ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE

Description

H04 – ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE This class encompasses the technical and engineering aspects of electrical communication systems, including signal transmission, reception, and processing across various media and frequencies. It covers wire-based communication (telephony, telegraphy, data transmission), wireless communication (radio, microwave, satellite), optical communication, and associated infrastructure such as switching, routing, and network control systems. The class includes technologies for analog and digital signal modulation, coding, multiplexing, and error detection/correction, as well as the hardware and methods for establishing and maintaining communication links. Adjacent classes within the broader electrical field provide related coverage of power distribution (H02), lighting (H05B), and specific electronic components used in communication systems.

Filing statistics

IPC H04 recorded 4,661,147 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023, summed across its 11 subclasses. Annual filings grew from 334,950 in 2013 to 419,359 in 2023 (+25%), peaking at 500,389 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class H04 are QUALCOMM (97,396 applications), HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY (96,502 applications) and SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY (86,981 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings