Organizations with the highest amount of XR patents worldwide 2020

According to research by IPlytics, as of 2020, LG group owns the largest amount of extended reality (XR) patents worldwide, with a total of 688 patents spanning 455 patent families. Sony owns 87 XR patents globally, spanning across a total of 78 patent families.

Extended reality (XR)

Extended reality (XR) is an emerging term for all immersive technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), plus those that are yet to be created. Immersive, or XR, technologies, extend the reality we experience by either merging the virtual and “real” worlds, or by creating a fully immersive experience. VR creates an artificial environment, whereas AR simply makes use of the existing environment by overlaying new information on top of it. In both VR and AR, the information or imagery is made available to the user using headsets, with Oculus VR and Sony among notable vendors.

LG leading the pack

The LG Group includes LG Electronics, a multinational electronics company headquartered in Seoul, South-Korea. The company was founded in 1958 and is one of the leading consumer electronics companies in the world, as well as being a prominent player in the global smartphone, TV, and home entertainment markets. XR multimedia streaming has been cited as an emerging area for growth, particularly with regards to innovation in TV and streaming products, therefore lending itself to LG’s expertise in these fields.