H04W WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
Description
H04W encompasses wireless communication systems and networks that transmit signals without fixed physical connections between transmitter and receiver. This subclass covers technologies including cellular mobile networks (2G through 5G and beyond), wireless local area networks (WLAN), satellite communications, and short-range wireless protocols such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It includes methods and apparatus for network access, resource allocation, mobility management, and signal transmission across various frequency bands and modulation schemes. Related standards development, system architecture, and interoperability mechanisms between different wireless technologies fall within this scope.
Filing statistics
CPC subclass H04W recorded 1,157,773 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 75,315 in 2013 to 102,049 in 2023 (+35%), peaking at 127,222 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
22 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- H04W 12/00 Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
- H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
- H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
- H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
- H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
- H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
- H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
- H04W 48/00 Access restriction (access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08); Network selection; Access point selection
- H04W 52/00 Power management
- H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
- H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
- H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
- H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
- H04W 72/00 Local resource management
- H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
- H04W 76/00 Connection management
- H04W 8/00 Network data management
- H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
- H04W 84/00 Network topologies
- H04W 88/00 Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
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