The number of U.S. patents issued to Xerox in 2010 jumps by 46 percent to 1,031

NORWALK, Conn. — Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) added to its extensive intellectual property portfolio with 1,031 U.S. patents granted last year, up 46 percent over 2009, ranking it in the top 20 companies for U.S. patents in 2010.

“It is critical to our customers’ success that we continue to push the boundaries of the unknown,” said Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox chief technology officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group. “We are passionate about innovating – it is at the very core of what Xerox does. More than 2,400 employees, past and present, have been granted five or more patents– an extraordinary accomplishment.”

Vandebroek also noted that the company’s investment and commitment to innovation has resulted in an 86 percent increase in the number of annual patents issued since 2006.

Xerox’s focus on making business processes easier and more efficient is reflected in the range of patents. For example, 2010 patents included solutions that improve inventory management, email overload and personalized packaging. Other patents help manage documents and make sense out of large collections of information. Xerox also seeks to reduce the environmental impact of its products and services with patents on printing systems with reduced power consumption.

The 2010 Xerox patent tally includes patents from Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), PARC, the Palo Alto Research Center, and XMPie®, three wholly-owned Xerox companies.

Xerox’s joint venture in Japan, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd., received 574 U.S. patents in 2010. When taken together, the Xerox group garnered over 1,600 U.S. patents, placing Xerox ninth on the IFI Patent Intelligence list worldwide.

Together, Xerox and Fuji Xerox invest about $1.6 billion annually in research and development.