James H. Moeller - Moeller Ventures LLC - https://www.moellerventures.com/
Date: 2020-03-24

Table of Contents:

• Overview
• Results Summary
• Market Intelligence
• Notable Top Corporate Assignees
• Exhibit 1: Date Coverage
• Exhibit 2: Geographic Coverage
• Exhibit 3: Geographic Breakdown of English Patent Application Sections
• Exhibit 4: Frequency of Patent Application Filings Timeline
• Exhibit 5: Top Inventors and the Principal Assignees
• Exhibit 6: Top Assignees
• Exhibit 7: Top Patent Document Citations
• Exhibit 8: Top Patent Document Citations, Sorted by Assignee
• Exhibit 9: Top CPC Group Codes
• Exhibit 10: Top CPC Group Codes by Assignee
• Exhibit 11: Top CPC Group Codes Heatmap Timeline

Overview:

The focus of this report is to create a broad connected medical hearables intellectual property landscape that spans both the classical hearing aid businesses as well as the advanced earphone and earbud market. The domain collection for this landscape was created with a two-stage querying process of Google’s BigQuery “patents-public-data:patents” dataset and the “publications” table. The first query isolated patent documents by searching (abstracts, descriptions, and claims) for terms relating the documents to ear-wore and hearing aid inventions such as “earbud”, “in-ear”, “ear-worn”, and “hearing aid”, and variations of those phrases. The second query then refined the domain collection to focus specifically on the connected medical hearables segment using the terms “medical”, “wireless”, and “sensor.” The Google patent dataset used in this analysis is current with patent documents filed through December 5, 2019. The resulting domain collection consists of 7,830 patent applications, of which 4,086 have been granted as patents. See the following link for more information on the patent landscaping process used in this report. https://www.moellerventures.com/index.php/blog/25-2020-articles/46-iplandscapes-process-descriptions

The report sections below consist of a results summary, a market intelligence brief, profiles of the notable top 25 corporate assignees, as well as tables presenting the details of the patent document landscape. These patent document landscape tables cover a profiling of the domain collection (Exhibits 1, 2, 3, 4), tabulations of inventors (Exhibit 5) and assignees (Exhibit 6), an analysis of the most referenced citations (Exhibits 7, 8), and a break-down of the technology classification CPC group codes (Exhibits 9,10,11). All the tables in this report (as available on https://www.moellerventures.com/) are interactive and can be sorted and searched via the column headings and available keyword search boxes with each table.

Results Summary:

• The hearables intellectual property profiled in this report represents initiative of companies that span a variety of segments including enabling technologies, hearing aid product suppliers, advanced earbud suppliers, as well as patent holding companies and businesses more on the periphery of hearables that integrate the technology into other products. This breadth is representative of the broad methodology used to construct the domain collection and, in general, is a good profile of the hearables market.
• From a market perspective the new hearables segment represents a collision of two market factors, which include the deregulation of the hearing aid industry and the development of the advanced wireless earbud market. This sets up some interesting market dynamics between the traditional hearing aid companies such as Cochlear and Oticon (Demant Group) and advanced earbud suppliers such as Apple, Samsung, and Sony. Overall, it’s estimated that the hearable market is positioned to grow at over 15% annually and reach an $80 billion to $90 billion market size in the 2025-2026 timeframe. See the Market Intelligence section below for more information.
• The timeline of hearables patent filings (Exhibit 4) shows steady growth over the last 20 years from relatively insignificant levels to very active patent filings within the last five years. Projecting this trend forward in combination with the activity surrounding new features and functionality is likely to result in a continued high level of patent filings.
• Qualcomm surfaces as the #1 assignee in the landscape, which shouldn’t be a surprise given that “wireless” was used as a required term in the domain collection creation query. Using “wireless” as the criteria to represent the connected capability of connected health hearables, will almost always reveal Qualcomm as a significant intellectual property holder. However, wireless and Qualcomm’s IP is technically positioned as enabling technology. Qualcomm isn’t in the hearables product market except as it supplied integrated circuits into product companies.
• Another enabling technology company ranking in the top 10 is Witricity Corporation (#7 assignee), which focuses on wireless power transfer and battery recharging technology. The position of this company represents the importance of this technology to the usability factor of hearables (expressed in the company’s patents via various embodiments), and the fact that plug-in recharging techniques just doesn’t work with devices small enough to fit in a user’s ear. The importance of this technology is reinforced via the Citations Sorted by Assignee table (Exhibit 8) which shows that the #2 and #3 notable citations portfolios are by Nigel Power LLC and Access Business Group International which both have IP holdings associated with inductive power transfer.
• Valencell is another enabling technology company ranked as the #18 assignee. Valencell focuses on biometric sensor technology for not only hearables but also the broader wearables product market. It has a sizable patent portfolio and intellectual property licensing business.
• The traditional hearing aid companies are also represented on the assignee list with Cochlear and Oticon ranked in the top 25 and a couple of the other hearing aid competitors ranked lower on the list (Starkey #67, GN Resound #225).
• Advance earbud IP is represented in the landscape top 25 assignees via Apple, Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic. This will be an interesting segment to watch as these companies add new technological capabilities and compete for differentiating advantages by utilizing and enforcing IP in the marketplace. It’s likely that these companies will also leverage the over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer business models to pursue applications in the traditional hearing aid market that are enabled by the Hearing Aid Act of 2017. See Market Intelligence section below.
• Hearing aid companies are certainly not idle in regard to innovation and are developing new technologies, filing new IP, and leveraging partnerships to better pursue the advanced earbud market. This is exemplified by Cochlear’s partnership with Apple and Oticon’s development efforts focused on machine learning, AI, and personal assistant interfaces. See the brief company profiles below.
• The hearables landscape also reveals two patent holding companies, Elwha LLC (#9 assignee) and Searete LLC (#16 assignee), both of which are subsidiaries of Intellectual Ventures. Intellectual Ventures is a business involved in the acquisition, licensing, and assertion of patents and through these subsidiaries controls IP that address the hearables market. See the brief company profiles below.

Market Intelligence:

The hearables market is currently experiencing dynamic changes as a result of two high-level market forces that are colliding and creating the new market for in-ear wearabes. The deregulation of the hearing aid industry and the emergence of smart wireless earbuds are the colliding forces that are creating an over-the-counter (OTC), direct-to-consumer, hearables market for products that not only augment hearing but will provide advanced capabilities to automatically adjust hearing experiences and provide interfaces to a variety of smart devices and personal assistants.

The deregulation of the hearing aid business was set into law via the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017, which included the Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act designed to provide greater public accessibility and affordability with hearing aids. Prior to this law hearing aids were required to be purchased from and administered by licensed professionals. The devices cost thousands of dollars and are generally not covered by Medicare or most insurance companies. Under the new law hearing aid devices for people with mild to moderate hearing loss can be purchased over the counter and without any assistance from a licensed professional. This has setup a direct collision with the audio earphone and advance earbud market.

The earphone and earbud market has advanced rapidly in just the last few years with wireless capabilities, noise cancellation and advanced audio processing, and interfaces to a variety of platforms that augment the entertainment value and functionality of the devices. Smart earbuds are delivering connectivity not only to mobile phones but also tablets, PCs, and smart home systems. These devices are leveraging biometric technology to measure and monitor heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and other characteristics for fitness and connected-health applications. Some devices are even enabling real-time language translation capabilities that work in conjunction with your mobile phone. If that weren’t enough, these devices are already sold via over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer channels that position them to better pursue the classical hearing aid market via the 2017 Hearing Aid Act.

The market for advanced hearables is growing on both fronts with hearing aids and advanced earbuds. Due to the cost and reimbursement dynamics of the classical hearing aid market, it’s estimated that only 20 to 30 percent of the people who can benefit from hearing aids actually get them. The Over the Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 has thus positioned that market to expand significantly to an 80% larger addressable customer base with lower prices and improved availability. That’s combined with the advanced earbud market which is also exhibiting substantial growth. Apple introduced its AirPod wireless earbuds in the fall of 2017. It’s estimated that Apple sold 60 million AirPods in 2019 amounting to a ~50% market share based on units and a ~70%+ market share based on revenue. The overall hearables market is expected to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of greater than 15% and have a $80 billion to $90 billion market size in the 2025-2026 timeframe.

References:

• President Trump Signs OTC Hearing Aid Legislation into Law - Aug 19, 2017 > https://www.hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/legislation/president-trump-signs-otc-hearing-aid-legislation-law
• Over the Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids - FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017 - July 24, 2018 > https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/consumer-products/hearing-aids
• What Are Smart Earbuds? - Hearables are more than wireless headphones - April 09, 2019 > https://www.lifewire.com/smart-earbuds-4151923
• Hearing loss statistics at a glance - November 30, 2019 > https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52814-Hearing-loss-statistics-at-a-glance
• Sound Advice About Hearing Loss - May 02, 2019 > https://www.consumerreports.org/hearing-aids/sound-advice-about-hearing-loss/
• Apple sold nearly 60 million AirPods in 2019, analysts estimate - Jan 16, 2020 > https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-sold-nearly-60-million-airpods-in-2019-strategy-analytics-2020-1
• Audio Streaming and New Bluetooth Technology to Drive Hearables Market, Reaching $80 billion in 2025 – January 15, 2020 > https://www.wearable-technologies.com/2020/01/audio-streaming-and-new-bluetooth-technology-to-drive-hearables-market-reaching-80-billion-in-2025/
• Hearables Market to Reach $93.85 Billion, Globally, by 2026 at 17.2% CAGR: Allied Market Research - Jan 27, 2020 > https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hearables-market-to-reach-93-85-billion-globally-by-2026-at-17-2-cagr-allied-market-research-300993473.html

Notable Top Corporate Assignees:

QUALCOMM INC - https://www.qualcomm.com/:

• #1 assignee, 9 inventors in top 250, 15 notable citations in the top 100, #1 notable citations portfolio, inventions spanning 3 CPC group codes.
• Qualcomm’s presence in the hearables IP domain collection is via its wireless technology, which materializes in the company’s product offering as chip solutions specifically focused on low power applications. Bluetooth LE (Low Energy), in particular, is the communications standard around which many of its products are designed.
• Qualcomm’s Next Generation Chip Technology Could Significantly Improve Battery Life for Wireless Headphones and Hearables - January 10, 2018 > https://hearinghealthmatters.org/blog/2018/qualcomm-improve-battery-life-wireless-headphones-hearables-hearing-aids/
• LE Audio: A new age of Bluetooth audio sharing - June 29, 2018 > https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2020/01/27/le-audio-new-age-bluetooth-audio-sharing
• QCC5100 Series - Ultra-low power, premium-tier SoCs> https://www.qualcomm.com/products/qcc5100-series
• Qualcomm’s new fully wireless in-ear chip makes banded Bluetooth buds obsolete - June 29, 2018 > https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/qualcomm-qcc3026-fully-wireless-headphones/

COCHLEAR LTD - https://www.cochlear.com/us/en/home:

• #2 assignee, 4 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 2 CPC group codes.
• Cochlear Ltd is an Australia-based company that provides implantable hearing solutions. The Company provides bone conduction implants for people with conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided deafness.
• FDA approves new cochlear implant with easier access to MRI and expanded connectivity ready for Google's direct streaming to Android smartphones - Jun 17, 2019 > https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/fda-approves-new-cochlear-implant-with-easier-access-to-mri-and-expanded-connectivity-ready-for-google-s-direct-streaming-to-android-smartphones/
• Apple partners with Cochlear Ltd to develop an implant which syncs to Apple products - Jul 28, 2017 > https://www.healthcareglobal.com/technology/apple-partners-cochlear-ltd-develop-implant-which-syncs-apple-products

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS - https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/audio/galaxy-buds/:

• #3 assignee, no inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 1 CPC group codes.
• Samsung's intersection with the hearables market is largely through its earbud products and its ability to leverage earphone and earbud applications with its Galaxy watch and mobile phone products.
• Samsung Bean earbuds show that hearables are coming back - March 5, 2020 > https://www.wareable.com/news/samsung-bean-earbuds-show-that-hearables-are-coming-back-7909

OSTERHOUT GROUP INC (Osterhout Design Group):

• #4 assignee, 7 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 2 CPC group codes.
• Osterhout Design Group was a Silicon Valley tech company focused on augment reality (AR) glasses. The company’s patents that intersect with hearables mostly reference applications of its AR glasses. Ultimately, the company was not successful in commercializing its AR glasses and was liquidated 2018 and its patent were sold on undisclosed terms in January of 2019.
• An AR glasses pioneer collapses> https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/10/an-ar-glasses-pioneer-collapses/
• Hilco Streambank – Osterhout Group Patent Sale> https://www.hilcostreambank.com/closed-deals/odg-smart-glasses
• Microsoft acquires patents for wearable technology worth up to US$150> https://www.technologyrecord.com/Article/microsoft-acquires-patents-for-wearable-technology-worth-up-to-us150-8805

SONY CORP - https://www.sony.com/electronics/headphones/t/truly-wireless-earbuds:

• #6 assignee, 1 inventor in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 2 CPC group codes.
• Sony’s intersection with the hearables market is largely through its audio headphones and earbud products as well as associated communications and battery technology.
• The best Sony headphones 2020 - January 27, 2020 > https://www.techradar.com/best/sony-headphones
• Apple AirPod alternatives: these are the best true wireless earbuds around (Sony WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Earbuds) – March 3, 2020 > https://www.techradar.com/news/best-true-wireless-earbuds-the-best-airpod-alternatives-around

WITRICITY CORP - https://witricity.com/:

• #7 assignee, 10 inventors in top 250, 1 notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 1 CPC group codes.
• Witricity is a private Massachusetts based company that focuses on wireless power transfer and recharging technology. The company’s core technology, a technique referred to as resonant wireless charging, was obtained via an exclusive license with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where it was initially developed. Witricity technology scales from very small devices like hearing aids, earbuds, and other hearables to large scale applications like electrical vehicle recharging. According to Crunchbase WiTricity has raised a total of $36 million, with the latest round raising $5 million in April of 2015.
• Is This the Future of Wireless Power in Medtech? - August 21, 2015 > https://www.mddionline.com/future-wireless-power-medtech
• Could wireless charging play a role in advancing EV adoption? - February 27, 2020 > https://witricity.com/wireless-charging-play-role-advancing-ev-adoption/
• Is this the end of wires at last? Intel partners with WiTricity - June 12, 2014 > https://www.itproportal.com/2014/06/12/is-this-the-end-of-wires-at-last-intel-partners-with-witricity/
• Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/witricity#section-overview

ELWHA LLC – (Intellectual Ventures - https://www.intellectualventures.com/):

• #9 assignee, 13 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, no inventions in the top 50 CPC group codes.
• Elwha LLC is a holding company of Intellectual Ventures which is a business involved in the acquisition, licensing, and assertion of patents. It owns numerous patents that apply to the hearables market sector.
• Companies belonging to the Intellectual Ventures - https://opencorporates.com/corporate_groupings/Intellectual%20Ventures
• Tech Giants (Elwha LLC and Intellectual Ventures) Eye Hearing Device Industry - April 21, 2015 > https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingeconomics/2015/tech-giants-eye-hearing-device-industry-as-target-for-rape-and-plunder/

DEKA PRODUCTS LP (aka DEKA Research & Development Corp. - http://www.dekaresearch.com):

• #11 assignee, 4 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 10 CPC group codes.
• DEKA Research & Development Corp. is a private R&D company founded by Dean Kamen, who is probably best known as the inventor of the Segway personal transportation device.  Today Deka and Kamen are no longer directly involved with the Segway but continue to focus on unique inventions and filing patents for those inventions. Many of those inventions, such as robotic prosthetics and wearable infusion pumps, intersect the medical market and rely on wearable and hearable technology.
• Deka Research Innovations> http://www.dekaresearch.com/innovations/

DIGIMARC CORP - https://www.digimarc.com/:

• #12 assignee, 2 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 4 CPC group codes.
• Digimarc is principally a developer and supplier of barcode-related products and technology. The company has a portfolio of patents and intellectual property around this focus. Its intersection with hearable is principally through the articulation of embodiments (i.e. potential implementation descriptions) in its patents that refer to earbuds and other ear-worn devices for interfacing with barcode and related products.

APPLE INC - https://www.apple.com/airpods/:

• #13 assignee, 1 inventor in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, no inventions in the top 50 CPC group codes.
• Apple has a significant position in the hearables market via its AirPods products. Its AirPods fall into a product category, which Apple calls "Wearables, Home and Accessories", which is the company's fastest growing segment according to its December 2019 financial results. This segment now accounts for $10 billion in quarterly revenue (exceeding the revenue derived from Mac computers).
• Apple’s fastest-growing business segment, which includes AirPods and Watch, is now bigger than Mac> https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/28/apple-wearables-home-and-accessories-segment-now-bigger-than-mac.html
• Apple Expected to Sell More Than 100 Million True Wireless Hearables in 2020 - February 11, 2020 > https://www.macrumors.com/2020/02/11/apple-to-sell-100-million-wireless-hearables-2020/

OTICON AS - https://www.oticon.com/:

• #15 assignee, no inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 1 CPC group codes.
• Oticon is a leading hearing aid developer and supplier headquartered in Denmark with U.S. headquarters in New Jersey. Oticon is a subsidiary of Demant Group (https://www.demant.com/) which has a portfolio of companies that span hearing aids, hearing implants, diagnostic equipment, and specialized audio communications equipment. Subsidiary hearing aid focused businesses include not only Oticon, but also Bernafon, Sonic, Phonic Ear and Frontrow. Oticon has been one of the leading developers of technology and products that merge traditional hearing aid functionality with machine learning, AI, and personal assistant capabilities.
• Oticon App Adjusts Your Hearing Aids For You - November 13, 2018 > https://hearingmojo.com/oticon-kaizn-app/
• Hearing Aids as a Home for Smart Assistants – The Hearables Market Expands - January 25, 2019 > https://voicebot.ai/2019/01/25/hearing-aids-as-a-home-for-smart-assistants-the-hearables-market-expands/

SEARETE LLC – (Intellectual Ventures - https://www.intellectualventures.com/):

• #16 assignee, 9 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, no inventions in the top 50 CPC group codes.
• Searete LLC is a holding company of Intellectual Ventures which is a business involved in the acquisition, licensing, and assertion of patents. It owns numerous patents that apply the hearables market sector.
• Tech Giants (Elwha LLC and Intellectual Ventures) Eye Hearing Device Industry - April 21, 2015 > https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingeconomics/2015/tech-giants-eye-hearing-device-industry-as-target-for-rape-and-plunder/
• Searete LLC - Bill Gates, top Microsoft executives do some of their inventing on the side: https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2008/11/Gates_top_Microsoft_executives_do_some_inventing_on_the_side34192179.html
• Bill Gates' New Career? - Nov 10th 2008 > https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=searete

MAGIC LEAP INC- https://www.magicleap.com/en-us:

• #17 assignee, 6 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 2 CPC group codes.
• Magic Leap Inc is a private company producing a wearable computer and augmented-reality (AR) headset, which is the context of most of its patent applications. It intersects the hearables domain via patents filed around applications of its AR headset. Since its founding in 2011 the company has raised $2.6 billion. Its last fund raising was in April 2019 for $280 million. Currently the company looks to be either raising another round of financing or exploring a sale.
• Magic Leap shifts focus to augmented reality for enterprises -DECEMBER 10 2019 > https://siliconangle.com/2019/12/10/magic-leap-shifts-focus-enterprise-augmented-reality/
• Magic Leap sees a bright future in AR healthcare – September 5, 2019 > https://www.fastcompany.com/90398573/magic-leap-sees-a-bright-future-in-ar-health-care
• Health Comes Into Focus at Magic Leap - September 4, 2019 > https://www.magicleap.com/news/partner-stories/magic-leap-spatial-health-and-fitness
• Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/magic-leap#section-funding-rounds
• Magic Leap Is Raising Another Big Funding Round -NOVEMBER 11, 2019 > https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/magic-leap-series-e-funding-1203401035/
• Augmented-Reality Startup Magic Leap to Explore a Sale - March 11, 2020 > https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-11/augmented-reality-startup-magic-leap-is-said-to-explore-a-sale

VALENCELL INC - https://valencell.com:

• #18 assignee, 3 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 2 CPC group codes.
• Valencell is a private company based in Raleigh, North Carolina that focuses on biometric sensor technology for wearables and hearables. It has a sizable patent portfolio and intellectual property licensing business in the market for biometric sensor and heart rate monitoring. Valencell most recently raised a Series E financing of $10.5 million in June of 2018 and has raised a total of $35 million since 2010. The company was founded in 2006.
• Valencell> About> https://valencell.com/about-us/
• Valencell>Patents> https://valencell.com/patents/
• Crunchbase >  https://www.crunchbase.com/search/funding_rounds/field/organizations/funding_total/valencell

INTEL CORP - https://www.intel.com:

• #21 assignee, no inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, no inventions in the top 50 CPC group codes.
• Prior to the summer of 2017 Intel had a "New Devices Group" that focused on wearables such as smart watches, smart earbuds, health and fitness monitors, and smart augmented reality glasses. Intel's intellectual property position reflected in this report looks to be as a result of technology developed by that group. The New Devices Group was shut down in the summer of 2017.
• Innovative connected devices monitor wellness > https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/embedded/healthcare/applications/wearables.html
• Intel Kills Its Wearables Division – July 21, 2017 > https://www.rttnews.com/2795253/intel-kills-its-wearables-division.aspx
• Intel axed its entire smartwatch and fitness-tracker group to focus on augmented reality, sources say - July 19, 2017 > https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/19/intel-eliminates-its-wearables-division-.html

PANASONIC IP CORP - https://www.panasonic.com/global/home.html:

• #22 assignee, 9 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 1 CPC group codes.
• Panasonic is a diversified electronics supplier and has been involved in the hearing aid business in Japan for a long time (since ~1960s). In addition, the company is also a global supplier of electronic components and batteries into the hearing aid market. Since approximately 2010 Panasonic has tried to enter the U.S. hearing aid market without much success. However, the company does have a notable market position in audio earbuds and looks to be leveraging that into the newer market for wireless and smart hearables.
• Panasonic Introduces New Receiver-In-The-Canal Hearing Aids Plus Wireless ‘Hearing Hub’ - January 4, 2012 > https://hearingmojo.com/panasonic-receiver-in-canal-hearing-aids/
• The New Guy Has Been Around For a Long Time – Panasonic - May 2, 2016 > http://hearingandbalancelab.com/2016/05/new-guy-around-long-time-panasonic/
• Panasonic introduces its first true wireless, noise-cancelling earbuds – January 6, 2020 > https://www.engadget.com/2020/01/06/panasonic-true-wireless-earbuds-technics/

Boston Scientific - https://www.bostonscientific.com/en-US/Home.html:

• CARDIAC PACEMAKERS INC: #23 assignee, 6 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, no inventions in the top 50 CPC group codes.
• Boston Scientific is a leading diversified medical device company. It acquired Cardiac Pacemakers Inc. via Boston Scientific's acquisition of Guidant Corporation in 2006. Cardiac Pacemakers was a division of Guidant via a spin-out of both businesses from Eli Lilly in 1994. The majority of the patent filings by Cardiac Pacemakers is focused on implantable medical devices related to pacemakers and references in-ear audio and wireless accessories.
• Boston Scientific and Guidant Announce Signing of Merger Agreement Valued at $27 Billion - Jan 26, 2006> https://news.bostonscientific.com/index.php?s=24913&item=22235
• Cardiac Pacemakers does business as Guidant Cardiac Rhythm Management and is a division of Boston Scientific. Crunchbase> https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/cardiac-pacemakers-inc#section-overview

SONITUS MEDICAL INC – Sonitus Technologies: http://www.sonitustechnologies.com/:

• #28 assignee, 4 inventors in top 250, no notable citations in the top 100, inventions spanning 1 CPC group codes.
• Sonitus Medical developed unique hearing aid technology, called the SoundBite Hearing System, that was implemented as a mouth-piece device and transmitted sound via the teeth. The company raised approximately $80 million between 2006 and 2014. But an adverse Medicare ruling in 2014 disallowed reimbursement coverage for their product as a hearing aid medical device and the company was shut down in early 2015. However, the technology was reborn, under Sonitus Technologies as a high-tech communications device called the ‘Molar Mic’ used in military and rescue applications.
• CMS Killed My $80M Venture-Backed Startup - April 2, 2015 > https://www.mddionline.com/cms-killed-my-80m-venture-backed-startup
• Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sonitus-medical#section-overview
• Soundbite Re-emerges as ‘Molar Mic’, a Military/Rescue Communication Device - Sep 12, 2018 > https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/hearing-loss-prevention/industrial-military/soundbite-re-emerges-molar-mic-militaryrescue-communication-device
• Sonitus Technologies Wins Multi-Million Dollar DOD Award for ‘Molar Mic’ Personal Communication System - September 11, 2018 > http://www.sonitustechnologies.com/sonitus-technologies-wins-multi-million-dollar-dod-award-for-molar-mic/

Exhibit 1: Domain Collection: Date Coverage

• This is a table summarizing the date coverage, listing the earliest and most recent dates for filed patent applications, published documents, and granted patents.
• Click on column headings to sort.
• Use the Search box to search on any column.

Exhibit 2: Domain Collection: Geographic Coverage

• This is a table summarizing the geographic distribution of patent applications and granted patents by country contained in the domain collection.
• Total number of patent applications = 7,830
• Total number of granted patents = 4,086
• Click on column headings to sort.
• Use the Search box to search on any column.

Exhibit 3: Domain Collection: Geographic Breakdown of English Patent Application Sections

• This table shows the geographic breakdown of the number patent applications with English abstracts, descriptions, and claims. This table is designed to provide context on the English-searchable patent documents from which landscape semantic-search results are derived and the documents that can be queried for additional intellectual property research.
• Google's BigQuery patents.publications data table contains full text information on U.S patent documents as well as abstract and bibliographic info on international patent documents. As of the date of this report, the BigQuery data table does not contain full text descriptions and claims for international patent documents.
• Total number of patent applications with English abstracts = 7,830
• Total number of patent applications with English descriptions = 7,828
• Total number of patent applications with English claims = 7,828
• Click on column headings to sort.
• Use the Search box to search on any column.

Exhibit 4: Domain Collection: Frequency of Patent Application Filings Timeline

• This shows a bar chart timeline of the frequency of patent application filings and provides a concise view of the historic trend of application filings embodied in the domain collection.
• More specifically, the bar chart shows the number of patent applications filed on a quarterly basis beginning with the earliest filed application in the domain collection and ending with the most recent application filing in the domain collection as queried from the Google BigQuery patents.publications dataset table.

Exhibit 5: Domain Collection: Top Inventors and the Principal Assignees

• This table identifies the top inventors listed on the patent applications contained in the domain collection and essentially identifies the top intellectual property experts of the domain area profiled. This table also lists the entities (corporations, educational institutions, etc.) to which those inventors have assigned the predominant number of patent applications, and thus identifies relationships between inventors and those assignees.
• The “Total Num of Patent Apps” column indicates the total number of patent applications on which the individual is listed as an inventor. The default sorting of the table is on this column in descending order.
• The “Num of Patent Apps per Assignee” column indicates the number of patent applications, on which the individual is listed as an inventor, that have been assigned to the indicated assignee.
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Exhibit 6: Domain Collection: Top Assignees

• This table identifies the top assignees of patent applications contained in the domain collection and largely shows the competitive landscape from an intellectual property perspective.
• The “Total Num of Patent Apps per Assignee” column indicates the total number of applications that have been assigned to the indicated assignee.
• The “Percent of Top 250 Assignees” column indicates the percentage of assignments of the indicated assignee across the top 250 assignees.
• The “Top 250 Inventors per Assignee” column indicates the number to inventors of the indicated assignees that rank in the top 250 inventors.
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Exhibit 7: Domain Collection: Top Patent Document Citations

• This table identifies the most cited patent document references across the domain collection and is designed to identify the most significant patent documents to the domain area profiled.
• A cited patent document is typically a patent application or granted patent that is considered as significant (prior art, or in some way relevant) to the patent application that cites it. This table below thus represents the list of most cited patent document references on patent applications in the domain collection. These cited patent documents may or may not be in the domain collection, but nonetheless represent notable references relevant to the domain collection.
• The “Number of Patent Apps” column indicates the number of times the citation was referenced across all applications in the domain collection.
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Exhibit 8: Domain Collection: Top Patent Document Citations, Sorted by Assignee

• This tables shows the same information as the previous Top Patent Document Citations table except this table is sorted by assignee and is designed to identify the assignees with most significant intellectual property position across the domain.
• Like the previous table, the “Number of Patent Apps” column indicates the number of times the citation was referenced across all applications in the domain collection.
• The “Tot Num of Patent Apps” column indicates the total number of patent application citations on an assignee basis. This number is computed by examining the citations per assignee and then summing the number of times those citations are referenced across the domain collection. The default sorting of the table ranks assignees in descending order of “Tot Num of Patent Apps” and thus provides an indication of the assignee’s intellectual property position in the domain area.
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Exhibit 9: Domain Collection: Top CPC Group Codes

• This is a table of the top CPC Group Codes (and the Group Code titles) that are assigned to patent applications across the domain collection and thus provides a ranking of the significant technology topics that are utilized in the domain area profiled.
• CPC codes are assigned to every patent application to categorize the inventive ideas embodied the application. The CPC code consists of at least 7 characters and digits as defined by the Cooperative Patent Classification code system. The first four characters and digits are referred to as the CPC Group Code, which happens to provide an appropriate level of descriptive detail useful in profiling the technology.
• The “Number of Patent Apps” column indicates the total number of times the CPC Group Code was assigned across all patent applications in the domain collection. Patent applications can be assigned multiple CPC codes representing potentially different inventive ideas embodied in the application.
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Exhibit 10: Domain Collection: Top CPC Group Codes by Assignee

• This is a table of the most significant CPC Group Code - assignee combinations of patent applications in the domain collection and thus provides an indication of the significant focus technologies for the various assignees.
• The “Number of Patent Apps” column indicates the number of patent applications, designated to the indicated assignee, to which the CPC Group Code was assigned. The default sorting of the table on this column in descending order thus ranks the most significant focus technologies for the indicated assignee.
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Exhibit 11: Domain Collection: Top CPC Codes Heatmap Timeline

• This shows a timeline heatmap of the number of patent applications that utilize the top CPC codes as filed on a quarterly basis spanning the domain collection application filing timeline. This heatmap is designed to provide visibility into the technology trends represented by the most used CPC codes in the domain collection.

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