Programmable Logic Controller Patent Landscape 2026
Programmable Logic Controller Patent Landscape in 2026
The PLC patent space is heavily concentrated, with Omron Corp holding the largest position among a field dominated by established Japanese, European, and North American automation incumbents. Annual filing volume peaked in 2018 and has eased materially since, though the multi-year corpus remains substantial at 11,210 patent families.
Omron leads a concentrated field with a clear tier gap below the top five
Omron Corp holds the leading position in the PLC patent landscape, ranked first by a wide margin. Mitsubishi Electric Corp, Siemens AG, Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc, and Fanuc Ltd round out the top five, together accounting for 48% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total.
The top-five concentration is high by industrial-automation standards: Omron’s tally is nearly double that of the second-ranked Mitsubishi Electric, and the gap between Rockwell (fourth) and Fanuc (fifth) signals a clear separation between the dominant tier and the broader mid-tier challengers.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omron Corporation | 3,740 | |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 2,055 | |
| 3 | Siemens AG | 1,829 | |
| 4 | Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc | 1,536 | |
| 5 | Fanuc Ltd | 1,083 | |
| 6 | Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd | 1,055 | |
| 7 | Yaskawa Electric Corporation | 497 | |
| 8 | LS Electric Co Ltd | 429 | |
| 9 | Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC | 365 | |
| 10 | ABB (Switzerland) AG | 364 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Yokogawa Electric Corporation | 316 | |
| 12 | Applied Materials Inc | 296 | |
| 13 | Siemens Industry Inc | 247 | |
| 14 | Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG | 237 | |
| 15 | Hitachi Ltd | 231 | |
| 16 | General Electric Co | 224 | |
| 17 | Schneider Automation Inc | 223 | |
| 18 | DMG Mori Co Ltd | 222 | |
| 19 | JTEKT Corporation | 212 | |
| 20 | Toshiba Corporation | 209 |
This concentration implies that freedom-to-operate and licensing exposure are heavily shaped by a small set of assignees, all of whom have deep, multi-decade portfolios anchored in core control-system IPC classes. New entrants face a dense prior-art environment in the primary G05B class.
Filings from approximately 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and are likely under-counted; the apparent drop in 2025–2026 should not be read as the true current activity level. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity has eased from its 2018 peak; G05B dominates the technology mix
The annual trend chart shows a field that surged to a 2018 peak and has since retreated, while the technology-composition chart reveals overwhelming concentration in control and regulating systems with meaningful secondary branches in digital data processing, robotics, and communications.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked in 2018 and have trended downward since; the 2024–2026 bars are subject to publication lag and understate true recent activity. The multi-year window still reflects a large accumulated corpus but the pace of new filings has eased from the peak.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G05B (Control & regulating systems) is by far the dominant IPC branch, reflecting the core PLC control function. G06F (Electric digital data processing), B25J (Manipulators & robots), and H04L (Digital information transmission) form secondary clusters, pointing to PLC integration with software architectures, robotics, and industrial networking.
↗ 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.
Programmable logic controller and operating method…
A programmable logic controller, a method for operating a programmable logic controller, and a computer program product provide for parallel operation of a plurality of PLC applications on a programmable logic controller. The programmable logic controller has a data processing unit, at least one input, at least one output, and at least one storage region… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apparatus, method and article for physical securit… | 1,054 |
| 2 | Refrigeration monitor unit | 1,023 |
| 3 | Methods and systems for data collection, learning,… | 960 |
| 4 | Retrofit monitoring device | 914 |
| 5 | Monitoring system for an industrial process using … | 770 |
| 6 | Object-oriented computer program, system, and meth… | 760 |
| 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 PLC patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of a past-peak filing trajectory, extreme incumbent concentration, and clear secondary branches in AI/networking shapes where a new entrant or established player can most productively direct resources.
Field is post-peak; core control-system space is mature
The lifecycle stage is assessed as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2018 peak. The primary G05B class is densely populated by incumbent portfolios built over decades. R&D targeting undifferentiated PLC control logic faces a high prior-art burden with limited whitespace in the dominant branch.
Post-peak · 2018 peak yearTop five hold nearly half of the largest-filer pool
The top five applicants account for 48% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, with Omron Corp alone far ahead of every competitor. This concentration means that any cross-licensing or standards discussion is effectively shaped by fewer than ten companies. Mid-tier players such as Yaskawa Electric and LS Electric hold meaningful but much smaller positions.
HHI: highCo-filing activity centers on Siemens and Mitsubishi Electric subsidiary networks
The most active co-filing pair is Siemens AG with Siemens Corp, with 37 joint records, indicating active intra-group co-ownership across legal entities. Mitsubishi Electric Corp co-files frequently with Citizen Machinery Co Ltd and Citizen Watch Co Ltd (20 records each) and with Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe (10 records). Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mujin Inc have 14 co-filed records, reflecting an integrator-startup collaboration pattern. Siemens AG also co-files with the University of California Board of Regents (8 records), suggesting academic-industry research in advanced control.
Intra-group dominantUnited States is the primary filing jurisdiction; Europe and PCT are secondary
The United States leads all jurisdictions by a large margin, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Japan and China rank fifth and sixth respectively, which is notable given the Japanese ownership of the leading assignees, suggesting these players file aggressively in export markets. Canada and Australia round out the significant secondary jurisdictions.
US-led · EPO secondaryGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens AG | Siemens Corporation | 37 |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Citizen Machinery Co Ltd | 20 |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Citizen Watch Co Ltd | 20 |
| Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd | Mujin Inc | 14 |
| Siemens AG | Siemens Industry Inc | 12 |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe | 10 |
| Siemens AG | The Regents of the University of California | 8 |
| Siemens AG | Siemens (China) Co Ltd | 7 |
| Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc | Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific Business Center Pte Ltd | 6 |
| Siemens AG | Siemens Corporate Research Inc | 6 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Omron leads on volume; Rockwell Automation is the only top player showing recent momentum
The two cards below highlight the leader and the one major challenger whose recent filing trajectory diverges from the broader downward trend across the incumbent tier.
Omron Corp
Omron Corp holds 3,740 patent records, nearly double the second-ranked player. Its portfolio is concentrated in G05B 19 (core programmable control systems, 1,579 records) and G05B 23 (monitoring and diagnostics, 378 records), with a secondary robotics cluster in B25J 9 (229 records). Recent filing momentum is strongly negative at -80% versus the prior period, indicating that Omron is harvesting a mature portfolio rather than aggressively expanding it.
patent records: 3,740Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc
Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc ranks fourth with 1,536 patent records and is the only major incumbent showing positive recent momentum, with filings up +21% versus the prior three-year window. Its technology focus mirrors the field leader in G05B 19 (1,212 records) and G05B 23 (146 records), with a meaningful extension into G06F 9 (software and data processing, 96 records) that signals a shift toward software-defined automation. This trajectory positions Rockwell as the most active portfolio builder among the current top tier.
patent records: 1,536| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Omron Corporation | 132 | ▼ -80% |
| Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc | 282 | ▲ +21% |
| Siemens AG | 130 | ▼ -50% |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 91 | ▼ -49% |
| Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd | 70 | ▼ -66% |
| Fanuc Ltd | 77 | ▼ -64% |
| Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC | 60 | ▼ -57% |
| General Electric Co | 12 | ▼ -73% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the PLC core worth monitoring
The following IPC branches appear at lower relative share within this corpus despite plausible technical linkage to PLC applications; they represent areas of relative sparsity that may warrant further investigation, not validated commercial opportunities.
H04L · Digital information transmission
H04L holds 2,092 patent records and a 5% share within the corpus, making it the largest adjacent branch relative to the dominant G05B cluster. PLC-to-network integration (OPC-UA, industrial Ethernet, time-sensitive networking) is an active engineering frontier, yet the share within this corpus is modest. A targeted search combining G05B with H04L subclasses covering real-time industrial protocols could surface meaningful whitespace for players developing edge-connectivity or deterministic networking for PLC architectures.
Search this in Eureka →G06N · Computing based on AI models
G06N (AI and machine learning models) appears at 920 patent records and a 2% share, yet Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC — a non-practicing entity — has already identified this intersection as strategically valuable, holding deep coverage in G06N 3 (neural networks, 309 records). The low organic share from manufacturing-focused assignees suggests that integrating on-device ML inference with PLC control loops remains under-patented by practitioners, presenting a potential filing opportunity for companies developing adaptive or predictive control capabilities.
Search this in Eureka →How leading assignees differ by technology route emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | G05B 19 · Control & regulating systems | G05B 23 · Control & regulating systems | B25J 9 · Manipulators & robots | G06F 9 · Electric digital data processing | H04L 29 · Digital information transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omron Corporation | Strong · 1,579 | Moderate · 378 | Emerging · 229 | Emerging · 117 | Emerging · 53 |
| Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc | Strong · 1,212 | Emerging · 146 | Absent | Emerging · 96 | Emerging · 82 |
| Siemens AG | Strong · 1,035 | Emerging · 191 | Emerging · 61 | Emerging · 85 | Emerging · 54 |
| Strong Force IoT Portfolio 2016 LLC | Strong · 362 | Strong · 338 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 228 |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Strong · 676 | Moderate · 197 | Absent | Emerging · 35 | Absent |
| Fanuc Ltd | Strong · 410 | Absent | Moderate · 84 | Absent | Absent |
| General Electric Co | Strong · 215 | Strong · 128 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The landscape covers 11,210 patent families. Filing activity peaked in 2018 and has eased since; data from approximately 2024 onward is subject to publication lag and under-counts true recent activity.
Omron Corp is the leading assignee with 3,740 patent records, nearly double the second-ranked Mitsubishi Electric Corp at 2,055 records. Siemens AG (1,829), Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc (1,536), and Fanuc Ltd (1,083) complete the top five.
The United States is the primary filing jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Canada, Japan, and China represent meaningful secondary jurisdictions.
Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc is the only major incumbent with positive recent momentum, showing a +21% increase in recent filings versus the prior period. Most other top-five players have shown significant declines, with Omron Corp down -80% and Siemens AG down -50%.
G05B (Control & regulating systems) is the overwhelmingly dominant branch. Secondary branches include G06F (Electric digital data processing), B25J (Manipulators & robots), H04L (Digital information transmission), and G06Q (Business and admin data processing), reflecting the integration of PLCs with software, robotics, and industrial networking.
H04L (Digital information transmission, at 5% share of the corpus) and G06N (AI computing models, at 2% share) are the most notable under-served adjacent branches. The H04L intersection covers industrial networking and edge connectivity, while G06N covers AI-driven adaptive control — both are active engineering frontiers with relatively sparse filing density from manufacturing-focused assignees.
Ready to map your own PLC 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.