LiDAR for Automotive: 2025 Patent Landscape Analysis Report Covering Over 36k Patent Families - Benchmark Portfolios, Monitor Competitors, Assess Freedom-to-Operate Constraints - ResearchAndMarkets.com

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "LiDAR for Automotive Patent Landscape Analysis 2025" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The automotive LiDAR industry is undergoing rapid industrialization, fueled by an increase in ADAS and robotic-vehicle implementation. By October 2025, patent analysis shows remarkable intellectual property growth with over 62,900 patents and 36,000 families published, a stark rise from 11,900 families in 2021, reflecting a 27% CAGR since 2020. Patent filings cover all aspects of LiDAR technology and involve contributions from Tier-1s, pure-play LiDAR companies, OEMs, semiconductor firms, and academia, illustrating a competitive landscape.

The market supports this surge, with Yole Group predicting the automotive LiDAR market to reach USD 3.56 billion by 2030. The competition is fierce as LiDAR-focused players expand their IP portfolios to take leadership positions. China has emerged as a significant contributor, accounting for approximately 40% of global publications, while the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Korea remain key participants. The innovation now spans FMCW, metasurfaces/OPA beam steering, silicon photonics, AI-enhanced perception, and multi-sensor fusion.

This comprehensive report maps the advancing, global, and increasingly specialized patent landscape, identifying key players and technological paths shaping automotive perception's future.

Report Outline

• LiDAR for Automotive - Patent Landscape Analysis
• December 2025
• PDF >160 slides
• Excel file >36,200 patent families

Key Features

• Global patent trends, including time evolution and countries of patent filings.
• Main patent assignees and new IP entrants across segments.
• Key players' IP position and patent portfolio strength.
• IP leadership evolution from 2021 vs 2025.
• IP ecosystems including group-internal and external collaborations.

LiDAR's transition from experimental technology to a primary perception sensor is evident as patent activity accelerates, marking the shift to full-scale industrialization. By October 2025, the global LiDAR patent landscape for automotive applications encompasses over 36,200 patent families and 62,900 individual patents, with robust growth across FMCW LiDAR, solid-state architectures, photonic integration, advanced beam steering, and AI-driven perception. More than 24,300 patent families have been filed since July 2021, reflecting the movement from early research to comprehensive industrialization.

Global IP Trends and Strategic Players

China's ascent as the largest source of LiDAR-related IP, contributing around 40% of publications by 2025, marks a significant change in the landscape. While the U.S. maintains a central role, marked by leading companies like General Motors and Alphabet-Waymo, European firms such as Bosch and Continental also contribute significantly. Meanwhile, companies in Japan and South Korea, including Sony and Hyundai-Kia, continue steady contributions, showcasing the global distribution of LiDAR innovation.

IP leadership has notably evolved from 2021 to 2025, intensifying competition across technologies, regions, and industry segments. The report provides fine-grained analysis in each category, showing how leadership positions have shifted due to accelerated IP activity among LiDAR pure players and fast-paced newcomers. These developments reflect how leadership is being redistributed across the LiDAR ecosystem, making it a dynamic and contested IP environment.

Innovation Segmentation Across LiDAR Technologies

Innovation in the LiDAR sphere is concentrated in key areas:

• Core Ranging & Imaging Principles: Pulsed ToF, FMCW, phase-shift ranging, MEMS, hybrid scanning, OPA, and flash beamsteering architectures.
• Optical & Photonic Components: 1550 nm laser sources, VCSEL arrays, SPAD/SiPM detectors, and APDs.
• System & Algorithmic Intelligence: Solid-state packaging, calibration, interference mitigation, AI, and multi-sensor fusion.

In-Depth IP Profiles

The report delves into IP profiles of 30 significant LiDAR patent assignees, analyzing the full ecosystem from LiDAR pure players to automotive companies. It provides a comprehensive assessment of IP leadership evolution, portfolio dynamics, geographic footprint, and recent patent activities.

Excel Patent Database

Included is an Excel database with over 36,200 patent families, focusing on 24,300+ families added in recent years. The database supports advanced searches and provides direct access to updated records, enabling users to benchmark portfolios, monitor competitors, and assess freedom-to-operate constraints.

Key Topics Covered

INTRODUCTION

• Context of the report
• Scope and objectives of the report
• Reading guide
• Excel database

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PATENT LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW

• Time evolution of patent publications
• Main patent assignees
• Timeline of IP players
• IP leadership of patent assignees evolution 2021 vs 2025
• Geographical coverage of main players' patents
• High-impact patent assignees
• Main co-owned IP

PATENT SEGMENTATION

• Core Ranging & Imaging Principles:
  • Ranging: Pulsed ToF, FMCW, Phase Shift
  • Beam Steering: MEMS, Hybrid Scanning, OPA, Flash
  • Advanced beam steering: LiDAR-On-Chip, Metasurface
• Optical & Photonic Components: 1550 nm, VCSEL, SPAD / SiPM, APD
• System & Algorithmic Intelligence: AI, Anti-Interference, Packaging & Integration, Fusion with Camera and Radar, Calibration
  • For each segment:
    • Segment definition
    • Patent portfolio overview
    • Main patent assignees
    • Notable patents

IP PROFILE OF A SELECTION OF PATENT ASSIGNEES

• LiDAR pure player:
  • IP leadership of patent assignees evolution 2021 vs 2025
  • IP leadership of patent assignees 2025
  • Patent portfolio overview, analysis and description of recent patent activities for LiDAR pure players (7)
  • Patent portfolio overview for LiDAR pure players (16)
• Tier one suppliers:
  • IP leadership of patent assignees evolution 2021 vs 2025
  • Patent portfolio overview, analysis and description of recent patent activities for Tier one suppliers (3)
• Autonomous driving/vehicle players:
  • IP leadership of patent assignees evolution 2021 vs 2025
  • Patent portfolio overview, analysis and description of recent patent activities for Autonomous driving/vehicle players (2)
• Car makers:
  • IP leadership of patent assignees evolution 2021 vs 2025
  • Patent portfolio overview, analysis and description of recent patent activities for Car makers (2)

PATENT LITIGATION

ANNEX

• Methodology for patent search, selection and analysis
• Terminology

A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:

• Bosch
• VanJee Technology
• Hesai
• RoboSense
• Huawei - Yinwang
• Hyundai
• Idriverplus
• Kia
• General Motors
• Dongfeng Motor
• State Grid Corporation of China
• Alphabet - Waymo
• LG
• Zvision
• Valeo
• FAW Group
• Sony
• Samsung
• Amazon - Zoox
• Mercedes-Benz
• Toyota
• Ford
• BMW
• Aurora
• ICAN Technology
• Leishen Intelligent System
• Volkswagen
• Glas Trust
• Benewake
• Geely - Volvo Cars
• Continental
• Baidu - Apollo
• Denso
• Changan Automobile
• NIO
• Honda
• Aeva
• Mando
• SOSLAB
• Ouster - Sense Photonics
• ZF
• Motional
• Seyond
• Minth Group - Ningbo Xintai
• China Southern Power Grid
• Panasonic
• Zhidao Network Technology
• Qualcomm
• and many more!

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mli5qb

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.