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
Introduced: September 1968
Classification Context
- Section:
- PHYSICS
- Class:
- MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- Subclass:
- 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
Description
G10H covers electrophonic musical instruments and devices that generate or synthesize musical tones through electromechanical or electronic means rather than purely acoustic mechanisms. This includes electronic keyboards, synthesizers, drum machines, digital audio generators, and hybrid instruments combining mechanical and electronic sound production. The classification encompasses both real-time tone generation via electronic circuits and algorithmic synthesis from stored data or algorithmic models. Related technologies such as MIDI control systems, audio effects processing integrated into instruments, and software-based sound synthesis engines fall within this scope, though purely acoustic instruments with electronic amplification only are typically excluded.
Filing statistics
IPC subclass G10H recorded 18,271 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 1,316 in 2013 to 1,713 in 2023 (+30%), peaking at 1,921 applications in 2020. 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
G10H ranks 3rd of 8 subclasses with filings in G10, with 18,271 applications between 2013 and 2023, 6.5% of the class. Annual filings grew 30% 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 | 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 | 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
Related Keywords
4 direct subcodes
Child Classifications
Navigate with arrow keys, Enter to open
- G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
- G10H 3/00 Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means
- G10H 5/00 Instruments in which the tones are generated by means of electronic generators
- G10H 7/00 Instruments in which the tones are synthesised from a data store, e.g. computer organs
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