Sonos has a total of 3597 patents globally, out of which 2461 have been granted. Of these 3597 patents, more than 85% patents are active. The United States of America is where Sonos has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Europe (EPO) and Japan. Parallelly, USA seems to be the main focused R&D center and also is the origin country of Sonos.
Sonos was founded in 2002. The Company designs, develops and produces audio products. The Company offers charging cradles, music players, alternating current adapters, controllers, wireless speakers, and loudspeakers.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of Sonos which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find Sonos patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over Sonos patent portfolio.
How many patents does Sonos have?
Sonos has a total of 3597 patents globally. These patents belong to 596 unique patent families. Out of 3597 patents, 3060 patents are active.
How Many Patents did Sonos File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | Sonos Applications Filed | Sonos Patent Granted |
| 2022 | 246 | 298 |
| 2021 | 343 | 367 |
| 2020 | 373 | 370 |
| 2019 | 430 | 326 |
| 2018 | 354 | 303 |
| 2017 | 243 | 231 |
| 2016 | 363 | 162 |
| 2015 | 401 | 83 |
| 2014 | 274 | 25 |
| 2013 | 209 | 16 |
| 2012 | 173 | 8 |
How many Sonos patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did Sonos File in Different Countries?
Countries in which Sonos Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| United States Of America | 1776 |
| Europe | 405 |
| Japan | 269 |
| China | 246 |
| United Kingdom | 162 |
| Germany | 158 |
| Austria | 151 |
| Canada | 61 |
| Australia | 47 |
| Korea (South) | 36 |
| India | 4 |
| Italy | 2 |
| Netherlands | 2 |
| Hong Kong (S.A.R.) | 2 |
| Switzerland | 1 |
Where are Research Centers of Sonos Patents Located?
What Technologies are covered by Sonos Patents?
Renowned for their groundbreaking contributions to the field of wireless audio systems, Sonos has revolutionized the way we experience sound within our homes. Let’s have a look at the different technological domains that have been covered by them:
They have filed the maximum patents related to Audio Playback Systems & Control which include areas like Playback Devices & Management, followed by Speaker Unit.
Playback Management: It involves tasks such as play, pause, skip, volume control, synchronization across multiple devices and others. This is focused on ensuring smooth and seamless playback experiences for users.
Patents under Playback Devices include Techniques for Extending the Lifespan of Playback Devices, Suspension Elements For Playback Devices and others.
The patents under Speaker Unit include Method of assembling a loudspeaker, Membrane Unit for Speaker Device and a patent on Passive Speaker among many others!
Data Communication & Processing cover patents like Wireless Transmission to Satellites and radios etc.
“US11363397B2” this patent under Smart Device talks about Intelligent Amplifier Activation.
Sonos has also filed an intriguing patent (KR1020010096307A) under Healthcare! This technology lets you use a special scale that can send your weight data to a website automatically. Later, when you visit the website, you can see your weight history in the form of graphs and stats, or receive it through fax or email. This is handy for tracking your health without needing a computer.
Some other interesting patents filed by Sonos are Scent Diffusing System (US20230218795A1), Sound and Light Experiences (US20230007752A1), Multimedia Experience according to Biometrics (US11163520B2).
The chart below distributes patents filed by Sonos in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where Sonos thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How Sonos’ Research Focus Changed Over the Years?
10 Best Sonos Patents
US8234395B2 is the most popular patent in the Sonos portfolio. It has received 1860 citations so far from companies like Denso Corporation, Apple and IBM.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of Sonos:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US8234395B2 | 1860 |
| US7571014B1 | 1721 |
| US8483853B1 | 1448 |
| US8290603B1 | 556 |
| US9042556B2 | 335 |
| US8588949B2 | 310 |
| US7792311B1 | 292 |
| US8370678B2 | 216 |
| US8086752B2 | 209 |
| US8423659B2 | 208 |
How many inventions of other companies were rejected due to Sonos patents?
The statistics below share strategic R&D insights. It tells the companies that were trying to protect inventions similar to Sonos invention. They couldn’t because Sonos had protected those before them.
Examiners at the USPTO referred 313 Sonos patents in 1825 rejections (35 USC § 102 or 35 USC § 103 types).
The top citing companies in the Sonos patent portfolio are Apple, Chase Bank and Samsung Electronics.
List of the Companies whose Patents were rejected citing Sonos –
| Company | Number of Patent Applications that faced Rejection Citing Sonos Patents | Number of Rejections (102 & 103) |
| Apple | 56 | 137 |
| Chase Bank | 46 | 91 |
| Samsung Electronics | 39 | 105 |
| Amazon Technologies | 30 | 53 |
| 30 | 49 | |
| Yamaha Corporation | 26 | 83 |
| Bose Corporation | 22 | 46 |
| Spotify | 21 | 40 |
| Sony Corporation | 17 | 50 |
| B & W Group | 14 | 48 |
Count of 102 and 103 Type Rejections based on Sonos Patents
Top Sonos Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications
| Patent Number | Count of Rejected Applications |
| US8234395B2 | 27 |
| US7571014B1 | 20 |
| US10181323B2 | 19 |
| US10499146B2 | 16 |
| US9052810B2 | 14 |
| US9965247B2 | 13 |
| US10095470B2 | 12 |
| US9084058B2 | 11 |
| US9106192B2 | 11 |
| US8930005B2 | 10 |
| US8483853B1 | 9 |
| US8903526B2 | 8 |
| US10115400B2 | 8 |
| US8908879B2 | 8 |
| US9286384B2 | 8 |
What Percentage of Sonos US Patent Applications were Granted?
Sonos (Excluding its subsidiaries) has filed 1431 patent applications at USPTO so far (Excluding Design and PCT applications). Out of these 1198 have been granted leading to a grant rate of 97.88%.
Below are the key stats of Sonos patent prosecution at the USPTO.
Which Law Firms Filed Most US Patents for Sonos?
| Law Firm | Total Applications | Success Rate |
| Akerman | 815 | 97.43% |
| Ls3 | 331 | 98.94% |
| Fortem | 235 | 98.52% |
| Kppb Llp | 29 | 95.00% |
| Finch & Maloney | 17 | 100.00% |
| Sonos | 2 | 100.00% |
| Invention Mine | 1 | 100.00% |
| Oblon Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt | 1 | 100.00% |
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