A visitor uses his mobile phone in front of the stand of Geely during an automobile exhibition in Shanghai, June 4, 2013. [Photo/IC]

Geely is leading Chinese automakers in terms of innovative capacity, according to a report unveiled in late January by the intellectual property and science business of information provider Thomson Reuters.

The report examined recent patent trends in the automotive field, including companies involved in innovation and segments that have grown the fastest, based on data during the past five years.

Toyota had more than 7,000 patent assignments during the five-year period and is the auto world's top innovator from a patent perspective, according to the report. Toyota was one of five Japanese companies ranked in the top 10, the most of any country. The others were Honda, Denso, Seiko Epson and Mitsubishi.

In contrast, the United States had only one representative in the top 10, General Motors, which was seventh on the list with less than 3,000 patents, according to the report.

The report ranked Chinese carmaker Geely 15th, with about 1,500 patents, not including those belonging to Volvo, which the company acquired in 2010. Geely's ranking was ahead of several foreign firms such as Ford, Audi, BMW and Renault.

The report noted that Toyota was a "perennial leader" in automotive innovation, while South Korea's Hyundai "appears to be an up-and-coming organization". The report also said that from 2011 Hyundai "increased its rate of patent filing dramatically and could soon end up with more patent publications than any other automotive company".

The report looked into innovation activities in five broad categories of the automotive industry－propulsion, navigation, handling, safety and entertainment. Within each category, researchers analyzed the total number of unique inventions issued in published patent applications and granted patents between 2009 and July 2014.

Findings showed that propulsion attracted more patents than any other technology area. Propulsion patents jumped from less than 2,000 to nearly 12,000 during the five-year period.

"The clock is quickly ticking towards Model Year 2025, where US automakers' fleets will be required by law to boast an average fuel efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon, and the industry is working diligently to comply," said Bob Stembridge, an IP analyst at Thomson Reuters.

"The 2012 Corporate Average Fuel Economy Mandate seems to have set the agenda for the next decade of car manufacturing, and the huge spike in propulsion patents reflect this prevailing trend," he said.

Patents in the safety and security category also increased from less than 1,000 in 2009 to about 2,500 in 2013, said the report.

Patent activity in the other three categories stayed flat or dipped, the report showed.