Road Maintenance Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
- A single leader holds 10 of the ranked records, while the remaining nine assignees each hold a handful — a long tail rather than a contested middle.
- Filing peaked in 2023 at 6 records, with 2026 activity still partial and understated because of publication lag.
- Aggregate spreading and pothole-sensing claims dominate citation counts, with the oldest spreader patent cited 100 times — a strong signal of how foundational that mechanical approach remains.
What this landscape covers
This review covers 21 published patent records filed or published between 2015 and mid-2026 that combine crack sealing, pothole repair or chip sealing methods with control elements such as sealant melting temperature, crack routing, spray bar control, aggregate spreading or infrared heating. The scope spans mechanical spreading equipment, thermal sealant application, and the sensing and control systems increasingly layered on top of both.
Records concentrate heavily in road and pavement engineering, with a smaller but persistent presence in sensing, control and data-processing classes — a sign that mechanical spreading and thermal application remain the physical core of the field, while the newer claims are increasingly about detection and automated control layered onto that core.
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Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 21-record set: the pace at which filings have arrived since 2017, and how those filings distribute across IPC subclasses.
Filing activity, 2017–2026
Filings rose from 3 in 2017 to a peak of 6 in 2023, before easing toward a partial 2026 count of 1. With fewer than four complete years available once publication lag is factored in, no reliable growth rate can be stated from this trend alone.
IPC subclass composition
E01C (roads and pavements) covers 71.4% of the 21 records in scope, confirming this is fundamentally a mechanical and civil-engineering field. B01L and C12Q each reach 23.8%, reflecting a smaller cluster of records that pull in lab-apparatus and enzyme/DNA-testing classifications — likely incidental to broader multi-purpose filings rather than a distinct repair technology. G05D (non-electric control) at 19.0% and G06Q/G16B at 14.3% each point to a real but still modest layer of automated control and data-processing claims sitting on top of the mechanical base.
Shares are the percentage of the 21 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
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Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this field
Aggregate spreading apparatus and methods (US6161986A)
An aggregate spreader for spreading a layer of loose aggregate onto a road surface includes a first hopper for receiving the loose aggregate, a plurality of gates or other suitable means associated with the first hopper for dispensing the loose aggregate onto the road surface, a plurality of sensors or other suitable means for sensing characteristics of the road surface, and an electronic controller or other means responsive to the sensors or sensing means and operably associated with the gates or dispensing means for controlling the placement of the layer of loose aggregate onto the road surface. In the preferred embodiment, each of the gates is independently controllable.Filed by Geffs Manufacturing, Inc., a corp. of Idaho; granted 2000-12-19.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US5234128A | Aggregate material spreader | 100 |
| 2 | US20140196529A1 | System and method for sensing and managing pothole location and pothole characteristics | 40 |
| 3 | US6161986A | Aggregate spreading apparatus and methods | 33 |
| 4 | US9416499B2 | System and method for sensing and managing pothole location and pothole characteristics | 30 |
| 5 | US20170297029A1 | Integrated thermoplastic chip for rapid PCR and hrma | 10 |
| 6 | US20200338562A1 | Integrated thermoplastic chip for rapid PCR and hrma | 2 |
| 7 | US10710083B2 | Integrated thermoplastic chip for rapid PCR and HRMA | 1 |
| 8 | WO2014113394A1 | Sensing and managing pothole location and characteristics | 1 |
Citation counts inside this corpus favour older filings; treat them as a measure of influence on later filers, not of current commercial relevance.
Publication numbers are shown where the record carries one (8 of 8 rows); clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Three patterns stand out once the ranking, the trend line and the citation table are read together.
One assignee dominates the ranked list
The leading assignee holds 10 of the records in the ranking, while fifth place holds only 2 and tenth place holds 1. That gap between first and everyone else is a long tail, not a competitive cluster — most other filers appear once or twice rather than building a sustained portfolio.
Activity has already peaked and cooled
Filings climbed from 3 in 2017 to a peak of 6 in 2023, then eased. The 2026 figure of 1 is partial by definition — publication lag of roughly 18 months means recent activity is undercounted, not necessarily absent.
Mechanical spreading claims anchor the field
The most-cited record in scope, an aggregate material spreader, carries 100 citations — far ahead of the pothole-sensing records that follow it. That weight sits on older, foundational mechanical claims rather than on the newer sensing and control layer.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to road maintenance and crack sealing equipment, with the prior art for and against each one.
| Assignee | Co-assignee | Shared families |
|---|---|---|
| TAYLOR BENJAMIN SHIELDS | PETROW WILLIAM | 2 |
| TAYLOR BENJAMIN SHIELDS | LIMOGE EDWARD JOSEPH | 2 |
| TAYLOR BENJAMIN SHIELDS | GARLAND STEPHEN DOUGLAS | 2 |
| TAYLOR BENJAMIN SHIELDS | CRONIN JOHN EDWARD | 2 |
| PETROW WILLIAM | LIMOGE EDWARD JOSEPH | 2 |
| PETROW WILLIAM | GARLAND STEPHEN DOUGLAS | 2 |
| PETROW WILLIAM | CRONIN JOHN EDWARD | 2 |
| LIMOGE EDWARD JOSEPH | GARLAND STEPHEN DOUGLAS | 2 |
Ten co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, with the strongest links all centred on one individual inventor pairing with three separate collaborators twice each — a small, tightly linked inventor group rather than a broad industry consortium.
Who holds the claims
The ranking returned by this dataset covers 10 assignees, from a single leader with a double-digit count down to filers holding a single record. Read it as a map of who has staked mechanical ground versus who filed once and moved on.
A single company sets the pace
One assignee holds 10 records in the ranking, well clear of the rest. Its recent-year momentum shows 1 filing in the latest year, down 50% year-on-year — still active, but slowing from an earlier pace.
A thin middle tier
Fifth place in the ranking holds only 2 records, and most of the tail sits at 1. This is a field where a handful of individual inventors and small entities filed once or twice rather than building sustained portfolios.
A tight inventor group drives co-filing
The strongest co-assignee links all run through one individual inventor, paired twice each with three separate collaborators. That points to a small, personally-connected filing group rather than corporate joint ventures.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| IDAHO ASPHALT SUPPLY INC | 1 | -50% |
| University of Maryland | 0 | — |
| TAYLOR BENJAMIN SHIELDS | 0 | — |
| PETROW WILLIAM | 0 | — |
| LIMOGE EDWARD JOSEPH | 0 | — |
| GARLAND STEPHEN DOUGLAS | 0 | — |
| CRONIN JOHN EDWARD | 0 | — |
| HILL FRANCIS K | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The ranking and trend data point to specific next steps depending on whether you are filing, licensing or scoping a design-around.
Map the control-layer white space
G05D, G06Q and G16B classes together sit well under E01C's share, suggesting automated control and data-processing claims layered on spreading and sealing hardware remain comparatively open.
Explore white space in EurekaWatch the leader's next move
The top assignee's filing pace has slowed year-on-year even while it holds the largest share of the ranking — worth tracking whether that reflects portfolio maturity or a shift toward trade secrecy.
Track assignee activity in EurekaCheck citation-anchored claims before filing
The two most-cited records concern aggregate spreading and pothole sensing; any new mechanical spreader or sensing claim should be checked against these first.
Run a citation check in EurekaCommon questions on this landscape
Within this dataset of 21 records, one assignee leads the ranked list with 10 records, well ahead of the rest of the field. The remaining nine ranked assignees each hold a handful of records, with fifth place at 2 and tenth place at 1, so the field reads as one established leader followed by a long tail of individual inventors and small filers. This pattern suggests the mechanical core of aggregate spreading and sealant application has one dominant portfolio holder while newer sensing and control add-ons remain more fragmented.
Filings rose from 3 in 2017 to a peak of 6 in 2023, then eased to lower counts, with 2026 showing only 1 filing so far. Because publication typically lags actual filing by around 18 months, the most recent year understates real activity and should not be read as a hard decline. With fewer than four complete years of data once that lag is accounted for, no reliable growth rate can be stated from this trend.
US6161986A, an aggregate spreading apparatus and methods patent, claims a hopper with independently controllable gates, sensors that read road surface characteristics, and an electronic controller that adjusts gate operation based on those sensor readings. It is the most-cited record in this dataset at 100 citations, meaning a large share of later filings in this space built on or referenced it. Anyone designing a new sensor-controlled aggregate spreader should review its claim scope closely, particularly around independently controllable dispensing gates tied to sensor feedback, since that combination sits at the centre of the claim.
The IPC composition shows E01C, roads and pavements, covering 71.4% of the 21 records, while control and data-processing classes such as G05D, G06Q and G16B each sit well below 20%. That gap points to under-claimed territory in automated spray bar control, infrared temperature feedback for sealant application, and real-time crack-routing path planning, where the mechanical hardware is well established but the control software layered on top is comparatively thin. A first claim in this space would likely combine an existing spreader or sealant applicator with a specific closed-loop control method rather than claiming new hardware outright.
The two most-cited records in this dataset, an aggregate material spreader cited 100 times and an aggregate spreading apparatus cited 33 times, both anchor the mechanical side of the field and predate most of the sensing-focused filings that followed. Because concentration cannot be computed reliably across the ranking and the record total in this evidence set, it is more accurate to describe the field as having a few foundational, heavily-cited mechanical patents rather than to state a precise ownership percentage. New entrants should treat those two records as the starting point for any freedom-to-operate review on spreading hardware.
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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.
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.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.