Overall rank by patents
#397
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
Cree, Inc.
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 1,127 granted patents across 85 technology areas, active 2015–2022. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: H01L (SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10).
1,127
Total patents granted
85
CPC technology areas
24.1
Avg claims per patent
-88%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
Cree, Inc. has been granted 1,127 US utility patents between 2015 and 2022, placing Cree, Inc. at rank #397 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 85 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 24.1 claims per patent with primary concentration in H01L (SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10). As a US Corporation, Cree, Inc. is one of the broader-portfolio assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 63.9/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.
Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 125 grants, compared with 1,002 in the 2015–2019 window — a -88% shift in five-year velocity. A cooling filing rate may reflect portfolio consolidation, shifting priorities, or reduced R&D throughput. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.
Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. Cree, Inc.'s 24.1 average claims per patent reflects complex, broadly scoped inventions that are difficult for competitors to design around, while a multi-domain presence across 85 subclasses balances depth with breadth. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark Cree, Inc. against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does Cree compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- Cree ◀ 1,127
Cree, Inc.
1,127 patents
What this shows Cree holds 1,127 patents — placing it at rank #397 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2022
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 239 | 21.2% |
| 2016 | 269 | 23.9% |
| 2017 | 232 | 20.6% |
| 2018 | 142 | 12.6% |
| 2019 | 120 | 10.6% |
| 2020 | 73 | 6.5% |
| 2021 | 49 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0.3% |
Which technologies does Cree, Inc. patent most?
Top 15 of 85 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Strong
Tech Breadth Multi-domain
Claim Depth Complex
Velocity Declining
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does Cree, Inc. hold?
Cree, Inc. holds 1,127 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2022, spanning 85 technology areas.
What is Cree, Inc.'s Innovation Score?
Cree, Inc. has an Innovation Score of 63.9 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does Cree, Inc. focus on?
Cree, Inc.'s top technology area is H01L (SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10) with 409 patents. The company has filed patents in 85 CPC subclasses total.
Is Cree, Inc.'s patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
Cree, Inc.'s recent filing velocity is -88% compared to the prior five-year period. Filing activity has slowed relative to earlier years.
What does claim depth mean for Cree, Inc.'s patents?
Cree, Inc.'s patents average 24.1 claims each. This indicates complex, broadly scoped patents that are harder for competitors to design around.
How is the Cree, Inc. patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
H01L technology
Cree, Inc.'s primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where Cree, Inc. ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
