Tech Patents Report

THE BIG 5 PATENTS REPORT
Patent activity and trends across Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google,

and Microsoft
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intelligence platform.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
5 Executive summary
6 Overall trends
13 Aggregate themes
17 Individual company analysis
18 Amazon
24 Apple
29 Facebook
33 Google
38 Microsoft
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
OVERALL PATENT ACTIVITY FROM BIG 5 COHORT ON INDIVIDUAL PATENTS REVEAL BROAD INTERESTS IN AI,
THE RISE AR/VR, AND VEHICLES
Applications trend upwards: Collectively, these IP powerhouses AI activity skyrockets: 2014 applications with AI-related keywords
have applied for more than 52,000 patents since 2009. Total have already set an annual record, with more applications likely to
applications have steadily risen as each company diversifies its be published. Microsoft leads with Google quickly rising in second,
research activities, with annual combined applications nearing while Apple lags all of its peers thus far.
10,000 in 2013.
Facebook picking up: Although behind the other four in overall
Microsoft leads, Facebook lags: Microsoft has filed for the most filings, its activity is on the rise and recently published applications
patents, applying for over 16,800 since 2009, with second-place reveal its efforts to automate the removal of objectionable content
Google applying for more than 14,500. Apple was in 3rd and using machine learning.
Amazon 4th, with Facebook lagging significantly behind.
Apple targets vehicles, wearables: Apple came in second behind
Grants also rising: Although somewhat dependent on the USPTO Google in our keyword analysis of vehicle-related tech. Individual
approval process, annual grant publications for this cohort have filings point to research in autonomous vehicles and AR/VR.
also consistently grown. Google is now surpassing Microsoft for
Amazon broadens activities: The e-commerce company has
the top spot here in part thanks to the reversal of its anti-patent
moved from consumer devices like e-book readers and tablets to
stance early in the decade.
drones, cybersecurity, and potentially tech to support its Go stores.
Overall Trends
PATENT APPLICATIONS & GRANTS
Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and
Microsoft have applied for over
52,000+ PATENTS
since 2009
OVERALL PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY PATENT APPLICATIONS
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) MARCH UPWARD
Collective patent
applications from these
technology giants has
consistently risen on an
annual basis, as each
company broadens the
scope of its research
activities.
Combined applications
neared 10,000 in 2013;
3565
9457
9230
6140
5102
7031
9804
2221
more recent years may
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 exceed that threshold as
to date
more patents are
Total applications (AAPL, AMZN, FB, GOOG, MSFT)
published.
PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY BY COMPANY MSFT, GOOG, AAPL
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) AMONG MOST ACTIVE
3355 3371
2831 Microsoft began the

2711
2499 2468
decade with the most
2391
2297 patent applications by a
2165
2296
2097
2403 wide margin, but patent
1921
1730 applications from Google
1497 1917 and Apple have
1378
skyrocketed since.
1073
994 954 988 1365
792
659
Googles activity
660 678
556 535
461 432
517 589 dramatically increased
555
245 211 420 215 from 2011-2013 as the
100
40
184 company reversed its
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 early anti-patent bias.
to date
Amazon Apple Facebook Google Microsoft
CUMULATIVE APPLICATIONS BY COMPANY
By date of application, 2009 2016 YTD (12/12/16)
16,840 14,596 13,420 5,186
2,508
OVERALL PATENT GRANT ACTIVITY GRANT COUNT RISE
By date of grant publication, 2010 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) REFLECTS APPLICATION
UPTICK
The growing number of

patents applications from
this cohort is beginning to
surface in publication of
granted patents figures
as well.
Total grants published for

the group has topped
10,000 for the first time in
2016 to date.
10549
3769
5500
9013
9679
4448
3768
7519
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 YTD
Total grants published (AAPL, AMZN, FB, GOOG, MSFT)
GRANT PUBLICATION ACTIVITY BY COMPANY GOOGLE TAKES THE
By date of grant publication, 2010 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) LEAD IN GRANTS
3159
3304 3307 3248 PUBLISHED
3143
3036
2794 2820 Googles flurry of early-to
2638 2702
mid-decade application
2347 2414
activity has led it to top
2184 2130
1951
Microsoft in grants
published from 2015 on.
1635
1852
1290 With the exception of
1153
Microsoft, patent
721
805 1060 757 publications are trending
399 415
550 upward across our big 5
387 432
277 306 291 cohort.
193 130
146 139 50
65 7 8
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 YTD
Amazon Apple Facebook Google Microsoft
Aggregate themes
EXPLORING TRENDING TECH AREAS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY MICROSOFT, GOOGLE
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) DOMINATE AI PATENTS
Activity has sharply

6
15
increased in the key
battleground of AI and
18
machine learning
25 3
technologies.
5 1 7
11 4 Microsoft leads the pack
3 with over 200 related
3 39
4
41
70
patent applications since
4 17 1
2 14 6 1
2009, while Google
2
21 25 21 27 16 comes in second with
16 18
6 over 150. Apple, criticized
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 for being slow to the draw
Microsoft Google Amazon Facebook Apple to date
in this field, comes in last.
Analysis filters patent titles and abstracts for select relevant keywords, e.g. machine learning, deep learning, neural network, etc.
Does not include pre-acquisition patent activity of purchased companies (e.g. DeepMind with Google)
VEHICLE TECH PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY GOOGLE APPLYING FOR
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) HUNDREDS OF VEHICLE
PATENTS
With the Google Self-

12 Driving Car Project
1 12
4 (recently launched as
12 9
5 Waymo) long in gestation,
12
15 its not surprising that
Google holds the crown.
8
101 7 3 Apple comes in second,
87 81 13 6 while Amazon has also
10 8
3
applied for a handful of
2 2 36
4 22 28 patents related to
7 1
4 1
9 automated delivery
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 drones and warehouse
Google Apple Microsoft Amazon to date
vehicles.
Analysis filters patent titles and abstracts for select relevant keywords, e.g. autonomous driving, self-driving vehicle, etc.
Does not include pre-acquisition patent activity of purchased companies
AR/VR PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY MICROSOFT ALSO
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) TOPS AR/VR ACTIVITY
1 Thus far, patent

7
submission activity for
AR/VR and related tech
9 peaked in 2012.
4 1
4
2
5 2 Microsoft again leads the
5 6
4 9 way, driven by the
7 2 development of the mixed
2 33 6
4 reality HoloLens.
23
4
17
22
19 Microsoft also has
8
13 number of patents related
6
to its Kinect motion
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 sensing and gaming
Microsoft Google Amazon Apple to date
devices, which HoloLens
Analysis filters patent titles and abstracts for select relevant keywords, e.g. augmented reality, virtual reality, eye tracking, etc.
Does not include pre-acquisition patent activity of purchased companies (e.g. Oculus with Facebook) traces its lineage to.
Individual company analysis
AREAS OF INTEREST & PATENTS OF NOTE
Amazon
AMAZON PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY AMAZON RISING
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) CONSISTENTLY FROM
2009 ON
The Seattle giants patent

activity has rocketed as it
pushes beyond core e-
commerce into cloud
services, hardware, B&M
retail, and so on.
Amazons annual patent

applications more than
quadrupled from 2009 to
2013.
1073
245
954
988
517
535
659
215
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
to date
Total applications
AMAZON TOP PHRASES BY SIGNIFICANCE AMAZONS INTERESTS
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) BROADEN BEYOND
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
electronic reader resource resource resource resource inventory resource resource

computer
node client client provider resource client authentication
Amazons top keywords
network
reader device user device network page image image image provider virtual machine
represent a shift in focus
various computer from core e-commerce
phrase provider provider client electronic device provider
embodiment
various
network
various
competencies like product
reader client user device node tablet client
embodiment embodiment recommendation to
node provider image component inventory fluid instance policy
developing its Kindle line
various various
network site virtual machine electronic device
embodiment
instance instance inventory
embodiment and other consumer
unmanned computer
client network page user device recommendation server provider
vehicle network devices (red) as well as
virtual computer recommendation instance environment computing palette node replica delivery drones (orange).
various
adapter book inventory inventory holder container service provider
embodiment
As AWS has risen in
server electronic book server server environment client configuration execution
prominence, the frequency
environment instance digital work power object container component computing
of cybersecurity keywords
cryptographic
resource delivery content item element control virtual machine bin
key has also spiked (light
computer
delivery catalog host object
system
color palette vehicle instance blue).
AMAZON PATENTS OF INTEREST ISOLATING SPECIFIC
Example 1: Detecting the primary user of a device USERS
Application date: 6/7/2015
Publication date: 12/8/2016
This filing relates to the

identification of a specific
user in a crowd by
comparing a physiological
conditions across
individuals (e.g. heart rate).
This patent describes a

device use case, but
similar technology could
hypothetically be
employed to track
shoppers in Amazons
recently-announced, highly
automated Go stores.
AMAZON PATENTS OF INTEREST AUTOMATING
Example 2: Transitioning items from a materials handling facility SHOPPING PROCESSES
Regarding Amazon Go, the

company also applied for a
patent describing the
identification and tracking
of user-picked items from
a materials handling
facility.
Interpreted in the context

of Amazon Go, this
research could be used to
track each shoppers
shopping cart in an
automated store.
AMAZON PATENTS OF INTEREST WAREHOUSING
Example 3: Generating robotic grasping instructions for inventory items AUTOMATION ALSO A
FOCUS
Amazon is known for its

drive to maximize efficiency
in its warehouses and
fulfillment centers, often
leveraging automation (e.g.
with its acquisition of Kiva
Systems).
The company has applied

for a number of robotic
packaging and inventory
management systems.
Apple
APPLE PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY APPLES
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) APPLICATIONS RISING
AFTER DIP IN 2013
Cupertinos annual
application count fell in
2013 but seems poised to
resume an upward trend
as the company
continues pushing into
new fields such as
2391 wearables and vehicles.
2468
1917
1378
1497
2097
994
678
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
to date
Total applications
APPLE TOP PHRASES BY SIGNIFICANCE APPLE WEARABLE
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) PUSH EVIDENT
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
electronic electronic electronic electronic electronic electronic electronic electronic
device device device device device device device device Many of Apples top
medium device display screen medium device display screen display screen graphical user wearable device layer
phrases reflect its core
portable
computer
screen packaging screen screen display screen display screen adapter device and hardware
image graphical user memory graphical user graphical user screen screen mobile device businesses.
band
connector icon image image connector wearable device screen
attachment
However, more recent
dock insert packaging station connector housing connector graphical user substrate
years reveal Apples
power housing keyboard structure layer layer attachment housing
emphasis on wearable
stand cover graphical user cover image component layer wireless development (orange),
circuit station connector power memory housing connector cover especially as the Apple
keyboard power circuit circuit
thereof with
power component component Watch has come to
icon
packaging image screen
thereof with
signal circuit structure communication
market.
icon
dock portable display display screen adapter circuit packaging power circuit
APPLE PATENTS OF INTEREST APPLES VEHICLE
Example 1: Collision avoidance of arbitrary polygonal obstacles RESEARCH
Though Apple has lagged

somewhat in overall AI
research, recent reports
have detailed the
expansion of its machine
learning efforts.
Apples long-rumored
automotive project has
said to have shifted focus
from developing an actual
vehicle to developing a
self-driving system
instead.
APPLE PATENTS OF INTEREST INDOOR NAVIGATION
Example 2: Visual-based inertial navigation FOR POTENTIAL AR/VR
USE CASES
Another recently
published Apple patent
involves precisely
mapping and navigation
indoor environments.
As the patents
description notes, such
capabilities would be
useful not just for
smartphones, but also
smart glasses and other
devices.
Facebook
FACEBOOK PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY FACEBOOK PATENT
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) ACTIVITY BEGINNING
TO PICK UP
Of this cohort, Facebook

is notably less active from
an intellectual property
standpoint.
However, it has recently

begun to submit more
applications, with its 2014
applications already
marking an annual record,
even with more patents
461
660
420
100
211
432
184
(likely) awaiting
40
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 publication.

to date
Total applications
FACEBOOK PATENTS OF INTEREST TACKLING SUSPECT
Example 1: Systems and methods to identify objectionable content CONTENT: FAKE NEWS?
Since the 2016 US

presidential election,
Facebook has faced
increasing criticism for
fake news on it platform.
Recently published
patents reveal efforts to
leverage machine learning
to automate the flagging
and removal of
objectionable content
dating back to 2015.
FACEBOOK PATENTS OF INTEREST OCULUS FORGING
Example 2: Hand-held controllers for virtual reality system AHEAD
Oculus VR patents are

still filed under the
Facebook subsidiary itself
rather than the corporate
parent.
A number of recently
published documents
reveal work in hand-held
VR controllers, likely for
the development of
Oculus just-launched
Touch controllers.
Google
GOOGLE PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY GOOGLE BECOMES IP
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) POWERHOUSE
Google executives (up to

Larry Page and Sergey
Brin) were once infamous
for opposing excessive
patenting as a threat to
innovation.
However, as the threat of

smartphone litigation
intensified in the early
2010s, Google began
3355
2403
1365
2165
3371
556
792
589
applying for patents at a
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 blistering pace.
to date
Total applications
GOOGLE TOP PHRASES BY SIGNIFICANCE TOP GOOGLE
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) KEYWORDS HIGHLIGHT
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
X PROJECTS
image document search image image image display device search
Advertising (light blue)
wearable
document query document search search
display
image image has fallen off the top
search search query document query vehicle search vehicle keyword list as Mountain
query image image query content item display device query balloon
View seeks to diversify.
score server server server document search glass query
Highly visible are
wearable computing
server score client
display device
content item graphical user content item keywords related to X
program program program
computing
device
vehicle computer icon content item notification moonshot projects,
client client web content item computing message vehicle graphical user including self-driving cars
computer computer
mobile device score score document
computing computing (red), Google Glass and
program program device device
computing
wearables (orange), and
communication message object vehicle mobile device computing user device
device Project Loons internet
content item resource value client graphical user query communication communication
delivery balloons (blue).
advertisement advertisement computing computing server display panel screen hotword
GOOGLE PATENTS OF INTEREST SELF-DRIVING CAR
Example 1: Autonomous vehicles PROJECT MATURING
Googles Self-Driving Car

Project has graduated
from beta and become
the new full-fledged
Alphabet company
Waymo.
This just-published
application describes the
mechanisms to both
initiate a ride and trigger
an emergency stop, either
through input buttons in
an autonomous car or
other devices.
GOOGLE PATENTS OF INTEREST AR/VR RESEARCH
Example 2: See-through eyepiece for head wearable display REMAINS STRONG AS
WELL
Despite the failure of

Google Glass to generate
significant traction, the
companys patent outputs
reflect the various
augmented and virtual
reality projects that it is
still pushing forward.
Microsoft
MICROSOFT PATENT APPLICATION ACTIVITY MICROSOFT HOLDING
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) STEADY
Out of this tech cohort,

Microsofts patent
application totals have
been the least volatile.
Despite a corporate
restructuring in 2013 and
an executive transition in
2014, the companys
overall research activity
has remained strong.
1730
2296
2711
1921
2297
2499
2831
555
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
to date
Total applications
MICROSOFT TOP PHRASES BY SIGNIFICANCE NEW MICROSOFT
By date of application, 2009 - 2016 YTD (12/12/16) HARDWARE COMES
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
INTO FOCUS
display screen display screen display screen display screen display screen display screen display screen message
screen screen screen screen screen screen screen communication Microsofts patent
icon icon graphical user graphical user graphical user graphical user graphical user component
keywords provide an early
screen with screen with glimpse into the
image image icon handset controller document
electronic screen with
icon icon
screen with
development of the
keyboard icon icon image server
mouse icon icon Surface tablet lines
object document image image handset document icon environment (orange).
electronic screen with
avatar query object image headset query
camera icon
component search query object search communication visor object
The headset and visor
electronic electronic patents (light blue)
client search type font client document file
camera
electronic
mouse
highlight the ramp-up of
server mouse search headset icon client computing
mouse Microsofts efforts in the
electronic
file message server input device
tablet
environment communication peer AR/VR space seen earlier,
gesture resource controller document client computing element
computing
device
specifically its HoloLens
player component headset
electronic
document resource message resource headset.
tablet
headset with
resource value resource environment controller module gesture
visor
MICROSOFT PATENTS OF INTEREST MICROSOFT CONTINUES
Example 1: Crafting feedback dialogue with a virtual assistant NATURAL LANGUAGE
WORK
One new patent

application details
Redmonds efforts to
facilitate natural language
conversations by
personalizing virtual
assistant responses.
This would bolster

Microsofts Cortana
assistant and potentially
chatbots for its
productivity software.
MICROSOFT PATENTS OF INTEREST WEARABLES STILL ON
Example 2: Wearable personal information system THE RADAR
Microsoft may still be

interested in wearables
and smartwatches despite
the discontinuation of its
Band fitness wearable, as
the company recently filed
a patent detailing a new
wearable device and
corresponding dock.
A word on the nature of patents analysis
TYPICAL PATENT PROCESS
The patent filing and grant process involves several key dates
Application filed
with significant time lags in between (see the graphic to the right). (Application date)
After an application is submitted, there is a delay before it is

published. This lag is typically 12-18 months but can range from typically 12-18 months
several months to over two years.
The delay before the publication of granted (approved) patents is

Application published
even more variable; occasionally decades can pass before grants (App publication date)
are published.
Applications and grants cannot be captured for analysis until they typically several years,
but can take decades
are published, so these time lags are important to keep in mind.
Note: Our analysis focuses on patents filed or granted directly under each companys
Grant published
name, although this may still include a small number of patents from acquired (Grant publication date)
companies attributed to their parent.
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THE BIG 5 PATENTS REPORT

Patent activity and trends across Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google,

Think of the fundamental value chain of venture

See what other customers have to say at http://www.cbinsights.com/customer-love www.cbinsights.com 3

2831 Microsoft began the

16,840 14,596 13,420 5,186

The growing number of

Total grants published for

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 YTD

Total grants published (AAPL, AMZN, FB, GOOG, MSFT)

Amazon Apple Facebook Google Microsoft

Activity has sharply

With the Google Self-

1 Thus far, patent

The Seattle giants patent

Amazons annual patent

electronic reader resource resource resource resource inventory resource resource

This filing relates to the

This patent describes a

Regarding Amazon Go, the

Interpreted in the context

Amazon is known for its

The company has applied

Though Apple has lagged

Of this cohort, Facebook

However, it has recently

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 publication.

Since the 2016 US

Oculus VR patents are

Google executives (up to

However, as the threat of

Googles Self-Driving Car

Despite the failure of

Out of this tech cohort,

One new patent

This would bolster

Microsoft may still be

After an application is submitted, there is a delay before it is

The delay before the publication of granted (approved) patents is

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