Industrial Automation Technology Patent Landscape 2026
Industrial Automation Technology Patent Landscape in 2026
Fisher-Rosemount Systems commands a dominant position in industrial automation IP, with the top five filers collectively holding 42% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. The field peaked in 2018 and annual volume has eased substantially since, though the underlying technology mix is broadening into AI, robotics, and wireless networking.
Fisher-Rosemount leads a concentrated field with a clear tier gap
Fisher-Rosemount Systems holds the top position with 5,111 patent records, more than twice the output of the second-ranked applicant, Omron Corporation (2,366 patent records). Honeywell International, Mitsubishi Electric, and Siemens round out a strong top five.
The top five filers account for 42% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, signalling a concentrated market where a small set of incumbents define the prior-art landscape. A secondary tier — Rockwell Automation, Yokogawa, Rosemount, Fisher Controls, and ABB — is active but materially smaller, creating a measurable gap between the first and second tiers.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc. | 5,111 | |
| 2 | Omron Corporation | 2,366 | |
| 3 | Honeywell International Inc. | 1,518 | |
| 4 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 1,356 | |
| 5 | Siemens AG | 1,303 | |
| 6 | Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc. | 1,257 | |
| 7 | Yokogawa Electric Corporation | 1,201 | |
| 8 | Rosemount Inc. | 1,048 | |
| 9 | Fisher Controls International LLC | 1,000 | |
| 10 | ABB (Switzerland) AG | 861 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | LG Electronics Inc. | 625 | |
| 12 | Toshiba Corporation | 596 | |
| 13 | Hitachi Ltd. | 592 | |
| 14 | Applied Materials Inc. | 501 | |
| 15 | Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC | 457 | |
| 16 | Schneider Electric Systems USA Inc. | 371 | |
| 17 | General Electric Company | 270 | |
| 18 | ABB Research Ltd. | 253 | |
| 19 | Advanced Micro Devices Inc. | 240 | |
| 20 | Tokyo Electron Ltd. | 237 |
Fisher-Rosemount’s lead, built primarily on process-control and diagnostics IP, implies that any entrant or challenger must either design around a dense portfolio or seek differentiation in adjacent branches where the leaders are relatively sparse.
Patent records covering the most recent 18–24 months are subject to publication lag and should be treated as incomplete; apparent filing decreases after 2023 do not reflect actual R&D activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2018; technology mix is diversifying beyond core control systems
The two charts below show annual filing volume from 2017 onward and the distribution of IPC technology classes across the corpus. Together they reveal a maturing control-systems core and a broadening perimeter of emerging branches.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed from 1,072 in 2017 to a peak of 1,323 in 2018, then declined steadily to 570 in 2023. Figures for 2024 onward are materially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as a continued decline in R&D investment.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G05B (Control and regulating systems) dominates with 18,660 records, establishing it as the foundational class. G06F (Electric digital data processing, 5,830) and H04L (Digital information transmission, 2,745) form a substantial secondary layer, while B25J (Manipulators and robots, 1,974), G06Q (Business and admin data processing, 1,446), and G06N (AI models, 1,231) represent growing adjacent branches.
↗ 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.
Highly-versatile field devices and communication n…
A highly versatile process control or factory automation field device is configured with an interface and communication connection structure that enables the field device to operate as a data server that communicates with and supports multiple different applications or clients, either directly or indirectly, while simultaneously performing standard process… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method for collecting data using compact internetw… | 1,419 |
| 2 | Wireless communication | 1,289 |
| 3 | Methods and systems for data collection, learning,… | 960 |
| 4 | Monitoring system for an industrial process using … | 770 |
| 5 | Object-oriented computer program, system, and meth… | 760 |
| 6 | Diagnostic expert in a process control system | 742 |
| 7 | System for remotely accessing an industrial contro… | 739 |
| 8 | Platform for facilitating development of intellige… | 721 |
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 portfolio structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations shape how an engineering team or strategy team should read this landscape: the life-cycle stage, the degree of concentration, the collaboration ecosystem, and the geographic filing footprint.
Past-peak field with easing annual volume
Annual filings peaked in 2018 and have eased back since, placing the field in a declining phase on recent annual metrics. The multi-year corpus of 7,602 patent families represents deep prior-art coverage in core control-systems classes. Teams entering today should budget significant prior-art search effort and focus differentiation on branches that remain relatively sparse.
Lifecycle: DeclineTop five hold 42% of the top-100 filers’ output
Fisher-Rosemount’s 5,111-record lead is more than double the second-place Omron Corporation at 2,366 records. This concentration means IP freedom-to-operate analysis is essential before committing R&D resources. The secondary tier — Rockwell Automation, Yokogawa, ABB — is active but separated from the leader by a clear gap, leaving room for a focused challenger in specialised sub-domains.
High concentrationCo-filing is modest and largely within corporate families
The most active co-filing pairs are Fisher-Rosemount Systems with R. Stahl Schaltgeraete (11 joint records) and with CSI Technologies (11 joint records), followed by LG Electronics with SNU R&DB Foundation (10 records). Siemens co-files with both Siemens Corp and Robert Bosch, while Yokogawa Electric partners with Dresser and NTT Communications. Cross-industry collaboration links are present but limited in scale, suggesting the ecosystem remains relatively siloed.
Limited cross-industry co-filingUS-centric filing with broad secondary European coverage
The United States leads with 8,003 patent records, followed by the EPO (4,852) and WIPO PCT (1,993). The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia form a secondary English-language cluster. Japan sits at 626 records and China at 261, reflecting the Western-origin of the leading assignees. Teams seeking protection in Asian manufacturing markets may find the current coverage thinner relative to the technology’s deployment footprint.
US-EPO dominantGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc. | R. Stahl Schaltgeraete GmbH | 11 |
| Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc. | CSI Technologies Inc. | 11 |
| LG Electronics Inc. | Seoul National University R&DB Foundation | 10 |
| Siemens AG | SIEMENS CORP | 8 |
| Yokogawa Electric Corporation | Dresser Inc. | 8 |
| Rosemount Inc. | Micro Motion Inc. | 4 |
| Siemens AG | Siemens Corporate Research Inc. | 4 |
| Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc. | Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific Business Center Pte. Ltd. | 4 |
| Yokogawa Electric Corporation | NTT Communications Corporation | 4 |
| Siemens AG | Robert Bosch GmbH | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Fisher-Rosemount dominates process control; Rockwell Automation is the sole top-tier filer showing recent growth
The applicant ranking reveals two distinct strategic profiles: established process-automation incumbents with large but declining recent filings, and one challenger posting positive momentum against the field-wide trend.
Fisher-Rosemount Systems
With 5,111 patent records, Fisher-Rosemount Systems holds a commanding lead built overwhelmingly on G05B19 (programmable control, 2,694 records) and G05B23 (condition monitoring and diagnostics, 1,519 records), with a secondary position in G06F9 (digital data processing, 622 records). Recent filing momentum shows a 48% decline versus the prior period, consistent with the field-wide trend rather than any strategic retreat.
families: 5,111Rockwell Automation Technologies
Rockwell Automation Technologies ranks sixth with 1,257 patent records and is the only top-eight applicant showing positive recent momentum, up 35% versus the prior period. Its focus is concentrated in G05B19 (programmable control, 508 records), G05B23 (condition monitoring, 106 records), and G05B15 (program-controlled systems, 53 records), signalling a disciplined strategy in core industrial control rather than diversification.
families: 1,257| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc. | 184 | ▼ -48% |
| Omron Corporation | 74 | ▼ -83% |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 53 | ▼ -69% |
| Rosemount Inc. | 8 | ▼ -58% |
| Fisher Controls International LLC | 5 | ▼ -76% |
| Siemens AG | 39 | ▼ -71% |
| LG Electronics Inc. | 38 | ▼ -87% |
| Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc. | 54 | ▲ +35% |
Under-served adjacent branches in robotics, AI, and wireless networking
Several IPC classes appear in the corpus at materially lower shares relative to the dominant G05B class. These branches are observations of relative sparsity; they are presented as adjacent areas worth watching rather than validated commercial opportunities.
B25J · Manipulators and robots
B25J accounts for 1,974 patent records — about 5% of the top-100 filers’ combined output — despite robotics being a core enabler of next-generation factory automation. LG Electronics stands out as the primary incumbent here (B25J9: 457, B25J11: 402, B25J19: 344 records), while most process-control leaders show negligible B25J coverage. For teams with robotic-arm integration or collaborative-robot expertise, this relative sparsity among the dominant process-control players offers a realistic entry path, particularly in human-robot collaboration sub-classes.
Search this in Eureka →G06N · Computing based on AI models
G06N covers AI and machine-learning computing models and appears at 1,231 patent records — roughly 3% of the top-100 filers’ combined output. Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC shows the heaviest emphasis here (G06N3: 391 records) among the tracked players, while most traditional automation incumbents have limited G06N depth. Given the increasing deployment of machine-learning for predictive maintenance and process optimisation, this branch has plausible technical value; the entry path is clearest for teams integrating edge-AI or neural-network inferencing into existing automation architectures.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | G05B 19 · Control & regulating systems | G05B 23 · Control & regulating systems | G05B 13 · Control & regulating systems | G05B 15 · Control & regulating systems | G06F 9 · Electric digital data processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc. | Strong · 2,694 | Strong · 1,519 | Emerging · 265 | Emerging · 465 | Moderate · 622 |
| Honeywell International Inc. | Strong · 829 | Strong · 429 | Emerging · 69 | Emerging · 107 | Emerging · 111 |
| Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC | Strong · 460 | Strong · 438 | Strong · 306 | Absent | Absent |
| Omron Corporation | Strong · 943 | Emerging · 170 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 68 |
| Rosemount Inc. | Strong · 398 | Strong · 262 | Emerging · 52 | Moderate · 81 | Absent |
| Siemens AG | Strong · 507 | Moderate · 177 | Absent | Emerging · 26 | Emerging · 54 |
| Fisher Controls International LLC | Strong · 417 | Strong · 288 | Absent | Emerging · 40 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Fisher-Rosemount Systems leads with 5,111 patent records, more than double the second-ranked applicant Omron Corporation at 2,366 records. Honeywell International (1,518), Mitsubishi Electric (1,356), and Siemens (1,303) round out the top five.
Annual filings peaked in 2018 at 1,323 records and have declined since. Figures from 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a continued trend.
G05B (Control and regulating systems) dominates with 18,660 patent records. G06F (Electric digital data processing, 5,830) and H04L (Digital information transmission, 2,745) form a secondary layer, followed by B25J (Manipulators and robots, 1,974) and G06N (AI models, 1,231).
The United States leads with 8,003 patent records, followed by the EPO (4,852) and WIPO PCT (1,993). The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia form a secondary cluster. Japan and China have notably lower filing counts at 626 and 261 respectively, relative to their manufacturing footprint.
Among the top-ranked applicants, Rockwell Automation Technologies is the only one posting positive recent momentum, up 35% versus the prior period. All other top-eight applicants show declining recent filing rates, consistent with the field-wide past-peak trajectory.
B25J (Manipulators and robots, 5% share) and G06N (AI models, 3% share) are the most plausible adjacent branches with lower incumbent density relative to the dominant G05B class. H04L (Digital information transmission) and G06Q (Business and admin data processing) are also observed at lower shares within the top-100 filers’ output.
Ready to map your own industrial automation patent landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
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.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.