H04M TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
Description
H04M covers telephonic communication systems and equipment, encompassing the technical means for transmitting voice and related signals over telecommunication networks. This includes telephone handsets, switching systems, transmission apparatus, signaling methods, and network infrastructure for establishing and maintaining voice calls. The classification extends to both wired and wireless telephone technologies, such as conventional landline systems, mobile phones, and voice-over-internet protocols, as well as associated features like call routing, billing, and subscriber management. Adjacent classes H04L (digital information transmission) and H04W (wireless communication networks) address data transmission and radio-based aspects respectively, while H04M focuses specifically on the telephonic communication function itself.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass H04M recorded 236,508 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 19,559 in 2013 to 13,232 in 2023 (-32%), peaking at 28,340 applications in 2017. The most active applicants in class H04 are HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY (101,476 applications), QUALCOMM (101,139 applications) and SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY (96,655 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
17 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers (subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08)
- H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
- H04M 13/00 Party-line systems (substation equipment H04M1/00; exchange equipment H04M3/00, H04M5/00; metering arrangements H04M15/36)
- H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication
- H04M 17/00 Prepayment telephone systems (using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675)
- H04M 19/00 Current supply arrangements for telephone systems (for selecting-equipment H04Q1/28)
- H04M 2201/00 Electronic components, circuits, software, systems or apparatus used in telephone systems
- H04M 2203/00 Aspects of automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
- H04M 2207/00 Type of exchange or network, i.e. telephonic medium, in which the telephonic communication takes place
- H04M 2215/00 Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M 2242/00 Special services or facilities
- H04M 2250/00 Details of telephonic subscriber devices
- H04M 3/00 Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
- H04M 5/00 Manual exchanges (substation equipment in general H04M1/00)
- H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
- H04M 9/00 Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching
- H04M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class H04, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY CN 101,476
- QUALCOMM US 101,139
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 96,655
- TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL) SE 57,744
- LG ELECTRONICS KR 55,253
- HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY 54,181
- SONY CORPORATION JP 35,309
- ZTE CORPORATION CN 32,950
- INTEL CORPORATION US 27,533
- GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION CN 27,498