U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE Information Products Division Technology Assessment and Forecast (TAF) Branch |
Class | Class Title | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Total |
438 | Semiconductor Device Manufacturing: Process | 19 | 26 | 33 | 38 | 61 | 177 |
257 | Active Solid-State Devices (e.g., Transistors, Solid-State Diodes) | 28 | 22 | 29 | 38 | 43 | 160 |
365 | Static Information Storage and Retrieval | 13 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 100 |
327 | Miscellaneous Active Electrical Nonlinear Devices, Circuits, and Systems | 7 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 69 |
714 | Error Detection/Correction and Fault Detection/Recovery | 7 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 54 |
326 | Electronic Digital Logic Circuitry | 8 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 48 |
430 | Radiation Imagery Chemistry: Process, Composition, or Product Thereof | 6 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 40 |
324 | Electricity: Measuring and Testing | 13 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 38 |
711 | Memory (Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems) | 3 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 29 |
716 | DP: Design and Analysis of Circuit or Semiconductor Mask (Data Processing) | 5 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 29 |
424 | Drug, Bio-Affecting and Body Treating Compositions (includes Class 514) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 26 |
361 | Electricity: Electrical Systems and Devices | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
451 | Abrading | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 23 |
712 | Processing Architectures and Instruction Processing, e.g., Processors (Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems) | 0 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 21 |
280 | Land Vehicles | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 20 |
331 | Oscillators | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 |
435 | Chemistry: Molecular Biology and Microbiology | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 19 |
710 | Input/Output (Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems) | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 18 |
428 | Stock Material or Miscellaneous Articles | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
005 | Beds | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
340 | Communications: Electrical | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
345 | Computer Graphics Processing, Operator Interface Processing, and Selective Visual Display Systems | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
713 | Support (Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems) | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
708 | Arithmetic Processing and Calculating (Electrical Computers) | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
250 | Radiant Energy | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
313 | Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
323 | Electricity: Power Supply or Regulation Systems | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
002 | Apparel | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
029 | Metal Working | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
128 | Surgery (includes Class 600) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
156 | Adhesive Bonding and Miscellaneous Chemical Manufacture | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
341 | Coded Data Generation or Conversion | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
606 | Surgery (instruments) | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
073 | Measuring and Testing | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
089 | Ordnance | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
347 | Incremental Printing of Symbolic Information | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
356 | Optics: Measuring and Testing | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
216 | Etching a Substrate: Processes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
360 | Dynamic Magnetic Information Storage or Retrieval | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
375 | Pulse or Digital Communications | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
473 | Games Using Tangible Projectile | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
707 | DP: Database and File Management, Data Structures, Or Document Processing (Data Processing) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
033 | Geometrical Instruments | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
036 | Boots, Shoes, and Leggings | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
043 | Fishing, Trapping, and Vermin Destroying | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
052 | Static Structures (e.g., Buildings) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
134 | Cleaning and Liquid Contact with Solids | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
219 | Electric Heating | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
297 | Chairs and Seats | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
359 | Optics: Systems (Including Communication) and Elements | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
445 | Electric Lamp or Space Discharge Component or Device Manufacturing | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
520 | Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers (includes Classes 520-528) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
703 | DP: Structural Design, Modeling, Simulation, and Emulation (Data Processing) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
015 | Brushing, Scrubbing, and General Cleaning | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
026 | Textiles: Cloth Finishing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
204 | Chemistry: Electrical and Wave Energy | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
220 | Receptacles | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
300 | Brush, Broom, and Mop Making | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
427 | Coating Processes | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
482 | Exercise Devices | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
702 | DP: Measuring, Calibrating, or Testing (Data Processing) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
084 | Music | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
126 | Stoves and Furnaces | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
137 | Fluid Handling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
174 | Electricity: Conductors and Insulators | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
182 | Fire Escape, Ladder, or Scaffold | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
283 | Printed Matter | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
363 | Electric Power Conversion Systems | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
382 | Image Analysis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
700 | DP: Generic Control Systems or Specific Applications (Data Processing) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
706 | DP: Artificial Intelligence (Data Processing) | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
034 | Drying and Gas or Vapor Contact with Solids | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
095 | Gas Separation: Processes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
102 | Ammunition and Explosives | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
114 | Ships | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
206 | Special Receptacle or Package | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
222 | Dispensing (apparatus and process) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
251 | Valves and Valve Actuation | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
264 | Plastic and Nonmetallic Article Shaping or Treating: Processes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
330 | Amplifiers | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
370 | Multiplex Communications | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
433 | Dentistry | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
439 | Electrical Connectors | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
442 | Fabric (Woven, Knitted, or Nonwoven Textile or Cloth, Etc.) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
604 | Surgery (Medicators and Receptors) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
024 | Buckles, Buttons, Clasps, Etc. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
083 | Cutting | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
119 | Animal Husbandry | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
144 | Woodworking | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
205 | Electrolysis: Processes, Compositions Used Therein, and Methods of Preparing the Compositions | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
277 | Seal for a Joint or Juncture | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
294 | Handling: Hand and Hoist-Line Implements | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
303 | Fluid-Pressure and Analogous Brake Systems | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
307 | Electrical Transmission or Interconnection Systems | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
411 | Expanded, Threaded, Driven, Headed, Tool-Deformed, or Locked-Threaded Fastener | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
416 | Fluid Reaction Surfaces (i.e., Impellers) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
434 | Education and Demonstration | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
532 | Organic Compounds (includes Classes 532-570) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
601 | Surgery: Kinesitherapy | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
623 | Prosthesis (i.e., Artificial Body Members), Parts Thereof, or Aids and Accessories Therefor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
701 | DP: Vehicles, Navigation, and Relative Location (Data Processing) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
016 | Miscellaneous Hardware | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
030 | Cutlery | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
037 | Excavating | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
101 | Printing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
124 | Mechanical Guns and Projectors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
138 | Pipes and Tubular Conduits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
164 | Metal Founding | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
187 | Elevator, Industrial Lift Truck, or Stationary Lift for Vehicle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
192 | Clutches and Power-Stop Control | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
210 | Liquid Purification or Separation | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
239 | Fluid Sprinkling, Spraying, and Diffusing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
242 | Winding, Tensioning, or Guiding | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
248 | Supports (e.g., for holding articles, etc.) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
267 | Spring Devices | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
310 | Electrical Generator or Motor Structure | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
336 | Inductor Devices | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
342 | Communications: Directive Radio Wave Systems and Devices (e.g., Radar, Radio Navigation) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
355 | Photocopying | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
362 | Illumination | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
367 | Communications, Electrical: Acoustic Wave Systems and Devices | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
368 | Horology: Time Measuring Systems or Devices | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
404 | Road Structure, Process, or Apparatus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
425 | Plastic Article or Earthenware Shaping or Treating: Apparatus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
431 | Combustion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
432 | Heating | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
436 | Chemistry: Analytical and Immunological Testing | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
530 | Chemistry: Natural Resins or Derivatives; Peptides or Proteins; Lignins or Reaction Products Thereof | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
602 | Surgery: Splint, Brace, or Bandage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
014 | Bridges | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
040 | Card, Picture, or Sign Exhibiting | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
053 | Package Making | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
056 | Harvesters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
060 | Power Plants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
062 | Refrigeration | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
070 | Locks | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
081 | Tools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
099 | Foods and Beverages: Apparatus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
100 | Presses | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
108 | Horizontally Supported Planar Surfaces | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
116 | Signals and Indicators | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
123 | Internal-Combustion Engines | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
125 | Stone Working | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
132 | Toilet | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
148 | Metal Treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
157 | Wheelwright Machines | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
160 | Flexible or Portable Closure, Partition, or Panel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
165 | Heat Exchange | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
166 | Wells (shafts or deep borings in the earth, e.g., for oil and gas) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
169 | Fire Extinguishers | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
180 | Motor Vehicles | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
184 | Lubrication | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
191 | Electricity: Transmission To Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
211 | Supports: Racks | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
221 | Article Dispensing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
223 | Apparel Apparatus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
224 | Package and Article Carriers | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
227 | Elongated-Member-Driving Apparatus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
244 | Aeronautics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
254 | Implements or Apparatus for Applying Pushing or Pulling Force | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
256 | Fences | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
266 | Metallurgical Apparatus | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
269 | Work Holders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
273 | Amusement Devices: Games | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
281 | Books, Strips, and Leaves | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
289 | Knots and Knot Tying | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
292 | Closure Fasteners | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
312 | Supports: Cabinet Structure | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
315 | Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices: Systems | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
318 | Electricity: Motive Power Systems | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
333 | Wave Transmission Lines and Networks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
337 | Electricity: Electrothermally or Thermally Actuated Switches | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
338 | Electrical Resistors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
343 | Communications: Radio Wave Antennas | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
349 | Liquid Crystal Cells, Elements and Systems | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
358 | Facsimile and Static Presentation Processing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
372 | Coherent Light Generators | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
374 | Thermal Measuring and Testing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
377 | Electrical Pulse Counters, Pulse Dividers, or Shift Registers: Circuits and Systems | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
378 | X-Ray or Gamma Ray Systems or Devices | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
379 | Telephonic Communications | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
385 | Optical Waveguides | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
401 | Coating Implements with Material Supply | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
408 | Cutting by Use of Rotating Axially Moving Tool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
414 | Material or Article Handling | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
415 | Rotary Kinetic Fluid Motors or Pumps | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
417 | Pumps | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
418 | Rotary Expansible Chamber Devices | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
422 | Chemical Apparatus and Process Disinfecting, Deodorizing, Preserving, or Sterilizing | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
429 | Chemistry: Electrical Current Producing Apparatus, Product, and Process | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
440 | Marine Propulsion | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
446 | Amusement Devices: Toys | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
449 | Bee Culture (propagating, raising, caring for bees) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
450 | Foundation Garments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
454 | Ventilation | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
460 | Crop Threshing or Separating | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
472 | Amusement Devices | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
475 | Planetary Gear Transmission Systems or Components | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
492 | Roll or Roller | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
493 | Manufacturing Container or Tube From Paper; or Other Manufacturing From a Sheet or Web | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
510 | Cleaning Compositions for Solid Surfaces, Auxiliary Compositions Therefor, or Processes of Preparing the Compositions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
709 | Multiple Computer or Process Coordinating (Electrical Computers and Digital Processing Systems) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
717 | DP: Software Development, Installation, and Management (Data Processing) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
ALL | ALL CLASSES | 254 | 276 | 323 | 340 | 378 | 1571 |
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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Washington, DC 20231 tel: (703) 306-2600
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ftp download of TAF reports from : ftp.uspto.gov/pub/taf/