G06K GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PHYSICS
- Class:
- COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- Subclass:
- GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
Description
G06K encompasses technologies for reading, interpreting, and displaying graphical data, along with the physical media and mechanisms for storing and handling recorded information. This subclass covers optical character recognition (OCR), bar code and QR code reading, image processing for data extraction, and display systems for presenting visual information. It also includes mechanical and electronic systems for handling physical record carriers such as magnetic tapes, optical discs, and card readers. Adjacent subclasses address pure image processing (G06T) and specialized computing architectures (G06F), whereas G06K focuses specifically on the interface between graphical/recorded data and computational systems.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass G06K recorded 601,580 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 25,461 in 2013 to 14,926 in 2023 (-41%), peaking at 101,406 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class G06 are SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY (66,669 applications), IBM (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION) (62,313 applications) and MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING (41,918 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
In class comparison
G06K ranks 5th of 12 subclasses with filings in G06, with 601,580 applications between 2013 and 2023, 9.3% of the class. Annual filings declined 41% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+191%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G06F, Electric Digital Data Processing | Electric Digital Data Processing | 2,990,091 | 46.1% |
| 2 | G06Q, Information and Communication Technology [ICT] Specially Adapted for Administrative, Commercial, Financial, Managerial or Supervisory Purposes; Systems or Methods Specially Adapted for Administrative, Commercial, Financial, Managerial or Supervisory Purposes, Not Otherwise Provided for | Information and Communication Technology [ICT] Specially Adapted for Administrative, Commercial, Financial, Managerial or Supervisory Purposes; Systems or Methods Specially Adapted for Administrative, Commercial, Financial, Managerial or Supervisory Purposes, Not Otherwise Provided for | 1,187,966 | 18.3% |
| 3 | G06T, Image Data Processing or Generation, in General | Image Data Processing or Generation, in General | 689,851 | 10.6% |
| 4 | G06N, Computing Arrangements Based on Specific Computational Models | Computing Arrangements Based on Specific Computational Models | 613,242 | 9.5% |
| 5 | G06K | Graphical Data Reading; Presentation of Data; Record Carriers; Handling Record Carriers | 601,580 | 9.3% |
| 6 | G06V, Image or Video Recognition or Understanding | Image or Video Recognition or Understanding | 380,096 | 5.9% |
| 7 | G06M, Counting Mechanisms; Counting of Objects Not Otherwise Provided for | Counting Mechanisms; Counting of Objects Not Otherwise Provided for | 11,112 | 0.2% |
| 8 | G06G, Analogue Computers | Analogue Computers | 5,173 | 0.1% |
| 9 | G06E, Optical Computing Devices | Optical Computing Devices | 1,661 | 0.0% |
| 10 | G06C, Digital Computers in Which All the Computation Is Effected Mechanically | Digital Computers in Which All the Computation Is Effected Mechanically | 1,283 | 0.0% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Additional Content
Glossary
record carrier record carriers means a body, such as a cylinder, disc, card, tape, or wire, capable of permanently holding information, which can be read-off by a sensing element movable relative to the recorded information or by electrical contacting or non-contacting means data is a synonym for information
Application references
Postal sorting Hand-held input or output devices for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by a digital computer, e.g. light-pens, joysticks, mice or trackballs
Related Keywords
10 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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- G06K 1/00 Methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion
- G06K 11/00 Methods or arrangements for graph-reading or for converting the pattern of mechanical parameters, e.g. force or presence, into electrical signals
- G06K 13/00 Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism
- G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data
- G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups , e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
- G06K 19/00 Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
- G06K 21/00 Information retrieval from punched cards designed for manual use or handling by machine; Apparatus for handling such cards, e.g. marking or correcting
- G06K 3/00 Methods or arrangements for printing of data in the shape of alphanumeric or other characters from a record carrier, e.g. interpreting, printing-out from a magnetic tape
- G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column-detection devices
- G06K 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers
Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class G06, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 66,669
- IBM (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION) US 62,313
- MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING US 41,918
- GOOGLE US 32,969
- SGCC(STATE GRID CORPORATION OF CHINA) 30,822
- INTEL CORPORATION US 30,010
- TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY 28,235
- HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY CN 26,079
- APPLE US 21,891
- HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY 20,505