HVDC Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
- 50.5% concentration at the top. The five leading assignees hold 308 of the 610 records in scope — half the field sits with a small group of incumbents.
- Filings down 83% from 2021 to 2024. The last complete year shows a sharp pullback from the 2018 peak of 41, though 2025-26 figures will still fill in as publication catches up.
- Power conversion dominates, wind integration barely registers. H02M appears on 50.5% of records versus 3.4% for wind motor integration (F03D) — a narrow slice next to the converter core.
Filing growth compares 2021 (36 records) with 2024 (6) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 610 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this landscape covers
This dataset covers 610 published records filed between 2015 and 2026 that combine HVDC transmission or converter-station terminology with control, protection or measurement terms — the claim layer that sits around the converter core rather than the converter topology alone. The search intentionally pairs HVDC-specific language with generic control terms like switching frequency, current sensor and network protection, so the corpus captures how incumbents wrap core converter patents in protective and monitoring claims.
Because publication trails filing by roughly 18 months, the 2025-26 counts in the trend chart are not yet complete and should not be read as a slowdown in themselves. The 2021-2024 comparison is the most recent stretch that can be treated as settled.
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Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 610 records: how filing activity moved year over year, and how records distribute across the IPC subclasses that define the technical sub-areas.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Activity peaked at 41 filings in 2018, climbed back to 36 in 2021, then fell to 6 by 2024 — an 83% drop over that three-year span. 2025 and 2026 counts (down to 1 in 2026) will rise as later publications land; treat only 2024 and earlier as settled.
Technology composition by IPC subclass
H02M (power conversion) and H02J (power supply and grid systems) each appear on roughly half and two-fifths of the 610 records respectively, confirming the corpus centres on converter and grid-integration claims. Protective circuitry (H02H) and switches/relays (H01H) form a secondary layer at 21.3% and 13.0%; wind integration (F03D) and motor control (H02P) are minority classes at 3.4% and 2.3%, marking the narrower edges of the field.
Shares are the percentage of the 610 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
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Try EurekaThe most-cited records in this landscape
US10153640B2 — Unified power flow controller and control method thereof
Discloses a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) where one end of a DC converter connects to the DC transmission line of an HVDC converter station and the other end to the DC side of a series converter. The AC output voltage of the series converter is controlled to regulate line power for UPFC and SSSC operation modes, and the HVDC converter station can supply active power to the series converter when the number of transformers and shunt converters is reduced — reducing operating cost while maintaining stable operation.Filed by State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Research Institute, published 2018-12-11.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WO2011057675A1 | Device and method to break the current of a power transmission or distribution line and current limiting arra… | 240 |
| 2 | US20120267955A1 | Power transmission and distribution systems | 136 |
| 3 | US20150124506A1 | Modular converter with multilevel submodules | 115 |
| 4 | US20160261205A1 | Multi-cell power conversion method with failure detection and multi-cell power converter | 103 |
| 5 | EP2290799A1 | Bi-directional multilevel AC-DC converter arrangements | 98 |
| 6 | US4941079A | Pulse width modulation power transmission system | 95 |
| 7 | US20120299393A1 | Device and method to break the current of a power transmission or distribution line and current limiting arra… | 92 |
| 8 | WO2011124260A1 | Modularised converter for HVDC and statcom | 90 |
| 9 | US20130279211A1 | Modular Multilevel Converter | 86 |
| 10 | US20160181802A1 | Power system based on current source | 84 |
Ranked by citation count within the searched corpus; older filings accumulate citations naturally, so treat this as a signal of influence rather than current relevance.
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Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Reading concentration, technology mix and receiving-office data together points to where claim space is occupied and where it is not.
Half the field sits with a handful of incumbents
308 of 610 records belong to the five leading assignees, and the top 10 combined hold 68.9% (420 records). A newcomer filing core converter-station or protection claims is filing directly against this concentrated group, not against a fragmented field.
Activity has pulled back sharply from its peak
From 36 filings in 2021 to 6 in 2024, the recent trend is down markedly from the 2018 peak of 41. Because 2025-26 data is still incomplete, this reading applies to the settled 2021-2024 window and should not be extrapolated past it.
Wind and motor-control integration is a minority claim area
Power conversion (H02M, 50.5%) and grid systems (H02J, 40.5%) dominate the corpus, while wind motor integration (F03D, 3.4%) and motor/generator control (H02P, 2.3%) appear on a small fraction of records — a narrower, less contested layer next to the converter core.
US and EPO carry the bulk of designations
United States (165) and EPO (158) lead receiving offices, with WIPO PCT filings (70) and Germany (54) forming the next tier — a pattern consistent with a field driven by European and North American grid infrastructure programmes.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to high-voltage direct current patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the claims, and where the gaps sit
The ranked leaders in this dataset cluster around a small set of established power-equipment groups; recent-year filing counts across those same names have dropped to zero in the latest tracked year, consistent with the broader pullback.
A single assignee holds nearly a fifth of the field
The leading assignee's 117 records sit well above fifth place (31) and tenth place (15), meaning the drop-off after the top position is steep rather than gradual.
A tight cluster forms the next tier
Fifth place holds 31 records and tenth place 15 — together with the leader, this produces the 50.5% and 68.9% concentration figures for the top 5 and top 10.
Co-filing is limited and concentrated within one corporate family
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, and the strongest links are between related entities within the same corporate group rather than cross-company partnerships — this field is largely filed solo.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric Technology GmbH | 0 | — |
| ABB Technology AG | 0 | — |
| Alstom Technology Ltd | 0 | — |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | 0 | — |
| Mitsubishi Electric Corp | 0 | — |
| General Electric Co | 0 | — |
| Siemens AG | 0 | — |
| ABB TECHNOLOGY LTD | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a concentrated core and a thinner edge. Two follow-on questions matter for anyone deciding where to file next.
Map claim scope inside the top assignees' portfolios
Concentration at 50.5% for the top 5 does not mean every sub-claim is blocked — reviewing the actual claim language behind the highest-cited records shows where narrower, workable claims remain open.
Explore assignee portfoliosTrack the 2025-26 filings as they publish
Because publication lags filing by around 18 months, the most recent two years will keep filling in; revisiting the trend after further data lands will clarify whether the 2021-24 pullback continues.
Monitor filing trendsCommon questions about HVDC patents
In this dataset of 610 records, the leading assignee holds 117 records, well ahead of the fifth-ranked assignee at 31 and the tenth at 15. The top five assignees combined hold 308 records, or 50.5% of all records in scope, and the top ten hold 420, or 68.9%. This means the field is concentrated among a small group of established power-equipment manufacturers rather than spread evenly across many filers.
Filing activity peaked at 41 records in 2018, recovered to 36 in 2021, then fell to 6 by 2024 — an 83% decline over that three-year span. The 2025 and 2026 figures shown in raw counts are understated because publication typically lags filing by about 18 months, so those most recent years should not yet be read as evidence of continued decline. The settled comparison is 2021 versus 2024.
Power conversion (IPC class H02M) appears on 50.5% of the 610 records, and power supply and grid systems (H02J) on 40.5%, making these the two dominant technical layers. Protective circuit arrangements (H02H) and switches and relays (H01H) form a secondary tier at 21.3% and 13.0% respectively. Narrower areas such as wind motor integration (F03D, 3.4%) and motor and generator control (H02P, 2.3%) receive comparatively few filings.
The United States receives the most designations in this dataset at 165 records, followed closely by the European Patent Office at 158. WIPO PCT filings account for 70 records, with Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom forming a secondary tier at 54, 41 and 25 respectively. This distribution reflects the concentration of HVDC grid infrastructure investment in North America and Europe.
US10153640B2, filed by State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Research Institute and published 2018-12-11, discloses a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) architecture where a DC converter links an HVDC converter station's transmission line to the DC side of a series converter. The claims cover controlling the series converter's AC output voltage to regulate line power in both UPFC and SSSC operation modes, and using the HVDC converter station to supply active power to the series converter when shunt-side transformer and converter counts are reduced. Anyone designing a UPFC or SSSC control scheme that shares this converter-linking topology should review this record's claim boundaries closely.
Yes — the technology composition data shows wind-integrated HVDC control (F03D, 3.4% of records) and motor/generator-side control (H02P, 2.3%) are thinly claimed compared with the 50.5% density in core power conversion. Co-assignee data also shows only 10 identified collaboration pairs across the dataset, suggesting cross-company joint filing is rare and there may be room for partnership-based filings in adjacent control and protection areas. These are signals of lower filing density, not confirmation that no prior art exists, so freedom-to-operate review is still required before filing.
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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.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.