Massive MIMO Channel Estimation & Coding Patent Landscape
Samsung Electronics leads a moderately concentrated field of 327 patent families, with the top five filers among the hundred largest filers holding roughly 29% of that group’s combined output. Annual filing volume peaked in 2017 and has eased since, with the most recent two years subject to publication lag.
Samsung leads a three-tier competitive field
Samsung Electronics ranks first with 38 patent records, followed by Ericsson at 32 and Huawei at 27. Together these three incumbents set the strategic agenda for massive MIMO channel estimation and coding IP.
The top five filers — Samsung, Ericsson, Huawei, Southeast University, and WISIG Networks — account for 29% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate concentration. A second tier of operators, equipment vendors, and universities clusters between 15 and 6 patent records, keeping competitive pressure distributed.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 38 | |
| 2 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) | 32 | |
| 3 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 27 | |
| 4 | Southeast University | 17 | |
| 5 | WISIG Networks Pte Ltd | 15 | |
| 6 | RF DSP Inc. | 11 | |
| 7 | Alcatel-Lucent SA | 10 | |
| 8 | ELECTRONICS & TELECOMM RES INST | 10 | |
| 9 | NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY | 9 | |
| 10 | ZTE Corporation | 8 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co., Ltd. | 8 | |
| 12 | UNIV OF ELECTRONICS SCI & TECH OF CHINA | 8 | |
| 13 | AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P | 8 | |
| 14 | T-Mobile Innovations LLC | 7 | |
| 15 | Nanjing University OF POSTS & TELECOMM | 7 | |
| 16 | Zhejiang University | 7 | |
| 17 | NxGen Partners IP LLC | 7 | |
| 18 | BEIJING UNIV OF POSTS & TELECOMM | 7 | |
| 19 | National Instruments Corporation | 6 | |
| 20 | CHONGQING UNIV OF POSTS & TELECOMM | 6 |
Samsung’s and Ericsson’s entrenched positions, rooted primarily in H04B transmission and H04L digital information transmission, suggest that newcomers face a dense prior-art landscape in core beamforming and channel-coding routes but may find adjacencies less contested.
The most recent 18–24 months are under-counted due to standard patent publication lag; apparent volume for 2024–2026 should not be treated as the final count for those years. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Peak passed in 2017; AI and antenna branches remain structurally thin
The annual filing trend and the IPC technology composition together reveal where the field has matured and where coverage thins out.
Annual filing trend
Filing activity reached its high point in 2017 at 55 records and has broadly eased since. The figures for 2024 onward reflect an incomplete publication window and should not be read as the final annual totals for those years.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H04B (Transmission – general) and H04L (Digital information transmission) together dominate the IPC mix. H04W (Wireless networks), G06N (AI/computing models), H04J (Multiplex communication), and H01Q (Antennas) each carry notably smaller shares, flagging those branches as structurally thinner relative to the core transmission classes.
↗ 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.
Channel state information feedback method in recon…
The present disclosure relates to a method for feeding back reliable downlink channel state information from a receiver to a transmitter in a multi-user massive MIMO system based on a reconfigurable intelligent surface, and more particularly, to a method for the receiver to transform acquired downlink channel state information into downlink channel state… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Private multefire network with SDR-based massive M… | 306 |
| 2 | System And Method Of Wireless Communication Using … | 242 |
| 3 | SDR-based massive MIMO with v-ran cloud architectu… | 129 |
| 4 | 一种移动通信系统中的信道信息反馈方法和装置 | 58 |
| 5 | 基于毫米波智能反射面通信的大规模天线信道估计方法 | 54 |
| 6 | Channel state information feedback method and appa… | 52 |
| 7 | Reference signals extension for massive MIMO system | 48 |
| 8 | Reference signals and link adaptation for massive … | 46 |
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
The combination of a past-peak filing curve, moderate concentration, and active academic collaboration defines the strategic context for teams entering or deepening their position in this space.
Field is in decline from a 2017 peak
The lifecycle stage is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2017 peak of 55 records. Core H04B and H04L transmission routes are densely covered, limiting room for incremental claims. Teams should evaluate whether adjacent branches offer more productive filing ground before committing resources to already-crowded sub-classes.
Lifecycle: DeclineModerate — three majors, broad second tier
Samsung, Ericsson, and Huawei control the top three positions but together represent less than a third of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. A wide second tier of universities and smaller specialists — including Southeast University, WISIG Networks, and RF DSP Inc — sustains competitive breadth. This structure means no single player can block the whole space, but the three leaders’ depth in core transmission IPC classes creates meaningful prior-art density.
Concentration: ModerateHuawei–Fraunhofer is the most active co-filing pair
The most frequent co-filing relationship is Huawei Technologies and Fraunhofer Society, with 6 joint filings. Nokia Solutions & Networks and Nokia Shanghai Bell have co-filed 3 times. Samsung has co-filed with both POSTECH (2 filings) and Korea Transportation University (1 filing). WISIG Networks and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad have also co-filed twice. These pairings reflect industry-academia bridges concentrated in Europe and East Asia.
Collaboration: ActiveUS and China dominate; India and EPO are secondary markets
The United States leads with 190 patent records filed, followed by China at 128. Europe (EPO) and India each carry meaningful secondary volume at 47 and 45 records respectively, while WIPO PCT filings at 35 signal continued multi-jurisdiction protection strategies. South Korea, Australia, and Taiwan together add a smaller tail of regional coverage.
Lead Office: USGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Fraunhofer Society | 6 |
| Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy | Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd. | 3 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | POSTECH Academy-Industry Foundation | 2 |
| WISIG Networks Pte Ltd | Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad | 2 |
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 韩国交通大学校产学合作团 | 1 |
| Southeast University | The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation | 1 |
| Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) | 东国大学校产学协力团 | 1 |
| Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy | Nokia Technologies Oy | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Samsung and Ericsson lead on volume; Huawei re-entering as new active filer
The two incumbent leaders differ in their sub-class emphasis, and their recent filing momentum diverges sharply from Huawei’s trajectory.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung holds the largest position at 38 patent records, concentrated in H04B 7 (transmission), H04L 5, and H04L 25 — covering both beamforming infrastructure and channel estimation signal processing. Recent filing momentum shows a downward trend of –40% versus the prior period, consistent with the field’s broader post-peak trajectory rather than a strategic exit.
patent records: 38Ericsson
Ericsson sits second with 32 patent records, emphasising H04B 7 (transmission) alongside H04W 88 (wireless network nodes) and H04L 25 (channel equalisation), reflecting a systems-level angle on massive MIMO. Recent momentum is down –58% versus the prior period, the steepest retreat among the top filers. Huawei, by contrast, enters the recent window as a new active filer with 6 recent records, suggesting a strategic re-engagement worth monitoring.
patent records: 32| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | 6 | ▼ -40% |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) | 5 | ▼ -58% |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Southeast University | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| WISIG Networks Pte Ltd | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| University of Electronic Science and Technology of China | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
AI-model integration and antenna design are under-served adjacent branches
Three IPC branches carry materially lower patent-record counts than the dominant transmission classes, pointing to areas where coverage is sparse relative to plausible technical relevance.
G06N · AI / Computing models
With only 16 patent records tagged to G06N against 413 in H04B, AI-driven channel estimation — including deep learning-based pilots, neural compressed feedback, and model-based signal reconstruction — is structurally under-covered relative to its technical relevance in next-generation massive MIMO systems. The entry path is tractable: teams with existing ML IP in adjacent domains (radar, positioning) can adapt methodologies, and the sparse prior-art density reduces freedom-to-operate friction.
Search this in Eureka →H01Q · Antennas
Only 7 patent records land in H01Q, despite antenna array geometry being integral to channel estimation accuracy in massive MIMO. This sparsity likely reflects a convention of filing antenna innovations under H04B rather than H01Q, but it also means dedicated claims covering novel array topologies, reconfigurable apertures, or near-field massive MIMO antenna structures face relatively little direct H01Q prior art. Researchers combining antenna design with channel sounding or calibration techniques may find the branch comparatively open.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ across transmission, digital, and wireless sub-classes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H04B 7 · Transmission (general) | H04L 25 · Digital information transmission | H04L 5 · Digital information transmission | H04L 1 · Digital information transmission | H04W 72 · Wireless communication networks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Strong · 38 | Moderate · 18 | Strong · 22 | Moderate · 12 | Emerging · 3 |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson) | Strong · 29 | Moderate · 7 | Moderate · 7 | Absent | Emerging · 5 |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Strong · 21 | Moderate · 8 | Moderate · 7 | Moderate · 8 | Absent |
| Southeast University | Strong · 19 | Strong · 10 | Absent | Moderate · 4 | Emerging · 2 |
| WISIG Networks Pte Ltd | Strong · 15 | Absent | Strong · 10 | Absent | Emerging · 2 |
| Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) | Strong · 10 | Absent | Moderate · 5 | Absent | Strong · 8 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus in scope contains 327 patent families. This total underpins all applicant rankings and trend figures in this report.
Samsung Electronics is the top filer with 38 patent records, ahead of Ericsson at 32 and Huawei at 27.
No. The lifecycle assessment classifies the field as Decline, with annual filing activity easing back from a peak of 55 records in 2017. The most recent two years show lower raw counts but are subject to publication lag and should not be treated as final.
The United States leads with 190 patent records, followed by China at 128. Europe (EPO) and India each receive meaningful secondary volume at 47 and 45 records respectively.
G06N (AI/computing models) at 16 patent records and H01Q (Antennas) at 7 patent records carry the lowest coverage relative to their technical relevance in massive MIMO systems. H04J (Multiplex communication) at 13 records is also comparatively sparse.
Huawei Technologies and Fraunhofer Society are the most active co-filing pair with 6 joint filings. Nokia Solutions & Networks and Nokia Shanghai Bell have co-filed 3 times, and Samsung has co-filed with POSTECH on 2 occasions.
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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.
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