Overall rank by patents
#6,268
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
Qwest Communications International Inc.
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 54 granted patents across 23 technology areas, active 2015–2020. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION).
54
Total patents granted
23
CPC technology areas
20.3
Avg claims per patent
-96%
5-year filing velocity
The verdict
Qwest holds 54 US patents across 23 technology areas — rank #6,268 of 50,000 tracked assignees.
- #6,268
- of 50,000 US assignees by volume
- Top 29%
- by Innovation Score (43.0/100)
- 20.3
- avg claims per patent
- -96%
- filing velocity, last 5 yrs
Portfolio overview
Qwest Communications International Inc. has been granted 54 US utility patents between 2015 and 2020, placing Qwest Communications International Inc. at rank #6,268 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 23 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 20.3 claims per patent with primary concentration in H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION). As a US Corporation, Qwest Communications International Inc. is one of the more focused assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 43.0/100 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 2 grants, compared with 52 in the 2015–2019 window — a -96% 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. Qwest Communications International Inc.'s 20.3 average claims per patent reflects complex, broadly scoped inventions that are difficult for competitors to design around, while a multi-domain presence across 23 subclasses balances depth with breadth. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark Qwest Communications International Inc. against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does Qwest 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
- Qwest Communicati… ◀ 54
Qwest Communications International Inc.
54 patents
What this shows Qwest holds 54 patents — placing it at rank #6,268 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
Qwest's Innovation Score vs. every tracked assignee
Composite of portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth (0–100)
43 Top 29% higher than 71% of 50,000 US assignees
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US assignees. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USPTO PatentsView — PlainPatent Innovation Score · 2015–2025
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2020
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 | 21 | 38.9% |
| 2016 | 17 | 31.5% |
| 2017 | 10 | 18.5% |
| 2018 | 2 | 3.7% |
| 2019 | 2 | 3.7% |
| 2020 | 2 | 3.7% |
Which technologies does Qwest Communications International Inc. patent most?
Top 15 of 23 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Light
Tech Breadth Multi-domain
Claim Depth Complex
Velocity Declining
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does Qwest Communications International Inc. hold?
Qwest Communications International Inc. holds 54 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2020, spanning 23 technology areas.
What is Qwest Communications International Inc.'s Innovation Score?
Qwest Communications International Inc. has an Innovation Score of 43.0 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does Qwest Communications International Inc. focus on?
Qwest Communications International Inc.'s top technology area is H04L (TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION) with 30 patents. The company has filed patents in 23 CPC subclasses total.
Is Qwest Communications International Inc.'s patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
Qwest Communications International Inc.'s recent filing velocity is -96% compared to the prior five-year period. Filing activity has slowed relative to earlier years.
What does claim depth mean for Qwest Communications International Inc.'s patents?
Qwest Communications International Inc.'s patents average 20.3 claims each. This indicates complex, broadly scoped patents that are harder for competitors to design around.
How is the Qwest Communications International 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
How to use this portfolio
Qwest's 54 grants land it in the top 29% by Innovation Score — but volume alone doesn't tell you where the strength sits.
- Read that count against the largest US assignees before treating it as dominance — Qwest ranks #6,268 of 50,000. Top 50 holders
- Most of this portfolio concentrates in H04L — see who else leads that technology area. H04L leaders
- Check what the four-part Innovation Score actually rewards before comparing it to another company. How the score works
Patent counts and the Innovation Score measure patenting activity — not commercial success or the legal strength of any patent. Many patents are filed defensively. Verify the status of an individual patent against official USPTO records.
Explore the patent dataset
H04L technology
Qwest Communications International Inc.'s primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where Qwest Communications International 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.
Data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — the disambiguated bulk patent-grant, assignee, and CPC data this page's figures are derived from. patentsview.org
- Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) — the joint USPTO/EPO classification scheme used to group patents by technology area. cooperativepatentclassification.org
- USPTO Patent Public Search — the official interface to verify the status of any individual patent. ppubs.uspto.gov
