Wireless Power Transfer Patent Landscape 2026
Wireless Power Transfer Patent Landscape in 2026
Wireless power transfer is a maturing, moderately concentrated field in which Qualcomm leads by a wide margin over a tier of consumer-electronics and automotive challengers; the field peaked in 2017 and annual filing volume has since eased materially. The United States is the dominant filing jurisdiction, and power-supply circuit design (H02J) anchors the technology mix across virtually every top applicant.
Qualcomm leads a moderately concentrated field, holding roughly one-third of the top-100 filers’ output alongside Apple and Auckland UniServices
Qualcomm Inc heads the applicant ranking with the largest single-filer position among the hundred largest filers, followed by Apple Inc in second place and Auckland UniServices Ltd in third. LG Electronics and Koninklijke Philips round out the top five, and together these five account for 34% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers.
A clear two-tier structure exists: Qualcomm’s position is roughly 40% larger than Apple’s, and Apple’s is more than 50% larger than the third-ranked Auckland UniServices. Below the top five, the ranking compresses, with Samsung Electronics, WiTricity AI Tech, and Toyota Jidosha clustered in a mid-tier band, suggesting that competitive pressure is concentrated at the very top.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qualcomm Inc | 1,247 | |
| 2 | Apple Inc | 894 | |
| 3 | Auckland UniServices Ltd | 587 | |
| 4 | LG Electronics Inc | 507 | |
| 5 | Koninklijke Philips NV | 451 | |
| 6 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 416 | |
| 7 | WiTricity AI Tech LLC | 391 | |
| 8 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 390 | |
| 9 | WiTricity Corporation | 293 | |
| 10 | Japan Tobacco Inc | 281 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | LG Innotek Co Ltd | 236 | |
| 12 | Intel Corporation | 200 | |
| 13 | Canon Inc | 181 | |
| 14 | Philips IP Ventures BV | 179 | |
| 15 | Access Business Group International LLC | 163 | |
| 16 | IHI Corporation | 139 | |
| 17 | Mojo Mobility Inc | 138 | |
| 18 | Hyundai Motor Company | 127 | |
| 19 | Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Ltd | 120 | |
| 20 | Integrated Device Technology Inc | 109 |
Qualcomm’s and Apple’s scale—spanning charging-protocol standards (H02J7, H02J50) and magnetic-coupler design (H01F38)—implies that essential-patent exposure is high for any entrant aiming at consumer-device wireless charging; partnering or licensing from these leaders is likely necessary. Auckland UniServices’ academic profile and prolific co-authorship record indicate that university-originated IP continues to shape foundational claims.
Filing counts for 2024–2026 are subject to publication lag and understate true activity; the apparent decline in those years should not be interpreted as a real-world drop in R&D investment. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity peaked in 2017 and has eased since; H02J power-supply circuits dominate the technology mix
The filing trend chart tracks annual activity from 2017 onward, while the technology-composition chart reveals how IPC branches are distributed across the corpus—together they show both the pace of change and where engineering effort is concentrated.
Annual filing trend
Activity reached its highest recorded level in 2017 and has trended downward on a multi-year basis; the recent-window growth rate stands at –21%. Figures for 2024 and 2025 are materially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as confirmation of accelerating decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) is by far the dominant branch, reflecting the field’s grounding in inductive charging-circuit design. Secondary clusters include H02M (power conversion), B60L (electric vehicle propulsion), H01F (magnets, inductors and transformers), and H04B (general transmission), indicating that EV charging and coil-coupler engineering are the next-largest engineering domains. Smaller but notable branches—A24F (smokers’ requisites), A61N (electrotherapy) and A61B (medical devices)—reveal niche application verticals that have adopted wireless power delivery.
↗ 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.
Inductive and capacitive wireless power transfer
A wireless power transfer system includes an inductive transmit antenna, and a capacitive power transfer element, the inductive transmit antenna and the capacitive power transfer element configured to selectively provide inductive power transfer and selectively provide capacitive power transfer. (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | System and method for inductive charging of portab… | 1,897 |
| 2 | Inductive power source and charging system | 1,613 |
| 3 | Systems and methods for providing positioning free… | 1,193 |
| 4 | Wireless energy transfer between a source and a ve… | 1,006 |
| 5 | Alignment independent and self aligning inductive … | 1,002 |
| 6 | Contact-less power transfer | 989 |
| 7 | System and methods for inductive charging, and imp… | 973 |
| 8 | Electric vehicle and power feeding device for vehi… | 837 |
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 patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations—lifecycle stage, competitive concentration, collaboration patterns, and geographic focus—shape where new entrants or incumbents can most productively direct resources.
Field is in decline from a 2017 peak
The lifecycle evidence characterizes this field as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2017 peak. This signals that foundational IP positions are largely established and that incremental circuit-level claiming is tapering. R&D investment is most defensible in application-specific extensions—EV charging, medical implants, industrial material handling—where the base patents are maturing and white space remains.
Past-peak · 2017Top five hold 34% of the hundred largest filers’ output
A 34% share held by five applicants out of the hundred largest filers indicates moderate-to-high concentration for a field of this age. Qualcomm’s lead is roughly double that of the third-ranked filer, creating a dominant-IP zone that challengers must navigate through design-arounds or licensing. The mid-tier—Samsung, WiTricity, Toyota, Canon—is tightly bunched and still active, keeping competitive pressure alive below the top two.
Moderate-high concentrationToyota–Denso and Philips–Philips IP Ventures are the most active co-filing pairs
The most prolific co-filing relationship is Toyota Jidosha and Denso Corp with 52 joint patent records, reflecting deep vertical integration in EV wireless charging. Koninklijke Philips and Philips IP Ventures BV filed 34 records jointly, a classic parent-IP-holding-company structure. Auckland UniServices co-filed with Daifuku (12 records) and with inventor John Talbot Boys (4 records), illustrating technology-transfer pathways from university research into industrial automation. Samsung Electronics and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology filed 10 records together, and LG Electronics co-filed with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (6 records), underscoring Korean corporate–academic pipelines.
OEM-supplier & university pairsUnited States dominates; Europe, PCT, and China form the secondary tier
The United States is the leading filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by Europe (EPO), WIPO (PCT), China, and India. Germany, Japan, and South Korea represent meaningful secondary markets with filing activity at the patent-record level. The breadth of jurisdiction coverage—spanning 46 territories—indicates that leading applicants pursue global protection strategies, raising freedom-to-operate costs for new entrants across all major EV and consumer-electronics markets.
US-led · 46 jurisdictionsGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Denso Corporation | 52 |
| Koninklijke Philips NV | Philips IP Ventures BV | 34 |
| Auckland UniServices Ltd | Daifuku Co Ltd | 12 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | 10 |
| LG Electronics Inc | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | 6 |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | ELECTREON WIRELESS LTD | 5 |
| Auckland UniServices Ltd | John Talbot Boys | 4 |
| Apple Inc | PowerbyProxi Ltd | 3 |
| Auckland UniServices Ltd | Udaya Kumara Madawala | 3 |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | Fujitsu Ten Ltd | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Qualcomm and Apple lead on consumer charging protocols; Toyota distinguishes itself with a sharply rising EV-charging trajectory
The top two applicants are consumer-electronics and semiconductor firms concentrated in charging-circuit and protocol IP; Toyota stands out among large filers as the only player showing strongly rising recent momentum, reflecting its EV wireless-charging push.
Qualcomm Inc
Qualcomm leads all applicants with 1,247 patent records, concentrated in H02J7 (charging management), H02J50 (contactless power transfer), and H02J5. Its technology focus spans charging-protocol standards and resonant-circuit design—positioning it as a likely essential-patent holder across consumer wireless charging. Momentum data for Qualcomm’s recent period is not separately listed in the evidence, but its commanding cumulative position reflects sustained multi-year activity.
patent records: 1,247Toyota Jidosha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
Toyota ranks eighth overall with 390 patent records but is the standout for recent trajectory, with a trend of 6.3× vs its prior three-year period—the strongest momentum of any applicant tracked. Its technology emphasis shifts decisively toward B60L (EV propulsion) and B60M (power lines for electric traction), distinguishing it from consumer-device-focused peers. The deep Toyota–Denso co-filing relationship (52 joint records) amplifies its effective position in EV wireless-charging infrastructure.
patent records: 390| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Inc | 147 | ▼ -37% |
| Auckland UniServices Ltd | 16 | ▼ -62% |
| LG Electronics Inc | 33 | ▼ -80% |
| Koninklijke Philips NV | 44 | ▼ -19% |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 46 | ▼ -55% |
| WiTricity Corporation | 25 | ▼ -65% |
| Toyota Motor Corporation | 101 | ▲ 6.3× vs prior 3-yr |
| Japan Tobacco Inc | 77 | ▼ -60% |
Under-served adjacent branches: EV propulsion circuits and magnetic coupler design
The whitespace analysis identifies branches that are adjacent to the dominant H02J cluster but hold lower relative share among top filers; these observations are not validated commercial opportunities but signal where engineering effort is comparatively sparse given the application potential.
B60L · Electric Vehicle Propulsion (dynamic / in-motion charging)
B60L holds 3,073 patent records—substantial in absolute terms but only 8% relative share among the whitespace-flagged branches, suggesting coverage gaps relative to market growth expectations for dynamic EV charging. Toyota’s strong recent momentum in this branch (B60L5 is its second-largest focus code) and the Toyota–Denso collaboration anchor the incumbent activity. An entry path exists through in-motion (dynamic) charging systems for commercial vehicles or rail, where static-pad prior art is less dense and standards are still evolving.
Search this in Eureka →H01F · Magnets, Inductors and Transformers (coupler and coil design)
H01F accounts for 3,006 patent records at 8% relative share, indicating that advanced coil-geometry and magnetic-material innovation—critical for improving coupling efficiency and reducing EMI—remains an area where filing density is lower than the circuit-level H02J domain. Auckland UniServices shows significant activity in H01F38 (transformer and coupler design), as does Apple. New entrants with capabilities in amorphous or nanocrystalline shielding materials or 3D-printed coil architectures could find less-crowded claim space here, particularly for medical-implant and industrial-automation applications.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route: circuit-protocol vs. coil-coupler vs. EV-propulsion emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02J 7 · Power supply & grid systems | H02J 50 · Power supply & grid systems | H02J 5 · Power supply & grid systems | H01F 38 · Magnets, inductors & transformers | H04B 5 · Transmission (general) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm Inc | Strong · 1,468 | Moderate · 550 | Moderate · 524 | Emerging · 282 | Moderate · 502 |
| Apple Inc | Strong · 755 | Strong · 627 | Emerging · 111 | Moderate · 187 | Moderate · 176 |
| LG Electronics Inc | Strong · 467 | Strong · 367 | Moderate · 115 | Emerging · 70 | Moderate · 184 |
| Koninklijke Philips NV | Strong · 393 | Strong · 273 | Moderate · 169 | Emerging · 68 | Moderate · 178 |
| Auckland UniServices Ltd | Strong · 329 | Strong · 165 | Strong · 168 | Strong · 201 | Emerging · 56 |
| WiTricity Corporation | Strong · 318 | Strong · 272 | Moderate · 116 | Moderate · 108 | Moderate · 69 |
| Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | Strong · 370 | Strong · 311 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 94 |
Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 8,560 patent families in scope globally.
Qualcomm Inc leads with 1,247 patent records, ahead of Apple Inc (894) and Auckland UniServices Ltd (587).
The evidence characterizes the field as Decline, with annual filings easing back from a peak in 2017 and a recent-window growth rate of –21%. This reflects a maturing IP landscape where foundational positions are largely established.
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) is by far the dominant branch. Secondary clusters include H02M (power conversion), B60L (electric vehicle propulsion), H01F (magnets, inductors and transformers), and H04B (general transmission).
The United States leads with 7,026 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) with 2,482, WIPO (PCT) with 1,375, China with 1,250, and India with 926. In total, 46 jurisdictions are represented in the corpus.
Toyota Jidosha shows the strongest recent momentum among tracked applicants, with a trend of 6.3× versus its prior three-year period, driven by its EV wireless-charging focus in B60L and B60M sub-classes and its deep co-filing relationship with Denso Corp.
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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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