The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual assistants, increasing demand for personalised user experiences and the need for efficient voice-based interactions. This has also resulted in the growing importance of technologies such as automatic speech recognition (ASR), natural language processing (NLP), sentiment analysis, and voice biometrics, which collectively enable accurate speech understanding, emotion detection, and speaker identification for improved decision-making and tailored user experiences. In the last three years alone, there have been over 3.6 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Artificial Intelligence: Speech analysis systems. 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 stabilising 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.
300+ 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 2.5 million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, finite element simulation, machine learning (ML) enabled blockchain networks and generative adversarial network (GAN), are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Demand forecasting applications, intelligent embedded systems, and deep reinforcement learning are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are wearable physiological monitors and smart lighting, which are now well-established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for artificial intelligence in the technology industry
Speech analysis systems is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
Speech analysis systems are computer-based systems created to analyse and comprehend human speech. By employing methods such as natural language processing and machine learning, they can extract the significance from spoken words to generate valuable insights. These systems find applications in customer service automation, sentiment analysis, market research, and other domains, enabling organisations to gain valuable information and enhance decision-making processes.
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 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of speech analysis systems.
Key players in speech analysis systems – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to speech analysis systems
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Microsoft | 77 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Knowles | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Samsung Group | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Infineon Technologies | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shenzhen Goodix Technology | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alphabet | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baidu | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Apple | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NXP Semiconductors | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cerence | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Essence Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Microsoft is a leading patent filer in the field of speech analysis systems. One of the company’s patents describes a process of registering a person with an intelligent assistant computer using one or more image frames captured via one or more cameras depicting the initially unregistered person. Facial recognition data is extracted from these image frames. A spoken command to register the person is received, and if it comes from a registered person with the necessary privilege, the unregistered person is registered by adding additional privileges to their profile.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Knowles and Samsung.
By geographic reach, Shenzhen Goodix Technology leads the pack, followed by Sony and Baidu. In terms of application diversity, Essence holds the top position, followed by Knowles and Shenzhen Goodix Technology.
AI-driven speech analysis systems have the potential to revolutionise how organisations extract meaningful information from spoken language, unlocking new possibilities for growth and innovation. By leveraging techniques such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, these systems can accurately analyse and interpret human speech, leading to valuable insights and improved decision-making. They find applications in customer service automation, sentiment analysis, market research, and more, enabling businesses to gain a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences, enhance communication, and optimise processes.
To further understand how artificial intelligence is disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Thematic Intelligence.
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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.
