Description
VVC (Versatile Video Coding), or H.266, is a next-generation video compression standard that exemplifies the strength of global collaboration. It was jointly developed by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) under the Joint Video Experts Team (JVET). This international consortium of experts combined efforts from both organizations to address the growing demands of ultra-high-definition and immersive media, culminating in the finalization of the VVC standard in 2020.
This report provides information on the VVC patent landscape. Searches were conducted across multiple patent databases, including paid or freely available databases, utilizing a range of search strings, IPC/CPC classifications, citations, assignees, and specific keywords.
The initial retrieved dataset consists of around 12k patents. After analyzing abstracts, summaries, and claims, over 6000 patents are categorized for VVC, which are more related to H.266 technology.
Unique patent families of VVC are analyzed for their top assignees in VVC. The focus is on contributions from major and top assignees such as Qualcomm, Samsung, LG, Huawei, Sony, Panasonic, Tencent, ETRI, Bytedance, Google, MediaTek, canon, SK Telecom etc. Figure 2 shows the top 20 assignees of VVC-related patents and it is shown that Qualcomm hold a large number of patents for VVC.
Frequently asked questions
What does the VVC patent landscape report analyse?
It presents an essentiality analysis of companies holding patents with respect to the H.266 standard, also known as Versatile Video Coding. Using a combination of relevant keywords and CPCs, more than 6000 distinct patent families related to VVC technologies were identified. The analysis covers the major VVC technology areas, among them video coding, video encoding, video decoding, prediction, filtration, bitstream, 3D video coding, transformation and quantization, multi-layer video coding, block-based coding, CABAC, and screen content coding.
How were the patents found and assessed?
Searches ran across multiple patent databases, both paid and freely available, using a range of search strings, IPC and CPC classifications, citations, assignees and specific keywords. The initial retrieved dataset consisted of around 12k patents, which was then narrowed through analysis of abstracts and summaries. Each patent was assessed through a detailed mapping of its independent claim elements to the corresponding sections of the H.266 standard, so technical alignment is judged element by element rather than by classification alone.
What does an essentiality assessment mean here?
Essentiality asks whether practising a standard necessarily requires using a patented invention. In this report the question is answered by mapping each independent claim element onto a section of the H.266 specification. Where every element finds a match, the patent aligns closely with the standard. Where elements have no counterpart, the alignment is weaker and the patent is less likely to be essential. The output is a technical opinion based on claim text and specification text, not a legal determination.
Who developed the VVC standard and when was it finalised?
VVC, or H.266, was developed jointly by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group, working together as the Joint Video Experts Team. That group combined the efforts of both organisations to address the demands of ultra-high-definition and immersive media, and the standard was finalised in 2020. The report uses this specification as its reference point, so the landscape findings track the standard that collaboration produced.
