Automated sorting patents for electronic scrap: who is filing, and where the field is still open
A small, concentrated field. 12 published records sit behind this dataset, with one assignee holding 7 of them against a long tail of single-filing entrants. Filings were flat through the early years, rose to a peak of 7 records in 2022, and taper toward the most recent years — expected, since publication typically lags filing by around 18 months and recent-year counts are understated.
- 1ECOTONE RENEWABLES CO7
- 2RECOLOGY3
- 3罗伯特博世有限公司(德国)1
- 4PUJERI UMA RAMACHANDRA1
- 5LEW DYLAN1
See the full automated sorting of electronic scrap analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions
How many patents exist for automated sorting of electronic scrap?
This dataset captures 12 published records matching the search criteria between 2015 and 2026. That is a small, specific slice defined by the search string used, not a count of every patent touching electronics recycling broadly. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the most recent year in the trend is understated and should not be read as a drop-off in activity.
Who are the leading patent filers in automated electronic scrap sorting?
The ranking returned for this dataset covers 8 assignees, with the leading filer holding 7 of the 12 records and the fifth-ranked assignee holding just 1. That gap indicates one entity has built a sustained filing program while the rest of the field consists of individual inventors, an academic institution, and single-filing companies. There is no evidence in this dataset of a tight multi-company race at the top.
What technologies do these patents actually claim?
The IPC composition shows B07C (postal and object sorting) in 75.0% of the 12 records and G06V (image/video recognition) in 58.3%, meaning most filings combine physical sorting mechanisms with a vision or recognition system. A meaningful share also touches C02F, C05F and C05G, classes tied to water treatment and fertiliser production, suggesting some filings originate from mixed organic-waste sorting lines that overlap with electronics recycling rather than being electronics-specific.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Automated Sorting of Electronic Scrap covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.