Description
To identify relevant patents, comprehensive searches were conducted across multiple patent databases using a combination of search strings, IPC/CPC classifications, and HEVC–specific keywords.
To determine the essentiality of a patent, each claim is compared to the H.265 standard to identify whether the patented claim’s elements are present in the standard. Essentiality is checked with respect to all versions of HEVC, respectively, as improvements have been gradually implemented to address evolving technological demands in HEVC.
Patented claim is compared to the standard, and if every element of the claim aligns with the H.265 specifications, the patent is considered essential. On the other hand, if any element is not present or there is a contradiction between the claim and the standard (e.g., conflicting requirements or descriptions), the patent is considered non-essential. This manual evaluation process ensures that only patents fully aligned with the H.265 standard’s requirements are classified as essential.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in the essentiality analysis of LG’s HEVC patents?
It covers 81 active granted patents identified for LG that relate to HEVC technology. Each one was evaluated by manually mapping its independent claim elements to relevant sections of the H.265 standard. The analysis spans block based coding, predictive coding, transformation and quantization, multi-layer and filtering. The output shows how far LG’s claims align with the standard and where its work sits within high efficiency video coding.
Are all versions of the HEVC standard considered?
Yes. Essentiality is checked with respect to all versions of HEVC, because improvements were added in stages as demands on the technology changed. A claim that does not map to an early release may map to a later one, so restricting the check to one release would give a partial picture. Working across versions keeps the classification of each LG patent tied to the text of the standard as it now stands.
What does a non-essential result mean for a patent in this study?
It means at least one element of the claim was not found in the standard, or the claim conflicts with it, for example through requirements or descriptions that do not match. Non-essential here is a statement about the mapping to H.265 only. It says nothing about the validity of the patent, its value, or whether any product infringes it. Patents whose claim elements are all present in the standard are treated as essential instead.
Who uses this kind of portfolio assessment?
Licensing and legal teams use it when they need an independent view of how a portfolio maps to HEVC. Technical managers use it to see which parts of the standard a company has worked on. It also supports decisions such as preparing for licensing discussions, reviewing a portfolio before a transaction, or testing claims made about a portfolio. Requests for a narrower or wider scope can be made through the contact page.
