The technology areas, which remain the same every year, judges patent activity according to data in the Derwent World Patents Index database from Thomson Reuters.
Patent activity is used as a barometer for innovation in this report. To measure patent activity, Thomson Reuters studied the first instance or invention for published patent applications and granted patents in 2010, counting each invention only once, in the country where protection was first sought.
Highlights (Click here for table.)
Aerospace patent activity increased by 25% overall from 2009 to 2010, driven by a 108% increase in space vehicle and satellite technologies, a sector within the aerospace industry.
The top three com-panies leading in this subsector were Japanese manufacturer Sharp, followed by Korean manufacturers LG and Samsung.
Semiconductor patent activity decreased by 9% from 2009 to 2010 overall, driven by double-digit decreases in three semiconductor sub-sectors: integrated circuits; discrete devices; and memories, film and hybrid circuits.
Computers and peripherals retained the leading position as the most innovative technology area in 2010 with the highest volume of patent activity: 212,622 unique inventions, despite a 6% decline in total volume from 2009.
Automotive moved up to the second position in 2010 from fourth in 2009 based on overall volume of patent activity, surpassing the telecommunications and semiconductors industries.
Japan-based Toyota had the most number of patents in the largest sub-sector in the automotive sector.
Toyota applied for 2,179 patents last year in alternative powered vehicles, compared with 639 for the next largest filer, Nissan.
Japanese companies took the top five positions for patent applications.