Metering Accuracy Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
Metering accuracy under distorted waveforms: patents, leading filers and where claim space is still open
43.6% of the field sits with five filers. The top five assignees account for 226 of 518 records in scope, so a handful of portfolios set the terms for anyone entering this space. Filings peaked at 94 records in 2017 and eased through the following years; on the last complete comparison, 2021's 22 records dropped to 17 by 2024, a 23% decline. Treat 2025 and 2026 as incomplete rather than as confirming a further fall.
- 1TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)138
- 2MICRO MOTION INC34
- 3CATERPILLAR INC28
- 4FISHER CONTROLS INT LLC14
- 5QUALCOMM INC12
See the full metering accuracy under distorted waveforms 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 on this landscape
What counts as a patent on metering accuracy under distorted waveforms?
In this dataset it means filings that combine accuracy or error-detection claims for meters — electricity, gas or flow — with technical elements like non-sinusoidal current handling, sampling rate control, reference meter comparison, or in-service verification against a revised standard. It is a cross-disciplinary category: many records classify under wireless communications or positioning codes because the meter’s accuracy claim depends on how its signal is sampled, transmitted or verified, not solely on the sensing element itself. Reviewers should not assume every relevant record sits under a flow- or electricity-specific IPC class.
Who are the leading patent holders in this space?
The dataset ranks 100 companies by record count, with one assignee holding 138 of the 518 records in scope — far ahead of the rest of the field, where fifth place holds 12 and tenth place 11. The leading names span industrial flow instrumentation, telecom infrastructure and automotive sensing, reflecting how broadly this technical area is claimed. This is a ranked list drawn from the data endpoint, not an exhaustive list of every company active in the space.
Is filing activity in this area growing or slowing?
Filing peaked at 94 records in 2017 and has trended down since; on the most recent complete comparison, volume fell 23% from 22 records in 2021 to 17 in 2024. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are still incomplete because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so they should not be read as confirming a continued decline. The honest read is a mature filing base that has cooled from an earlier peak, with the very latest trend still unresolved.
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 Metering Accuracy Under Distorted Waveforms 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.