.g., artificial images), or text. The class includes telegraphy subclasses for digitizing writing tablets, styluses, and circuits.

Chart 1 – Top 10 Technology Areas for Patent 300® (2019 U.S. Patents)

Rank	Patent 300 Technology Area	2019 U.S. Patents	Percentage of Total 2019 U.S. Patents
1	Semiconductors/Memory	15841	8%
2	Electrical Circuits and Systems	14269	8%
3	Multiplex and VoIP	10824	6%
4	Printing/Measuring and Testing	10383	6%
5	Optics	9830	5%
6	Selective Visual Display Systems	7338	4%
7	Thermal & Combustion Technology, Motive & Fluid Power Systems	5951	3%
8	Computer Networks	5753	3%
9	Cryptography and Security	5016	3%
10	Telecommunications	4714	2%

The top 20 companies in the Selective Visual Display Systems area, shown in Chart 2, are large global technology companies. They include Samsung Electronics (#1), BOE Technology Group (#2), Canon (#3), Sony (#4), and others. Samsung tops the list having obtained 1108 US patents, up 22% from 2018. BOE Technology had a 27% increase from 2018 at 612 US patents. Newcomer to the Patent 300®, China Star Optoelectronics, at 240 patents, was up 11900% from 2018. The top 20 companies represent a cross-section of the technology sector. Included are device manufacturers, software, and media companies.

Chart 2 – Top 20 Companies by U.S. Patents in Selective Visual Display Systems

Rank	Patent 300®	2019 Selective Visual Display Patents	% of Company's 2019 US Patents	2018 Selective Visual Display Patents	Change from 2018 Patents
1	Samsung Electronics	1108	13%	909	22%
2	BOE Technology Group	612	28%	481	27%
3	Canon	450	11%	43	947%
4	Sony	428	16%	184	133%
5	Apple	342	14%	258	33%
6	LG Display	341	39%	241	41%
7	Japan Display	293	43%	215	36%
8	China Star Optoelectronics	240	35%	2	11900%
9	Microsoft	201	6%	154	31%
10	TCL	177	30%	308	-43%
11	LG Electronics	128	5%	92	39%
12	Alphabet	119	5%	70	70%
13	Facebook	114	9%	51	124%
14	Semiconductor Energy Lab	113	16%	94	20%
15	Sharp	111	13%	89	25%
16	Seiko Epson	106	8%	96	10%
17	Olympus	100	14%	4	2400%
17	Panasonic	100	5%	80	25%
19	Tianma Microelectronics	97	53%	61	59%
20	Synaptics	85	56%	116	-27%

Selective Visual Display Systems is an important technology area in the patent world with over 7,338 US patents in 2019 alone. Selective Visual Display Systems technology affects companies in many industries around the globe. For more detailed information about this technology area, or any other data related to the 2020 Patent 300®, please visit harrityllp.com/patent300/.