Network Timing & Synchronization Patents: Leaders & White Space 2026
Network Timing & Synchronization Patents: Who Holds the Ground and Where It's Still Open
26.3% sits with five companies. The top 5 assignees combined hold 2,810 of the 10,666 records in scope — concentrated, but not a monopoly; the other 73.7% is spread across a long tail. Filings rose from 462 in 2017 to a peak of 591 in 2019, then eased; the clearest complete-year comparison, 2021 to 2024, shows a 22% decline (557 to 435). 2025 and 2026 figures are still filling in under the publication lag and should not be read as a continuing drop.
- 1QUALCOMM INC11.5%
- 2TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)5.9%
- 3STRONG FORCE IOT PORTFOLIO 2016 LLC4.2%
- 4DIGITAL GLOBAL SYSTEMS INC2.8%
- 5LG ELECTRONICS INC2.0%
See the full network timing & synchronization patent landscape analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Common questions on network timing and synchronization patents
Who holds the most patents in network timing and synchronization?
One assignee leads the ranked field with 1,228 records, well ahead of the fifth-place holder at 208 and the tenth-place holder at 127. The top five assignees together account for 2,810 records, or 26.3% of the 10,666 records in scope, and the top ten reach 33.7%. That leaves close to two-thirds of the corpus spread across a long tail of smaller filers, so the field is led but not locked up by a single company.
Is patent filing in network timing and synchronization increasing or decreasing?
Filings rose from 462 in 2017 to a peak of 591 in 2019, then declined; comparing the last two complete years available, 2021 (557) to 2024 (435), volume is down 22%. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are still incomplete because publication typically lags actual filing by around eighteen months, so the apparent recent drop should be read with that lag in mind rather than as a confirmed slowdown.
What technology areas dominate network timing and synchronization patents?
Wireless communication networks (IPC class H04W) appear in 45.5% of the 10,666 records, and digital information transmission (H04L) in 41.9%, making these two classes the backbone of the field. Transmission generally (H04B, 21.2%) and multiplex communication (H04J, 16.1%) follow at lower density. AI-based computing methods (G06N) sit at just 5.6%, marking it as the least-developed of the eight major classes tracked here.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Network Timing & Synchronization Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.