List of prolific inventors

The 100 known most prolific inventors based on worldwide utility patents are shown in the following table. While in many cases this is the number of utility patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it may include utility patents granted by other countries, as noted by the source references for an inventor.

Prolific Inventors

Inventor		Pats	Fams	Fam %	Pat Yrs	Yrs	Pat /Yr	Inv /Pat	Pat Residence	Majority Assignment
Shunpei Yamazaki	[1]	6506	2873	44.2%	1972—2025	52.8	123	3.6	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Kia Silverbrook	[2]	4747	1311	27.6%	1994—2014	20	237	1.6	Australia	Silverbrook Research
Tao Luo	[3]	3743	3130	83.6%	2006—2025	18.7	200	5.6	USA	Qualcomm
Kangguo Cheng	[4]	2771	1523	55.0%	2004—2025	20.3	137	3.9	USA	IBM
Frederick E. Shelton IV	[5]	2481	1153	46.5%	2005—2025	19.6	127	4.5	USA	Ethicon
Junyi Li	[6]	2370	2002	84.5%	2002—2025	22.3	106	5.2	USA	Qualcomm
Peter Gaal	[7]	2301	1769	76.9%	2002—2025	22.5	102	5.9	USA	Qualcomm
Wanshi Chen	[8]	2131	1640	77.0%	2009—2025	15.8	135	5.7	USA	Qualcomm
Lowell L. Wood, Jr.	[9]	1996	1325	66.4%	1971—2024	52.5	38	8.8	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Roderick A. Hyde	[10]	1891	1252	66.2%	2001—2023	22.4	84	8.7	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Chen-Hua Yu	[11]	1800	957	53.2%	1996—2025	28.7	63	4.9	Taiwan	TSMC
Xiaoxia Zhang	[12]	1796	1542	85.9%	2009—2025	16.1	112	5.5	USA	Qualcomm
Hanbyul Seo	[13]	1717	1270	74.0%	2012—2025	12.8	134	3.8	South Korea	LG
Esmael H. Dinan	[14]	1691	696	41.2%	2006—2025	18.6	91	3.6	USA	Ofinno
Jun Koyama	[15]	1501	618	41.2%	1991—2022	30.8	49	3.1	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Jing Sun	[16]	1495	1258	84.1%	2012—2025	12.1	124	5.9	USA	Qualcomm
Gurtej Singh Sandhu	[17]	1428	584	40.9%	1991—2024	32.5	44	2.5	USA	Micron
Sarbajit K. Rakshit	[18]	1364	1142	83.7%	2013—2025	12.1	113	3.4	India	IBM
Shou-Shan Fan	[19]	1308	1094	83.6%	2006—2025	18.7	70	4.2	China	Hon Hai
Shan Liu	[20]	1308	851	65.1%	2013—2025	11.4	115	3.4	USA	Tencent
Paul Lapstun	[21]	1305	246	18.9%	2000—2022	21.4	61	2.5	Australia	Silverbrook Research
Alexander Reznicek	[22]	1259	755	60.0%	2006—2025	18.8	67	3.9	USA	IBM
Clarence T. Tegreene	[23]	1248	903	72.4%	2000—2024	23.5	53	10.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Satoshi Seo	[24]	1208	570	47.2%	2002—2025	22.2	54	4.1	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
Suckchel Yang	[25]	1207	778	64.5%	2013—2025	11.6	104	4.7	South Korea	LG
Kijun Kim	[26]	1162	808	69.5%	2013—2025	11.2	104	4.6	South Korea	LG
Juan Montojo	[27]	1140	928	81.4%	2004—2025	21	54	6.9	USA	Qualcomm
Joonkui Ahn	[28]	1138	741	65.1%	2013—2025	11.6	98	4.7	South Korea	LG
Edward K. Y. Jung	[29]	1111	794	71.5%	1996—2022	26.1	43	8.0	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Leonard Forbes	[30]	1109	411	37.1%	1975—2019	43.3	26	2.6	USA	Micron
Thomas Edison	[31]	1084	NA	NA	1869—1933	63.9	17	1.0	USA	Thomas Edison
Jason L. Harris	[32]	1083	622	57.4%	2011—2025	14.1	77	6.0	USA	Ethicon
Marta Karczewicz	[33]	1078	887	82.3%	2000—2025	24.1	45	4.0	USA	Qualcomm
Takahiro Nishi	[34]	1069	371	34.7%	2001—2025	23.5	45	6.3	Japan	Panasonic
Rick Allen Hamilton II	[35]	1063	714	67.2%	1999—2024	25	43	4.2	USA	IBM
Ruilong Xie	[36]	1046	783	74.9%	2013—2025	12	87	4.2	USA	IBM
Tingfang Ji	[37]	1032	765	74.1%	2006—2025	18.5	56	6.9	USA	Qualcomm
Jason K. Resch	[38]	1028	512	49.8%	2009—2025	15.4	67	4.2	USA	IBM
Donald E. Weder	[39]	1000	395	39.5%	1978—2015	37.1	27	1.1	USA	Weder Family Trust
Michael J. Sullivan	[40]	996	534	53.6%	1989—2024	34.5	29	3.8	USA	Acushnet Holdings
Seungmin Lee	[41]	994	738	74.2%	2014—2025	10.3	97	3.5	South Korea	LG
George Albert Lyon	[42]	993	NA	NA	1901—1965	64.5	15	1.0	Canada	Lyon George Albert
Jordin T. Kare	[43]	989	640	64.7%	1992—2023	30.5	32	9.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Yunjung Yi	[44]	987	696	70.5%	2015—2025	9.2	107	3.3	South Korea	LG
Jay S. Walker	[45]	979	422	43.1%	1998—2024	26.3	37	5.2	USA	Walker Digital
Ahmadreza Rofougaran	[46]	967	467	48.3%	2002—2024	22.5	43	6.4	USA	Broadcom
John F. O'Connor	[47]	949	NA	NA	1901—1935	33.9	28	NA	USA	William H. Miner
Hao Xu	[48]	932	668	71.7%	2005—2025	19.8	47	4.7	China	Qualcomm
Melvin De Groote	[49]	925	NA	NA	1924—1966	41.8	22	NA	USA	Petrolite
David R. Hall	[50]	920	761	82.7%	1985—2025	39.6	23	3.8	USA	Hall Labs
Hajime Kimura	[51]	907	286	31.5%	2002—2025	22.2	41	2.6	Japan	Semiconductor Energy Laboratory
William H. Eby	[52]	907	903	99.6%	1994—2025	30.8	29	1.2	USA	Monsanto
Nathan Myhrvold	[53]	905	613	67.7%	1994—2024	29.7	30	11.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Francis H. Richards	[54]	894	NA	NA	1899—1930	30.8	29	NA	USA	Francis H. Richards
Hongyuan Zhang	[55]	888	483	54.4%	2009—2025	15.8	56	3.9	USA	Marvell
Mark Malamud	[56]	886	690	77.9%	1997—2022	25.1	35	7.5	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Robert W. Lord	[57]	867	682	78.7%	2003—2024	20.4	42	7.6	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Yan Zhou	[58]	864	765	88.5%	2012—2025	12.4	70	4.4	USA	Qualcomm
Royce A. Levien	[59]	855	666	77.9%	1997—2020	23.4	37	6.8	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Chih-Chao Yang	[60]	844	528	62.6%	2003—2025	21.1	40	3.4	USA	IBM
Lee D. Whetsel	[61]	843	128	15.2%	1991—2017	26.4	32	1.1	USA	Texas Instruments
Muriel Y. Ishikawa	[62]	839	560	66.7%	2002—2023	21.2	40	11.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Michael K. Gschwind	[63]	836	442	52.9%	2001—2021	20.6	41	2.6	USA	IBM
Clifford A. Pickover	[64]	836	548	65.6%	1992—2024	32.2	26	3.9	USA	IBM
Devendra K. Sadana	[65]	819	462	56.4%	1983—2025	41.9	20	4.3	USA	IBM
Stuart C. Salter	[66]	819	769	93.9%	2009—2025	15.1	54	4.8	USA	Ford
Justin T. Mason	[67]	814	810	99.5%	2008—2025	16.2	50	1.0	USA	MS Technologies
Youngdae Lee	[68]	809	636	78.6%	2014—2025	10.8	75	3.1	South Korea	LG
Satoshi Nagata	[69]	807	770	95.4%	2011—2025	13.3	61	4.0	Japan	NTT
Hsien-Wei Chen	[70]	804	382	47.5%	2005—2024	19.8	41	3.5	Taiwan	TSMC
SungDuck Chun	[71]	800	490	61.3%	2007—2025	17.2	47	3.8	South Korea	LG
Kyungmin Park	[72]	788	397	50.4%	2014—2025	10.8	73	5.2	USA	Ofinno
Salman Akram	[73]	785	291	37.1%	1995—2024	29.4	27	2.9	USA	Micron
Warren M. Farnworth	[74]	774	289	37.3%	1990—2014	24.4	32	2.8	USA	Micron
James A. Jorasch	[75]	771	309	40.1%	1994—2023	29	27	3.9	USA	Walker Digital
Bruce B. Doris	[76]	763	433	56.7%	1995—2023	28.6	27	4.2	USA	IBM
Xue Dong	[77]	763	740	97.0%	2010—2025	14.1	54	7.4	China	BOE
Jeyhan Karaoguz	[78]	757	371	49.0%	1996—2020	23.8	32	4.6	USA	Broadcom
Ali Khakifirooz	[79]	754	410	54.4%	2011—2025	13.5	56	4.2	USA	IBM
Carleton Ellis	[80]	753	NA	NA	1902—1946	43.1	17	NA	USA	Ellis Foster Co
Frederick A. Ware	[81]	747	229	30.7%	1981—2025	43.2	17	2.8	USA	Rambus
Shougo Sato	[82]	741	286	38.6%	1992—2025	32.3	23	1.8	Japan	Brother
John M. Santosuosso	[83]	738	466	63.1%	2001—2022	20.7	36	3.9	USA	IBM
Hideo Ando	[84]	733	123	16.8%	1983—2020	36.7	20	3.1	Japan	Toshiba
Jean-Philippe M. Vasseur	[85]	732	593	81.0%	2006—2025	18.8	39	2.6	France	Cisco Systems
George Spector	[86]	723	723	100%	1974—1998	24.6	29	2.1	USA	George Spector
Hua Zhou	[87]	721	399	55.3%	2012—2025	13	55	5.5	USA	Ofinno
Austin L. Gurney	[88]	718	182	25.3%	1999—2021	21.6	33	2.9	USA	Genentech
Chung-Shi Liu	[89]	715	386	54.0%	2000—2025	25.1	28	6.1	Taiwan	TSMC
Lisa Seacat DeLuca	[90]	714	518	72.5%	2009—2025	16	45	2.7	USA	IBM
Gregory J. Boss	[91]	711	488	68.6%	2008—2024	16.8	42	4.2	USA	IBM
Tetsujiro Kondo	[92]	700	528	75.4%	1987—2021	34	21	3.8	Japan	Sony
Elihu Thomson	[93]	696	NA	NA	1899—1935	35.9	19	NA	USA	GE
Woosuk Ko	[94]	687	284	41.3%	2015—2025	9.8	70	3.4	South Korea	LG
Irwin Gerszberg	[95]	682	312	45.7%	1994—2023	29.2	23	6.8	USA	AT&T
Eric C. Leuthardt	[96]	681	459	67.4%	2006—2024	17.8	38	9.1	USA	Intellectual Ventures
Toshiyasu Sugio	[97]	680	250	36.8%	2009—2025	15.4	44	4.9	Japan	Panasonic
Xiaochuan Chen	[98]	671	652	97.2%	2014—2025	10.6	63	7.0	China	BOE
Aleksandar Damnjanovic	[99]	660	484	73.3%	2003—2024	21.3	31	4.4	USA	Qualcomm
Hui-Ling Lou	[100]	660	345	52.3%	1997—2024	27.2	24	3.9	USA	Marvell

This table is usually updated every Tuesday, and is current as of February 18,2025 ^[update] .

The columns are defined as follows:

• Inventor: The name of the inventor.
• Pats: The number of utility patents that have been issued. Only utility patents (or the international equivalent) are listed, as a utility patent is a patent for an invention. Not all patents are for inventions. Other patent types include: design patents for the ornamental design 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.
• Fams: The number of patent families, which in USPTO data includes an original or continuation-in-part patent by itself or with one or more continuation or divisional patents based on the original or continuation-in-part patent. This is different than global patent families that represent a patent filed in more than one jurisdiction. "NA" signifies the inventor was active prior to digital records.
• Fam %: The percentage of original and continuation-in-part patents that are in the inventor's patent portfolio [Fams column divided by Pats column, rounded to first decimal as a percentage]. "NA" signifies the inventor was active prior to digital records.
• Pat Yrs: The first and last year in which an inventor received a patent issuance.
• Yrs: The number of years from first issuance to most recent issuance, rounded to first decimal based on dates.
• Pats /Yr: The average number of patents received per year [Pats column divided by Yrs column, rounded].
• Inv / Pat: The average number of inventors listed on the inventor's most recent 50 patents as of September 7,2021 ^[update] or on the date the inventor was added to the table if later. "NA" signifies the inventor was active prior to digital records.
• Pat Residence: The country of inventor's residence listed in their most recent patent issuance.
• Majority Assignment: The entity that has the most patents assigned from an inventor's portfolio. This is current and not original assignment. It is usually, but not always an indication of which company the inventor worked at for the majority of their patent activity.

Significance of inventions

This table is a sortable list of the most prolific inventors as measured by utility patents granted. It does not include other types of invention, such as inventions that were never applied for nor granted, for which there is no known source. Nor does the table attempt to measure the significance of an inventor and their inventions. 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.

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. ^{[Info 1]} 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.

A more extensive list of prolific inventors with additional information and ability to filter on country, gender, time period, patent type, and Nobel laureate title can be found at idiyas.com/top/inventors . There are some discrepancies with this article due to different inventor queries that attempt to account for data issues such as typos and multiple inventors with the same name.

See also

• Timeline of historic inventions
• List of inventors

References

1. "USPTO publication: Prolific Inventors Receiving Utility Patents 1988–1997" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-05-02. Retrieved 2011-07-12.

References of Inventors' Patents

1. Shunpei Yamazaki
2. Kia Silverbrook
3. Tao Luo
4. Kangguo Cheng
5. Frederick E. Shelton IV
6. Junyi Li
7. Peter Gaal
8. Wanshi Chen
9. Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
10. Roderick A. Hyde
11. Chen-Hua Yu
12. Xiaoxia Zhang
13. Hanbyul Seo
14. Esmael H. Dinan
15. Jun Koyama
16. Jing Sun
17. Gurtej Singh Sandhu
18. Sarbajit K. Rakshit
19. Shou-Shan Fan
20. Shan Liu
21. Paul Lapstun
22. Alexander Reznicek
23. Clarence T. Tegreene
24. Satoshi Seo
25. Suckchel Yang
26. Kijun Kim
27. Juan Montojo
28. Joonkui Ahn
29. Edward K. Y. Jung
30. Leonard Forbes
31. Thomas Edison
32. Jason L. Harris
33. Marta Karczewicz
34. Takahiro Nishi
35. Rick Allen Hamilton II
36. Ruilong Xie
37. Tingfang Ji
38. Jason K. Resch
39. Donald E. Weder
40. Michael J. Sullivan
41. Seungmin Lee
42. George Albert Lyon
43. Jordin T. Kare
44. Yunjung Yi
45. Jay S. Walker
46. Ahmadreza Rofougaran
47. John F. O'Connor
48. Hao Xu
49. Melvin De Groote
50. David R. Hall
51. Hajime Kimura
52. William H. Eby
53. Nathan Myhrvold
54. Francis H. Richards
55. Hongyuan Zhang
56. Mark Malamud
57. Robert W. Lord
58. Yan Zhou
59. Royce A. Levien
60. Chih-Chao Yang
61. Lee D. Whetsel
62. Muriel Y. Ishikawa
63. Michael K. Gschwind
64. Clifford A. Pickover
65. Devendra K. Sadana
66. Stuart C. Salter
67. Justin T. Mason
68. Youngdae Lee
69. Satoshi Nagata
70. Hsien-Wei Chen
71. SungDuck Chun
72. Kyungmin Park
73. Salman Akram
74. Warren M. Farnworth
75. James A. Jorasch
76. Bruce B. Doris
77. Xue Dong
78. Jeyhan Karaoguz
79. Ali Khakifirooz
80. Carleton Ellis
81. Frederick A. Ware
82. Shougo Sato
83. John M. Santosuosso
84. Hideo Ando
85. Jean-Philippe M. Vasseur
86. George Spector
87. Hua Zhou
88. Austin L. Gurney
89. Chung-Shi Liu
90. Lisa Seacat DeLuca
91. Gregory J. Boss
92. Tetsujiro Kondo
93. Elihu Thomson
94. Woosuk Ko
95. Irwin Gerszberg
96. Eric C. Leuthardt
97. Toshiyasu Sugio
98. Xiaochuan Chen
99. Aleksandar Damnjanovic
100. Hui-Ling Lou