G10K SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
Description
G10K encompasses mechanical and electromechanical devices that generate, transmit, or manipulate sound waves, as well as technologies for noise control and acoustic damping across general applications. This includes loudspeakers, sirens, horns, acoustic transducers, and sound reproduction systems, alongside noise reduction methods such as sound-absorbing materials, silencers, vibration isolation, and active noise cancellation. The classification also covers general acoustic phenomena and measurement techniques not covered by more specialized acoustics classes dedicated to specific musical instruments or underwater acoustics. Adjacent specialized classes (G10B-G10H for musical instruments, G10L for speech analysis) are excluded from this scope.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass G10K recorded 42,414 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,454 in 2013 to 3,826 in 2023 (+56%), peaking at 4,993 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class G10 are SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY (6,277 applications), GOOGLE (5,429 applications) and FRAUNHOFER (4,984 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
10 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- G10K 1/00 Devices in which sound is produced by striking a resonating body, e.g. bells, chimes or gongs (multi-toned musical instruments G10D13/08; automatic carillons G10F1/10)
- G10K 11/00 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general; Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general
- G10K 13/00 Cones, diaphragms, or the like, for emitting or receiving sound in general (for electromechanical transducers H04R7/00)
- G10K 15/00 Acoustics not otherwise provided for
- G10K 2200/00 Details of methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound in general
- G10K 2210/00 Details of active noise control [ANC] covered by G10K11/178 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- G10K 3/00 Rattles or like noise-producing devices
- G10K 5/00 Whistles
- G10K 7/00 Sirens
- G10K 9/00 Devices in which sound is produced by vibrating a diaphragm or analogous element, e.g. fog horns, vehicle hooters or buzzers (loudspeakers or like acoustic electromechanical transducers H04R)
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class G10, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 6,277
- GOOGLE US 5,429
- FRAUNHOFER DE 4,984
- SONY CORPORATION JP 2,808
- HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY CN 2,577
- MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING US 2,382
- DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION US 2,123
- QUALCOMM US 2,117
- IBM (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION) US 2,049
- AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES US 1,924