Computer Vision Patents: Top Companies & Filing Trends 2026
Computer Vision Patents: Who Leads Filings and Where Claim Space Is Still Open
Filing is not consolidated. the ranked leader holds 4,065 records but the top 10 combined account for only 18.8% of all 160,812 records in scope, leaving a long tail of single- and few-filing entrants. Annual filings rose from 1,032 in 2017 to a peak of 2,257 in 2022, then eased to 1,622 by 2024 — a 26% drop from the 2021 level. Treat 2025 and 2026 figures as provisional; publication lag means recent filings are still arriving in the record.
- 1MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC2.5%
- 2INTEL CORP2.3%
- 3QUALCOMM INC2.3%
- 4SNAP INC2.0%
- 5NVIDIA CORP2.0%
See the full computer vision patent landscape 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 the computer vision patent landscape
Who holds the most computer vision patents?
The ranking of 100 assignees in this dataset shows the leader holding 4,065 records, with the next several places trailing but still substantial, down to 3,207 at fifth place and 2,100 at tenth. However, the top 10 combined account for only 18.8% of the full 160,812-record corpus, so no single company or small group controls the field. The broader ranking includes a long tail of companies with far fewer filings each, which is typical for a fast-growing, technically diverse field like this one.
Is computer vision patent filing still growing?
Filing activity rose steadily through the late 2010s and peaked in 2022 at 2,257 records, then declined to 1,622 by 2024, a drop of 26% from the 2021 level. That is the most recent period the data can be treated as complete, since publication typically lags filing by around 18 months. The 2025 and 2026 figures in any trend chart should be read as provisional undercounts rather than confirmation of a continued slowdown.
What patent classes cover computer vision technology?
The dataset’s IPC breakdown shows G06T (image data processing and generation) as the largest single class at 4.3% of the 160,812 records in scope, followed closely by H04N (pictorial communication), G06V (image and video recognition) and G06K (data recognition and presentation), each in the 2.9%-3.6% range. G06N (AI-based computing) and G06F (digital data processing) are also material but smaller shares. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares add up to more than 100% and should not be summed into a single total.
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 Computer Vision Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. 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.