TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC

Description

Y10 serves as a bridging classification for technical subjects previously classified under the United States Patent Classification (USPC) system that do not map directly to IPC or CPC categories. This class facilitates the organization and retrieval of legacy U.S. patent documents during the transition from USPC to the IPC/CPC framework. Y10 encompasses cross-reference art collections (XRACs) and digests that preserve the searchability of older U.S. patents across multiple technology domains. Primarily used for retrospective patent management and research rather than prospective classification of new applications.

Filing statistics

CPC Y10 recorded 327,546 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 2 subclasses. Annual filings declined from 111,192 in 2013 to 3,327 in 2023 (-97%). The most active applicants in class Y10 are BOEING COMPANY (2,373 applications), FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES (2,244 applications) and HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY (2,186 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings