Electric Double-Layer Capacitor Current Collector Patent Landscape
The EDLC current collector patent field is dominated by a small set of industrial and institutional filers, with Kyocera AVX Components Corp holding a clear lead. The field has reached maturity, with annual volume easing from a 2017 peak, though adjacent branches in nanotechnology and power systems remain comparatively under-served.
Kyocera AVX leads a moderately concentrated field with an active academic tier
Kyocera AVX Components Corp holds the top position in this landscape, followed by Panasonic Holdings Corp and FastCap Ultracapacitors LLC in a closely contested second tier. The ranking reflects a field where established electronics manufacturers coexist with specialist supercapacitor firms and university research groups.
The top five filers account for 26% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate rather than extreme concentration. A meaningful second tier — including Corning Inc, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, and Nanotek Instruments Group — ensures that no single entity controls the agenda outright.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyocera AVX Components Corp | 150 | |
| 2 | Panasonic Holdings Corp | 84 | |
| 3 | FastCap Ultracapacitors LLC | 84 | |
| 4 | FastCap Systems Corp | 63 | |
| 5 | Corning Inc | 57 | |
| 6 | Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University | 51 | |
| 7 | Nanotek Instruments Group LLC | 51 | |
| 8 | Regents of the University of California | 39 | |
| 9 | Pocell Tech Ltd | 35 | |
| 10 | Skeleton Technologies Group | 31 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Tokin Corp | 31 | |
| 12 | Nisshinbo Industries Inc | 30 | |
| 13 | AGC Inc | 29 | |
| 14 | Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd | 28 | |
| 15 | ZapGo Ltd | 26 | |
| 16 | Elna Co Ltd | 23 | |
| 17 | Central South University | 22 | |
| 18 | Nippon Chemi-Con Corp | 22 | |
| 19 | KOREA INST OF SCI & TECH | 21 | |
| 20 | Tsinghua University | 20 |
The incumbents’ positions imply well-defended core capacitor IP (H01G), leaving challengers to differentiate through materials chemistry, nanotechnology, or adjacent power-system integration. New entrants, particularly from academic institutions, are building presence primarily in electrode materials rather than current collector structures per se.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are likely under-counted due to standard patent publication lag of 12–18 months and should not be read as a further structural decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity has eased from a 2017 peak; capacitor-class IP dominates the technology mix
Two charts together capture where the field stands: annual filing volume shows a maturing trajectory, while the IPC branch breakdown reveals heavy concentration in core capacitor classes with sparse coverage in adjacent material and power-system branches.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked in 2017 and have trended lower since, consistent with a maturing technology field. The window-level figure reflects a modest recent-period contraction. Data for 2024 and 2025 are subject to publication lag and likely understate true activity; interpret those years with caution.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01G (Capacitors) accounts for the dominant share of records, confirming that most filers anchor their claims in core EDLC device architecture. H01M (Batteries, cells and fuel cells) forms a secondary cluster, reflecting cross-over electrode material research. Branches such as B82Y (Nanotechnology applications), H02J (Power supply and grid systems), and H01B (Cables, conductors and insulators) are present but carry comparatively low record counts, pointing to under-served adjacent spaces.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Electric double-layer capacitor, and current colle…
The electric double-layer capacitor of the present invention comprises an electrolyte solution comprising γ-butyrolactone as the solvent and a coated electrode. The coated electrode is produced by using water as the solvent, and prepared by coating a slurry onto a current collector, wherein the slurry consists of an electrode material which is the solute… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method of making a high performance ultracapacitor | 190 |
| 2 | Nonaqueous electolytic solution, composition for p… | 123 |
| 3 | Supercapacitor with high energy density | 119 |
| 4 | Electric double-layer capacitor and carbon materia… | 106 |
| 5 | Bifunctional electrode for an electrochemical cell… | 104 |
| 6 | Process for producing graphene foam supercapacitor… | 101 |
| 7 | Wound electric double-layer capacitor | 96 |
| 8 | Advanced electrolyte systems and their use in ener… | 94 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D allocation
The field’s maturity, moderate concentration, and active academic participation each shape where differentiated IP can still be built. Geography and collaboration patterns add further texture for teams assessing entry or expansion.
Field has plateaued near its 2017 peak
The lifecycle assessment places this field at the Maturity stage, with annual filings having plateaued near their peak. This implies that foundational current collector architectures are well-patented, and incremental improvements face a crowded prior-art landscape. R&D teams should focus on step-change material innovations or system-level integration to find defensible ground.
Mature · plateau phaseModerate concentration with a competitive second tier
The top five filers hold 26% of the output of the hundred largest filers, with Kyocera AVX Components Corp at the front and Panasonic Holdings, FastCap Ultracapacitors, FastCap Systems, and Corning forming a tight second tier. The gap between the leader and the pack is real but not prohibitive, suggesting that a focused challenger with differentiated materials or manufacturing IP can still accumulate meaningful share.
Moderate concentrationCo-filing activity is limited and concentrated in a few pairs
The most active co-filing relationship is between AGC Inc (formerly Asahi Glass) and Elna Co Ltd, with 21 joint patent families — the clearest evidence of a technology partnership in the dataset. Nisshinbo Industries and Nisshinbo Holdings have filed together on two occasions, and the University of California Board of Regents has one joint filing with the Regents of the University of California. Broader ecosystem co-development appears limited, suggesting open-innovation partnerships remain an underexplored lever.
Sparse co-filingUS leads filings; China and Europe are significant secondary markets
The United States is the leading jurisdiction by record count, followed by China, Europe (EPO), Japan, WIPO (PCT), and South Korea. India also appears as a notable jurisdiction. This broad spread signals that leading applicants are seeking multi-jurisdictional protection, and any freedom-to-operate analysis must cover at minimum the US, CN, EP, JP, and KR filing offices.
Multi-jurisdictionGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| AGC Inc | Elna Co Ltd | 21 |
| Nisshinbo Industries Inc | Nisshinbo Holdings Inc | 2 |
| The Regents of the University of California | University of California | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Kyocera AVX and FastCap Systems define the industrial frontier; academics are rising
The top two industrial players anchor the field in core capacitor device IP, while a new-entrant academic filer has emerged with rapid recent momentum. Trajectory diverges sharply across the ranking.
Kyocera AVX Components Corp
The clear market leader with 150 patent families, concentrated almost entirely in H01G 11 (Capacitors) with secondary coverage in H02J 7 (Power supply and grid systems). Recent momentum shows a sharp contraction (▼ –68% in the most recent period vs the prior window), suggesting the portfolio is maturing and new filings have slowed significantly.
families: 150FastCap Systems Corp
FastCap Systems Corp holds 63 patent families with a technology mix spanning H01G 11, H01G 9 (Capacitors), and H02J 7 (Power supply and grid systems), closely mirroring the profile of its affiliated entity FastCap Ultracapacitors LLC (84 families). Combined, the FastCap entities represent a formidable specialist position. Recent trend for the FastCap Systems entity shows a moderate decline (▼ –16%), indicating continued but decelerating filing activity.
families: 63| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Kyocera AVX Components Corp | 13 | ▼ -68% |
| FastCap Systems Corp | 21 | ▼ -16% |
| Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University | 43 | ▲ new entrant |
| The Regents of the University of California | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in nanotechnology and power-system integration
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant H01G core carry comparatively low record counts, indicating that the intersection of EDLC current collector technology with these domains has received limited patent attention to date. Two branches stand out for their technical relevance and sparse coverage.
B82Y · Nanotechnology Applications
This branch carries a low share of records in the corpus despite nanotechnology being a core enabler of next-generation current collector materials (e.g., carbon nanotube arrays, graphene foams). The most-cited patents in the corpus — including those on graphene foam supercapacitors and high-performance ultracapacitors — signal high technical value here. Teams with expertise in nano-structured electrode interfaces could find room to build differentiated claims, particularly at the intersection of B82Y and H01G 11.
Search this in Eureka →H02J · Power Supply & Grid Systems
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) appears at a low share of records relative to the dominant capacitor class, despite EDLC modules being increasingly deployed in grid-side energy buffering and vehicle regenerative braking systems. The scarcity of claims covering the interface between current collector design and power management circuitry suggests an under-served space where system-level integration patents could be valuable, particularly for applicants already holding device-level H01G IP who wish to extend their coverage upstream into power electronics.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ by technology route across IPC branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H01G 11 · Capacitors | H01G 9 · Capacitors | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | C01B 32 · Non-metallic elements & inorganic compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic Holdings Corp | Strong · 89 | Strong · 86 | Absent | Emerging · 16 | Absent |
| FastCap Systems Corp | Strong · 121 | Moderate · 25 | Absent | Emerging · 10 | Emerging · 17 |
| Kyocera AVX Components Corp | Strong · 148 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Nisshinbo Industries Inc | Strong · 32 | Strong · 32 | Moderate · 11 | Moderate · 11 | Absent |
| Nanotek Instruments Group LLC | Strong · 48 | Absent | Moderate · 15 | Moderate · 12 | Emerging · 8 |
| Corning Inc | Strong · 56 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 12 |
| Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University | Strong · 51 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 6 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 1,466 patent families in scope, covering global filings in the electric double-layer capacitor current collector space.
Kyocera AVX Components Corp leads with 150 patent families, ahead of Panasonic Holdings Corp and FastCap Ultracapacitors LLC, which are tied at 84 patent families each.
The field is assessed as Mature, with annual filings having plateaued near their 2017 peak. The recent-window growth figure stands at -8%, consistent with a field where foundational IP is well-established and incremental filing volume has eased. Data for the most recent 12–18 months is subject to publication lag.
The United States leads by record count, followed by China, Europe (EPO), Japan, WIPO (PCT), South Korea, and India. A comprehensive freedom-to-operate or filing strategy should cover at minimum the US, CN, EP, JP, and KR offices.
B82Y (Nanotechnology applications) and H02J (Power supply and grid systems) carry relatively low record counts within the corpus despite their technical relevance to advanced current collector materials and system-level integration, respectively. H01B (Cables, conductors and insulators) and H01L (Semiconductor devices) are also sparse.
Co-filing activity is limited. The most active co-filing pair is AGC Inc (formerly Asahi Glass) and Elna Co Ltd, with 21 jointly filed patent families. Other co-filing pairs — Nisshinbo Industries with Nisshinbo Holdings, and the University of California Board of Regents with the Regents of the University of California — have minimal joint activity, suggesting that cross-entity collaboration remains rare in this field.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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