Patent Vue Study Clarifies the Augmented Reality Patent Landscape
One of the signs of technology maturing is the number of patents granted in the field. This article published on the Patent Vue web site, shares the results of an in depth study of the patents that could impact smart glasses manufacturers and providers of related Augmented Reality technology in coming years. The analysis reveals that Microvision Inc. is the largest US patent holder in this space, owning 233 US patents primarily related to hardware components for Augmented Reality systems, with a focus on miniaturized MEMS and PICO level systems.
Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co. follows with over 200 US patents. The majority of its patents are directed towards semiconductor-level technologies for displays and imaging substrates.
Google is the next largest patent holder the study identifies, with 117 US patents covering various physical hardware devices and related components, and software related to image-based user interfaces, user input technologies, and other user-experience applications. Canon, LG Electronics, Sony, Microsoft, IBM, Siemens, and Samsung are the next significant patent owners in this space.