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Run your analysis now →https://eureka.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/edge-computing-network-function-virtualization-instance-placement-patent-landscape-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-08-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Edge Computing NFV Instance PlacementEdge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patents
A data-backed view of edge computing NFV instance placement patents: who holds the filings, how the field concentrated after its 2021 peak, and where the technology composition leaves gaps for new claims.
33
Published Records
79%
Top-5 Share of All Records
-77%
Filing Growth 2021→2024
US
Leading Jurisdiction
Filing growth = 2021 (13 records) → 2024 (3); 2024 is the last year we treat as complete. Top-5 share = the 5 largest assignees ÷ all 33 records in scope (CR5), not the ranked leaders only.
Published byPatsnap Research··5 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Field Overview
What this patent set covers
This landscape tracks patent families at the intersection of edge computing / mobile edge deployments and network function virtualization, isolated to filings that explicitly address placement or instantiation of virtual network functions. That scoping keeps the set small and technically specific: 33 published records in total, rather than the much larger generic NFV or generic edge-computing corpora that would dilute the placement-and-instantiation question.
The dataset spans 2015 through the 2026 cut-off, with the bulk of activity concentrated in a short window around 2019–2021. Because publication lags filing by roughly eighteen months, the most recent one to two years understate actual filing activity and should be read as provisional rather than as a genuine slowdown.
Filing activity and technology composition, 2015–2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Edge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
The Numbers
Filing trend and classification spread
Two views of the same 33-record set: how filings moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses the claims actually sit in.
A sharp rise and an equally sharp pullback
Filings rose to a peak of 13 in 2021, then fell to 3 by 2024 — a 77% decline over that three-year span. That is the steepest reliable read the data supports; 2025 and 2026 are too recent to call a trend given normal publication lag.
Publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in. Growth rates on this page therefore end at 2024; running them to the last bar would understate the field.
Classification concentrates in digital transmission
H04L (digital information transmission) appears in 81.8% of the 33 records, far ahead of G06F (30.3%) and H04W (27.3%). AI-model computing (G06N), signalling/alarm systems (G08B) and semiconductor devices (H01L) each appear in only one record apiece — thin but present adjacent branches.
Shares are the percentage of the 33 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Edge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
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Try EurekaRepresentative Filing
A representative instance-placement patent
Representative Patent
System and method for virtual network function and multi-access edge computing topology
CHUNGHWA TELECOM CO., LTD.
Covers receiving a VNF descriptor, generating provisioning data and internal topology information from it, instantiating the VNF according to that provisioning data, and outputting a graphical user interface showing the resulting internal topology and network components.Filed by Chunghwa Telecom; granted as US12028218B2.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Edge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Four findings a claims strategist would pull from this set before deciding where to file next.
Concentration
78.8%
of 33 records held by top 5
A short list controls most of the field
The top five assignees combined account for 26 of 33 records — 78.8% of everything in scope — and the top ten cover the entire dataset. With only 24 ranked assignees total, this is a field where a handful of holders already occupy most of the visible claim space.
Top 10 = 100.0% of all 33 records
Filing momentum
13 → 3
records, 2021 to 2024
Activity peaked in 2021 and cooled sharply
The 77% decline from 2021's peak of 13 to 3 in 2024 is the clearest complete-year comparison available. Read it as a real pullback in that window, not as evidence the field is dying — 2025 and 2026 figures are still incomplete under normal publication lag.
Peak year: 2021 at 13 records
Classification spread
81.8%
of records touch H04L
Digital transmission claims dominate
H04L shows up in 81.8% of the 33 records, with G06F and H04W as secondary classes. The long tail — G06N, G08B, H01L — sits at one record each, marking branches that are technically adjacent but barely claimed.
6 IPC subclasses represented across the set
Filing geography
13 US filings
leads receiving offices
US and China lead where protection is sought
United States filings (13) lead the receiving-office count, followed by China (6), WIPO/PCT (5), Europe (3), Germany (2) and India (2). That spread signals the US and China as the primary battlegrounds for enforcement in this niche.
6 receiving offices recorded
Eureka AI Agent
Looking for what nobody has claimed yet?
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to edge computing network function virtualization instance placement patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Derived observations on the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Edge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Next Steps
Where to take this analysis
The numbers point to a concentrated core and a thin periphery. Here is how to act on each.
Map the leader's actual claim boundaries
With one assignee holding 13 of 33 records, understanding exactly what their granted claims cover — not just that they filed — determines whether a new placement algorithm is clear or blocked.
Explore claim scope in EurekaTest the under-claimed branches
G06N, G08B and H01L each carry a single record. Before assuming that means no prior art, run a targeted search to confirm the gap holds at the claim-language level.
Run a white-space search in EurekaSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Edge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions on this landscape
The ranking covers 24 assignees, and the leader holds 13 of the 33 total records in scope. The top five assignees combined hold 26 records, or 78.8% of everything published in this niche, and the top ten cover all 33 records. That means the field has almost no filers outside a short list of ranked leaders — anyone doing freedom-to-operate work here should start with that short list rather than a broad market scan.
Filings peaked at 13 in 2021 and dropped to 3 by 2024, a 77% decline across that span — the steepest complete-year comparison the data supports. However, publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so 2025 and 2026 figures are still incomplete and should not be read as continued decline. The honest read is: a filing surge around 2019-2021, followed by a real pullback through 2024, with the most recent years too new to call.
H04L (digital information transmission) is the dominant class, appearing in 81.8% of the 33 records in scope, followed by G06F (electric digital data processing) at 30.3% and H04W (wireless communication networks) at 27.3%. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these shares add up to more than 100% — that is expected and reflects overlapping claim scope rather than double-counting. Smaller classes like G06N, G08B and H01L each appear in only one record, marking thin adjacent territory.
The classification data points to G06N (AI-based computing), G08B (signalling/alarm systems) and H01L (semiconductor devices) as the thinnest branches, each with only one of 33 records touching them. These sit adjacent to the dominant H04L transmission claims but are not yet crowded. A first mover combining AI-driven placement logic with the core VNF instantiation mechanics documented in records like US12028218B2 would be filing into genuinely open space rather than a contested core.
The United States leads receiving offices with 13 filings, ahead of China at 6, WIPO/PCT filings at 5, Europe (EPO) at 3, and Germany and India at 2 each. This spread suggests the US and China are the primary jurisdictions where enforcement risk and freedom-to-operate diligence matter most for anyone building placement or instantiation systems for commercial deployment.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Edge Computing Network Function Virtualization Instance Placement Patent Landscape covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-08-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.