IBM Tops 2015 Patent List (Again)

For the 23rd consecutive year, IBM topped IFI's annual list U.S. patent recipients, bagging 7,355 patents in 2015.

This, however, marks the first year since 2007 that patent activity declined overall. Even IBM's final count fell just short of its previous year's record of 7,534.

"After seven straight years of prolific patent growth, 2015 saw the first sign of de-acceleration," Mike Baycroft, IFI Claims Patent Services CEO, said in a statement. "I wouldn't suggest, though, that the patent train is losing momentum as many companies continue to crank out more patents than the previous year."

The rest of the top 10 is largely a tech affair: Samsung, Canon, Qualcomm, Google, Toshiba, Sony, LG, Intel, and Microsoft. Apple landed in 11th place, above General Electric, Toyota, Panasonic, and Amazon (which just missed the top 25).

IBM's focus in 2015 was on cognitive computing and the cloud, which together garnered it more than 2,000 patents for related inventions.

IBM Research's China lab, for instance, patented a system that helps machines interpret emotion-laden words, letting computers chat with humans in more natural ways. Inventors are also working to teach the cloud to draw resources from more places, allowing it to run faster and more efficiently.

It's not all computers and artificial intelligence for IBM, though. The company also wants to transform industries like travel and medicine. One patent tips a way to detect which language is being spoken most often among a group of travelers, and translates announcements into those tongues. Another highlights cognitive systems that assist medical professionals in identifying evidence-based treatment options for patients.

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"During IBM's 23 years atop the patent list, the company's inventors have received more than 88,000 U.S. patents," CEO Ginni Rometty said in a statement. "IBM's patent leadership demonstrates our unparalleled commitment to the fundamental R&D necessary to drive progress in business and society."

IBM noted the more than 8,500 inventors in the U.S. and abroad who pushed the company to its final 2015 patent tally; those folks living outside of the U.S. contributed to more than 36 percent of last year's patent.