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Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/warehouse-automation-patent-landscape-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-08-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Logistics & Material HandlingWarehouse Automation Patents: Who Leads and Where Filing Is Heading
- 44.2% concentration at the top. The top 5 of 63 ranked assignees account for 125 of 283 records in scope — filing is concentrated, but a long tail of single- and few-filing entrants remains.
- Filing has cooled from its 2022 peak. Activity peaked at 50 records in 2022 and fell -59% from 32 in 2021 to 13 in 2024, the most recent complete year.
- Business-process claims dominate over hardware. G06Q (business/commerce data processing) appears in 51.2% of records, ahead of B65G conveying/material handling at 33.6% — the fight is as much over software logic as over physical equipment.
283
Published Records
44%
Top-5 Share of All Records
-59%
Filing Growth 2021→2024
US
Leading Jurisdiction
Filing growth compares 2021 (32 records) with 2024 (13) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 283 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Overview
What this landscape covers
This landscape tracks 283 published records matching warehouse automation and warehouse control system terminology combined with control-parameter and item-identifier language — the intersection of orchestration software and the physical handling equipment it drives. The scope spans 2015 through the 2026 data cut-off, capturing both the buildout of warehouse control systems as a distinct category and the more recent overlay of AI-based decision logic onto conveying and robotic handling.
Records here cluster around two poles: business-process patents that describe how a warehouse control system sequences, identifies and routes handling units, and equipment patents that describe the conveyors, manipulators and sensors carrying out those instructions. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the most recent one to two years understate true filing activity and should be read as provisional.
Filing activity and technology mix, 2015–2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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The data
Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 283-record dataset: how filing volume has moved year over year, and how records split across IPC subclasses when a single record can carry more than one classification.
Filing trend, 2017–2026
Filings rose from 12 in 2017 to a peak of 50 in 2022, then declined -59% from 32 in 2021 to 13 in 2024 — the last year that can be treated as complete given typical publication lag. 2025 and 2026 figures are still filling in and should not be read as a continued decline.
Technology composition by IPC subclass
G06Q (business, commerce & admin data processing) leads at 51.2% of the 283 records, followed by B65G (conveying & material handling) at 33.6% and G05B (control & regulating systems) at 15.5%. AI-classed records (G06N) sit at 9.2%, and manipulator/robot claims (B25J) at 7.4% — evidence that AI and robotics overlays are present but still a minority share of the filed claim space.
Shares are the percentage of the 283 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
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Representative filing and most-cited prior art
Representative record
Handling unit for moving objects in an automated warehouse
LABEL ELETTRONICA S.R.L.
A vise-like handling unit uses two opposing grip blades that both approach/space apart and advance/retract along a single axis relative to a pick-up or release area. Each blade carries a presence-detecting sensor at its free end, wired to a control electronics unit that coordinates blade movement based on sensor input during the advancement step — a compact, sensor-gated gripping mechanism rather than a full robotic arm.Filed by Label Elettronica S.r.l., published 2017-09-27 as EP3222562A1.
Most-cited records in this dataset
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US4827423A | Computer integrated manufacturing system | 374 |
| 2 | US6876958B1 | Method and system of optimized sequencing and configuring of items for packing in a bounded region | 149 |
| 3 | US20060085294A1 | Method and system for catch-weight management | 136 |
| 4 | US5293947A | Variable speed AC electric drive vehicle | 134 |
| 5 | US20210389968A1 | Edge controller for a facility | 72 |
| 6 | WO2024025863A1 | Systems and methods for providing process automation and artificial intelligence, market aggregation, and emb… | 65 |
| 7 | US20210051177A1 | Methods and Devices for Virtualizing Device Security Using a Multi-Access Server that is Separate from a Devi… | 49 |
| 8 | US20190062055A1 | Robot Inventory Updates for Order Routing | 49 |
| 9 | CA1252430A | Self-propelled robot platform truck | 47 |
| 10 | US20210049032A1 | Methods and Devices for Virtualizing a Device Management Client in a Multi-Access Server Separate from a Devi… | 30 |
Citation counts favour older records simply because they have had longer to accumulate citations inside the searched corpus — treat them as a signal of influence on the field, not of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the numbers mean for filing strategy
Three signals worth reading before deciding where to file or who to watch.
Concentration
44.2%
of 283 records held by top 5 of 63 assignees
The top of the field is dense, the rest is open
Five assignees hold 125 of 283 records — a sizeable share, but the remaining 58 ranked assignees split the other 158 records, many with only a handful of filings each. That combination means core warehouse-control claim space is contested at the top while adjacent implementation details are still up for grabs.
Based on the full 63-assignee ranking, not a top-50 or top-100 cut.
Momentum
-59%
change in filings, 2021 (32) to 2024 (13)
Volume is down from its 2022 peak
Filings peaked at 50 records in 2022 and have since dropped sharply through 2024, the last complete year. That decline could reflect consolidation of claim scope by incumbents as much as genuinely reduced inventive activity — recent-year assignee-level filings show several leaders already at zero for the latest year.
2025–2026 figures are still incomplete due to publication lag.
Claim mix
51.2% vs 33.6%
G06Q share vs B65G share of 283 records
Software logic outweighs hardware claims
Business-process and data-processing claims (G06Q) appear in over half of records, well ahead of physical conveying and material-handling claims (B65G) at a third. Control systems (G05B, 15.5%) and AI-based computing (G06N, 9.2%) trail further behind, suggesting the orchestration layer is where most claim activity is concentrated rather than the equipment itself.
Shares sum above 100% because records can carry multiple IPC classes.
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Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Players
Who is filing and what is still uncovered
Concentration at the top does not mean the field is closed — several equipment- and sensor-level sub-areas remain lightly claimed relative to the software orchestration layer.
Leader
50
records from the top-ranked assignee
One firm leads by a wide margin
The top-ranked assignee holds 50 records, more than four times the fifth-place assignee's 12 — a gap that signals an early, sustained filing programme rather than a recent entrant.
Fifth place sits at 12 records, tenth at 8.
Mid-field
12 → 8
records from 5th to 10th place
A tighter cluster below the leader
Between fifth and tenth place the gap narrows considerably, from 12 down to 8 records, indicating a group of similarly sized filers rather than a second dominant player.
Top 10 combined hold 173 of 283 records (61.1%).
Long tail
61.1%
share of records held by top 10 of 63 assignees
A long tail beyond the top 10
The remaining 53 ranked assignees account for the other 38.9% of records, many likely holding only one or two filings — a sign that smaller vendors and integrators are still entering the space around the incumbents' core claims.
Ranking covers all 63 assignees the dataset returns.
Recent-year filing momentum by assignee
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Lineage Logistics LLC | 1 | -50% |
| Dematic Corp | 0 | — |
| Wagner Mining & Construction Equipment Co. | 0 | — |
| STRONG FORCE TX PORTFOLIO 2018 LLC | 0 | -100% |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) | 0 | — |
| Pesmel | 0 | — |
| Blue Yonder Group Inc | 0 | -100% |
| CAJA ELASTIC DYNAMIC SOLUTIONS LTD | 0 | — |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's next
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next steps depending on whether the goal is freedom-to-operate, portfolio strategy or identifying where to file next.
Map claim overlap before filing
With G06Q claims present in over half of records, a new filing in the orchestration layer should be checked against the leading assignees' claim scope before drafting.
Explore in EurekaTrack the leaders' recent-year activity
Several top assignees show flat or falling filing counts in the latest year — worth confirming whether that reflects claim consolidation or a genuine pullback.
Explore in EurekaLook past the top 10
38.9% of records sit outside the top 10 assignees, spread thin across smaller filers — a useful place to check for narrowly scoped claims still open to build around.
Explore in EurekaSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions on warehouse automation patents
Filing is concentrated at the top: the leading assignee in this dataset holds 50 of the 283 records in scope, and the top 5 of 63 ranked assignees together account for 44.2% of all records. Below that, the field spreads across a long tail of 53 further assignees, many with only a handful of filings each. This pattern suggests one or two established filers with sustained programmes, surrounded by newer or smaller entrants still staking narrower claims.
Filings rose steadily from 12 records in 2017 to a peak of 50 in 2022, then fell sharply, down -59% from 32 records in 2021 to 13 in 2024, the most recent year that can be treated as complete. Because publication typically lags filing by roughly 18 months, 2025 and 2026 figures are still incomplete and should not be read as confirming a continued decline. The safest read is that filing activity cooled significantly after 2022 rather than that it is still falling now.
Business, commerce and administrative data processing (IPC class G06Q) appears in 51.2% of the 283 records, making software-side orchestration logic the single largest claim category. Conveying and material handling equipment (B65G) follows at 33.6%, with control and regulating systems (G05B) at 15.5%. AI-based computing (G06N, 9.2%) and robotic manipulators (B25J, 7.4%) are present but represent a minority of filed claims, meaning most of the contested claim space is still in how systems decide and route, not in the physical hardware.
The lighter-claimed branches sit around sensor-gated gripping mechanisms, item-identifier handoff between conveyor zones, and non-electric variable control integration — areas that show less overlap with the dominant G06Q business-logic and B65G conveying clusters. These are not unclaimed, but they carry noticeably lower filing density than the orchestration-software core. A freedom-to-operate check against the top assignees' specific claim language is still the right first step before filing in any of them.
The United States leads receiving offices with 77 filings, ahead of the European Patent Office at 45 and WIPO's PCT route at 29. Australia, Canada and India follow with 20, 17 and 14 filings respectively. The US and EPO combined account for the bulk of activity, consistent with where major warehouse automation vendors and their largest customer bases are concentrated.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Warehouse Automation Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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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.