Xerox, 50 Years and 16,000 Patents Later

Did you know that Xerox Corp. has more than 16,000 U.S. patents granted? As a frame of reference, an average of 22,667 patents are granted per year in the United States, based on a reported 1.7 million patents granted over the past 75 years. Xerox's per-year average over the course of its 50 years in business translates to 320. In 2004, the document-management technology and services company secured 520 patents.

It also employs 58,100 employees worldwide, with 32,100 of those employees located in the United States.

In the world of print media, Xerox has been among the leaders in the industry with such products as its iGen3 and DocuColor printing systems, which Xerox says generate more than 8 billion color pages annually. As Xerox celebrates half a century in business, it seemed an appropriate time to take a closer look at this staple of the print media industry and find out what inventions its researchers are pursuing for the future.

Xerox allowed PrintMedia a look inside its five research centers to learn more about the current direction of the company's research efforts and what to expect next from Xerox scientists, researchers and engineers at work around the globe.

The Three R's of Research

According to Hervé Gallaire, chief technology officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group, current innovation at Xerox is as simple as "the three R's"—"Reinventing our machines," "Rethinking how we work" and "Redefining the document." Gallaire notes that these three concepts bring together many disciplines and technical competencies—from mechanical and electrical engineering through the basic physical sciences to social science and psychology.

Self-Servicing Machines

The first concept, reinventing, says Gallaire, will yield the next generation of machines that will not only perform better, but will sense when they need service and even correct some of their problems on their own. Some examples: