Toyota tops U.S. clean energy patents applicants

Accounted for almost a tenth of all U.S. patent applications in Q3 2012.

A record 798 clean energy patents were lodged in the U.S. during the quarter, of which 71 were from Toyota Motor Corporation. This compares to the 25 patents filed by Toyota in Q2.

Toyota has garnered the most clean tech patents of any company for three straight quarters, according to statistics compiled by Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti (HRF&M). The law firm assists clients protect and capitalize on their intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, and copyrights and, when necessary, defend and enforce these rights through litigation.

Toyota applied for 46 patents in fuels cells, 25 in hybrid and electric vehicles and one solar patent compared to the next company, American technology and services conglomerate General Electric Company or GE.

GE registered 50 wind power patents in the third quarter, along with five solar and single patents for electric vehicles, fuel cells and other renewable energy applications.

Since 2002, HRF&M's Clean Energy Patent Growth Index has recorded patents in the solar, wind, hybrid/electric vehicles, fuel cell, hydroelectric, tidal and wave, geothermal, biomass and biofuels sectors, and other clean energy categories.

General Motors came third for the second quarter in a row, with Honda and Samsung making up the top five. Mitsubishi, Siemens, Hyundai, Panasonic, and Ford completed the top 10.

In total, 282 fuel cell patents were lodged, along with 222 solar patents, and 170 wind patents, all of which were up from the same quarter a year before.

Japan led non-US holders of U.S. clean energy patents and individual U.S. states with 212 patents, followed by California with 82 and New York in third with 63 patents.