Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces Patent Landscape 2026
Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces Patent Landscape in 2026
The reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) patent field is highly concentrated, with Samsung Electronics commanding a commanding lead and the top five filers accounting for seventy percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak, and WIPO (PCT) is the dominant filing route for applicants seeking broad international coverage.
Samsung leads a highly concentrated field with a wide tier gap
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd sits at the top of the top five applicants — Samsung, Qualcomm, NEC Corp, Huawei Technologies, and LG Electronics — together account for seventy percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, signalling a strongly concentrated competitive structure.
The gap between Samsung and the second tier is unusually large even for a fast-growth wireless technology. Qualcomm, NEC, and Huawei each hold between roughly 800 and 1,300 patent families, forming a second tier, while LG Electronics, NTT Docomo, ZTE, and Kyocera fill a third tier ranging from roughly 300 to 630 patent families. China.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 7,840 | |
| 2 | Qualcomm Inc | 1,265 | |
| 3 | NEC Corporation | 1,113 | |
| 4 | Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 841 | |
| 5 | LG Electronics Inc | 632 | |
| 6 | NTT Docomo Inc | 516 | |
| 7 | ZTE Corporation | 398 | |
| 8 | Kyocera Corporation | 340 | |
| 9 | Vivo Mobile Communication Co Ltd | 272 | |
| 10 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson | 160 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | NANJING UNIV OF POSTS & TELECOMM | 153 | |
| 12 | CHONGQING UNIV OF POSTS & TELECOMM | 139 | |
| 13 | BEIJING UNIV OF POSTS & TELECOMM | 134 | |
| 14 | Southeast University | 127 | |
| 15 | Sony Group Corporation | 122 | |
| 16 | Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd | 106 | |
| 17 | China Mobile Communications Group Co Ltd | 99 | |
| 18 | InterDigital Patent Holdings Inc | 96 | |
| 19 | NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP | 91 | |
| 20 | China Telecom Corporation Ltd | 86 |
Samsung’s scale suggests deep, broad coverage across wireless scheduling, beam management, and digital transmission — the three sub-classes where it is most active. Challengers in the second tier have differentiated positions: Qualcomm emphasises general transmission (H04B 7) and positioning (H04W 64), while Huawei pairs transmission with network management. This differentiation leaves room for focused entrants in adjacent branches that the leaders have not yet saturated.
The most recent 18–24 months of data are under-counted due to patent publication lag; figures for 2024–2026 should be treated as floors, not ceilings. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Explosive multi-year growth with wireless networks dominating the technology mix
Annual filing volume grew 571 percent on a recent three-year vs prior three-year comparison, confirming that RIS is firmly in growth stage. The technology composition is overwhelmingly wireless-network-centric, though several adjacent branches remain comparatively sparse.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible through 2018, then accelerated sharply from 2019 onward, reaching a recorded peak in 2023 at 5,273 families before easing to 4,223 in 2024 and 2,279 in 2025. The 2024–2026 bars are materially understated by publication lag and should not be read as a real decline; the multi-year growth rate of 571 percent confirms the field is still expanding overall.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H04W (wireless communication networks) accounts for the largest share of records, followed by H04B (transmission) and H04L (digital information transmission) — together these three classes form the overwhelming core of RIS patent activity. H01Q (antennas), G01S (radar, sonar and positioning), and G06N (AI-based computing) are present but each represent only a small fraction, flagging them as under-served relative to their technical relevance to RIS deployment.
↗ 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.
Reconfigurable intelligent surface, communication …
Provided are a reconfigurable intelligent surface, a communication method using the reconfigurable intelligent surface, and a transceiver device including the reconfigurable intelligent surface. The reconfigurable intelligent surface may include a plurality of unit cells arranged in a mesh form, a beam steering module electrically connected to the plurality… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Systems and methods using configurable surfaces fo… | 190 |
| 2 | Method for Intelligent Reflecting Surface Aided Te… | 187 |
| 3 | 基于智能反射面的定位信息辅助波束控制方法 | 156 |
| 4 | 可重构智能表面辅助的多用户MIMO上行链路传输方法 | 107 |
| 5 | 一种基于智能反射面的多小区无线通信方法 | 99 |
| 6 | UE positioning aided by reconfigurable reflecting … | 96 |
| 7 | Method and system for DSS between LTE cell and NR … | 87 |
| 8 | 一种大规模MIMO系统中智能反射面相移矩阵自适应设计方法 | 83 |
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 high concentration, rapid multi-year growth, and a still-developing technology mix creates both barriers and specific openings for new and existing players.
Growth stage, annual volume easing from 2023 peak
The lifecycle evidence classifies RIS as a Growth-stage field. The recent three-year filing window sits 571 percent above the prior three-year window, confirming sustained expansion. Annual volume reached its recorded peak in 2023 and has eased since, though publication lag means 2024 and 2025 figures are understated; the field has not entered decline.
Growth stageSeventy percent of top-100 output held by five applicants
The top five filers hold seventy percent of the hundred largest filers’ combined patent family count, with Samsung alone accounting for the majority of that share. This level of concentration raises freedom-to-operate risk for late entrants in the core wireless scheduling and beam management sub-classes. Differentiation in adjacent branches — antenna hardware, radar/sensing, or AI-driven control — offers a more navigable entry path.
High concentrationSamsung and NTT Docomo lead industry–university co-filing
The most active co-filing pair is Samsung Electronics and Beijing Samsung Telecommunications R&D Center with 36 joint families, followed by NTT Docomo and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp with 15. Samsung also co-files with Seoul National University R&DB Foundation (13 families), Yonsei University (11 families), and POSTECH Academy-Industry Foundation (8 families). LG Electronics co-files with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (13 families), and Huawei co-files with both Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data (11 families each), indicating that Korean and Chinese leaders actively extend their reach through academic partnerships.
Industry–academia linksWIPO (PCT) is the primary route; US, EPO, and China form the core national/regional block
WIPO (PCT) leads all filing destinations with 5,060 records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 4,309 and the United States at 3,540. China records 3,433, reflecting both domestic Chinese applicants and inbound filings from global players. India at 701 and Japan at 516 are notable secondary markets. Coverage beyond these six jurisdictions is sparse, suggesting that applicants are concentrating enforcement posture in the major 5G deployment markets.
PCT-led global strategyGo 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 | Beijing Samsung Telecommunications R&D Center | 36 |
| NTT Docomo Inc | Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation | 15 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Seoul National University R&DB Foundation | 13 |
| LG Electronics Inc | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology | 13 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Yonsei University | 11 |
| Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) | 11 |
| Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data | 11 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | POSTECH Academy-Industry Foundation | 8 |
| ZTE Corporation | Tsinghua University | 6 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Korea University | 4 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Samsung leads on scale; Qualcomm and NEC differentiate on transmission and network management
The leader and primary challenger occupy distinct technology positions, and their momentum trajectories differ markedly — Samsung is scaling at a rate suggesting an intentional standard-essential patent strategy, while Qualcomm is growing more selectively.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics holds 7,840 patent families — the largest position by a wide margin — and recorded 6,550 families in the recent filing window alone, a momentum reading of 21 times the prior three-year window. Its technology focus centres on wireless scheduling (H04W 72), digital information transmission (H04L 5), and connection management (H04W 76), covering the protocol layers most directly implicated in 5G-NR and next-generation RIS standardisation. The scale and pace suggest an active strategy to build standard-essential patent exposure.
patent families: 7,840Qualcomm Inc
Qualcomm holds 1,265 patent families and grew 94 percent in the recent window versus the prior one — a more measured pace than Samsung but still strong absolute growth. Its emphasis on general transmission (H04B 7, 746 records) and UE positioning (H04W 64, 214 records) differentiates it from Samsung’s scheduling-heavy portfolio, positioning Qualcomm strongly in RIS-assisted localization and beamforming chipset use cases. NEC Corp, the third-ranked player with 1,113 patent families and 8.4 times momentum, focuses on wireless scheduling and network planning (H04W 24), representing a credible alternative to the Korean–American duopoly at the top.
patent families: 1,265| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 6,550 | ▲ 21× vs prior 3-yr |
| Qualcomm Inc | 781 | ▲ +94% |
| NEC Corporation | 969 | ▲ 8.4× vs prior 3-yr |
| Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 593 | ▲ 6.5× vs prior 3-yr |
| LG Electronics Inc | 590 | ▲ new entrant |
| NTT Docomo Inc | 258 | ▲ +7% |
| ZTE Corporation | 328 | ▲ 8.4× vs prior 3-yr |
| Kyocera Corporation | 181 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the RIS core
Four IPC classes sit at the boundary of the RIS core with comparatively sparse coverage relative to their technical relevance. Each has plausible value but entry viability varies; they are presented as observations of relative sparsity, not guaranteed opportunities.
G01S · Radar, sonar and positioning
G01S accounts for 559 records — only about two percent of the IPC-level activity — despite RIS being a natural enabler of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) and high-precision indoor positioning. The most-cited corpus patents include UE-positioning methods aided by reconfigurable reflecting surfaces, confirming technical relevance. The sparse patent count relative to the wireless-protocol core suggests that hardware- and signal-processing-level sensing innovations may face less crowding from the dominant filers, whose portfolios concentrate on network scheduling layers. An entrant with radar signal processing or ISAC system expertise could find navigable white space here.
Search this in Eureka →G06N · Computing based on AI models
G06N holds 515 records, representing roughly two percent of IPC-level activity, even though AI-driven phase-shift optimization and channel estimation are central to making large RIS arrays practical. The gap between the conceptual centrality of AI to RIS control and the relatively sparse G06N filing count suggests that most AI-related claims are being captured inside H04W and H04B rather than in dedicated AI-model classes. This creates an observation of possible under-protection specifically in AI model architecture claims for RIS optimization — a niche where deep-learning or reinforcement-learning specialists could establish positions that are structurally distinct from the dominant wireless-protocol portfolios.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H04B 7 · Transmission (general) | H04W 72 · Wireless communication networks | H04W 24 · Wireless communication networks | H04L 5 · Digital information transmission | H04W 76 · Wireless communication networks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Moderate · 1,374 | Strong · 3,188 | Moderate · 1,349 | Strong · 1,921 | Strong · 1,809 |
| Qualcomm Inc | Strong · 746 | Moderate · 193 | Moderate · 154 | Moderate · 194 | Emerging · 54 |
| LG Electronics Inc | Moderate · 111 | Strong · 418 | Moderate · 199 | Strong · 216 | Moderate · 102 |
| NEC Corporation | Moderate · 105 | Strong · 354 | Strong · 218 | Moderate · 78 | Moderate · 77 |
| Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | Strong · 256 | Strong · 214 | Strong · 130 | Moderate · 77 | Emerging · 19 |
| ZTE Corporation | Strong · 147 | Strong · 106 | Moderate · 56 | Moderate · 38 | Absent |
| Kyocera Corporation | Absent | Strong · 81 | Strong · 79 | Absent | Strong · 107 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 18,074 patent families in scope. Filing activity was negligible before 2019 and grew sharply through 2023, confirming that this is a young but rapidly established technology area.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd holds the top position with 7,840 patent families, more than six times the second-ranked applicant, Qualcomm Inc at 1,265 patent families. Samsung’s recent-window momentum is 21 times its prior three-year baseline, indicating the lead is still widening.
WIPO (PCT) leads with 5,060 records, making it the preferred route for broad international coverage. Europe (EPO) follows at 4,309 records, the United States at 3,540, and China at 3,433. India at 701 and Japan at 516 are notable secondary markets, broadly tracking the major 5G deployment geographies.
The field is classified as Growth stage. Recent three-year filing volume is 571 percent above the prior three-year window. Annual volume reached its recorded peak in 2023 and has eased since, but the most recent years are further understated by publication lag, so this should not be interpreted as a decline.
G01S (radar, sonar and positioning) at 559 records and G06N (AI-based computing) at 515 records each represent roughly two percent of IPC-level activity, despite both being technically central to advanced RIS deployment — integrated sensing and AI-driven phase-shift optimization respectively. H01Q (antennas) at 759 records and G06F (electric digital data processing) at 161 records are also comparatively sparse relative to the wireless-protocol core.
The most active co-filing relationship is between Samsung Electronics and Beijing Samsung Telecommunications R&D Center with 36 joint patent families. NTT Docomo and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp have 15 joint families. Samsung also co-files with Seoul National University R&DB Foundation (13 families) and Yonsei University (11 families). LG Electronics partners with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (13 families), and Huawei co-files with Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data (11 families each).
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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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