Mercedes-Benz has a total of 31980 patents globally, out of which 5114 have been granted. Of these 31980 patents, more than 39% patents are active. Germany is where Mercedes-Benz has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by China and USA. Parallelly, Germany seems to be the main focused R&D center and is also the origin country of Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz was founded in 1926 by Karl Benz. Mercedes-Benz manufactures and distributes automobile. The Company offers passenger cars, buses, vans, coaches, trucks, and sports utility vehicles, as well as related spare parts and accessories. Mercedes-Benz serves customers worldwide. As of March 2023, Mercedes-Benz has a market cap of $86.01 Billion.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of Mercedes-Benz which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find Mercedes-Benz patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over Mercedes-Benz patent portfolio.
How many patents does the Founder and CEO of Mercedes-Benz have?
The Founder Karl Benz has 3 and Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler has 9 patents and the CEO, Sten Ola Källenius have 0 patents.
How many patents does Mercedes-Benz have?
Mercedes-Benz has a total of 31980 patents globally. These patents belong to 25390 unique patent families. Out of 31980 patents, 12493 patents are active.
How Many Patents did Mercedes-Benz File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | Mercedes-Benz Applications Filed | Mercedes-Benz Patents Granted |
| 2023 | 1 | 63 |
| 2022 | 814 | 491 |
| 2021 | 1914 | 556 |
| 2020 | 2826 | 461 |
| 2019 | 2816 | 501 |
| 2018 | 2472 | 411 |
| 2017 | 2314 | 278 |
| 2016 | 2663 | 295 |
| 2015 | 2441 | 261 |
| 2014 | 2699 | 167 |
| 2013 | 1902 | 322 |
| 2012 | 1547 | 672 |
| 2011 | 2844 | 632 |
How many Mercedes-Benz patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did Mercedes-Benz File in Different Countries?
Countries in which Mercedes-Benz Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| Germany | 19885 |
| China | 2007 |
| United States Of America | 1865 |
| Japan | 1394 |
| Europe | 1228 |
| India | 1088 |
| United Kingdom | 981 |
| Taiwan | 152 |
| Korea (South) | 122 |
| Australia | 114 |
| Canada | 61 |
| Austria | 43 |
| Russia | 41 |
| Turkey | 37 |
| Brazil | 32 |
| Spain | 20 |
| France | 12 |
| Italy | 10 |
| Poland | 9 |
| South Africa | 6 |
| Netherlands | 5 |
| Hungary | 4 |
| Norway | 3 |
| Belgium | 3 |
| Mexico | 3 |
| Denmark | 2 |
| Portugal | 1 |
| Serbia | 1 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
Where are Research Centers of Mercedes-Benz Patents Located?
What Technologies are Covered by Mercedes-Benz Patents?
Mercedes-Benz Automotive Patents (7387 patent families)
The patents in this group are related to the accessories and parts of a vehicle like seats, wheels, roof, doors etc. The parts are engineered to integrate seamlessly with the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Technology Patents (5745 patent families)
This cluster deals with the features which are added to the automobile to enhance driving abilities and allow safe driving over a lifetime. Whereas the Driver assistance system of Mercedes Benz are related to arrangement of control knobs on dashboard, method for vehicle confluence and many more.
The control of distance between vehicles or proximity detection system is also the perk of Mercedes Benz vehicle technology
Mercedes-Benz Electric Vehicle patents (3545 patent families)
As the world is rushing towards the emissions-free future, so is the Mercedes-Benz. There are battery electric vehicles (EVs, or BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) which is powered by both an electric motor and an internal-combustion engine are being manufactured by Mercedes Benz. Both models uses the same type of rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which is popular because of its high energy density compared to weight. Less weight means greater potential range, so the lighter the battery is, the better.
Company intend to significantly shorten charging times, accelerate the series maturity of future battery technologies, and further reduce the use of critical materials.
Mercedes-Benz Powertrain Patents (3434 patent families)
Mercedes-Benz Engine & Components Patents (3209 patent families)
Company has produced a wide range of engines i.e. Combustion Engine, Ignition Engine (i.e. spark and Compression). Mainly, the Combustion engines in Merced dealt Benz deals with the arrangement of injectors with respect to engines, exhaust after treatment components in the vehicle.
The chart below distributes patents filed by Mercedes-Benz in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where Mercedes-Benz thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How Mercedes-Benz Research Focus Changed Over the Years?
10 Best Mercedes-Benz Patents
US20120277947A1 is the most popular patent in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio. It has received 130 citations so far from companies like IBM, Ford, and Honda Motors.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of Mercedes-Benz:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US20120277947A1 | 130 |
| US20120158229A1 | 120 |
| US20110001825A1 | 109 |
| US20110251014A1 | 109 |
| DE102013015348A1 | 108 |
| DE102012008858A1 | 100 |
| DE102013015349A1 | 99 |
| US20120109468A1 | 85 |
| USD640613S1 | 80 |
| US20150203111A1 | 78 |
Which Companies are using Mercedes-Benz Patents to Advance their Research?
If patents or patents from a particular technology area of a company receive a lot of citations, it implies that the technology is being followed and incrementally innovated by the citing companies. It also indicates that citing companies are working on similar and closely related technologies.
The top citing companies in the Mercedes-Benz patent portfolio are Gm Global Technology, Ford Global Technologies, and Robert Bosch.
List of the top forward citing Companies –
| Company | Number of Patents |
| Gm Global Technology Operations Llc | 64 |
| Ford Global Technologies Llc | 45 |
| Robert Bosch Gmbh | 44 |
| Toyota | 35 |
| Audi | 26 |
| Honda Motor Company | 24 |
| Hyundai Motor Company | 23 |
| Zf Friedrichshafen | 20 |
| BMW | 15 |
| Samsung | 14 |
Count of 102 and 103 Type Rejections based on Mercedes-Benz Patents
Top Mercedes-Benz Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications
| Patent Number | Count of Rejected Applications |
| US8181445B2 | 13 |
| US20120156537A1 | 12 |
| US20120158229A1 | 10 |
| US7998289B2 | 9 |
| US8150583B2 | 8 |
| US7952308B2 | 7 |
| US20120298638A1 | 7 |
| US20110097142A1 | 7 |
| US20150203111A1 | 7 |
| US7914412B2 | 6 |
| US20110309726A1 | 6 |
| US8170762B2 | 6 |
| US7873451B2 | 6 |
| US8061122B2 | 6 |
| US20130071720A1 | 6 |
What Percentage of Mercedes-Benz US Patent Applications were Granted?
Mercedes-Benz (Excluding its subsidiaries) has filed 1055 patent applications at USPTO so far (Excluding Design and PCT applications). Out of these 951 have been granted leading to a grant rate of 95.87%.
Below are the key stats of Mercedes-Benz patent prosecution at the USPTO.
Which Law Firms Filed Most US Patents for Mercedes-Benz?
| Law Firm | Total Applications | Success Rate |
| Crowell & Moring Llp | 735 | 100.00% |
| Klaus J Bach | 124 | 94.56% |
| Evenson Mckeown Edwards & Lenahan | 67 | 53.01% |
| Patent Portfolio Builders Pllc | 27 | 100.00% |
| Striker Striker & Stenby | 6 | 100.00% |
| Spencer And Frank | 4 | 100.00% |
| Foley & Lardner | 3 | 100.00% |
| Kowert Hood Munyon Rankin & Goetzel Pc | 3 | 100.00% |
| Martin A Farber | 3 | 66.67% |
| Perkins Coie Llp | 3 | 100.00% |
