Bridge Weigh-in-Motion Patents: Who Leads, Where Gaps Are 2026
Bridge Weigh-in-Motion and Load Monitoring Patents
One assignee holds 72 of 122 records in scope — concentration this steep is unusual even for a niche technical field and shapes almost every freedom-to-operate question here. Filings rose from 7 in 2017 to a peak of 15 in 2020, the sharpest concentration of activity in the window. Counts since then taper, but the 2025-2026 figures are the least reliable in the series because of publication lag — treat the recent-year dip as a data artefact, not a demonstrated retreat from the field.
- 1INTERNATIONAL ROAD DYNAMICS72
- 2KISTLER HLDG AG18
- 3PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD7
- 4UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA6
- 5PETABCHACHER MARKUS5
See the full bridge weigh in motion and load monitoring 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 about bridge weigh-in-motion patents
What is bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) technology?
Bridge weigh-in-motion is a method of estimating the weight and axle configuration of a moving vehicle by measuring the bridge’s structural response — typically strain, displacement or acceleration — as the vehicle crosses, rather than embedding scales in the road surface. It relies on techniques like influence-line analysis and calibration vehicles to convert the measured response into an accurate load estimate. This search scope covers 122 records filed since 2015 that combine core weighing methods with these supporting techniques.
Who are the leading patent holders in bridge weigh-in-motion?
The assignee ranking covers 30 companies, but the field is highly concentrated: one assignee holds 72 of the 122 records in scope, and the top 5 combined account for 88.5% of all records. Beyond the top ten, which together reach 97.5% of the field, most remaining participants hold only one or two filings each, making this a niche dominated by a single filer rather than a broad multi-player market.
Is bridge weigh-in-motion patent activity growing or slowing down?
Filings rose from 7 in 2017 to a peak of 15 in 2020, then appear to taper in the years since — but that apparent decline should be treated with caution. Publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the 2025 and 2026 figures are the least complete in the dataset and will rise as more applications publish. There are not enough complete years since the 2020 peak to state a reliable growth rate.
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 Bridge Weigh in Motion and Load Monitoring 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.