Uncooled Microbolometer Patents: Leaders, Trends & White Space 2026
- One leader, then a steep drop. the top-ranked assignee holds 18 records against a fifth-place count of just 2, and a tenth-place count of 1 — a long tail of single- or low-filing entrants follows.
- Filing peaked in 2018 at 7 records and has not returned to that level since, though the two most recent years are understated by publication lag.
- Claim activity is concentrated in radiation measurement and imaging, with G01J present in 93.5% of the 46 records and H04N in 37.0% — MEMS-specific B81B claims appear in only 8.7%.
What the uncooled microbolometer patent record shows
Uncooled microbolometer detectors convert incident infrared radiation into a measurable resistance change in a thermally isolated pixel, avoiding the cost and bulk of cryogenic cooling used in older infrared sensor designs. The patent record in scope here — 46 published records spanning 2015 through mid-2026 — sits almost entirely inside radiation measurement claims, with a substantial overlap into video/imaging pictorial communication and semiconductor device structure. That overlap reflects how the field is actually engineered: a microbolometer patent rarely stands alone on the sensing element, it usually also claims the readout, the packaging vacuum level, or the imaging pipeline built on top of the pixel array.
The assignee ranking is short — 11 companies — and dominated early by defense-oriented and national-lab filers, with individual inventor names appearing as co-assignees rather than corporate entities. That pattern, along with a filing peak in 2018 that has not been repeated, suggests a technology where the foundational claim space was staked out early and later activity has been narrower, more incremental filing rather than a second wave of broad platform claims.
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Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 46-record dataset: the year-by-year filing count, and the IPC subclasses those records claim into. Because a single record can carry several IPC classes, the composition shares add up to more than 100% of the record total.
Filing trend, 2017–2026
Filings rose to a peak of 7 records in 2018, then declined; the most recent two years should be read as undercounts because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months.
IPC subclass composition (share of 46 records)
G01J (radiation and light measurement) appears in 93.5% of records, confirming this dataset is centred on the sensing measurement itself; H04N (37.0%) and H01L (28.3%) show how much of the claim activity extends into imaging systems and semiconductor device structure around that sensing core.
Shares are the percentage of the 46 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Uncooled Microbolometer Detectors with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about uncooled microbolometer detectors and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this dataset
Nanostructured vanadium oxide uncooled bolometers and method of fabrication (US10184839B1)
The present invention relates to uncooled microbolometers which can be integrated in future thermal instruments engaged in land imaging on future observatories. The present invention includes: (1) developing and characterizing a microstructured VOx thin film, and, (2) fabricating an uncooled microbolometer array over the 8-14 micron spectral band.Filed by the United States as represented by the Administrator of NASA, granted 2019-01-22.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WO2005015143A2 | Radiometry using an uncooled microbolometer detector | 92 |
| 2 | US20080210872A1 | Radiometry Using an Uncooled Microbolometer Detector | 88 |
| 3 | US20070176104A1 | Multi-spectral uncooled microbolometer detectors | 37 |
| 4 | US20160178444A1 | Uncooled microbolometer pixel and array for configurable broadband and multi-frequency terahertz detection | 27 |
| 5 | US20140166882A1 | Uncooled microbolometer detector and array for terahertz detection | 20 |
| 6 | US8274050B2 | Radiometry using an uncooled microbolometer detector | 18 |
| 7 | US7491938B2 | Multi-spectral uncooled microbolometer detectors | 13 |
| 8 | US20200068145A1 | Multi-resolution uncooled microbolometer focal plane array | 8 |
| 9 | WO2005094460A2 | Multi-spectral uncooled microbolometer detectors | 8 |
| 10 | WO2018190933A1 | Thermal protection mechanisms for uncooled microbolometers | 7 |
Citation counts inside a searched corpus favour older filings that have had more time to accumulate citations — read them as a signal of influence on the field, not of current commercial relevance.
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Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Three patterns stand out once the assignee ranking, filing trend and IPC composition are read together.
One filer set the pace, then the field thinned fast
The gap between the top-ranked assignee's 18 records and the fifth-placed assignee's 2 is steep. That is typical of a field where early, broad claims were staked by one or two well-resourced filers — often defense or national-lab programs — while later entrants file narrowly around specific fabrication or readout details rather than contesting the core sensing claims.
Filing has not returned to its 2018 peak
Activity crested in 2018 and has since run below that level. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the last two years in the trend understate true filing activity, but the multi-year plateau before that lag window still points to a maturing rather than accelerating claim environment.
Imaging-side claims outnumber MEMS-structure claims
H04N pictorial-communication claims appear in 37.0% of records versus 8.7% for B81B microstructural device claims. Most filers are protecting how the bolometer output feeds an imaging system rather than the physical microelectromechanical thermal-isolation structure itself, which is where a differentiated fabrication approach may face less prior art.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to uncooled microbolometer detectors, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is active, and where the map still has room
The ranked leaders are a mix of defense-systems integrators, a national optics institute, individual named inventors acting as co-assignees, and a university. Recent-year momentum across the visible leaders is flat.
Broadest filer in the ranking
The top-ranked assignee's record count is more than triple the next tier, consistent with an early, systems-integrator style of filing that covers sensing, packaging and readout together rather than a single narrow improvement.
A thin middle tier
Fifth place in the ranking holds only 2 records, and the pattern continues down to single-record filers at tenth place. This is a field with one clear leader and a long tail rather than several competing platform holders.
No leader shows recent-year filing activity
Every assignee tracked for recent-year momentum shows zero filings in the latest year of the window. Given the publication lag on recent applications, this likely understates real activity, but it also means no single filer currently shows visible acceleration.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| OPGAL | 0 | — |
| BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. | 0 | — |
| Raytheon Company | 0 | — |
| Institut National d'Optique | 0 | — |
| KOHIN MARGARET | 0 | — |
| GRIMBERG ERNEST | 0 | — |
| GENECZKO JEANNIE | 0 | — |
| BLACKWELL RICHARD | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next questions rather than a single conclusion — each depends on what decision is being made.
Check freedom-to-operate against the leader's claim set
With one assignee holding 18 of the 46 records, any new filing on core sensing structure should be checked against that portfolio specifically before broader prior-art work begins.
Explore assignee claims in EurekaScope a filing into the under-claimed branches
B81B, C23C and G01Q each carry single-digit record shares against a 46-record base — worth a targeted prior-art pull before assuming the space is open.
Run a white-space search in EurekaTrack the next 18 months of publications
Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the 2025-2026 filing count shown here will rise as pending applications publish; re-check the trend before concluding activity has slowed.
Set a monitoring alert in EurekaCommon questions on uncooled microbolometer patents
Within this 46-record dataset, one assignee leads the ranking with 18 records, well ahead of the rest of the field — fifth place holds only 2. The ranking covers 11 companies and individual inventor co-assignees in total, so it is a short list, not a top-50 or top-100 view. The leader's position reflects early, broad filing across sensing, packaging and readout rather than a single narrow patent.
Filing peaked in 2018 at 7 records in this dataset and has trended lower since, though the most recent two years are understated because publication typically lags the actual filing date by around 18 months. Recent-year momentum figures for the tracked leading assignees currently show zero filings each, which is consistent with that lag rather than a definitive stop in activity. A clearer read on current activity will only be possible once 2025-2026 applications finish publishing.
The dominant class is G01J, radiation and light measurement, present in 93.5% of the 46 records in scope. H04N (pictorial communication/imaging) appears in 37.0% and H01L (semiconductor devices) in 28.3%, reflecting that most filings claim the sensing element alongside imaging or fabrication context rather than in isolation. Smaller shares appear in H10N, B81B, C23C, G01N and G01Q, marking narrower or more specialised sub-claims.
US10184839B1, assigned to the United States as represented by the Administrator of NASA and granted in January 2019, covers a nanostructured vanadium oxide thin film and its use in fabricating an uncooled microbolometer array across the 8-14 micron band. It does not claim every vanadium oxide bolometer; it is scoped to the specific microstructured film characterisation and fabrication method described. Anyone developing a VOx-based design should review its specific claim language on the film microstructure and fabrication steps rather than assume the whole VOx approach is blocked.
The IPC composition shows heavy concentration in G01J and H04N but much lighter coverage in B81B (MEMS thermal-isolation structure), C23C (absorber coating deposition), G01N (material-analysis test protocols) and G01Q (scanning-probe calibration) — each under 10% of the 46 records. These branches carry lower filing density, meaning less prior art to design around, though that also means less validated technical precedent to build on. A targeted prior-art search in these specific subclasses is a reasonable first step before drafting new claims there.
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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.