The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the escalating demand for precision and quality assurance in manufacturing, construction, and healthcare sectors, coupled with the proliferation of IoT devices and the advent of Industry 4.0, and growing importance of technologies such as computer vision, machine learning algorithms, and sensor technologies. In the last three years alone, there have been over 4.1 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Artificial intelligence in technology: smart inspection. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
190+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 1.5 million patents, there are 190+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage deep reinforcement learning, finite element simulation, and GenAI for design are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. AI in EHR, intelligent predictive maintenance, and forward inferencing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing.
Innovation S-curve for artificial intelligence in the technology industry
Smart inspection is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
Smart inspection utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as image processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to automate the evaluation and assessment of objects or vehicles. It entails the examination of sensor-derived data or images to spot damages, recognize flaws, and gauge their severity. Through the application of these technologies, smart inspection systems deliver precise and streamlined assessments, facilitating prompt decision-making and minimizing the need for manual intervention.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 70+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of smart inspection.
Key players in smart inspection – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to smart inspection
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| American International Group Inc (AIG) | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitchell International | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance | 183 | Unlock Company Profile |
| USAA | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alibaba Group | 142 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Reynolds and Reynolds | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China | 143 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Toronto-Dominion Bank | 21 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Advanced New Technologies | 61 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IBM | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Laboratory Corp of America | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Donan Engineering | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nauto | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Healthy io | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NetraDyne | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tractable | 50 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Taikang Insurance Group | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Click-Ins | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Tempus Labs | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Curiteva | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ReviverMx | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Evryx Acquisition | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nant | 137 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Yembo | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Among the companies innovating in AI in smart inspection, Alibaba is one of the leading patents filers. The company’s patents are aimed at developing technique, apparatus, and server for enhancing the recognition of damaged accessories in vehicle loss assessment images. The process involves obtaining a loss assessment image of a designated vehicle, acquiring a list of accessories associated with that vehicle, and establishing a tailored arrangement for the said accessories. With this customized classification in place, a pre-set image recognition algorithm is applied to identify and assess the damaged accessories in the loss assessment image, yielding a list of serial numbers for the recognized damaged accessories. By integrating the accessory list with the image recognition process, the accuracy of identifying damaged accessories in the loss assessment image is notably enhanced, leading to a significant reduction in the cost and time required for external learning of the image recognition algorithm or model. Other prominent patent filers in the space include Nant and Advanced New Technologies.
By means of geographical reach, Nant held the top position, followed by Tractable and Yembo. In terms of application diversity, ReviverMx leads the pack, while NetraDyne and Nant stood in the second and third positions, respectively.
AI in smart inspection enables rapid and precise assessments of objects, structures, or products, reducing human error and time-consuming manual efforts. The technology's ability to analyze vast amounts of data, coupled with machine learning algorithms, leads to improved detection of defects, anomalies, or damages, ensuring higher quality control standards. Additionally, AI-powered smart inspection systems contribute to cost savings through optimized resource allocation and preventive maintenance strategies.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
