January 07, 2025
LG Electronics Ranks First Globally in AI Robot Patent Applications
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), led by Commissioner KIM Wan Ki, conducted an analysis of patent applications related to robotics with integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that were filed with world's five largest intellectual property offices known as the IP5, which includes the IP offices of South Korea, China, the EU, Japan, and the U.S. The findings revealed there to be a dramatic increase in AI robot patent applications in just over a decade (2012-2021). Within these ten years, the number of applications in the field of AI robots grew at an extraordinary average annual rate of 58.5%. In 2012, there were just 20 applications, but by 2021, this number surged to 1,260 applications. Most notably, LG Electronics Inc., a Korean company, was found to be dominating as the overall top most filer of patents related to AI robots.
<Application Trends by Nationality>
Upon examining patent applications according to nationality, South Korea emerged as a strong contender in the field of AI robot technology. While China led with 60% (3,313 applications) in total, South Korea secured an impressive second place, accounting for 24.7% (1,367 applications), and the US placed third with 8.1% (446 applications). Over the decade (2012-2021), China has held the initial lead in AI robot patent filings with an average annual growth rate of 59.7%; however, South Korea is gaining an increasingly strong presence and influence with a growth rate of 53.4%.
<Trends by Technology Classification>
Further detailed analysis of the types of the AI technologies utilized in robots showed that the most common category was "control technologies in applied fields (i.e., education, entertainment, healthcare, etc.)" which accounted for the largest share at 53.6% (2,962 cases). The second most prevalent category was "perception and interaction technologies" that enable robots to interact and manipulate with external environments, accounting for 33.8% (1,869 cases). The third category, "actuation control technologies," which involve controlling robot movements through learning, made up 12.6% (694 cases).
<Ranking of Key Applicant>
Among the key applicants, the Korean company LG Electronics is at the top with a large margin with 18.8% (1,038 applications) in total. This is far ahead of Japan's FANUC ranking second with 1.8% (97 applications) and China's South China Normal University ranking third with 1.5% (83 applications). LG Electronics has been actively securing domestic and international patents related to object and voice recognition AI technologies for various types of robots, including cleaning, service, and logistics. Additionally, another Korean company Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is included in the top ten, ranking eighth with 0.7% (41 applications), reflecting high potential for South Korean companies to grow in the AI robot sector.
LG Electronics' IP Center Team Leader, SHIN Cha Seong, shared that the company began its R&D efforts in robotics and AI in 2017 as part of a strategy to enter new business areas. He emphasized that the company's efforts to secure a strong patent portfolio and to be first to file patents have led to a significant increase in patent applications, particularly a sharp increase in 2019."
KIPO's Director of the Intelligent Robot Examination Division, LEE Seon Woo, pointed out that the rapid increase in patent applications in this field, for instance, control technologies in applied fields, confirms the growing interest in AI robots. He noted that, while China's patent applications have been largely focused on domestic market and global companies like Tesla have filed relatively few patents in this area, South Korea has a real opportunity to take the lead in AI robot patents. By focusing on developing external interaction technologies and actuation control technologies with actively pursuing patent rights, South Korea could position itself to secure a competitive advantage in AI robot-related IP."