LiFi / Visible Light Communication Patent Snapshot
The in-scope corpus of 4 patent families is dominated by two filers — Avicena Tech Corp and the Regents of the University of California — who together account for all activity captured in this dataset. Filing activity peaked in 2017 and has since contracted, with the semiconductor device class (H01L) anchoring the entire technology composition.
Two filers hold all ranked positions in a highly concentrated corpus
Avicena Tech Corp and the Regents of the University of California each hold 2 patent families in the ranked applicant list, placing them in a tied leadership position across the full scope of this dataset.
The top five filers account for 100% of the combined total of the ranked applicants visible in this query, indicating extreme concentration with no meaningful second tier. There is no gap between leader and challenger — both filers are effectively co-equal at this scale.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avicena Tech Corp | 2 | |
| 2 | Regents of the University of California | 2 |
The shared leadership between a venture-backed fabless semiconductor company (Avicena Tech) and a major research university (University of California) suggests that this corner of the LiFi space sits at the boundary of applied R&D and early commercialization, rather than established volume production.
The most recent 18–24 months of data are subject to publication lag and should be interpreted cautiously; apparent absence of activity in 2022–2026 does not confirm that no filings occurred in that window. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2017 filing spike has not recurred; semiconductor devices define the technology mix
The annual trend and technology composition charts together reveal a corpus that fired early, centered on a narrow device-level IPC class, and has not broadened into adjacent branches.
Annual filing trend
Two patent families were filed in 2017 and two more in 2021; all other years in the dataset register zero. The lifecycle evidence flags annual volume as having eased from its 2017 peak. The absence of filings in 2022–2026 should be read alongside the publication-lag caveat before drawing conclusions about sustained inactivity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
All 4 patent families map to H01L (Semiconductor devices), with 2 additionally classified under H10P. The composition is narrow, reflecting a device-physics focus — specifically tunnel junction architectures — rather than a systems or communications-protocol orientation.
↗ 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.
Contact architectures for tunnel junction devices
A flip chip III-Nitride LED which utilizes a dielectric coating backed by a metallic reflector (e.g., aluminum or silver). High reflectivity and low resistance contacts for optoelectronic devices. Low ESD rating optoelectronic devices. A VCSEL comprising a tunnel junction for current and optical confinement. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact architectures for tunnel junction devices | 13 |
| 2 | Contact architectures for tunnel junction devices | 2 |
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.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Avicena Tech Corp
Avicena Tech Corp holds 2 patent families focused on H01L 33 (semiconductor light-emitting devices), consistent with the company’s known microLED-based optical interconnect work. Applicant momentum data is not available for this corpus, so trajectory cannot be quantified from the evidence; however, the 2021 filing cluster aligns with the company’s known product-development timeline.
families: 2Regents of the University of California
The Regents of the University of California also hold 2 patent families, but with a broader IPC spread covering H01L 25 (assemblies of semiconductor devices), H01L 33, and H10P 95, suggesting a more systems-oriented or heterogeneous-integration angle alongside device-level research. Applicant momentum figures are not available in the evidence.
families: 2Frequently asked questions
The evidence covers 4 patent families. This is a narrowly scoped corpus and may not represent the full global LiFi patent landscape; a broader search across more IPC classes and applicant types would provide a more complete picture.
Avicena Tech Corp and the Regents of the University of California each hold 2 patent families, placing them in a tied first position. Together they account for all ranked activity in this corpus.
All 4 patent families fall under H01L (Semiconductor devices), with 2 additionally classified under H10P. The focus is on device-level physics — specifically semiconductor light-emitting devices and tunnel junction architectures — rather than communication systems or protocol layers.
The jurisdiction breakdown shows 2 patent records in China and 2 in the United States. No European, Japanese, Korean, or PCT records appear in this dataset. Freedom-to-operate analysis should verify coverage in additional jurisdictions independently.
The evidence classifies this corpus as in decline, with annual filings having eased from a 2017 peak. A secondary cluster appeared in 2021. The most recent 18–24 months are subject to publication lag, so the absence of recorded filings after 2021 should not be read as confirmed inactivity.
No co-applicant filings were identified in this dataset. The collaboration evidence is empty, which may reflect the small corpus size rather than the absence of industry-academia partnerships in the broader LiFi research ecosystem.
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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.