# Patent Portfolio Analysis of the Synergy between Machine Learning and Photonics
## 4 Results  
### Patent Search Results  
To understand current technological developments, the patent search results must be analyzed prior to the correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. Table 1 presents the top ten three-level IPC numbers related to machine learning and photonics. Table 1 shows a comprehensive overview of the IPC distribution of the patents.  
The data presented in Table 1 reveal that technologies are concentrated around G06T, G06F, G02B, A61B, G06K, H04L, and H04N. G06T concerns image data processing or generation; G06F concerns electric digital data processing; G02B concerns optical elements, systems, or apparatus; A61B concerns diagnosis, surgery, and identification; G06K concerns the recognition of data; H04L concerns the transmission of digital information; and H04N concerns pictorial communication. The technologies related to machine learning and photonics mainly involve image processing, computing, and medical applications; optical components (G06T, G06F, G02B, A61B, G06K, H04N); and digital information transmission and data processing methods (H04L, G06N, G16H, G06Q) (Table 1). Appendix A displays the definition of IPC categories.  
The results of the analysis of the top ten assignees are listed in Table 2. It shows the top ten assignees with the highest number of patents. The results indicate that AT&T Intellectual Property (San Antonio, TX, USA) has the highest number of granted patents;  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Ranking** & **IPC Number** & **Quantity** & **Percentage** \\ \hline
1 & G06T & 212 & 7.11\% \\
2 & G06F & 197 & 6.61\% \\
3 & G02B & 172 & 5.77\% \\
4 & A61B & 162 & 5.44\% \\
5 & G06K & 137 & 4.60\% \\
6 & H04L & 134 & 4.50\% \\
7 & H04N & 110 & 3.69\% \\
8 & G06N & 80 & 2.68\% \\
9 & G16H & 77 & 2.58\% \\
10 & G06Q & 68 & 2.28\% \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Top ten three-level IPC numbers related to machine learning and photonics.  
it innovates in the development of communications. In the era of Internet of Things, optical communication and machine learning have become the primary means to improve communication transmission. AT&T Intellectual Property owns a large number of patents and patent portfolios used in the field of communications. AT&T Intellectual Property is followed by Intel Corporation (Santa Clara, CA, USA), Magic Leap (Plantation, FL, USA), and International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY, USA), in that order; they are three leading companies of global smart software, augmented reality devices, and related services. This study indicates that these companies prioritize not only AI development but also the synergy between machine learning and photonics. Microsoft Technology Licensing (Redmond, DC, USA) is responsible for authorizing the patents of Microsoft and those of related technologies companies. As a computer technology company, Microsoft has dedicated itself to integrating machine learning into photonics to create Computer Vision, which visualizes the world. The top ten assignees were mostly related to optical communication and equipment (such as AT&T Intellectual Property), smart computing (such as Intel, Magic Leap (Plantation, FL, USA), International Business Machines, and Microsoft Technology Licensing (Redmond, DC, USA)), medical applications involving machine learning and photonics (such as HeartFlow (Redwood City, CA, USA) and Align Technology (San Jose, CA, USA)), and academic institutions that utilize machine learning and photonics (such as California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA, USA)) (Table 2).