Case Study: IEEE Journals and Qualcomm's Innovative CDMA Patent | 
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The most influential and valuable patents are those which are highly cited by later patents. Recent studies have shown that patents which cite IEEE publications are more heavily cited than patents which do not. An example of a leading organization's reliance on IEEE publications is Qualcomm's patent for Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) – No. 4,901,307 – Spread Spectrum Multiple Access Communication System Using Satellite or Terrestrial Repeaters – an innovation with a profound impact on the evolution of wireless technology. Qualcomm's fundamental patent illustrates how high patent citations are associated with increased sales and profits. With over 536 subsequent citations, the patent has become one of the most-highly cited in the entire U.S. patent system. Qualcomm's original 1990 patent referenced four different articles from IEEE journals. Since that time, CDMA has grown to provide more than 180 million users worldwide with a host of wireless solutions, ranging from Internet access to global positioning technology. This has ensured continued growth for Qualcomm while spawning numerous patentable innovations, bringing many companies back to Qualcomm's original CDMA patent and the solid science of IEEE referenced within. |
