Patents

Google Patent Uses AI To Help Predict Patient Health Risk

Google Patent Uses AI To Help Predict Patient Health Risk

Google’s newest neural network patent could help physicians diagnose patients by standardizing clinical notes and assessing disease risk.

Oct 5, 2020

What Construction Tech Patents Tell Us About Emerging R&D Priorities

What Construction Tech Patents Tell Us About Emerging R&D Priorities

Construction startups are developing tech for connected infrastructure, project management, autonomous robots, and more. Using the CB Insights patents analytics tool, we look at how VC-backed construction tech companies are approaching R&D.

Oct 5, 2020

Feeling Lonely? Sony Files To Patent A Gamer Robot Friend That Will Cheer You On

Feeling Lonely? Sony Files To Patent A Gamer Robot Friend That Will Cheer You On

The 'feeling deduction unit' is no couch potato. It's fuzzy and amiable, unless you do the one thing that it hates.

Apr 23, 2020

Apple’s ‘Finger Devices’: Wearable Computing’s Next Big Thing?

Apple’s ‘Finger Devices’: Wearable Computing’s Next Big Thing?

Apple's 'finger devices' patent application could signal a solution to various consumer tech challenges. One is the need for a non-obtrusive device that would help users manipulate and interact with objects in the real world. Another is the need to broaden AR/VR experiences beyond the visual.

Jan 23, 2020

Apple Patents Tech To Help You Track Your Sleeping Habits

Apple Patents Tech To Help You Track Your Sleeping Habits

The iPhone maker envisions a connected home that can tell when you’re asleep.

Nov 7, 2019

Facebook’s New Personal Finance Patent Judges You Against Your Peers

Facebook’s New Personal Finance Patent Judges You Against Your Peers

Facebook's latest foray into finance highlights a tool to track personal finances and help forecast spending.

Oct 31, 2019

Amazon Patents Customized Delivery Drones With Lights, Speakers, Robot Arms, And More

Amazon Patents Customized Delivery Drones With Lights, Speakers, Robot Arms, And More

The e-commerce giant has had its sights set on drone delivery for years. Here's how Amazon's newest patent points to its drone future.

Oct 9, 2019

Google Patents Smart Home Tech To Personalize Your Life

Google Patents Smart Home Tech To Personalize Your Life

Google wants to connect your lights, your fridge, your irrigation system, and more to help you get to work on time, exercise more — and maybe even yell less.

Oct 1, 2019

What Google’s Voice Patents Reveal About Its Product Strategy

What Google’s Voice Patents Reveal About Its Product Strategy

From mobile phones to smart home devices, voice technology is central to Google’s latest consumer products. We look at what its voice patents reveal about its product roadmap, and how Google stacks up against other FAMGA competitors.

Aug 15, 2019

Google Sets Its Sights On Smart Clothing With New Patent

Google Sets Its Sights On Smart Clothing With New Patent

Google envisions a future where smart clothing is used to capture biometric data and track movements to help improve training for athletes and reduce strain for factory workers.

Aug 14, 2019

Is Sunscreen Getting A Makeover? Emerging Tech Innovations Look To Transform Sun Protection

Is Sunscreen Getting A Makeover? Emerging Tech Innovations Look To Transform Sun Protection

Recent legislative bills and research studies are shedding new light on the safety of sunscreen ingredients, driving interest & innovation across the space.

Aug 8, 2019

New Square Patent Gets You Paid Instantly

New Square Patent Gets You Paid Instantly

Square is looking to disrupt the traditional two-week pay cycle and help employees get compensated for completed work right away.

Jul 25, 2019

What Walmart’s Robotics Patents Tell Us About Its Automation Plans

What Walmart’s Robotics Patents Tell Us About Its Automation Plans

Walmart's robotics patent applications point to some of its strategies for competing with Amazon on automated fulfillment and drone delivery.

Jul 18, 2019

Patents Show These Companies Are Racing To Bring Solid-State Batteries To Market

Patents Show These Companies Are Racing To Bring Solid-State Batteries To Market

We used CB Insights' patent tool to outline the companies that are filing patents for solid-state battery technology.

Jul 15, 2019

Elizabeth Holmes’ Failed Theranos Was Just Granted 5 New Patents In 2019

Elizabeth Holmes’ Failed Theranos Was Just Granted 5 New Patents In 2019

After being accused of years of fraud, Theranos officially shut down in September 2018. But in March of this year — and just a few months after its death — the company was granted its first blood-testing patent of 2019. Since then, Theranos has been granted 4 additional patents.

Apr 11, 2019

Microsoft Patents ‘Awareness Engine’ To Help Surface Popular Social Media Content

Microsoft Patents ‘Awareness Engine’ To Help Surface Popular Social Media Content

When displaying results, search engines don't account for the viral content driving discussion on social media. Microsoft wants to change that.

Jan 10, 2019

Square Patents Location-Based Tabs For Venues

Square Patents Location-Based Tabs For Venues

Square patented a technology that enables consumers to open up a flexible venue tab with their devices, pushing the company towards its goal of dominating payments in every arena.

Dec 14, 2018

Adobe’s AI Re-Branding: What Patents Tell Us About The Future Of Photo Editing

Adobe’s AI Re-Branding: What Patents Tell Us About The Future Of Photo Editing

Adobe recently previewed an AI tool that could add animated rain to still pictures. The company's AI plans and product roadmap can be traced back to its patent application activity over the last 5 years.

Dec 13, 2018

Pest Control Space Sees Record M&A Activity But Innovation Still In Early Stages

Pest Control Space Sees Record M&A Activity But Innovation Still In Early Stages

Big players in commercial and residential pest management are on an acquisition spree to expand their markets and services. But few companies have a robust R&D pipeline or are experimenting with tech-based approaches.

Dec 13, 2018

Patent Analysis: Top US Banks Prioritize Payments

Patent Analysis: Top US Banks Prioritize Payments

These banks continue to pursue intellectual property as a way to stay competitive and avoid commoditization. We take a look at the patents filed to see where top US banks are headed.

Nov 21, 2018

Client Note: AI Vs. Aging, The Smart Office, Debt Collection Tech, 255 Startups To Watch, Salads On The Blockchain, And More

Client Note: AI Vs. Aging, The Smart Office, Debt Collection Tech, 255 Startups To Watch, Salads On The Blockchain, And More

Also covered are smart dust patent trends.

Nov 19, 2018

Microsoft Wants Patent For Buildings That Grow Like Organisms

Microsoft Wants Patent For Buildings That Grow Like Organisms

Microsoft has applied for a patent for a "continuously growing physical structure" which means that data centers or warehouses could expand to accommodate new use cases or take advantage of the external environment.

Nov 15, 2018

Microsoft’s Patent Activity Reveals Increasing Focus On Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft’s Patent Activity Reveals Increasing Focus On Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft has applied for over 1,000 patents related to artificial intelligence or machine learning since 2012. These patents illustrate the use of AI in areas like healthcare, financial services, security, and more.

Nov 15, 2018

Hey, Google: What Patents Reveal About The Tech Giant’s Conversational AI Plans

Hey, Google: What Patents Reveal About The Tech Giant’s Conversational AI Plans

From identifying songs you may like to analyzing Google Sheets in simple English, we take a look at some of Google’s conversational AI patent applications.

Oct 25, 2018

Client Note: Blockchain Goes After Healthcare, Apple’s Healthcare Patent Focus, 10-Year Record For Tech Exits, AB InBev’s Mega M&A, And More

Client Note: Blockchain Goes After Healthcare, Apple’s Healthcare Patent Focus, 10-Year Record For Tech Exits, AB InBev’s Mega M&A, And More

Also covered are edge computing and blockchain for healthcare.

Oct 15, 2018

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