Study goals
To understand the development of Augmented Reality (AR) through the analysis of 56,891 patents, identifying innovation patterns, technological trends, and key players shaping the global evolution of this technology.
Relevance / originality
The study integrates patent analysis, technology foresight, and Social Network Analysis (SNA), offering a novel perspective on AR’s evolution and how countries and companies strategically influence its global trajectory.
Methodology / approach
Conducted as exploratory and quantitative research, the study applied an adapted KDD framework, combined with descriptive, textual, and network analysis. Python, OpenRefine, and Gephi were employed for data processing, mining, and visualization
Main results
Findings highlight the dominance of China, the United States, and South Korea, with companies such as Huawei, Samsung, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Meta, and Apple. Core areas include human–machine interfaces, optical displays, 3D imaging, and AI integration.
Theoretical / methodological contributions
The research articulates innovation, intellectual property, technology foresight, and AR, showing how patent data can produce strategic knowledge on technological evolution, while offering methodological insights for innovation studies and Information Science.
Social / management contributions
The study underscores AR’s potential in health, education, and Industry 4.0, showing how it enhances processes, efficiency, and social value, while providing decision-making support for managers and policy-makers in innovation and technology.