Company patents
Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH
Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH's patent strategy is heavily concentrated in "Optical Elements & Systems," which accounts for 59.2% of its portfolio, showing a surprising surge in 2024 with a +666.7% YoY growth, despite a subsequent decline. While the company maintains a diverse set of smaller categories, the significant drop in patenting across most categories so far in 2026, including a 100% decline in "Non-portable Lighting Devices" and "Vehicle Lighting & Signaling," suggests a potential shift in focus or a temporary slowdown in new filings.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
76 US filings (since 2023) · 9 categories · 13 themes
Systems and components for projecting images, including light sources (e.g., laser), optical modulation elements (e.g., metasurfaces, spatial modulators), and optical paths for generating and displaying images.
Systems that combine light sources, waveguides, and display elements into unified products for backlighting, automotive applications, general lighting, or color-corrected displays.
Optical systems and components specifically designed for head-mounted displays, augmented reality (AR) glasses, and virtual reality (VR) headsets, focusing on image projection, waveguide integration, and display durability.
Optical systems and components specifically designed for automotive lighting applications, focusing on beam pattern generation, light distribution, and compact integration within vehicle structures.
Combining lighting elements with other functional components or into complex structures, such as mirrors, emblems, or multi-function fixtures, often involving advanced optical or thermal management.
Designs and materials for light guides, waveguides, and collimators that efficiently direct, distribute, or shape light, often incorporating microstructures, reflective elements, or specific geometries.
Development of sophisticated optical lens assemblies and computational methods to achieve high-resolution, precise, or specialized imaging, often for medical or scientific applications.
Manufacturing methods for optical components such as lenses, waveguides, films, and filters, requiring high precision in molding, surface treatment, or material composition to achieve specific optical properties like refractive index, microstructures, or tinting.
Lighting systems designed for aesthetic enhancement, mood setting, or functional illumination within the vehicle cabin, often integrated into trim, panels, or transparent surfaces.
Engineering of artificial subwavelength structures (meta-atoms) to create metasurfaces that manipulate light properties (phase, polarization, wavelength) for multi-functional optical devices.
Development and use of engineered biological systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, dynamic hydrogels, or genetically modified cells, to mimic physiological conditions, study disease mechanisms, screen compounds, or develop cell-based therapies.
Techniques for combining multiple materials or layers, often with specialized surface treatments, coatings, or assembly methods, to create functional or aesthetically enhanced plastic articles, including consumer goods and encapsulated electronics.
Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 113