5G New Radio Beamforming Patent Landscape 2026
5G New Radio Beamforming Patent Landscape in 2026
The 5G NR beamforming patent space is heavily concentrated, with Qualcomm alone holding the top position among 208 patent families in scope and the top five filers commanding more than half of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. Annual filing volume peaked in 2021 and has eased since, signalling that the field is entering a consolidation phase even as new entrants such as MediaTek and Intel continue to build positions.
Qualcomm dominates a tightly held field with a clear tier gap below
Qualcomm holds the leading position with 41 patent families, roughly one-third more than the nearest challenger Apple at 30 patent families — a gap that underscores its structural advantage in NR beamforming IP.
The top five filers — Qualcomm, Apple, MediaTek, Samsung Electronics, and Intel — together account for 53 percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating high concentration at the apex with a steep drop-off into a fragmented mid-tier spanning companies such as Nvidia, Xiaomi, and Sony.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qualcomm Incorporated | 41 | |
| 2 | Apple Inc. | 30 | |
| 3 | MediaTek Inc. | 17 | |
| 4 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 16 | |
| 5 | Intel Corporation | 14 | |
| 6 | NVIDIA Corporation | 12 | |
| 7 | Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. | 11 | |
| 8 | Sony Group Corporation | 7 | |
| 9 | NTT Docomo, Inc. | 6 | |
| 10 | IPLA Holdings Inc. | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Nokia Technologies OY | 4 | |
| 12 | T-Mobile Innovations LLC | 4 | |
| 13 | HFI Innovation Inc. | 4 | |
| 14 | Lenovo (Beijing) Ltd. | 4 | |
| 15 | InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. | 4 | |
| 16 | Marvell Asia Pte. Ltd. | 4 | |
| 17 | Movandi Corporation | 4 | |
| 18 | Sony Europe B.V. | 3 | |
| 19 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) | 3 | |
| 20 | Jio Platforms Ltd. | 3 |
Qualcomm’s and Apple’s dominance in transmission-layer IP (H04B and H04L) means any entrant competing on core beamforming signal processing will face dense existing coverage from these two players; differentiation through adjacent branches or system-level integration may offer more accessible entry paths.
Data for 2024 through 2026 are subject to standard patent publication lag and are likely undercounted; conclusions about recent activity should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity peaked in 2021; transmission and wireless protocol dominate the technology mix
Two charts together reveal both the temporal arc of innovation investment and the technological concentration within the corpus. They show where the field has been and which IPC branches still attract attention.
Annual filing trend
Filings grew from 15 families in 2017 to a peak of 40 in 2021, then stepped down to 24 in 2022 and 14 in 2023. The apparent low counts for 2024 onward reflect publication lag and should not be read as a continuation of decline; the field has nonetheless clearly moved past its growth phase. The multi-year window from 2017 to 2021 represented rapid build-out; the post-2021 moderation is consistent with a maturing standardization-driven technology.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H04B (Transmission — general) and H04W (Wireless communication networks) together account for the overwhelming majority of classified records, reflecting the protocol and channel-model orientation of most beamforming work. H04L (Digital information transmission) forms a substantial secondary cluster. Sparse branches — H04J, G06N, H01Q, G01S, and G06F — collectively represent a small fraction of records, pointing to under-served areas in multiplexing, AI-assisted beamforming, antenna hardware, radar/positioning integration, and digital processing.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Methods and apparatus for configuring 5g new radio…
A method of a mobile terminal for transmitting uplink positioning reference signals (UL PRS) to a serving base station and one or more neighbouring base stations in a 5G New Radio mobile communications system. The method comprising: receiving UL PRS configuration information from the serving base station, and transmitting the UL PRS to the serving base… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Repeater device for 5g new radio communication | 148 |
| 2 | Physical Downlink Control Channel Design for NR Sy… | 114 |
| 3 | Signaling to child nodes for backhaul beam failure… | 42 |
| 4 | UE configured for pusch repetition based on TPMI i… | 33 |
| 5 | Beamforming common channels in 5g new radio | 31 |
| 6 | Configurable Power Saving Signal with Multiple Fun… | 30 |
| 7 | Beamforming common channels in 5g new radio | 28 |
| 8 | Techniques for improving urllc communications in n… | 26 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the IP structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural readings — maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography — together guide where to invest, where to partner, and where to file.
Post-peak consolidation: the field has passed its 2021 high
The lifecycle stage is Decline, with annual filing volume easing back from the 2021 peak of 40 families. This indicates that the core 5G NR beamforming protocol layer is maturing, and incremental improvements to established approaches are yielding diminishing patent returns. R&D investment is likely to produce stronger differentiation in adjacent or application-layer branches rather than in well-trodden transmission signal-processing territory.
Lifecycle: DeclineA two-tier market: Qualcomm and Apple well ahead, then a fragmented mid-pack
The top five filers hold 53 percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, with Qualcomm (41 patent families) and Apple (30 patent families) forming a distinct leading tier. MediaTek (17), Samsung Electronics (16), and Intel (14) form a second tier. Below that, Nvidia (12), Xiaomi (11), and Sony (7) represent a fragmented set of smaller positions. The tier gap between leaders and mid-pack means that challenging Qualcomm or Apple on breadth alone requires sustained multi-year investment.
High concentrationCo-filing activity is narrow: Sony Group and Sony Europe are the primary co-applicants
Observed co-filing pairs are limited: Sony Group Corporation and Sony Europe B.V. have co-filed on 3 families, and NTT Docomo and its innovation subsidiary have co-filed on 1 family. The absence of cross-company alliances among the top-ranked filers suggests that beamforming IP development remains largely proprietary. New entrants seeking accelerated portfolio building may find co-development agreements underutilized and potentially attractive.
Low ecosystem co-filingUS-centric filing with meaningful PCT and EPO coverage; Asia selective
The United States leads filing destinations, followed by Europe via EPO and WIPO PCT. India is the fourth most active jurisdiction — notably ahead of China — which may reflect the filing strategies of Indian-origin inventors and enterprises such as Saankhya Labs and Chitkara University visible in the corpus. South Korea and Japan have very limited coverage relative to the presence of Samsung and Sony in the applicant ranking, suggesting selective geographic protection strategies by those companies.
US-led, India notableGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Group Corporation | Sony Europe B.V. | 3 |
| NTT Docomo, Inc. | Docomo Innovations, Inc. | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Qualcomm anchors core transmission IP; Apple and Intel expand rapidly from recent bases
The leading two players differ in emphasis and trajectory: Qualcomm’s position spans a broad transmission and scheduling layer, while Apple concentrates on device-side channel access and link adaptation. New entrant momentum from MediaTek and Intel adds competitive pressure in wireless scheduling.
Qualcomm Incorporated
Qualcomm holds 41 patent families, the largest position in the corpus, concentrated in H04B 7 (general transmission), H04L 5 (digital information transmission), and H04W 72 (wireless network scheduling). Its momentum has moderated — recent filings are down 62 percent versus its prior three-year rate — consistent with a maturing core position rather than active portfolio expansion. Its breadth across all three dominant IPC clusters makes it the de facto reference point for freedom-to-operate analysis in this field.
families: 41Intel Corporation
Intel holds 14 patent families with a technology focus on H04B 7 (transmission), H04L 5 (digital information transmission), and H04W 72 (wireless scheduling) — closely mirroring Qualcomm’s profile. Its momentum is classified as a new entrant, meaning its recent filing rate represents a step-change from a near-zero prior base, signalling a deliberate strategic build in NR beamforming IP. MediaTek (17 patent families, also a new entrant by momentum) shares a similar trajectory, focusing on H04L 1, H04W 72, and H04L 5.
families: 14| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm Incorporated | 5 | ▼ -62% |
| Apple Inc. | 6 | ▼ -71% |
| MediaTek Inc. | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Intel Corporation | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| NVIDIA Corporation | 1 | ▼ -90% |
| Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Sony Group Corporation | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| IPLA Holdings Inc. | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant transmission core
Five IPC branches sit at the sparse periphery of the corpus. Two combine low current coverage with plausible technical value for next-generation 5G and 6G NR systems and are worth monitoring by teams planning forward-looking R&D.
G06N · AI-driven beamforming algorithms
Only 5 patent records fall under G06N (Computing based on AI models), representing approximately 1 percent of classified records — a striking gap given the active academic literature on machine-learning-based beam prediction and management for NR systems. Xiaomi’s portfolio already includes 2 families in G06N 3, suggesting early-mover positioning. Entry paths include beam prediction neural networks, reinforcement-learning-based beam tracking, and AI-assisted codebook design, all of which can be filed as distinct claims from existing H04B/H04W art.
Search this in Eureka →H01Q · Antenna hardware for NR beamforming
H01Q (Antennas) contains only 5 patent records, a 1 percent share, despite massive-MIMO and phased-array antenna architectures being central to NR beamforming performance. This sparsity likely reflects the tendency of hardware-layer work to be filed separately from protocol-layer work, leaving an observable gap in integrated antenna-beam management IP. Teams with RF hardware expertise — particularly in mmWave phased arrays and hybrid beamforming front-ends — face relatively low existing-patent density here and a realistic path to non-overlapping claims.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across IPC sub-classes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H04B 7 · Transmission (general) | H04L 5 · Digital information transmission | H04W 72 · Wireless communication networks | H04L 1 · Digital information transmission | H04B 17 · Transmission (general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm Incorporated | Strong · 41 | Strong · 21 | Moderate · 12 | Emerging · 5 | Emerging · 1 |
| MediaTek Inc. | Strong · 10 | Strong · 13 | Strong · 15 | Strong · 15 | Absent |
| Intel Corporation | Strong · 17 | Strong · 11 | Moderate · 8 | Moderate · 6 | Moderate · 5 |
| Apple Inc. | Strong · 23 | Moderate · 10 | Emerging · 3 | Emerging · 2 | Emerging · 2 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 12 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 7 | Absent | Strong · 7 |
| NVIDIA Corporation | Strong · 9 | Absent | Strong · 8 | Moderate · 2 | Absent |
| Sony Group Corporation | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Qualcomm Incorporated leads with 41 patent families, followed by Apple (30), MediaTek (17), Samsung Electronics (16), and Intel (14). These five collectively account for 53 percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined total.
No. Filing activity peaked at 40 families in 2021 and has eased since. The lifecycle stage is assessed as Decline. Note that 2024 and later data are subject to publication lag and are likely undercounted, but the post-2021 moderation across 2022 and 2023 is substantive.
The United States leads with 84 patent records, followed by Europe via EPO (28), WIPO PCT (28), India (26), and China (24). India’s prominence ahead of China is noteworthy and may reflect the strategies of India-based filers visible in the corpus.
H04B (Transmission — general), H04W (Wireless communication networks), and H04L (Digital information transmission) together represent the vast majority of classified records. All other branches — including AI models, antennas, and radar — are sparse by comparison.
MediaTek, Intel, Xiaomi, Sony Group, and IPLA Holdings are all classified as new entrants by momentum, meaning their recent filing rates represent a step-change from a near-zero prior base. MediaTek (17 families) and Intel (14 families) have already built meaningful absolute positions.
G06N (AI-based beamforming, 5 records) and H01Q (antenna hardware, 5 records) are the most technically relevant sparse branches relative to the dominant transmission-protocol core. G01S (radar and positioning integration, 3 records) represents a further adjacent area with plausible value for sensing-communication convergence use cases.
Ready to map your own 5G NR beamforming landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.