CNIPA.AI

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HEAD TO HEAD

AppleBroadcomICBC

Technology portfolios compared in the same window and counting units. Scale is compared only within the same field or subclass.

Same window · published 2025-01-01 — 2025-12-31Some name or date coverage is incomplete; affected counts are lower bounds

This is a structural comparison of collected portfolios. The same requested window does not establish equal entity scope, covered months or industry; no competitive ranking is inferred.

Applicant-name coverage differs. The counts below cover only the listed names and do not represent complete company portfolios.

Apple: Applicant names included in these statistics — APPLE INCReviewed names not covered — APPLE COMPUTER INC · APPLE COMPUTER, INC. · APPLE INC. · APPLE, INC.

Broadcom: Applicant names included in these statistics — AVAGO TECH INT SALES PTE LID · AVAGO TECH INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE LTD · VMWARE INC · VMWARE LLCReviewed names not covered — AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED · VMWARE INC.

ICBC: Applicant names included in these statistics — INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL BANK OF CHINA CO LTDReviewed names not covered — INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF CHINA LIMITED · 中国工商银行股份有限公司

Apple

Publications
12,360
Invention share
87%
Concentration
0.38
Green technology
—

Broadcom

Publications
1,230
Invention share
98%
Concentration
0.41
Green technology
—

ICBC

Publications
3,242
Invention share
100%
Concentration
0.81
Green technology
—
0.95

Apple × Broadcom

0.69

Apple × ICBC

0.71

Broadcom × ICBC

Cosine similarity of application counts across 35 fields. 1 is identical, 0 is no overlap.

01Technology field mirror

The 12 fields with the largest combined share. Share shows structure; count shows scale.

Technology field mirror
Technology fieldApple / Broadcom / ICBC
Computer technology
39.1%
42.4%
78.6%
Digital communication
42.1%
45.2%
15.6%
IT methods for management
2.4%
0.4%
41.3%
Telecommunications
13.9%
5.8%
0.8%
Audio-visual technology
14.2%
3.1%
1%
Basic communication processes
2%
10.9%
0.1%
Semiconductors
3%
7.4%
0%
Optics
7.2%
1.4%
0%
Measurement
5.7%
2.5%
0.3%
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
4.8%
1.8%
0.2%
Control
1.9%
0.5%
1.8%
Medical technology
2.6%
0.2%
0.1%

Inspect one technology field

Inspect collected applications, portfolio share and supporting publications within one field. A technology overlap does not establish that companies in different industries are direct competitors.

Apple

Collected applications
531
Share of collected applications with IPC
4.8%

Coverage is incomplete; counts and shares describe only the collected subset.

View Apple publications in this field

ICBC

Collected applications
5
Share of collected applications with IPC
0.2%

Coverage is incomplete; counts and shares describe only the collected subset.

View ICBC publications in this field

One application may belong to multiple fields, so shares can sum to more than 100%. Drill-down lists publications; an application publication and its grant may appear separately.

02Same problem: shared IPC subclasses

The 10 subclasses in every company's top 60 with the most combined applications. Scale is compared within a subclass, never across different business scopes.

G06FData processing
Apple3,635
Broadcom456
ICBC2,203
H04WWireless networks
Apple3,570
Broadcom126
ICBC42
H04LDigital transmission
Apple2,146
Broadcom439
ICBC468
G06QBusiness data processing
Apple264
Broadcom5
ICBC1,339
G06TImage processing
Apple986
Broadcom7
ICBC74
G06NComputing models, AI
Apple200
Broadcom28
ICBC829
H04BTransmission
Apple981
Broadcom58
ICBC2
H04NPictorial communication, video
Apple931
Broadcom20
ICBC26
G06VImage and video recognition
Apple417
Broadcom4
ICBC259
G10LSpeech processing
Apple240
Broadcom2
ICBC52

03Where each one leans

Observed emphasis within each company’s collected top-60 IPC subclasses. A dash for another company means outside its top-60 list, not zero applications or a market gap. Incomplete coverage can also change the ordering.

Apple

  • H04WWireless networks
    Apple
    3,570
    Broadcom
    126
    ICBC
    42
  • H04NPictorial communication, video
    Apple
    931
    Broadcom
    20
    ICBC
    26
  • G06TImage processing
    Apple
    986
    Broadcom
    7
    ICBC
    74
  • G02BOptical elements
    Apple
    679
    Broadcom
    14
    ICBC
    —
  • H04BTransmission
    Apple
    981
    Broadcom
    58
    ICBC
    2
  • H04MTelephonic communication
    Apple
    405
    Broadcom
    —
    ICBC
    18

Broadcom

  • H04LDigital transmission
    Apple
    2,146
    Broadcom
    439
    ICBC
    468
  • H03MCoding, decoding
    Apple
    41
    Broadcom
    62
    ICBC
    2
  • H01LSemiconductor devices
    Apple
    135
    Broadcom
    60
    ICBC
    —
  • H10W
    Apple
    73
    Broadcom
    36
    ICBC
    —
  • H03HImpedance networks, filters
    Apple
    27
    Broadcom
    22
    ICBC
    —
  • H03F
    Apple
    48
    Broadcom
    20
    ICBC
    —

ICBC

  • G06QBusiness data processing
    Apple
    264
    Broadcom
    5
    ICBC
    1,339
  • G06FData processing
    Apple
    3,635
    Broadcom
    456
    ICBC
    2,203
  • G06NComputing models, AI
    Apple
    200
    Broadcom
    28
    ICBC
    829
  • G06VImage and video recognition
    Apple
    417
    Broadcom
    4
    ICBC
    259
  • G07F
    Apple
    —
    Broadcom
    —
    ICBC
    17
  • G07C
    Apple
    —
    Broadcom
    2
    ICBC
    14

04Publication rhythm

AppleBroadcomICBCPublications per period
Publications per period
PeriodAppleBroadcomICBC
2025-01≥1,049 (partial coverage)≥207 (partial coverage)≥136 (partial coverage)
2025-02≥968 (partial coverage)≥92 (partial coverage)≥70 (partial coverage)
2025-03≥1,319 (partial coverage)≥141 (partial coverage)≥497 (partial coverage)
2025-04≥1,232 (partial coverage)≥163 (partial coverage)≥497 (partial coverage)
2025-05≥993 (partial coverage)≥101 (partial coverage)≥231 (partial coverage)
2025-06≥846 (partial coverage)≥79 (partial coverage)≥75 (partial coverage)
2025-07≥956 (partial coverage)≥77 (partial coverage)≥85 (partial coverage)
2025-08≥989 (partial coverage)≥56 (partial coverage)≥127 (partial coverage)
2025-09≥906 (partial coverage)≥69 (partial coverage)≥385 (partial coverage)
2025-10≥928 (partial coverage)≥86 (partial coverage)≥284 (partial coverage)
2025-11≥1,005 (partial coverage)≥94 (partial coverage)≥427 (partial coverage)
2025-12≥1,169 (partial coverage)≥65 (partial coverage)≥428 (partial coverage)

Empty dashed outlines mark uncollected periods. Hatched bars and ≥ counts mark partial coverage.

Publication timing follows examination and publication cycles, not R&D intensity.

What makes it comparableThe same publication window and counting units. Companies with different windows are not put in one comparison.

What is not comparableGroup totals. Business and entity scopes differ; compare scale within a field or subclass.

Not a rankingSimilarity and shares describe structure, not patent value, quality or technical leadership.