Active Patent Filings for 'Image Sensors' Led by Samsung Electronics and Others

Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Patent applications for ‘image sensors,’ which will replace the human eye in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, are actively being filed.

Image sensors are considered essential components that enable AI robots, autonomous vehicles, and others to recognize and judge their surroundings independently and move accordingly.

Recently, they have also been spotlighted as key components used in various fields such as smartphone cameras, vehicle black boxes, biometric recognition, and augmented reality.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 9th, patent applications related to image sensors increased from 190 cases in 2015 to 263 cases in 2019.

By applicant nationality, domestic applicants lead with 52.4%, surpassing foreign applicants. By company, Samsung Electronics holds the highest share of applications at 27.5%, followed by Sony at 16.3%, SK Hynix at 11.5%, and TSMC (a Taiwanese company) at 7.2%. These four major global companies account for 62.5% of all image sensor patent applications.

Looking at application trends by detailed technology, as image sensors have expanded into the automotive sector, technologies that operate efficiently in dark environments accounted for 25%, while technologies enhancing clarity due to the advancement of smartphone cameras accounted for 18%. Additionally, high-resolution technology applications related to the increase in drones and personal broadcasting accounted for 14%.

Among these, CMOS image sensors developed alongside the advent of mobile phones. When the first camera-equipped mobile phone was released in 1999, it evolved to meet consumers’ demands for clear and vivid photos.

Recently, CMOS image sensors have been applied in various fields such as autonomous driving, drones, and AI robots, and related patent applications continue to increase steadily.

Jeon Yeongsang, head of the Semiconductor Examination Division at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, “Image sensors are essential components of the 4th Industrial Revolution, including AI, autonomous vehicles, and drones, and explosive demand is expected in the future. Continuous research and development and securing strong intellectual property rights to protect these core technologies are necessary for technological independence.”