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AppleBroadcomPetroChina

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.

PetroChina: Applicant names included in these statistics — PETROCHINA CO LTDReviewed names not covered — PETROCHINA COMPANY LIMITED · 中国石油天然气股份有限公司

Apple

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

Broadcom

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

PetroChina

Publications
6,110
Invention share
95%
Concentration
0.25
Green technology
—
0.95

Apple × Broadcom

0.35

Apple × PetroChina

0.33

Broadcom × PetroChina

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 / PetroChina
Computer technology
39.1%
42.4%
22.4%
Digital communication
42.1%
45.2%
0.7%
Civil engineering
0.1%
0%
31.5%
Measurement
5.7%
2.5%
22.9%
Telecommunications
13.9%
5.8%
0.1%
Audio-visual technology
14.2%
3.1%
0.4%
Basic communication processes
2%
10.9%
0%
IT methods for management
2.4%
0.4%
9.5%
Basic materials chemistry
0%
0.1%
11.9%
Semiconductors
3%
7.4%
0.1%
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
4.8%
1.8%
3.6%
Chemical engineering
0.1%
0%
9%

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

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
PetroChina1,114
H04LDigital transmission
Apple2,146
Broadcom439
PetroChina32
G06TImage processing
Apple986
Broadcom7
PetroChina180
G06QBusiness data processing
Apple264
Broadcom5
PetroChina577
G06VImage and video recognition
Apple417
Broadcom4
PetroChina81
G06NComputing models, AI
Apple200
Broadcom28
PetroChina268
H02JPower supply, energy storage
Apple225
Broadcom5
PetroChina69
G01DGeneral measuring
Apple24
Broadcom6
PetroChina70
G01RMeasuring electric variables
Apple61
Broadcom7
PetroChina24
G01BMeasuring length, shape
Apple26
Broadcom3
PetroChina40

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
    PetroChina
    —
  • H04NPictorial communication, video
    Apple
    931
    Broadcom
    20
    PetroChina
    —
  • G06TImage processing
    Apple
    986
    Broadcom
    7
    PetroChina
    180
  • G02BOptical elements
    Apple
    679
    Broadcom
    14
    PetroChina
    —
  • H04MTelephonic communication
    Apple
    405
    Broadcom
    —
    PetroChina
    —
  • H04BTransmission
    Apple
    981
    Broadcom
    58
    PetroChina
    —

Broadcom

  • H04LDigital transmission
    Apple
    2,146
    Broadcom
    439
    PetroChina
    32
  • G06FData processing
    Apple
    3,635
    Broadcom
    456
    PetroChina
    1,114
  • H03MCoding, decoding
    Apple
    41
    Broadcom
    62
    PetroChina
    —
  • H01LSemiconductor devices
    Apple
    135
    Broadcom
    60
    PetroChina
    —
  • H10W
    Apple
    73
    Broadcom
    36
    PetroChina
    —
  • H03HImpedance networks, filters
    Apple
    27
    Broadcom
    22
    PetroChina
    —

PetroChina

  • E21B
    Apple
    —
    Broadcom
    —
    PetroChina
    1,882
  • G01NAnalysing materials
    Apple
    24
    Broadcom
    —
    PetroChina
    752
  • G01V
    Apple
    —
    Broadcom
    —
    PetroChina
    571
  • G06QBusiness data processing
    Apple
    264
    Broadcom
    5
    PetroChina
    577
  • B01J
    Apple
    —
    Broadcom
    —
    PetroChina
    385
  • C09KMaterials for applications
    Apple
    —
    Broadcom
    1
    PetroChina
    330

04Publication rhythm

AppleBroadcomPetroChinaPublications per period
Publications per period
PeriodAppleBroadcomPetroChina
2025-01≥1,049 (partial coverage)≥207 (partial coverage)≥410 (partial coverage)
2025-02≥968 (partial coverage)≥92 (partial coverage)≥695 (partial coverage)
2025-03≥1,319 (partial coverage)≥141 (partial coverage)≥574 (partial coverage)
2025-04≥1,232 (partial coverage)≥163 (partial coverage)≥558 (partial coverage)
2025-05≥993 (partial coverage)≥101 (partial coverage)≥1,028 (partial coverage)
2025-06≥846 (partial coverage)≥79 (partial coverage)≥674 (partial coverage)
2025-07≥956 (partial coverage)≥77 (partial coverage)≥299 (partial coverage)
2025-08≥989 (partial coverage)≥56 (partial coverage)≥143 (partial coverage)
2025-09≥906 (partial coverage)≥69 (partial coverage)≥486 (partial coverage)
2025-10≥928 (partial coverage)≥86 (partial coverage)≥403 (partial coverage)
2025-11≥1,005 (partial coverage)≥94 (partial coverage)≥383 (partial coverage)
2025-12≥1,169 (partial coverage)≥65 (partial coverage)≥457 (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.