G10F AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PHYSICS
- Class:
- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- Subclass:
- AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Description
G10F covers automatic and mechanical musical instruments that generate music without requiring real-time human performance. This includes player pianos, music boxes, barrel organs, and similar devices actuated by stored control mechanisms such as punched cards, perforated rolls, or mechanical cams. The classification encompasses the mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems that control note selection, timing, and dynamics, as well as synchronization mechanisms for coordinated sound production. Digital and electronic control systems for automatic music generation are also included where they directly replace or augment traditional mechanical control methods.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass G10F recorded 1,157 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 100 in 2013 to 75 in 2023 (-25%), peaking at 157 applications in 2018. The most active applicants in class G10 are SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY (5,218 applications), GOOGLE (4,644 applications) and FRAUNHOFER (4,601 applications).
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
In class comparison
G10F ranks 7th of 8 subclasses with filings in G10, with 1,157 applications between 2013 and 2023, 0.4% of the class. Annual filings declined 25% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+98%).
| Rank | Subclass | Title | Applications | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G10L, Speech Analysis Techniques or Speech Synthesis; Speech Recognition; Speech or Voice Processing Techniques; Speech or Audio Coding or Decoding | Speech Analysis Techniques or Speech Synthesis; Speech Recognition; Speech or Voice Processing Techniques; Speech or Audio Coding or Decoding | 174,065 | 62.2% |
| 2 | G10K, Sound-Producing Devices; Methods or Devices for Protecting Against, or for Damping, Noise or Other Acoustic Waves in General; Acoustics Not Otherwise Provided for | Sound-Producing Devices; Methods or Devices for Protecting Against, or for Damping, Noise or Other Acoustic Waves in General; Acoustics Not Otherwise Provided for | 54,920 | 19.6% |
| 3 | G10H, Electrophonic Musical Instruments; Instruments in Which the Tones Are Generated by Electromechanical Means or Electronic Generators, or in Which the Tones Are Synthesised From a Data Store | Electrophonic Musical Instruments; Instruments in Which the Tones Are Generated by Electromechanical Means or Electronic Generators, or in Which the Tones Are Synthesised From a Data Store | 18,271 | 6.5% |
| 4 | G10D, Stringed Musical Instruments; Wind Musical Instruments; Accordions or Concertinas; Percussion Musical Instruments; Aeolian Harps; Singing-Flame Musical Instruments; Musical Instruments Not Otherwise Provided for | Stringed Musical Instruments; Wind Musical Instruments; Accordions or Concertinas; Percussion Musical Instruments; Aeolian Harps; Singing-Flame Musical Instruments; Musical Instruments Not Otherwise Provided for | 17,500 | 6.3% |
| 5 | G10G, Representation of Music; Recording Music in Notation Form; Accessories for Music or Musical Instruments Not Otherwise Provided For, e.g. Supports | Representation of Music; Recording Music in Notation Form; Accessories for Music or Musical Instruments Not Otherwise Provided For, e.g. Supports | 9,278 | 3.3% |
| 6 | G10C, Pianos, Harpsichords, Spinets or Similar Stringed Musical Instruments With One or More Keyboards | Pianos, Harpsichords, Spinets or Similar Stringed Musical Instruments With One or More Keyboards | 3,810 | 1.4% |
| 7 | G10F | Automatic Musical Instruments | 1,157 | 0.4% |
| 8 | G10B, Organs, Harmoniums or Similar Wind Musical Instruments With Associated Blowing Apparatus | Organs, Harmoniums or Similar Wind Musical Instruments With Associated Blowing Apparatus | 686 | 0.2% |
Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings
Additional Content
Non-musical aspects of musical toy instruments Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with automatic musical instruments
Related Keywords
3 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
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Top Applicants
Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class G10, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT
- SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 5,218
- GOOGLE US 4,644
- FRAUNHOFER DE 4,601
- SONY CORPORATION JP 2,380
- HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY CN 2,179
- YAMAHA CORPORATION 2,120
- IBM (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION) US 1,974
- MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING US 1,916
- AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES US 1,866
- DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION US 1,843