H04R LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)
Description
H04R encompasses devices that convert between acoustic signals and electrical signals for sound reception, reproduction, or amplification. This subclass covers loudspeakers and related output transducers, microphones and input transducers, gramophone pick-ups, and acoustic-electromechanical transducers of similar type. It also includes electric hearing aids designed to amplify sound for hearing-impaired individuals and public address systems that project audio to large audiences. Excluded are purely mechanical sound reproduction devices and non-acoustic applications of electromagnetic transducers.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass H04R recorded 161,989 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 9,314 in 2013 to 13,794 in 2023 (+48%), peaking at 18,978 applications in 2020. 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
33 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- H04R 1/00 Details of transducers,
- H04R 11/00 Transducers of moving-armature or moving-core type (acoustic diaphragm of magnetisable material directly coacting with electromagnet H04R13/00)
- H04R 13/00 Transducers having an acoustic diaphragm of magnetisable material directly co-acting with electromagnet
- H04R 15/00 Magnetostrictive transducers (magnetostrictive elements in general H10N30/00)
- H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers (piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners )
- H04R 19/00 Electrostatic transducers
- H04R 21/00 Variable-resistance transducers (gaseous resistance transducers H04R23/00; magneto-resistive transducers H04R23/00)
- H04R 2201/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones covered by H04R1/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2203/00 Details of circuits for transducers, loudspeakers or microphones covered by H04R3/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2205/00 Details of stereophonic arrangements covered by H04R5/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2207/00 Details of diaphragms or cones for electromechanical transducers or their suspension covered by H04R7/00 but not provided for in H04R7/00 or in H04R2307/00
- H04R 2209/00 Details of transducers of the moving-coil, moving-strip, or moving-wire type covered by H04R9/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2217/00 Details of magnetostrictive, piezoelectric, or electrostrictive transducers covered by H04R15/00 or H04R17/00 but not provided for in any of their subgroups
- H04R 2225/00 Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2227/00 Details of public address [PA] systems covered by H04R27/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2231/00 Details of apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor covered by H04R31/00, not provided for in its subgroups
- H04R 23/00 Transducers other than those covered by groups H04R9/00 - H04R21/00
- H04R 2307/00 Details of diaphragms or cones for electromechanical transducers, their suspension or their manufacture covered by H04R7/00 or H04R31/003, not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R 2400/00 Loudspeakers
- H04R 2410/00 Microphones
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