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 fieldCompany patentsCompare
HEAD TO HEAD
AppleBroadcomMicrosoft
Technology portfolios compared in the same window and counting units. Scale is compared only within the same field or subclass.
+ Agricultural Bank of China2025-01 — 2025-12+ Alibaba2025-01 — 2025-12+ Alphabet (Google)2025-01 — 2025-12+ Amazon2025-01 — 2025-12✓ Apple2025-01 — 2025-12+ Bank of China2025-01 — 2025-12+ BOE2024-01 — 2024-12✓ Broadcom2025-01 — 2025-12+ BYD2024-01 — 2024-12+ CATL2024-01 — 2024-12+ China Construction Bank2025-01 — 2025-12+ China Mobile2025-01 — 2025-12+ CXMT2025-01 — 2025-12+ Eli Lilly2025-01 — 2025-12+ Huawei2024-01 — 2024-12+ ICBC2025-01 — 2025-12+ Meta2025-01 — 2025-12✓ Microsoft2025-01 — 2025-12+ Midea2024-01 — 2024-12+ Kweichow Moutai2025-01 — 2025-12+ NVIDIA2025-01 — 2025-12+ PetroChina2025-01 — 2025-12+ SpaceX2025-01 — 2025-12+ Tencent2025-01 — 2025-12+ Tesla2025-01 — 2025-12
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.
Microsoft: Applicant names included in these statistics — MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLCReviewed names not covered — MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC · MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC.
Apple
- Publications
- 12,360
- Invention share
- 87%
- Concentration
- 0.38
- Green technology
- —
Broadcom
- Publications
- 1,230
- Invention share
- 98%
- Concentration
- 0.41
- Green technology
- —
Microsoft
- Publications
- 7,140
- Invention share
- 97%
- Concentration
- 0.59
- Green technology
- —
0.95
Apple × Broadcom
0.85
Apple × Microsoft
0.85
Broadcom × Microsoft
01Technology field mirror
The 12 fields with the largest combined share. Share shows structure; count shows scale.
| Technology field | Apple / Broadcom / Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Computer technology | 39.1% 42.4% 72.5% |
| Digital communication | 42.1% 45.2% 22.4% |
| Audio-visual technology | 14.2% 3.1% 10.5% |
| Telecommunications | 13.9% 5.8% 3.3% |
| Basic communication processes | 2% 10.9% 1.3% |
| Semiconductors | 3% 7.4% 2.1% |
| Optics | 7.2% 1.4% 3.8% |
| Measurement | 5.7% 2.5% 2.1% |
| Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy | 4.8% 1.8% 2.1% |
| IT methods for management | 2.4% 0.4% 4.2% |
| Medical technology | 2.6% 0.2% 0.7% |
| Control | 1.9% 0.5% 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.
Broadcom
- Collected applications
- 21
- Share of collected applications with IPC
- 1.8%
Coverage is incomplete; counts and shares describe only the collected subset.
View Broadcom publications in this fieldMicrosoft
- Collected applications
- 147
- Share of collected applications with IPC
- 2.1%
Coverage is incomplete; counts and shares describe only the collected subset.
View Microsoft publications in this fieldOne 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
Microsoft3,890
H04LDigital transmission
Apple2,146
Broadcom439
Microsoft1,379
H04WWireless networks
Apple3,570
Broadcom126
Microsoft196
G06TImage processing
Apple986
Broadcom7
Microsoft479
H04NPictorial communication, video
Apple931
Broadcom20
Microsoft482
G06NComputing models, AI
Apple200
Broadcom28
Microsoft1,064
H04BTransmission
Apple981
Broadcom58
Microsoft108
G02BOptical elements
Apple679
Broadcom14
Microsoft236
G06VImage and video recognition
Apple417
Broadcom4
Microsoft295
G06QBusiness data processing
Apple264
Broadcom5
Microsoft290
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
- Microsoft
- 196
- H04BTransmission
- Apple
- 981
- Broadcom
- 58
- Microsoft
- 108
- G02BOptical elements
- Apple
- 679
- Broadcom
- 14
- Microsoft
- 236
- H04MTelephonic communication
- Apple
- 405
- Broadcom
- —
- Microsoft
- 83
- H04RLoudspeakers, microphones
- Apple
- 318
- Broadcom
- 2
- Microsoft
- 35
- G09GDisplay control
- Apple
- 300
- Broadcom
- —
- Microsoft
- 69
Broadcom
- H04LDigital transmission
- Apple
- 2,146
- Broadcom
- 439
- Microsoft
- 1,379
- H03MCoding, decoding
- Apple
- 41
- Broadcom
- 62
- Microsoft
- 47
- H01LSemiconductor devices
- Apple
- 135
- Broadcom
- 60
- Microsoft
- 51
- H10W
- Apple
- 73
- Broadcom
- 36
- Microsoft
- 49
- H03HImpedance networks, filters
- Apple
- 27
- Broadcom
- 22
- Microsoft
- —
- H03F
- Apple
- 48
- Broadcom
- 20
- Microsoft
- —
Microsoft
- G06FData processing
- Apple
- 3,635
- Broadcom
- 456
- Microsoft
- 3,890
- G06NComputing models, AI
- Apple
- 200
- Broadcom
- 28
- Microsoft
- 1,064
- G06QBusiness data processing
- Apple
- 264
- Broadcom
- 5
- Microsoft
- 290
- G10LSpeech processing
- Apple
- 240
- Broadcom
- 2
- Microsoft
- 250
- H05KPrinted circuits, assemblies
- Apple
- 155
- Broadcom
- 10
- Microsoft
- 164
- G06VImage and video recognition
- Apple
- 417
- Broadcom
- 4
- Microsoft
- 295
04Publication rhythm
| Period | Apple | Broadcom | Microsoft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01 | ≥1,049 (partial coverage) | ≥207 (partial coverage) | ≥539 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-02 | ≥968 (partial coverage) | ≥92 (partial coverage) | ≥503 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-03 | ≥1,319 (partial coverage) | ≥141 (partial coverage) | ≥603 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-04 | ≥1,232 (partial coverage) | ≥163 (partial coverage) | ≥647 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-05 | ≥993 (partial coverage) | ≥101 (partial coverage) | ≥566 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-06 | ≥846 (partial coverage) | ≥79 (partial coverage) | ≥487 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-07 | ≥956 (partial coverage) | ≥77 (partial coverage) | ≥686 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-08 | ≥989 (partial coverage) | ≥56 (partial coverage) | ≥563 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-09 | ≥906 (partial coverage) | ≥69 (partial coverage) | ≥587 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-10 | ≥928 (partial coverage) | ≥86 (partial coverage) | ≥689 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-11 | ≥1,005 (partial coverage) | ≥94 (partial coverage) | ≥582 (partial coverage) |
| 2025-12 | ≥1,169 (partial coverage) | ≥65 (partial coverage) | ≥688 (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.