Vibration Energy Harvesting Patent Landscape 2026
The vibration energy harvesting space is concentrated among a small set of academic and industrial filers, with Harbin Institute of Technology holding the top position and Chinese institutions collectively dominating filing volume. Annual activity has eased from its 2019 peak, though publication lag means the most recent periods remain undercounted.
A China-led field with a competitive but concentrated upper tier
The Boeing Company and Anhui University of Science and Technology, each with 18 patent records — a notably tight gap at the top of the ranking.
The top five filers account for 29% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, signaling moderate concentration: a dominant academic-industrial cluster exists, but the remainder of the field is distributed across many smaller players.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harbin Institute of Technology | 23 | |
| 2 | The Boeing Company | 18 | |
| 3 | ANHUI UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 18 | |
| 4 | Honeywell International Inc | 8 | |
| 5 | China Jiliang University | 6 | |
| 6 | Hanchett Entry Systems Inc | 6 | |
| 7 | KOREA INST OF CERAMIC ENG & TECH | 6 | |
| 8 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 5 | |
| 9 | Changchun University of Technology | 5 | |
| 10 | Zhejiang Gongshang University | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | CLINGMAN & J | 4 | |
| 12 | Xidian University | 4 | |
| 13 | Beijing University of Technology | 4 | |
| 14 | Jiangsu University | 4 | |
| 15 | Oscilla Power Inc | 3 | |
| 16 | Commonwealth of Australia | 3 | |
| 17 | Jinwoo Soft Innovation | 3 | |
| 18 | Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 19 | Jilin University | 3 | |
| 20 | Ningbo University | 3 |
The co-presence of Chinese universities, a major US aerospace prime (Boeing), and industrial specialists (Honeywell) in the top tier reflects both academic research intensity and applied engineering interest, particularly in aerospace and industrial sensing applications.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are subject to publication lag and should be treated as undercounts; final activity levels for 2024–2026 will be higher than currently recorded. 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 2019 peak; electromagnetic conversion dominates the technology mix
The annual filing trend and IPC branch composition together reveal a field that peaked in 2019 and has since settled at a lower but non-negligible rate, with H02N (electric machines — other, covering piezoelectric and electrostatic transduction) overwhelmingly the largest technical category.
Annual filing trend
Filings reached a high of 25 in 2019, then fluctuated between 10 and 19 through 2023. Figures for 2024–2026 reflect publication lag and should not be read as a real decline; the underlying activity level for those years is incomplete.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02N (electric machines — other) accounts for the largest share of IPC classifications by a wide margin, reflecting the prevalence of piezoelectric and electrostatic harvesting mechanisms. H10N (other electric solid-state devices) and H01L (semiconductor devices) form a secondary cluster, pointing to solid-state and MEMS-oriented approaches. H02K (electric motors and generators) and H02J (power supply and grid systems) are present at lower levels, indicating electromagnetic and power-management work as adjacent but smaller segments.
↗ 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.
Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting device a…
A piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting device which is made up of a base, a proof mass, and a cymbal stack disposed between the base and the proof mass. The cymbal stack has a piezoelectric element disposed between the base and the proof mass, a first cymbal-shaped cap disposed between the proof mass and the piezoelectric crystal, and a second… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting device | 92 |
| 2 | Strain energy shuttle apparatus and method for vib… | 57 |
| 3 | Piezomagnetoelastic structure for broadband vibrat… | 45 |
| 4 | Broadband energy harvester apparatus and method | 42 |
| 5 | Half-tube array vibration energy harvesting method… | 40 |
| 6 | Strain energy shuttle apparatus and method for vib… | 37 |
| 7 | 宽频带多方向振动能量采集器 | 33 |
| 8 | Broadband energy harvester apparatus and method | 33 |
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 competitive structure means for R&D investment
The field’s lifecycle stage, applicant concentration, collaboration patterns, and geographic spread each carry distinct implications for teams deciding where and how to invest.
Field in decline from 2019 peak — core mechanisms are established
The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak of 25 records. Core piezoelectric and electromagnetic harvesting mechanisms are well-covered in the prior art. New entrants are more likely to find value in differentiated sub-domains — such as broadband, multi-directional, or application-specific harvesting — than in foundational transduction principles. Note that publication lag depresses the apparent 2024–2026 counts and the true rate of recent filing is higher than shown.
Lifecycle: DeclineModerate top-tier concentration with a long, fragmented tail
The top five filers hold 29% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, led by Harbin Institute of Technology at 23 patent records and two filers tied at 18. Below the top five, the field fragments rapidly across universities, niche industrials, and individual inventors. This structure means the top positions are defensible but not insurmountable: a focused entrant with a novel approach in an adjacent branch could establish a credible position without directly confronting the leaders.
Concentration: ModerateLimited co-filing activity; one notable industry-institute pair identified
The only co-applicant relationship identified in the evidence is between SENBOOL and Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, with 5 co-filed records — the most active collaboration pair in the corpus. The broader field shows little evidence of systematic cross-institutional partnering, suggesting most filers work within single-organization programs. For new entrants, forming a university-industry partnership could be a structural differentiator in this largely solo-filing landscape.
Collaboration: LimitedChina dominates filings; US and Korea offer secondary entry points
China accounts for 115 patent records — the largest single jurisdiction by a substantial margin — reflecting the concentration of academic filers there. The United States (33 records), South Korea (27 records), and India (25 records) form a meaningful secondary tier. WIPO PCT filings (16 records) and EPO filings (10 records) indicate some appetite for international protection but at relatively modest scale. Teams seeking freedom-to-operate or filing strategy guidance should prioritize China and the US as the primary examination jurisdictions.
Lead Office: ChinaGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SENBOOL | Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology | 5 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Harbin Institute of Technology leads on volume; Boeing and Honeywell define the industrial tier
The top of the ranking splits cleanly between Chinese academic institutions focused on electromagnetic transduction and Western industrial players emphasizing solid-state and piezoelectric approaches, each with distinct technology emphases.
Harbin Institute of Technology
Harbin Institute of Technology leads with 23 patent records, concentrated almost entirely in H02N 2 (electric machines — other), with secondary positions in aerospace-adjacent branches (B64C and B64D). However, momentum has declined sharply: recent filings are down 83% versus the prior three-year period, suggesting the institution’s primary research wave in this domain has passed. Its large prior-art position in H02N 2 makes it the most relevant reference point for freedom-to-operate analysis in electromagnetic harvesting.
patent records: 23Anhui University of Science and Technology
Anhui University of Science and Technology holds 18 patent records and is classified as a new entrant in terms of momentum — meaning its filing activity is concentrated in the recent period rather than distributed across the full window. Its technology focus spans H02N 2 and H02K 35 (electric motors and generators), with a secondary position in G01R 31 (electric and magnetic measurement), suggesting an applied engineering orientation. As a rising academic filer, it represents a potential collaboration target or competitive monitor for teams active in electromagnetic harvesting.
patent records: 18| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Harbin Institute of Technology | 3 | ▼ -83% |
| Anhui University of Science and Technology | 10 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served routes in power management, mechanical actuation, and access control
Several IPC branches appear at notably lower filing densities relative to the dominant H02N cluster; these observations reflect relative sparsity and are presented as starting points for further technical due diligence rather than validated commercial opportunities.
H02J · Power supply and grid systems
H02J appears at a lower filing density relative to the dominant H02N cluster, with 24 patent records. This branch covers the power conditioning, storage, and grid-interface circuitry that sits downstream of the transducer — a critical but under-patented link in the harvesting chain. The technical value is clear: harvested energy is of limited use without efficient regulation and delivery. An entrant with expertise in ultra-low-power DC-DC conversion or energy-aware power management could establish a differentiated position here without directly competing in core transduction IP.
Search this in Eureka →F03G · Spring, weight, and miscellaneous motors
F03G is sparsely covered with 20 patent records, representing mechanical energy storage and non-conventional motor architectures that can complement or replace purely electronic harvesting approaches. The branch has plausible technical value in low-frequency, high-amplitude vibration environments — such as industrial machinery or civil infrastructure — where conventional piezoelectric transducers underperform. Entry would require mechanical design expertise distinct from the semiconductor-oriented skills of the current leading filers, which may lower direct competitive overlap.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ by technology branch emphasis
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H02N 2 · Electric machines (other) | H10N 30 · Other electric solid-state devices | H01L 41 · Semiconductor devices | H02K 35 · Electric motors & generators | F03G 7 · Spring/weight & misc. motors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honeywell International Inc | Strong · 6 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 |
| The Boeing Company | Absent | Strong · 18 | Strong · 14 | Absent | Absent |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | Strong · 23 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 2 | Absent |
| Anhui University of Science and Technology | Strong · 18 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 5 | Absent |
| Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology | Strong · 6 | Moderate · 3 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent |
| China Jiliang University | Strong · 6 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Absent |
| CLINGMAN & J | Absent | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 155 patent families in vibration energy harvesting across the global filing record.
Harbin Institute of Technology leads with 23 patent records, followed by The Boeing Company and Anhui University of Science and Technology, each with 18 patent records.
H02N (electric machines — other) is by far the largest IPC branch represented in the corpus, reflecting the prevalence of piezoelectric and electrostatic transduction mechanisms. H10N (other electric solid-state devices) and H01L (semiconductor devices) form a secondary cluster.
China is the leading jurisdiction with 115 patent records. The United States (33 records), South Korea (27 records), and India (25 records) form a secondary tier.
Based on the evidence, the field is classified as in a decline stage, with annual filings easing from a 2019 peak of 25 records. Recent-year figures (2024–2026) are subject to publication lag and undercount true activity, so they should not be interpreted as a steeper decline than is actually occurring.
Collaboration activity is limited. The only co-applicant pair identified in the evidence is SENBOOL and Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, which co-filed 5 patent records — the most active partnership in the corpus. The broader field is predominantly composed of single-institution filers.
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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.
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