6G Channel Coding Patent Landscape 2026
Samsung Electronics holds an overwhelming lead in 6G channel coding, with the field expanding sharply on a multi-year basis from a near-zero base in 2019, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak. The competitive structure is highly concentrated, with a small number of filers accounting for the bulk of activity and most challengers operating at a fraction of the leader’s scale.
Samsung leads a highly concentrated field with limited credible challengers
Samsung Electronics is the dominant filer in 6G channel coding, ranking first by a wide margin. The next-ranked applicants, The Massengill Family Trust and Newman David E, each hold far smaller positions, and the gap between the leader and the rest of the field is steep.
The top five filers account for 91% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, signaling an unusually high degree of concentration for an early-stage technology field. This leaves little volume distributed across academic institutions, telecoms, and specialist coding firms in the mid and lower tiers.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 842 | |
| 2 | The Massengill Family Trust | 93 | |
| 3 | Newman David E. | 73 | |
| 4 | AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P | 21 | |
| 5 | RES & BUSINESS FOUND SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIV | 15 | |
| 6 | AT&T MOBILITY II LLC | 8 | |
| 7 | Nokia Technologies Oy | 6 | |
| 8 | Intel Corporation | 6 | |
| 9 | Harbin Institute of Technology | 5 | |
| 10 | Polaran Haberlesme Teknolojileri A.S. | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 5 | |
| 12 | Massengill R. Kemp | 3 | |
| 13 | T-Mobile Innovations LLC | 3 | |
| 14 | Muhammad Ahsan Naim | 3 | |
| 15 | The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona | 3 | |
| 16 | Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. | 2 | |
| 17 | Hangzhou Yibangxin Technology Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 18 | Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 19 | Hangzhou Dianzi University | 2 | |
| 20 | Yonsei University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation | 2 |
Samsung’s position implies that any new entrant or challenger seeking to carve out freedom to operate will need to navigate a dense core portfolio, particularly in digital information transmission and wireless network scheduling — the areas where Samsung’s filings cluster most heavily.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are understated due to patent publication lag and should not be read as a slowdown; the trend data for 2025 and 2026 will be revised upward as applications publish. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Rapid multi-year expansion from 2022, anchored in digital transmission and wireless networking
The annual filing trend reveals a field that emerged from near-zero activity before 2019 and accelerated sharply from 2022 onward. The technology composition is dominated by a pair of core IPC classes, with a set of adjacent branches occupying materially smaller shares.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible through 2021, then surged in 2022 and peaked in 2023, reflecting the rapid mobilization of 6G standardization research. The 2024 count shows a natural easing from the peak, and 2025–2026 figures are heavily understated by publication lag — they will rise substantially as pending applications publish.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H04L (digital information transmission) and H04W (wireless communication networks) dominate the IPC mix, together accounting for the vast majority of classified records. H04B (transmission, general) and H03M (coding and code conversion) are present but at substantially lower shares, and AI-adjacent class G06N appears in only a small fraction of records — pointing to an early but emerging intersection with machine-learning-driven coding.
↗ 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.
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding pol…
The disclosure relates to a fifth generation (5G) or sixth generation (6G) communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. An encoding apparatus may obtain state-indicator information indicating a state of each of bits included in the polar code based on an index set of the bits, identify a weak-bit or a second weak-bit corresponding to… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computing workload management in next generation c… | 25 |
| 2 | Method and apparatus for accelerating data process… | 21 |
| 3 | Apparatus and method for transmitting and receivin… | 20 |
| 4 | Method and device for repeatedly transmitting down… | 19 |
| 5 | Apparatus and method performed by the same in wire… | 18 |
| 6 | Facilitating a group hybrid automatic repeat reque… | 16 |
| 7 | Method and apparatus for sharing frequency resourc… | 15 |
| 8 | Method and apparatus for transmitting and receivin… | 13 |
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 competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of rapid multi-year growth, extreme leader concentration, and nascent adjacent branches creates both high entry barriers in the core and identifiable headroom in specialized sub-domains. The four structural reads below translate the patent data into R&D positioning signals.
Growth stage with annual volume easing from its 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits well above the prior three-year window, confirming multi-year expansion. However, annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, and the most recent years remain understated by publication lag. Entrants should expect the landscape to continue densifying as 6G standardization matures.
Growth stageTop-heavy structure with a steep tier gap below Samsung
The top five filers hold 91% of the volume among the hundred largest filers, and Samsung alone accounts for the large majority of that share. The second and third ranked applicants are individual-trust and individual-inventor entities rather than large telecoms or chipmakers, underscoring how few institutional challengers have built meaningful 6G channel coding portfolios so far. This creates both freedom-to-operate challenges in the core and potential acquisition targets among niche filers.
High concentrationSamsung–Sungkyunkwan University partnership is the dominant co-filing axis
The most active co-filing relationship pairs Samsung Electronics with Sungkyunkwan University, with 15 joint patent families — the strongest collaboration signal in the dataset. AT&T Intellectual Property I L P and AT&T Mobility II LLC co-filed 8 families, reflecting intra-group coordination. Samsung also co-filed twice with Yonsei University and twice with Beijing Samsung Telecom R&D Center, indicating a hub-and-spoke model centered on Samsung with selective academic and regional R&D linkages.
Hub-and-spokeUS and EPO lead filings; China and India are secondary but growing
The United States and Europe (EPO) are the leading jurisdictions by patent records, with WIPO PCT filings forming the third-largest channel — indicating applicants are actively seeking broad international protection. China is the fourth jurisdiction, and India is fifth, signaling that both markets are viewed as strategically relevant for 6G channel coding protection. South Korea, Japan, and the United Kingdom each hold small counts, suggesting selective rather than blanket national filings in those markets.
US/EPO/PCT dominantGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 成均馆大学校产学协力团 | 15 |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | AT&T移动第二有限责任公司 | 8 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 延世大学校产学协力团 | 2 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Beijing Samsung Telecom R&D Center | 2 |
| Nokia Technologies Oy | Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Nokia Technologies Oy | Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Samsung leads across core transmission routes; challengers are thin and narrowly focused
The leader-challenger gap in 6G channel coding is unusually wide. Samsung’s portfolio spans the dominant IPC classes at scale, while the next-ranked filers are either individual/trust entities with concentrated sub-domain positions or large telecoms with small and recently initiated portfolios.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics holds 842 patent families, an order of magnitude more than any other applicant in this field. Its technology emphasis is concentrated in H04L 1 (digital information transmission error control), H04W 72 (wireless resource scheduling), and H04L 5 (duplex and multi-channel transmission) — the core engineering axes of 6G channel coding. Momentum is exceptionally strong, with recent three-year filings running at roughly 23× the prior three-year window, driven by intensive 6G standardization investment. The Samsung–Sungkyunkwan University and Samsung–Yonsei University co-filing relationships further extend its academic reach.
patent families: 842Nokia Technologies
Nokia Technologies holds 6 patent families and is categorized as a new entrant in the recent filing window, reflecting an early-stage position rather than an established portfolio. Its technical focus spans H04L 1 (digital information transmission), H03M 13 (channel coding and decoding), and H04W 72 (wireless scheduling) — a narrower but directionally aligned set of classes relative to Samsung. Nokia’s intra-group co-filings with Nokia Shanghai Bell and Nokia Solutions and Networks indicate it is coordinating 6G channel coding IP across its corporate structure, suggesting a deliberate if still modest portfolio-building effort.
patent families: 6| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 731 | ▲ 23× vs prior 3-yr |
| Newman David E. | 94 | ▲ new entrant |
| Massengill R. Kemp | 94 | ▲ new entrant |
| AT&T知识产权一部有限合伙公司 | 3 | ▼ -82% |
| 成均馆大学校产学协力团 | 11 | ▲ new entrant |
| Nokia Technologies Oy | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Intel Corporation | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Polaran Haberlesme Teknolojileri A.S. | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches in transmission fundamentals and AI-driven coding
Three IPC branches sit materially below the dominant H04L/H04W core in this corpus. Their relative sparsity, combined with plausible technical relevance to next-generation channel coding, makes them worth monitoring as potential areas for differentiated R&D positioning — though each entry path carries distinct competitive and technical conditions.
H03M · Coding and code conversion
H03M covers the algorithmic fundamentals of channel coding — including polar codes, LDPC, and turbo codes — that underpin 6G physical-layer design. With 67 patent records in this branch against nearly 1,000 in H04L, the coding-theory substrate is comparatively under-claimed in this corpus. Sungkyunkwan University’s research foundation, Polaran (a polar-coding specialist), and Harbin Institute of Technology each show H03M 13 as a primary focus, suggesting that specialist academic and deep-tech entrants have more headroom here than in the system-level transmission classes. An entry path focused on novel code construction or decoding algorithms at the physical layer could find less crowded prior art.
Search this in Eureka →G06N · Computing based on AI models
G06N appears in only 12 patent records in this corpus, making the AI-native channel coding intersection the sparsest adjacent branch observed. The technical case for AI-driven coding — learned encoders, neural belief propagation decoders, and environment-adaptive modulation — is well established in academic literature but has not yet translated into a dense patent position in this field. Given the absence of a dominant incumbent in this sub-space, and the broader 6G design emphasis on intelligence at the air interface, this branch represents an area where early systematic filing could establish a differentiated position. Entry path: academic–industry collaboration targeting learned coding schemes for sub-THz or high-mobility 6G channels.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by IPC technology route
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H04L 1 · Digital information transmission | H04W 72 · Wireless communication networks | H04L 5 · Digital information transmission | H04W 76 · Wireless communication networks | H04B 7 · Transmission (general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 778 | Strong · 562 | Moderate · 352 | Emerging · 95 | Emerging · 82 |
| Massengill R. Kemp | Strong · 96 | Absent | Moderate · 26 | Moderate · 25 | Absent |
| Newman David E. | Strong · 96 | Absent | Moderate · 26 | Moderate · 25 | Absent |
| AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. | Strong · 13 | Moderate · 6 | Strong · 11 | Emerging · 1 | Moderate · 3 |
| 成均馆大学校产学协力团 | Strong · 9 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Nokia Technologies Oy | Strong · 6 | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 2 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 1,028 patent families in scope, spanning filings from 2017 through 2026. Activity was negligible before 2019 and accelerated sharply from 2022 onward, reflecting the mobilization of global 6G standardization research.
Samsung Electronics is the leading applicant by a wide margin, holding 842 patent families — far ahead of the next-ranked filers. Its portfolio is concentrated in digital information transmission error control (H04L 1), wireless resource scheduling (H04W 72), and duplex and multi-channel transmission (H04L 5).
The field is highly concentrated. The top five filers account for 91% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers. Below Samsung, the next-ranked applicants are individual/trust entities and small telecoms with substantially smaller portfolios, leaving very limited volume distributed across the broader applicant pool.
The United States leads by patent records, followed closely by Europe (EPO) and WIPO PCT filings, indicating that leading applicants are pursuing broad multilateral protection. China is the fourth jurisdiction and India is fifth, reflecting their strategic importance for 6G deployment markets.
The field is in a Growth stage. The recent three-year filing window is substantially above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has eased since, but the most recent years are further understated by publication lag, so the underlying activity level is higher than the raw counts suggest.
H03M (coding and code conversion) and G06N (computing based on AI models) are the sparsest branches relative to the dominant H04L and H04W core. H03M covers channel-coding algorithms such as polar and LDPC codes, and G06N covers AI-native approaches — both are technically relevant to 6G but comparatively under-claimed in this corpus.
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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.
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