Texas Instruments IP Footprint Technologies, Trends & Global Reach

Introduction:

Texas Instruments (TI) is a global leader in semiconductor design and manufacturing, renowned for its pivotal contributions to analog and embedded processing technologies. Established in Dallas, Texas, in 1930, the company has evolved into a cornerstone of modern electronics, empowering a vast array of applications from industrial automation to automotive systems and consumer electronics.

Operating in over 30 countries, TI’s product portfolio spans analog chips, embedded processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). With a focus on enabling efficiency, intelligence, and connectivity, TI’s technologies support innovations in areas such as smart factories, electric vehicles, healthcare instrumentation, and edge computing.

The company’s long-standing dedication to R&D is evident in its dedicated wafer fabs and assembly/test sites, as well as its strategic IP portfolio. Texas Instruments regularly secures a high volume of global patent filings, showing its role as both an innovation leader and a key player in the semiconductor IP ecosystem.

How many patents does TI have?

Texas Instruments maintains an expansive and strategically managed patent portfolio, comprising over 67,911 patent records worldwide. This includes active, pending, and historical filings, offering valuable insight into the lifecycle and maintenance strategies behind its intellectual property.

The pie chart above visually represents the legal status distribution across the portfolio:

• 19,169 patents are granted, representing enforceable assets and mature innovations.

• 5,032 applications are pending, highlighting TI’s continuous R&D pipeline.

• 22,531 patents have expired, typical of a long-standing innovator with legacy technologies.

• 19,079 patents are lapsed, often due to non-payment or strategic pruning.

• 2,090 patents have been revoked, possibly as a result of oppositions, invalidations, or internal portfolio optimization.

How many TI patents are Alive/Dead?

TI’s patent portfolio is nearly evenly split, with 24,201 active (alive) patents and 43,700 inactive (dead) ones, reflecting both its legacy innovations and ongoing technological advancements.

Patent Filing Trends: 2005–2025

Texas Instruments (TI), a global leader in semiconductor innovation, has maintained a strong and steady intellectual property strategy over the past two decades. The company’s filing trends from 2005 to 2025 reflect its ongoing investment in analog and embedded processing technologies, as well as its responsiveness to emerging market demands. With consistently high volumes of annual patent filings, TI’s portfolio demonstrates both technological breadth and long-term R&D commitment, positioning it as a key player in the global electronics and semiconductor IP landscape.

Key observations include:

• Early Stability (2005–2010): Patent filings ranged from ~900 to ~1,700 per year, reflecting foundational innovations during the expansion of analog and embedded solutions.

• Steady Growth (2011–2019): Application counts steadily increased, peaking at 1,705 in 2019, suggesting increased R&D activity across diverse technology domains.

• Recent High Activity (2020–2023): Annual filings surpassed 1,600 each year, with a peak of 1,815 in 2020. This aligns with broader digitization trends and increased chip demand.

• Recent Decline (2024–2025): A drop to 1,004 filings in 2024 and 91 in 2025 is observed. This is likely due to publication delays and not necessarily a decline in R&D output.

Insights

The 2024–2025 filing dip is likely temporary, with a surge expected as TI’s pipeline patents publish. By 2026, expect growth in:

• Edge AI and low-power analog–ML integration

• Secure embedded systems using RISC-V

• Power electronics for EVs and grid systems

By 2030, TI may shift to platform-based filings, covering chip-to-cloud data flow, system orchestration, and predictive diagnostics for industrial and automotive ecosystems.

Technology Domain Focus: Where Dyson Patents Innovate Most

Texas Instruments’ patent portfolio reveals a strong concentration in high-impact technology domains that align with its core business strategies. The majority of TI's patents are centered in Computer Technology (20,758), Electrical Machinery and Apparatus (15,758), and Semiconductor Devices (11,416), reflecting the company’s leadership in analog and embedded processing systems.

Other significant areas include:

• Telecommunications and Digital Communication – Over 13,000 patents collectively, supporting TI's involvement in data transmission and wireless infrastructure.

• Control Systems and Machine Tools – With a combined total of over 6,000 patents, this indicates TI’s work in automation and precision engineering.

• Emerging and Specialized Fields – Notably, TI has consistent filings in Micro-structure & Nanotechnology (654), IT Management, and Environmental Technologies, demonstrating forward-looking innovation in niche segments.

This broad and strategically diversified patent coverage not only protects TI’s commercial interests but also showcases its long-term commitment to technological leadership across both mature and emerging application spaces.

Insights:

· TI’s IP strength lies in computer tech, semiconductors, and telecom, core to its analog and embedded business.

· Emerging focus areas like microstructures, IT management, and environmental tech signal moves toward miniaturized sensing, AI-at-the-edge, and sustainable electronics.

· By 2030, expect expanded filings in smart infrastructure and low-power AI systems.

Geographic Distribution of TI’s Patents

Texas Instruments (TI), a leader in semiconductor and analog technology, maintains a strategically diversified global patent portfolio. This international spread reflects the company's long-standing focus on innovation, protection and its operational presence across major R&D and manufacturing hubs. TI’s global filing strategy is not only designed to secure market access but also to reinforce its competitive edge in critical jurisdictions.

· Top Filing Jurisdictions: The highest concentration of TI's patent filings is in China (CN) with 1,861 patents, followed closely by Great Britain (GB) with 1,756, and the United States (US) with 1,704. These filings align with TI’s major R&D and commercial operations in Asia, Europe, and North America.

· Strong Asian Presence: With 1,107 filings in South Korea (KR) and 727 in Japan (JP), TI prioritizes IP protection in high-tech manufacturing hubs and innovation-driven economies.

· International Patent Protection: Over 360 patents have been filed through the WIPO (WO) route, indicating TI’s use of the PCT system to streamline global protection across multiple jurisdictions.

·European and Emerging Markets: Other notable jurisdictions include Germany (DE–193), India (IN–161), and Singapore (SG–90). These figures reflect TI’s effort to secure patents in regions important for both market access and manufacturing partnerships.

Insights:

· TI’s filings are highly concentrated in the U.S. (16,544), China (4,850), and Japan (1,820), signalling a focus on key R&D and commercial markets.

· Rising activity in Korea, Taiwan, and WIPO filings shows a push toward broader global protection and fab-linked IP strategy.

· By 2030, expect stronger filings in India, Europe, and emerging innovation hubs, tied to supply chain expansion and regional design partnerships.

Patents Related to Educational Products

Texas Instruments (TI) has established a strong intellectual property foundation for its line of educational products, including graphing calculators, classroom technology, and software tools. These patents represent innovations that enhance digital learning experiences, device usability, display technology, and processing efficiency tailored for academic environments.

The following patents apply to Texas Instruments’ educational products: 6643731, 6643751, 6661465, 6704013, 6753927, 6768288, 6771252, 6829626, 6854001, 6867777, 6870533, 6874005, 6922710, 6938060, 6956560, 6968208, 6990519, 7042713, 7499848, 7557789, 7653632, 7777744, 7820924, 8499014, 8533788, 8656044, 8774184, 8892614, 8959452, 9170680, 9218504, 9258703, 9280524, 9436291, 9454203, 9645729, 9667632, 9690478, 9811925, 9883603, 10157485, 10318150, 10332488, 10459874, 10599607, 10691422, 10784703, 11422695, 11734863, 11755198, and 11768797.

Insight: Though a smaller IP subset, these patents help cement TI’s presence in STEM education, with opportunities to expand into AI-powered learning, XR classroom environments, and curriculum-based analytics platforms by 2030.

Future Outlook & Strategic Direction

Texas Instruments is executing a highly disciplined, long-term strategy focused on manufacturing self-sufficiency, analog and embedded processing leadership, and serving high-growth, high-stability markets like automotive and industrial systems. Below is a breakdown of where the company is headed:

Massive U.S. Manufacturing Investment

o   Announced up to $60 billion investment in U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing through 2030.

o   Building up to four 300 mm wafer fabs in Sherman, Texas (SM1–SM4).

o   Expanding existing facilities in Richardson, Texas, and Lehi, Utah.

o   Largest domestic chip investment to date; Sherman site production began in 2024.

o   Will support 60,000+ U.S. jobs across supply chain, construction, and operations.

o   Backed by $1.6 billion in CHIPS Act funding and $6–8 billion in tax credits.

Supply Chain Resilience & Fab Strategy

o   Goal: In-source the majority of production to ensure supply chain control.

o   Focus on 300 mm wafers to reduce unit cost and improve capacity scaling.

o   Ensures TI’s competitiveness in delivering low-cost, high-volume analog products.

Targeting High-Value Growth Markets: TI’s innovation is tightly aligned with automotive and industrial applications, which collectively account for approximately 70% of the company’s revenue. The company is intensifying efforts in key growth areas such as:

o   EV battery management systems

o   ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems)

o   Factory automation and robotics

o   Smart grid and building control

Technology Innovation Focus: Texas Instruments continues to expand its IP portfolio and R&D investment into emerging technology spaces. Key areas of focus include:

o   Edge AI and machine learning-optimized microcontrollers

o   Ultra-low-power embedded systems

o   Sensor fusion and secure communications protocols

o   Analog computing and signal chain optimization

Conclusion

· Texas Instruments’ 2024 financial dip—marked by a 10.7% revenue decline and a 25.4% drop in operating profit—reflects broader market challenges, particularly in the embedded segment. However, these short-term pressures have not derailed TI’s long-term innovation strategy.

· The company increased its R&D investment to $1.96 billion in 2024, representing 12.5% of revenue. This highlights a deliberate shift toward future-oriented innovation, especially in analog and embedded systems, TI’s most IP-intensive domains.

· TI’s $60 billion U.S. manufacturing expansion, backed by up to $1.6 billion in CHIPS Act support, reinforces a vertically integrated approach. This not only enhances production capacity but also enables TI to develop fab-specific, proprietary IP in areas such as advanced 300mm wafer processing, packaging, and secure manufacturing workflows.

· TI’s IP strategy is moving beyond protecting discrete components. It is increasingly focused on platform-level patents that integrate analog sensing, embedded processing, secure communications, and edge intelligence, critical for applications in autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and energy systems.

· Interestingly, the 'Other' segment maintained steady profit despite revenue decline, suggesting efficient monetization of mature or royalty-generating IP, a sign of a well-leveraged patent portfolio.

· Looking ahead, TI’s patent filings are expected to intensify around high-growth areas such as electrified transportation, smart robotics, and resilient infrastructure. These innovations will be foundational to next-generation intelligent systems, all built on TI’s analog and embedded platforms.

· In summary, TI’s IP portfolio is more than a protective asset, it is a growth engine tightly coupled with its manufacturing roadmap and technology strategy. With patents reinforcing both product differentiation and platform scalability, TI is firmly positioned to lead the intelligent electronics era through 2030 and beyond.