Prolific inventors
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edison
was widely known as the world's most prolific inventor. He holds a total of 1,093 U.S. patents (1,084 utility patents and 9 design patents).List of Edison patents By 2005, he was passed by Japanese
inventor Shunpei Yamazaki
. Yamazaki was subsequently passed by Australian inventor Kia Silverbrook
on February 26, 2008.The True Inventor Basson-Booyens website Silverbrook currently holds 4,277 U.S. utility patents.USPTO Utility Patent Search for Kia Silverbrook
The top 45 most prolific inventors by worldwide utility patent families
are shown in the following table. In many cases, this number is also the number of granted U.S. utility patents. A patent family
is a set of patents filed in various countries to protect a single invention.
†This table was last updated on November 29, 2011.
The common symbol for inventiveness - the light bulb - is a perfect example. The first incandescent light bulb
was invented by British chemist
Sir Humphry Davy in 1802. Many subsequent inventors improved Davy's invention prior to the successful commercialization of electric lighting by Thomas Edison
in 1880, 78 years later. Electric lighting continued to be developed. Edison's carbon filament light bulb was made obsolete by the tungsten filament light bulb, invented in 1904. It is this that forms the popular conception of a light bulb, though there are other major forms of lighting. The principle of fluorescent lights
was known since 1845, and various inventors, including Edison and Nikola Tesla
worked on them without commercial success. Various improvements were made by many other inventors, until General Electric
introduced "fluorescent lumiline lamps" commercially in 1938, first available to the public at the 1939 World's Fair. LED lamps also have a long history, with the first light-emitting diode
(LED) invented in 1927 by Oleg Losev
. LEDs were initially of low brightness, and have been used as indicator lamps and seven-segment display
s since 1968. It wasn't until the development of high efficiency blue LEDs by Shuji Nakamura
in the 1980s that white LEDs for lighting applications became practical. Although higher cost than incandescent light bulbs, LEDs have higher efficiency and longer life and may finally displace light bulbs in general lighting applications. In each case, more than 50 years passed between the initial invention and commercial success in general lighting applications.
Thomas Edison was not included in the list, as he died in 1931, five years earlier.
This list only included U.S. inventors, so omitted Canadian inventor George Albert Lyon, with 993 U.S. patents at the time of publication, Japanese inventor Shunpei Yamazaki
, with 745 U.S. patents, and Béla Barényi
, with 595 German patents. Also omitted were John F. O'Connor with 949 U.S. patents, and Carleton Ellis
, with 753 U.S. patents at the time of publication.
published a list of "the top 10 living U.S. patent holders":
This research was performed by ipIQ of Chicago (now "The Patent Board") and 1790 Analytics of New Jersey.
This list only considered living inventors, and thus did not include such prolific inventors as Thomas Edison, Melvin De Groote, and Elihu Thomson. This list included design patents, which are not patents for inventions.
Portfolio
Magazine published a list of "the world's most prolific inventors alive":
This research was performed by The Patent Board, a Chicago patent research and advisory firm.
As with the USA Today list, the Portfolio list only considered living inventors, and thus did not include such prolific inventors as Thomas Edison. This list also included design patents, which are not patents for inventions.
published an article titled: "The Ten Greatest Inventors In The Modern Era" containing the following list:
This list included living and dead inventors, and only included granted utility patents (patents for inventions).
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
was widely known as the world's most prolific inventor. He holds a total of 1,093 U.S. patents (1,084 utility patents and 9 design patents).List of Edison patents By 2005, he was passed by Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
inventor Shunpei Yamazaki
Shunpei Yamazaki
is a Japanese inventor in the field of computer science and solid-state physics. He holds over 2,647 U.S. utility patents, and in 2005 he was named as most prolific inventor in history by USA Today...
. Yamazaki was subsequently passed by Australian inventor Kia Silverbrook
Kia Silverbrook
Kia Silverbrook is an Australian inventor, scientist, and serial entrepreneur. He is the world's most prolific inventor with 4,097 granted U.S. utility patents as of 23 August 2011...
on February 26, 2008.The True Inventor Basson-Booyens website Silverbrook currently holds 4,277 U.S. utility patents.USPTO Utility Patent Search for Kia Silverbrook
The top 45 most prolific inventors by worldwide utility patent families
Patent family
A patent family is "a set of patents taken in various countries to protect a single invention ." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor and patented in more than one country."- See also :* Continuing patent application* Triadic patent* INPADOC...
are shown in the following table. In many cases, this number is also the number of granted U.S. utility patents. A patent family
Patent family
A patent family is "a set of patents taken in various countries to protect a single invention ." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor and patented in more than one country."- See also :* Continuing patent application* Triadic patent* INPADOC...
is a set of patents filed in various countries to protect a single invention.
| Inventor | Patent Families Patent family A patent family is "a set of patents taken in various countries to protect a single invention ." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor and patented in more than one country."- See also :* Continuing patent application* Triadic patent* INPADOC... |
Country | Total, INPADOC INPADOC INPADOC, which stands for International Patent Documentation Center, is an international patent collection. The database is produced and maintained by the European Patent Office... |
Years | Main fields of invention | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook is an Australian inventor, scientist, and serial entrepreneur. He is the world's most prolific inventor with 4,097 granted U.S. utility patents as of 23 August 2011... |
4,277 |  Australia |
9,226 | 1958 - | Printing, Digital paper Digital paper Digital paper, also known as interactive paper, is patterned paper used in conjunction with a digital pen to create handwritten digital documents. The printed dot pattern uniquely identifies the position coordinates on the paper... , Internet Internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide... , Electronics Electronics Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies... , CGI, Chemical Organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives... , MEMS Microelectromechanical systems Microelectromechanical systems is the technology of very small mechanical devices driven by electricity; it merges at the nano-scale into nanoelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology... , Mechanical Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the... , VLSI |
|
| Shunpei Yamazaki Shunpei Yamazaki is a Japanese inventor in the field of computer science and solid-state physics. He holds over 2,647 U.S. utility patents, and in 2005 he was named as most prolific inventor in history by USA Today... |
2,732 |  Japan |
10,727 | 1942 - | Thin film transistors, Liquid crystal displays, Solar cells, Flash memory Flash memory Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data... , OLED |
|
| Paul Lapstun | 1,127 | Australia |
3,063 | 19?? - | Printing, Digital paper Digital paper Digital paper, also known as interactive paper, is patterned paper used in conjunction with a digital pen to create handwritten digital documents. The printed dot pattern uniquely identifies the position coordinates on the paper... , Internet Internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide... , Electronics Electronics Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies... , CGI, VLSI |
|
| Thomas Edison Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial... |
1,084 |  United States |
2,332 | 1847–1931 | Electric power Electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday... , Lighting, Batteries Battery (electricity) An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power... , Phonograph Phonograph The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds... , Cement Cement In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed... , Telegraphy Telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver... , Mining Mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock... |
|
| George Albert Lyon | 993 |  Canada |
NA | 1882–1961 | Automotive, Stainless steel products Stainless steel In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass.... |
|
| Leonard Forbes | 966 | Canada |
1,309 | 1940 - | Semiconductor Memories Dram Dram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:... , CCDs Charge-coupled device A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time... , Thin film processes and materials Thin film A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness. Electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings are the main applications benefiting from thin film construction.... , VLSI |
|
| Donald Weder Donald Weder Donald Weder of Highland, Illinois is an American inventor and businessman. Weder is one of the most prolific inventors in history, with 954 utility patents.-Biography:... |
960 | United States |
1,909 | 1947 - | Florist supplies Floristry Floristry is the general term used to describe production, commerce and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design or flower arranging, merchandising, and display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related supplies to professionals in the trade... |
USPTO Utility Patent Search for Donald Weder |
| John F. O'Connor | 949 | United States |
NA | 1864–19?? | Railway draft gearing | Meet the Champion Inventors Popular Science, vol 128 No 1, January 1936 |
| Melvin De Groote Melvin De Groote Melvin De Groote was one of America's great inventors. At the time of his death he held 925 patents, making him the ninth most prolific inventor in history. Time magazine's millennium issue recognized him as second only to Thomas Edison in this regard, although since this article was published,... |
925 | United States |
NA | 1896–1963 | Chemical de-emulsifiers | |
| Gurtej Sandhu | 908 |  India |
1,446 | 1960 - | Thin film processes and materials Thin film A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness. Electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings are the main applications benefiting from thin film construction.... , VLSI, Semiconductor device fabrication Semiconductor fabrication Semiconductor device fabrication is the process used to create the integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. It is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer... |
|
| Francis H. Richards | 894 | United States |
NA | 1850–19?? | Mechanical Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the... , automation |
|
| Carleton Ellis Carleton Ellis Carleton Ellis was an American inventor and a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry. He is the forgotten father of margarine, polyester, anti-knock gasoline, paint and varnish remover, and holder of 753 patents. A native of Keene, New Hampshire, he was the valedictorian of his high school... |
753 | United States |
NA | 1876-1941 | Margarine Margarine Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter... , Polyester Polyester Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate... , Anti-knock gasoline Gasoline Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain... , Paint stripper Paint stripper Paint stripper, or paint remover, is the generic name given to solvent mixtures designed to remove paint and other finishes and also to clean the underlying surface. The principal active ingredient is usually dichloromethane... |
|
| Warren Farnworth | 742 | United States |
924 | 1954 - | Semiconductor packaging Integrated circuit packaging Integrated circuit packaging is the final stage of semiconductor device fabrication per se, followed by IC testing.Packaging in ceramic or plastic prevents physical damage and corrosion and supports the electrical contacts required to assemble the integrated circuit into a system.In the integrated... |
|
| George Spector | 722 | United States |
747 | 19?? - | Gadget Gadget A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention... s, Toy Toy A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old... s |
|
| Jun Koyama | 717 | Japan |
2,551 | 19?? - | Thin film transistors, Liquid crystal displays, OLED | |
| Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson was an American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.-Early life:... |
696 | NA | 1853–1937 | Electric power Electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday... , Arc lamp Arc lamp "Arc lamp" or "arc light" is the general term for a class of lamps that produce light by an electric arc . The lamp consists of two electrodes, first made from carbon but typically made today of tungsten, which are separated by a gas... , Electric motor Electric motor An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force... s, Lightning arrester Lightning arrester A lightning arrester is a device used on electrical power systems to protect the insulation on the system from the damaging effect of lightning. Metal oxide varistors have been used for power system protection since the mid 1970s. The typical lightning arrester also known as surge arrester has... , Arc welder |
||
| Salman Akram | 691 | United States |
830 | 1967 - | Semiconductor packaging Integrated circuit packaging Integrated circuit packaging is the final stage of semiconductor device fabrication per se, followed by IC testing.Packaging in ceramic or plastic prevents physical damage and corrosion and supports the electrical contacts required to assemble the integrated circuit into a system.In the integrated... |
|
| William I. Wood | 642 | United States |
3,574 | 19?? - | Protein Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of... s, Antibodies |
|
| Josef Theurer Plasser & Theurer Plasser & Theurer is an Austrian manufacturer of rail track maintenance and track laying machines. It is the world's largest in its segment, accounting for 6% of Austrian exports of the machinery and iron and steel construction industry.- History :... |
625 |  Austria |
4,935 | 19?? - | Railroad maintenance machines Rail transport Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on... |
|
| Simon Walmsley | 613 | Australia |
1,248 | 19?? - | Printing, Electronics Electronics Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies... , VLSI, Cryptography Cryptography Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties... |
|
| Audrey Goddard | 611 | United States |
3,461 | 19?? - | Protein Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of... s, Antibodies |
|
| Jerome Lemelson | 606 | United States |
NA | 1923-1997 | Toy Toy A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old... s, Industrial robot Industrial robot An industrial robot is defined by ISO as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes... s, Cordless telephone Cordless telephone A cordless telephone or portable telephone is a telephone with a wireless handset that communicates via radio waves with a base station connected to a fixed telephone line, usually within a limited range of its base station... s, Fax machines, Videocassette recorder Videocassette recorder The videocassette recorder , is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time... s |
|
| Austin L. Gurney | 607 | United States |
3,390 | 19?? - | Protein Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of... s, Antibodies |
|
| Béla Barényi Bela Barenyi Béla Barényi was a Hungarian-Austrian engineer, regarded as the father of passive safety in automobiles. He was born in Hirtenberg near Vienna during the Austro-Hungarian Empire... |
595 |  Hungary |
1,238 | 1907-1997 | Passive safety in automobile Automobile An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor... s |
|
| Jay Walker | 595 | United States |
1,906 | 1955 - | Gaming machines Gambling Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods... |
|
| Paul J. Godowski | 577 | United States |
2,645 | 19?? - | Protein Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of... s, Antibodies |
|
| Hideo Ando | 576 | Japan |
1,748 | 19?? - | Optical recording Optical recording The history of optical recording can be divided into a few number of distinct major contributions. The pioneers of optical recording worked mostly independently, and their solutions to themany technical challenges have very distinctive features, such as... |
|
| Artur Fischer Artur Fischer Artur Fischer is an inventor.He registered his first patent in 1949 for a Photo Flash Light, with syncronised trigger... |
570 |  Germany |
3,091 | 1919 - | Fastener Fastener A fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together.Fasteners can also be used to close a container such as a bag, a box, or an envelope; or they may involve keeping together the sides of an opening of flexible material, attaching a lid to a container,... s, Construction toys |
|
| Tetsujiro Kondo | 564 | Japan |
4,069 | 19?? - | Signal processing Signal processing Signal processing is an area of systems engineering, electrical engineering and applied mathematics that deals with operations on or analysis of signals, in either discrete or continuous time... , Image processing Image processing In electrical engineering and computer science, image processing is any form of signal processing for which the input is an image, such as a photograph or video frame; the output of image processing may be either an image or, a set of characteristics or parameters related to the image... |
|
| Edwin H. Land Edwin H. Land Edwin Herbert Land was an American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. Among other things, he invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a practical system of in-camera instant photography, and his retinex theory of color vision... |
535 | United States |
1,214 | 1909-1991 | Instant photography Instant camera The instant camera is a type of camera that generates a developed film image. The most popular types to use self-developing film were formerly made by Polaroid Corporation.... , Polarizing film |
|
| Henry Dreyfus | 524 | United States |
2,098 | 1882-1944 | Polymer Polymer A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds... s, Synthetic fiber Synthetic fiber Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve on naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by forcing, usually through extrusion, fiber forming materials through holes into the air, forming a thread... s, Dye Dye A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber.... s |
|
| Kie Y Ahn | 513 | United States |
683 | 19?? - | Thin film processes and materials Thin film A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness. Electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings are the main applications benefiting from thin film construction.... , VLSI, Semiconductor device fabrication Semiconductor fabrication Semiconductor device fabrication is the process used to create the integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. It is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer... |
|
| Clyde C. Farmer | 513 | United States |
816 | 18??-19?? | Railway air brakes | |
| Mark I. Gardner Mark Gardner (inventor) Mark Gardner is one of the top 10 living inventors in the world. Mark Ian Gardner born September 21, 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts. His number of issued USA patents is 515 USA Patents . Forbes magazine and USA today have cited Gardner's achievements... |
511 | United States |
583 | 1955 - | Consumer electronics Consumer electronics Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver... , Energy Energy In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems... , Computers, Semiconductors, Physics Physics Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic... |
|
| Heinz Focke | 510 | Germany |
2,888 | 19?? - | Cigarette packaging Cigarette pack A pack or packet of cigarettes is a rectangular container, mostly of paperboard, which contains cigarettes. The pack is designed with a flavor-protective foil, paper or biodegradable plastic, and sealed through a transparent airtight plastic film. By pulling the "pull-tabs", the pack is opened... |
|
| Tadahiro Ohmi | 506 | Japan |
2,378 | 19?? - | Thin film processes and materials Thin film A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness. Electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings are the main applications benefiting from thin film construction.... , Semiconductor device fabrication Semiconductor fabrication Semiconductor device fabrication is the process used to create the integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. It is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer... |
|
| Louis H. Morin | 503 | United States |
721 | 18??-19?? | Fastener Fastener A fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together.Fasteners can also be used to close a container such as a bag, a box, or an envelope; or they may involve keeping together the sides of an opening of flexible material, attaching a lid to a container,... s, Lock Lock Lock may refer to:-Mechanical devices:* Lock , a mechanical device used to secure possessions* Lock , the ignition mechanism of small arms* Lock , an enclosure in a navigable canal or river... s, Bobbin Bobbin A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in sewing machines, cameras, and within electronic equipment.... s |
|
| Michael J. Sullivan | 498 | United States |
1,172 | 19?? - | Golf ball Golf ball A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits... s |
|
| Tobin King | 460 | Australia |
1,235 | 19?? - | Printing, Digital paper Digital paper Digital paper, also known as interactive paper, is patterned paper used in conjunction with a digital pen to create handwritten digital documents. The printed dot pattern uniquely identifies the position coordinates on the paper... , Mechanical Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the... |
|
| William Eby | 453 | United States |
554 | 19?? - | Transgenic soybean Transgenic soybean Genetically modified soybean is a soybean that has had DNA introduced into it in a way other than the combination of male and female gametes... s |
|
| Eberhard Ammermann | 452 | Germany |
5,079 | 19?? - | Fungicide Fungicide Fungicides are chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill or inhibit fungi or fungal spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality and profit. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and to fight fungal infections in animals... s |
|
| Hongyong Zhang | 425 | Japan |
758 | 19?? - | Thin film transistors, Liquid crystal displays | |
| John Hays Hammond, Jr. John Hays Hammond, Jr. John Hays Hammond, Jr. was an American inventor known as "The Father of Radio Control" and son of mining engineer John Hays Hammond, Sr..-Biography:... |
417 | United States |
800 | 1888-1965 | Radio control Radio control Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter... , Radio communications, Torpedoes |
|
| Ravi Arimilli Ravi Arimilli Ravi Arimilli is an IBM Fellow and Chief Architect. Largely responsible for development of the POWER5, he is one of the most prolific inventors in the world, being awarded 78 patents in 2002 and a further 53 in 2003. He has won IBM's Inventor of the Year award each year since 1998. He is NOT the... |
413 | India |
751 | 1963 - | Computer architecture Computer architecture In computer science and engineering, computer architecture is the practical art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers that meet functional, performance and cost goals and the formal modelling of those systems.... , Semiconductor memory Semiconductor memory Semiconductor memory is an electronic data storage device, often used as computer memory, implemented on a semiconductor-based integrated circuit. Examples of semiconductor memory include non-volatile memory such as Read-only memory , magnetoresistive random access memory , and flash memory... , Cache coherence Cache coherence In computing, cache coherence refers to the consistency of data stored in local caches of a shared resource.When clients in a system maintain caches of a common memory resource, problems may arise with inconsistent data. This is particularly true of CPUs in a multiprocessing system... , Symmetric multiprocessing Symmetric multiprocessing In computing, symmetric multiprocessing involves a multiprocessor computer hardware architecture where two or more identical processors are connected to a single shared main memory and are controlled by a single OS instance. Most common multiprocessor systems today use an SMP architecture... |
|
| Wilhelm Brandes | 411 | Germany |
2,922 | 19?? - | Fungicide Fungicide Fungicides are chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill or inhibit fungi or fungal spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality and profit. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and to fight fungal infections in animals... s |
†This table was last updated on November 29, 2011.
- Inventor: The name of the inventor.
- Patent Families: This is the number of familiesPatent familyA patent family is "a set of patents taken in various countries to protect a single invention ." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor and patented in more than one country."- See also :* Continuing patent application* Triadic patent* INPADOC...
of utility patents that have been issued. In many cases above, it is also the number of issued U.S. utility patents. There is a direct correspondence between the number of patent families and the number of unique patented inventions. The total number of worldwide patents does not correspond closely to the number of inventions, as each separate invention must be filed as a separate patent in each country for which patent protection is sought. Only utility patents are listed, as a utility patent is a patent for an inventionInventionAn invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...
. Not all patents are for inventions. Other patent types are: design patentDesign patentIn the United States, a design patent is a patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers and computer icons are examples of objects that are covered by design...
s for the ornamental designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
of an object; plant patents for plant varieties; and reissue patents, where a correction is made to an already granted patent. This list does not include patent applications (patents pending) as there is no guarantee that a patent application actually describes a novel invention until the patent is granted. - Total, INPADOCINPADOCINPADOC, which stands for International Patent Documentation Center, is an international patent collection. The database is produced and maintained by the European Patent Office...
: Worldwide number of patents of all types (utility, design, plant, etc.) This includes patent applications, and duplication of the same patent in multiple countries, so is usually an overestimate of the total number of inventions. This data is primarily from INPADOCINPADOCINPADOC, which stands for International Patent Documentation Center, is an international patent collection. The database is produced and maintained by the European Patent Office...
, an international patent collection produced and maintained by the European Patent OfficeEuropean Patent OrganisationThe European Patent Organisation is a public international organisation created in 1977 by its contracting states to grant patents in Europe under the European Patent Convention of 1973...
(EPO). For some inventors active before computer records were available, the total number of patents is not available (NA). - Country: This is the country of birth of the inventor, where known. If the country of birth is unknown, this is the country of patent filing.
- Years: These are the birth and death years of the inventor, where known.
- Main fields of invention: These are the main areas that the inventor is or was active in.
Significance of inventions
This table is a ranking of the most prolific inventors, not necessarily the most significant inventors. The significance of inventions is often not apparent until many decades after the invention has been made. For recent inventors, it is not yet possible to determine their place in history.The common symbol for inventiveness - the light bulb - is a perfect example. The first incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
was invented by British chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
Sir Humphry Davy in 1802. Many subsequent inventors improved Davy's invention prior to the successful commercialization of electric lighting by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
in 1880, 78 years later. Electric lighting continued to be developed. Edison's carbon filament light bulb was made obsolete by the tungsten filament light bulb, invented in 1904. It is this that forms the popular conception of a light bulb, though there are other major forms of lighting. The principle of fluorescent lights
Fluorescent lamp
A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...
was known since 1845, and various inventors, including Edison and Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
worked on them without commercial success. Various improvements were made by many other inventors, until General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
introduced "fluorescent lumiline lamps" commercially in 1938, first available to the public at the 1939 World's Fair. LED lamps also have a long history, with the first light-emitting diode
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
(LED) invented in 1927 by Oleg Losev
Oleg Losev
Oleg Vladimirovich Losev was a scientist and inventor. He was born to a high-ranking family in Imperial Russia. He published a number of papers and patents during his short career. His observations of LEDs languished for half a century before being recognized in the late 20th and early 21st...
. LEDs were initially of low brightness, and have been used as indicator lamps and seven-segment display
Seven-segment display
A seven-segment display , or seven-segment indicator, is a form of electronic display device for displaying decimal numerals that is an alternative to the more complex dot-matrix displays...
s since 1968. It wasn't until the development of high efficiency blue LEDs by Shuji Nakamura
Shuji Nakamura
is a professor at the Materials Department of the College of Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara .- Career :Nakamura graduated from the University of Tokushima in 1977 with a degree in electronic engineering, and obtained a master's degree in the same subject two years later, after...
in the 1980s that white LEDs for lighting applications became practical. Although higher cost than incandescent light bulbs, LEDs have higher efficiency and longer life and may finally displace light bulbs in general lighting applications. In each case, more than 50 years passed between the initial invention and commercial success in general lighting applications.
Various published lists
Rankings of prolific inventors have been published at various times. However, until the patent records were digitized, these lists were very tedious to prepare, as many thousands of patent records had to be checked manually. Even after digitization, it is still not a simple process. While the USPTO keeps statistics for annual rankings of inventions assigned to companies, it no longer publishes rankings of individual inventors. The last such list was published by the USPTO in 1998. Also, patents predating 1976 have not yet been digitized in the USPTO records. This means that patents before 1976 will not be included in a USPTO search by inventor name, and the number of patents granted before 1976 must be added to current searches.Popular Science (1936)
In January 1936, Popular Science Magazine published a list of the "most prolific living inventors to be found in America today":| Rank | Inventor | U.S. Patents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John F. O'Connor | 949 |
| 2 | Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson was an American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.-Early life:... |
696 |
| 3 | Carleton Ellis Carleton Ellis Carleton Ellis was an American inventor and a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry. He is the forgotten father of margarine, polyester, anti-knock gasoline, paint and varnish remover, and holder of 753 patents. A native of Keene, New Hampshire, he was the valedictorian of his high school... |
648 |
| 4 | Henry A. Wise Wood | 434 |
| 5 | John Hays Hammond Jr. | 360 |
| 6 | Clyde C. Farmer | 344 |
| 7 | Ethan I. Dodds | 321 |
| 8 | Edward Weston | 309 |
Thomas Edison was not included in the list, as he died in 1931, five years earlier.
Time Magazine (2000)
On December 4, 2000, Time Magazine published a list of the "top five inventors".| Rank | Inventor | U.S. Patents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Edison Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial... |
1,093 |
| 2 | Melvin De Groote Melvin De Groote Melvin De Groote was one of America's great inventors. At the time of his death he held 925 patents, making him the ninth most prolific inventor in history. Time magazine's millennium issue recognized him as second only to Thomas Edison in this regard, although since this article was published,... |
925 |
| 3 | Francis H. Richards | 894 |
| 4 | Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson was an American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France.-Early life:... |
696 |
| 5 | Jerome Lemelson | 554 |
This list only included U.S. inventors, so omitted Canadian inventor George Albert Lyon, with 993 U.S. patents at the time of publication, Japanese inventor Shunpei Yamazaki
Shunpei Yamazaki
is a Japanese inventor in the field of computer science and solid-state physics. He holds over 2,647 U.S. utility patents, and in 2005 he was named as most prolific inventor in history by USA Today...
, with 745 U.S. patents, and Béla Barényi
Bela Barenyi
Béla Barényi was a Hungarian-Austrian engineer, regarded as the father of passive safety in automobiles. He was born in Hirtenberg near Vienna during the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
, with 595 German patents. Also omitted were John F. O'Connor with 949 U.S. patents, and Carleton Ellis
Carleton Ellis
Carleton Ellis was an American inventor and a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry. He is the forgotten father of margarine, polyester, anti-knock gasoline, paint and varnish remover, and holder of 753 patents. A native of Keene, New Hampshire, he was the valedictorian of his high school...
, with 753 U.S. patents at the time of publication.
USA Today (2005)
On December 13, 2005 USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
published a list of "the top 10 living U.S. patent holders":
| Rank | Inventor | U.S. Patents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shunpei Yamazaki Shunpei Yamazaki is a Japanese inventor in the field of computer science and solid-state physics. He holds over 2,647 U.S. utility patents, and in 2005 he was named as most prolific inventor in history by USA Today... |
1,432 |
| 2 | Donald Weder Donald Weder Donald Weder of Highland, Illinois is an American inventor and businessman. Weder is one of the most prolific inventors in history, with 954 utility patents.-Biography:... |
1,322 |
| 3 | Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook is an Australian inventor, scientist, and serial entrepreneur. He is the world's most prolific inventor with 4,097 granted U.S. utility patents as of 23 August 2011... |
810 |
| 4 | George Spector | 723 |
| 5 | Gurtej Sandhu | 576 |
| 6 | Warren Farnworth | 547 |
| 7 | Salman Akram | 527 |
| 8 | Mark Gardner Mark Gardner (inventor) Mark Gardner is one of the top 10 living inventors in the world. Mark Ian Gardner born September 21, 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts. His number of issued USA patents is 515 USA Patents . Forbes magazine and USA today have cited Gardner's achievements... |
512 |
| 9 | Heinz Focke | 508 |
| 10 | Joseph Straeter | 477 |
This research was performed by ipIQ of Chicago (now "The Patent Board") and 1790 Analytics of New Jersey.
This list only considered living inventors, and thus did not include such prolific inventors as Thomas Edison, Melvin De Groote, and Elihu Thomson. This list included design patents, which are not patents for inventions.
Condé Nast Portfolio (2007)
On October 15, 2007 Condé NastCondé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...
Portfolio
Condé Nast Portfolio
Portfolio.com is a website published by American City Business Journals that provides news and information for small to mid-sized businesses. It was formerly the website for the monthly business magazine Condé Nast Portfolio, published by Condé Nast from 2007 to 2009.Portfolio.com is continually...
Magazine published a list of "the world's most prolific inventors alive":
| Rank | Inventor | U.S. Patents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shunpei Yamazaki Shunpei Yamazaki is a Japanese inventor in the field of computer science and solid-state physics. He holds over 2,647 U.S. utility patents, and in 2005 he was named as most prolific inventor in history by USA Today... |
1,811 |
| 2 | Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook is an Australian inventor, scientist, and serial entrepreneur. He is the world's most prolific inventor with 4,097 granted U.S. utility patents as of 23 August 2011... |
1,646 |
| 3 | Donald Weder Donald Weder Donald Weder of Highland, Illinois is an American inventor and businessman. Weder is one of the most prolific inventors in history, with 954 utility patents.-Biography:... |
1,350 |
| 4 | George Spector | 722 |
| 5 | Gurtej Sandhu | 674 |
| 6 | Leonard Forbes | 671 |
| 7 | Warren Farnworth | 635 |
| 8 | Salman Akram | 612 |
| 9 | Mark Gardner Mark Gardner (inventor) Mark Gardner is one of the top 10 living inventors in the world. Mark Ian Gardner born September 21, 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts. His number of issued USA patents is 515 USA Patents . Forbes magazine and USA today have cited Gardner's achievements... |
515 |
| 10 | Joseph Straeter | 485 |
This research was performed by The Patent Board, a Chicago patent research and advisory firm.
As with the USA Today list, the Portfolio list only considered living inventors, and thus did not include such prolific inventors as Thomas Edison. This list also included design patents, which are not patents for inventions.
Business Insider (2011)
On 6 May 2011 Business InsiderBusiness Insider
Business Insider is a U.S. business/entertainment news website launched in February 2009. Founded by DoubleClick Founder and former C.E.O. Kevin P. Ryan it is the overarching brand beneath which fall the Silicon Alley Insider and Clusterstock verticals...
published an article titled: "The Ten Greatest Inventors In The Modern Era" containing the following list:
| Rank | Inventor | U.S. Patents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook Kia Silverbrook is an Australian inventor, scientist, and serial entrepreneur. He is the world's most prolific inventor with 4,097 granted U.S. utility patents as of 23 August 2011... |
3,847 |
| 2 | Shunpei Yamazaki Shunpei Yamazaki is a Japanese inventor in the field of computer science and solid-state physics. He holds over 2,647 U.S. utility patents, and in 2005 he was named as most prolific inventor in history by USA Today... |
2,061 |
| 3 | Thomas Edison Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial... |
1,084 |
| 4 | George Albert Lyon | 993 |
| 5 | Paul Lapstun | 969 |
| 6 | Donald Weder Donald Weder Donald Weder of Highland, Illinois is an American inventor and businessman. Weder is one of the most prolific inventors in history, with 954 utility patents.-Biography:... |
951 |
| 7 | John F. O'Connor | 949 |
| 8 | Leonard Forbes | 948 |
| 9 | Melvin De Groote Melvin De Groote Melvin De Groote was one of America's great inventors. At the time of his death he held 925 patents, making him the ninth most prolific inventor in history. Time magazine's millennium issue recognized him as second only to Thomas Edison in this regard, although since this article was published,... |
925 |
| 10 | Francis H. Richards | 894 |
This list included living and dead inventors, and only included granted utility patents (patents for inventions).
Differences between lists
Differences in patent numbers between the various lists are due to several reasons:- The lists were created on different dates. As many of the inventors in the lists are still active, the number of patents they hold are increasing.
- While the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the primary source for U.S. patent information, only patents issued since 1976 can be electronically searched by the inventor's name at the USPTO website. For some of the listed inventors, such as Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, all of their patents predate 1976, so other sources must be used. - Often entities list the worldwide total number of patents that they hold. This is not the same as the number of inventions, as a patent in one country may be for the same invention as a patent in another country. The set of patents covering a single invention in different countries is a Patent familyPatent familyA patent family is "a set of patents taken in various countries to protect a single invention ." In other words, a patent family is "the same invention disclosed by a common inventor and patented in more than one country."- See also :* Continuing patent application* Triadic patent* INPADOC...
. - The Time, USA Today and Portfolio lists show the total number of U.S. patents, including patents for designs (Design patents) as well as patents for inventions (Utility patents).