Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]

Introduced: January 2011

Classification Context

Section:: ELECTRICITY
Class:: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
Subclass:: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

Filing statistics

IPC H04N 21/00 belongs to the parent subclass H04N, which recorded 1,015,361 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 76,403 in 2013 to 85,701 in 2023 (+12%), peaking at 118,798 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

Additional Content

Glossary

Additional data Non-streaming, non-audio or -video information, e.g. metadata, content descriptors, URLs of interest in connection with the audio or video content Client clients Device located at the user-end, interacting with a server to request, receive and process video content Server Servers Host system dedicated to the provision of video content STB Set-top-box User users Person who views video content VOD Video On Demand

Limiting references

Real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data

Related Keywords

video STREAM(ING); video STREAM multiplexing; video STREAM encryption or decryptioninteractive televisionVIDEO distributionVIDEO on demandVIDEO streaming; VIDEO stream multiplexing; VIDEO stream encryption or decryption

4 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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H04N 21/2 Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
H04N 21/4 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of, or interaction with, content, e.g. STB [set-top-box]; Operations thereof
H04N 21/6 Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client; Communication details between server and client
H04N 21/8 Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class H04, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

QUALCOMM US 97,396
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY CN 96,502
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY KR 86,981
TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL) SE 55,869
HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY 55,349
LG ELECTRONICS KR 53,649
CANON 33,341
SONY CORPORATION JP 32,761
ZTE CORPORATION CN 32,274
GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION 28,327