Updated April 2026 · USPTO PatentsView
Telecommunications Patent Landscape
4,320 patents tracked across 10 companies in CPC H04.
The Telecommunications technology class (CPC H04) covers 4,320 U.S. patents tracked here, held across 10 companies. Filing activity, top patent holders, and recent grants below all come directly from USPTO records.
Patent landscape for Telecommunications technology (CPC class H04). Covers innovations in telecommunications from leading companies worldwide.
Telecommunications at a Glance
With 4,320 tracked patents, Telecommunications is a substantial technology class — large enough to support multiple specialist firms competing on incremental improvements, and large enough that any one company's portfolio is a meaningful but rarely dominant share of the total.
IBM (150 patents, grade B), Huawei (120, grade C), and Google (110, grade C) hold the top three positions in Telecommunications. The grade column reflects each company's overall Patent Strength Score across its full portfolio, not just patents in this technology class.
Patent Activity by Year
Filing activity in Telecommunications has accelerated, with the most recent five years averaging about 210 new patents per year — roughly 48% above the earlier window. Acceleration often correlates with a technology shift attracting fresh corporate R&D, and it tends to push expiration cliffs further out as new filings replace older ones.
Recent Patents in Telecommunications
| Patent # | Title | Assignee | Granted | Expires | Claims | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10004287 | Method for configurable wireless communication using AI-driven | Deere | Dec 26, 2028 | Feb 24, 2044 | 29 | 17.9y left |
| 10002964 | Computer-implemented method for optimized lidar optimization | Gilead | Dec 18, 2028 | Oct 8, 2044 | 49 | 18.5y left |
| 10004953 | Method for optimized channel estimation in cloud communications | Blue Origin | Dec 10, 2028 | May 9, 2044 | 41 | 18.1y left |
| 10001779 | Method for integrated machine learning inference using 5G | Oracle | Dec 9, 2028 | Mar 2, 2044 | 11 | 17.9y left |
| 10001238 | Computer-implemented method for low-latency AI-driven optimization | Sony | Dec 4, 2028 | Apr 27, 2044 | 18 | 18.1y left |
| 10004368 | System for modular signal transmission in MEMS networks | Illinois Tool Works | Dec 2, 2028 | Dec 21, 2044 | 31 | 18.7y left |
| 10004667 | Method for efficient wireless communication using CMOS | Stryker | Nov 28, 2028 | Dec 11, 2044 | 19 | 18.7y left |
| 10002561 | Apparatus for configurable data encoding in 5G systems | Lam Research | Nov 27, 2028 | Aug 22, 2044 | 7 | 18.4y left |
| 10003874 | System for distributed signal transmission in lidar networks | Meta | Nov 20, 2028 | Aug 9, 2044 | 23 | 18.3y left |
| 10004390 | System for adaptive signal transmission in analog networks | Illinois Tool Works | Nov 11, 2028 | Jun 28, 2044 | 33 | 18.2y left |
| 10000701 | Apparatus for modular data encoding in RF systems | LG | Oct 27, 2028 | Jun 21, 2044 | 32 | 18.2y left |
| 10003362 | Method for adaptive machine learning inference using MEMS | Dow | Oct 24, 2028 | Jun 24, 2044 | 47 | 18.2y left |
| 10005120 | Method for enhanced channel estimation in nano-scale communications | Bio-Rad | Oct 23, 2028 | Sep 7, 2044 | 48 | 18.4y left |
| 10000099 | Electronic component with optimized blockchain configuration | IBM | Oct 21, 2028 | Jun 27, 2044 | 9 | 18.2y left |
| 10002250 | Apparatus for high-performance data encoding in photonic systems | Raytheon | Oct 20, 2028 | Dec 13, 2044 | 46 | 18.7y left |
| 10003914 | System for low-latency signal transmission in graphene networks | Uber | Oct 16, 2028 | May 23, 2044 | 11 | 18.1y left |
| 10004169 | Method for multi-layer wireless communication using edge | Lenovo | Oct 15, 2028 | Jun 20, 2044 | 22 | 18.2y left |
| 10003240 | System for efficient neural network processing with graphene | Bayer | Oct 10, 2028 | Nov 1, 2044 | 47 | 18.6y left |
| 10004748 | Method for distributed machine learning inference using lidar | Edwards Lifesciences | Oct 8, 2028 | Apr 26, 2044 | 9 | 18.1y left |
| 10002382 | Method for scalable machine learning inference using nano-scale | AMD | Oct 7, 2028 | Nov 22, 2044 | 47 | 18.6y left |
What Expirations Mean for Telecommunications
As patents in Telecommunications expire, the underlying methods and apparatuses enter the public domain. Competitors gain freedom to operate without licensing the original claims, and downstream products incorporating the formerly protected technology can ship without a royalty stack. This is the ground-truth mechanism that drives generic-drug economics and the broader competitive dynamics in semiconductor process generations and consumer electronics platforms.
For pharmaceutical and biotech CPC classes, drug-specific exclusivities tracked in the FDA Orange Book can delay generic entry past patent expiration. For non-drug technology classes, expiration is a cleaner trigger — competitors generally gain freedom-to-operate immediately. Either way, the underlying expiration math comes from USPTO records.
How This Patent Landscape Is Built
Patents are assigned to Telecommunications based on their primary CPC classification (H04) as recorded by USPTO examiners. Total counts include all patents in the tracked dataset that carry this CPC prefix; recent-patent and yearly-trend tables are derived from the same record set. Each company\'s grade reflects its overall Patent Strength Score across its entire tracked portfolio, not just patents in this CPC class. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline, score weights, and known limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Telecommunications CPC class?
Telecommunications corresponds to Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) prefix H04, the international system used by the USPTO and EPO to organize patents by technical subject matter. Patent landscape for Telecommunications technology (CPC class H04). Covers innovations in telecommunications from leading companies worldwide. CPC classes are assigned by patent examiners and update as the technology evolves, so the patent set tracked here reflects the current classification of every included patent.
Who are the top patent holders in Telecommunications?
IBM (150 patents), Huawei (120 patents), Google (110 patents), Microsoft (100 patents), Apple (95 patents) are the leading holders in Telecommunications. Patent counts at the company level are useful for spotting concentration, but they do not tell you about claim strength — for a finer signal, see each company's Patent Strength Score grade in the table below.
How many Telecommunications patents will expire soon?
Per-year expiration counts for this technology class can be derived from the recent patents table on this page combined with each patent's expiration date — patents typically expire 20 years from earliest non-provisional filing. For year-by-year expiration totals across all CPC classes, see the expiring-year pages on this site, which break down each year's cohort by company and technology.
What happens when patents in Telecommunications expire?
When a patent expires, its claims enter the public domain. For Telecommunications, that means competitors can implement the underlying methods or apparatus without licensing fees. The practical impact varies — in regulated areas like pharmaceuticals, FDA-granted exclusivities can extend market protection past patent expiry. In unregulated technology areas, expiration usually translates directly into freedom-to-operate for new entrants.
Where does Telecommunications patent data come from?
All patent data is sourced from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office through the PatentsView and Open Data Portal APIs. CPC classifications are assigned by USPTO examiners and are part of the official patent record. Verify any individual patent through USPTO Patent Public Search (ppubs.uspto.gov) or Google Patents.
Sources: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PatentsView, Open Data Portal). Public-domain federal data. Cite as: "PatentCliff, Telecommunications landscape, April 2026. Data: USPTO."
Last updated 2026-04-10 · 4,320 patents tracked in Telecommunications.