238 patents currently held
151 more in force are now held by other companies
Held is read from USPTO's recorded assignments; a transfer never recorded there does not appear.
The next term ends in Dec 2026. from the record
Of the 151 now held by other companies, 128 name Tianma Microelectronics Co. Ltd. as their current owner, and 23 more name another party. Each row says which.
Free plan: 3 watched companies. Pro: unlimited.
Alerts on its grants, lapses and transfers.
142
Ending by 2030
Dec 2026
Next term end
201
Patent families
When these terms end
Held patents by the year their term ends
notable patents
fee due within 90 days
all others
Updated Nov 14, 2026 · includes USPTO assignment & status data published Nov 14, 2026 and grant & fee data published Nov 10, 2026 (weekly) · how we know
Notable: the highest-ranked patents in this portfolio by citations and family size. Fee due within 90 days: a maintenance fee is due within 90 days of when this page was computed and not yet paid.
Notable patents
Ranked by citations and family size, against patents of the same kind granted the same year. How we rank
Notable
Ends May 2030 · High confidence
Also notable
Ends Jul 2029 · High confidence
Also notable
Ends Feb 2032 · High confidence
Optical member, light source apparatus, display apparatus, and terminal apparatus
US 8,780,300
Cited by 123 later US patents, top 5% of utility patents granted in 2014 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2030.
Display Device, Driving Method Thereof, Terminal Device, and Display Panel
US 7,969,544
Cited by 45 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2011 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2029.
Display Device, Terminal Device, Display Panel, and Display Device Driving Method
US 8,446,355
Cited by 27 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2013 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2032.
Formerly held, still cited
Notable
Ends Dec 2029 · High confidence
Cited by 70 later US patents, top 10% of utility patents granted in 2014 in our data, and renewed at 3 of 3 maintenance windows. Protection runs to 2029.
now held by Beihai Huike Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd.
Fee deadlines
Maintenance fees fall due 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 years after grant. A missed fee ends a patent at the end of the six month grace period that follows, not on the due date.
- 1 fee due Nov 26, 2026The maintenance fee for Liquid crystal display device, driving control circuit and driving method used in same (US 9,041,641) comes due Nov 26, 2026. Unpaid by May 26, 2027, it lapses early.
- 3 fees due Dec 2 to 30, 2026 · next Dec 2
- 4 fees due Jan 7 to 28, 2027 · next Jan 7
- 2 fees due Feb 4 to 11, 2027 · next Feb 4
- 5 fees due Mar 1 to 22, 2027 · next Mar 1
- 1 fee due Apr 20, 2027The maintenance fee for Surface Light-Emitting Device (US 9,164,319) comes due Apr 20, 2027. Unpaid by Oct 20, 2027, it lapses early.
- 3 fees due May 3 to 24, 2027 · next May 3
- 4 fees due Jun 1 to 22, 2027 · next Jun 1
- 5 fees due Jul 5 to 26, 2027 · next Jul 5
- 3 fees due Sep 1 to 22, 2027 · next Sep 1
- 3 fees due Oct 5 to 19, 2027 · next Oct 5
Recent changes
- 6 terms have ended since Aug 16, 2026
What they patent
The 5 largest of its 201 families, grouped by real patent family and labeled by the earliest filing in each. No technology classification is inferred from titles.
| Display Device, Driving Method Thereof, Terminal Device, and Display Panel | 6 in force | to Jul 2029 |
| Lateral Electric Field Liquid Crystal Display Device and Manufacturing Method Thereof | 3 in force | to Mar 2033 |
| Display Device, Terminal Device, Display Panel, and Display Device Driving Method | 3 in force | to Feb 2032 |
| Dual Panel Liquid Crystal Display Device | 3 in force | to Apr 2029 |
| Semiconductor Device Having Semiconductor Layer on Insulating Structure and Method of Manufacturing the Same | 3 in force | to Jul 2028 |
Patents held now
Soonest term end first.
| Patent | Title | Status | Expires | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 7,474,374 | In-Plane-Switching-Mode LCD Device Having a Higher Image Quality In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,871,846 | Thin-Film Transistor, Tft-Array Substrate, Liquid-Crystal Display Device and Method of Fabricating the Same In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,683,375 | Thin-Film Transistor with Controllable Etching Profile In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,981,811 | Semiconductor Device and Method for Manufacturing Same In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 8,081,288 | Method of Making a Liquid Crystal Display Device Having a Heat Dissipation Pattern In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,518,582 | Liquid Crystal Panel, Liquid Crystal Display Device, and Electronic Equipment In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,618,881 | Thin-Film Transistor and Manufacturing Method Thereof In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,483,106 | In-Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Display Device In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,656,372 | Method for Driving Liquid Crystal Display Device Having a Display Pixel Region and a Dummy Pixel Region In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence | |
| US 7,612,847 | Generation of Pattern Data with No Overlapping or Excessive Distance Between Adjacent Patterns In force · High confidence | In force | High confidence |
Also on record, not counted in the 238: 151 patents in force now held by others · 328 patents ended · 1 application pending · 37 applications abandoned. List them
Sources and methods
Compiled from USPTO application file histories, grants and recorded assignments, with the company's own names reviewed by hand. How this record was built
Portfolio grouped automatically from ownership conveyances to the names matched to this company, usually every name that begins with its own, so it counts patents an affiliate holds; each list row names the holder of record. Security interests are excluded and ambiguous records are not reviewed by hand.
Fee due within 90 days marks a patent with a maintenance fee due within 90 days of the date this page was computed and not yet recorded paid, so it can end earlier than the bar shows. A fee left unpaid ends the patent at the close of the six month grace period that follows its due date, not on the due date itself. It is not a prediction that the fee will be missed.
Computed patent terms end on the dates shown. Related patents and pending applications may cover overlapping subject matter.