176 patents currently held

205 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.

1 more record may belong here and awaits a decision; it is not counted.

The next term ends in Dec 2026. from the record

Of the 205 now held by other companies, 105 name Seiko Watch Corporation as their current owner, and 100 more name another party. Each row says which.

Free plan: 3 watched companies. Pro: unlimited.

Alerts on its grants, lapses and transfers.

Ending by 2030

Dec 2026

Next term end

172

Patent families

When these terms end

5 yrs10 yrs20 yrs

Held patents by the year their term ends

2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 20442045

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

Watch and Crown Used in This Watch US 7,591,582

The most cited patent in this portfolio, cited by 84 later US patents, top 10% of utility patents granted in 2009 in our data. Protection runs to 2027.

Ends Jul 2027 · High confidence Also notable

Server Generating Basic Signature Data Using Signing Target Data, Electronic Signature Value and Timestamp US 9,628,281

Granted 2017 and renewed at every maintenance window due so far. Protection runs to 2030.

Ends Jul 2030 · Medium confidence Also notable

Nonaqueous Electrolyte Secondary Battery US 11,641,028

Granted 2023. Computed term ends 2037.

Ends May 2037 · Medium confidence

Formerly held, still cited

Notable

Automatic Thin-Section Slides Manufacturing System and Method US 7,966,091

Cited by 28 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 2027.

now held by Sakura Finetek Japan Co., Ltd.

Ends Sep 2027 · High confidence

Also notable

Voltage Regulator US 10,061,335

Cited by 14 later US patents, top 25% of utility patents granted in 2018 in our data, and renewed at every maintenance window due so far. Protection runs to 2035.

now held by Ablic Inc.

Ends Oct 2035 · High confidence

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 Dec 13, 2026
The maintenance fee for Terminal Device Control Method, Terminal Device, and Recording Medium Having Program Stored Thereon for Receiving Information from an External Device (US 11,677,888) comes due Dec 13, 2026. Unpaid by Jun 14, 2027, it lapses early.
3 fees due Jan 16 to 30, 2027 · next Jan 16
3 fees due Feb 4 to 28, 2027 · next Feb 4
2 fees due Mar 8 to 15, 2027 · next Mar 8
7 fees due Apr 1 to 29, 2027 · next Apr 1
2 fees due May 26 to 28, 2027 · next May 26
3 fees due Jun 17 to 30, 2027 · next Jun 17
1 fee due Jul 5, 2027
The maintenance fee for Information Processing Device and Information Processing Program (US 9,231,766) comes due Jul 5, 2027. Unpaid by Jan 5, 2028, it lapses early.
1 fee due Aug 4, 2027
The maintenance fee for Rolling Bearing (US 10,550,893) comes due Aug 4, 2027. Unpaid by Feb 4, 2028, it lapses early.
3 fees due Sep 3 to 29, 2027 · next Sep 3
2 fees due Oct 14 to 23, 2027 · next Oct 14
2 fees due Nov 5 to 10, 2027 · next Nov 5

Which patents, and when each one lapses · Pro

Recent changes

14 terms have ended since Aug 16, 2026

What they patent

The 5 largest of its 172 families, grouped by real patent family and labeled by the earliest filing in each. No technology classification is inferred from titles.

Enveloping Layer-Coated Slide Bearing and Drive Module	2 in force	to Apr 2038
Nonaqueous Electrolyte Secondary Battery	2 in force	to May 2037
Grease for Rolling Bearing	2 in force	to Jan 2036
Long-Term Signature Server, Long-Term Signature Terminal, and Long-Term Signature Verification Server	2 in force	to Dec 2030
Tilt Sensor	1 in force	to Jul 2037

Patents held now

Soonest term end first.

Patent	Title	Status	Expires	Confidence
US 7,399,114	Timepiece Having Glass And Edge Member Removable As A Unit In force Term ends Dec 7, 2026 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Dec 7, 2026	High confidence
US 7,445,376	Timepiece Having Glass and Glass-Holding Member Removable as a Unit from Case Band In force Term ends Dec 7, 2026 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Dec 7, 2026	High confidence
US 7,452,124	Timepiece Having Glass and Glass-Holding Member Removable as a Unit from Case Band In force Term ends Dec 7, 2026 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Dec 7, 2026	High confidence
US D672,256	Watch In force Term ends Dec 11, 2026 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Dec 11, 2026	High confidence
US 7,401,975	Watch In force Term ends Jan 17, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Jan 17, 2027	High confidence
US 7,583,565	Electronic Timepiece In force Term ends Feb 6, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Feb 6, 2027	High confidence
US 7,492,669	Timepiece Attached with Calendar Mechanism Having First Date Indicator and Second Date Indicator In force Term ends Feb 13, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Feb 13, 2027	High confidence
US D682,927	Printer In force Term ends May 21, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends May 21, 2027	High confidence
US 7,538,513	Step Motor Drive Circuit and Analog Electronic Timepiece In force Term ends May 28, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends May 28, 2027	High confidence
US 7,404,668	Timepiece In force Term ends Jul 10, 2027 · High confidence	In force	Term ends Jul 10, 2027	High confidence

10 of 176 patents shown.

Pro members see all 176.

Pro members: see all 176 patents

Also on record, not counted in the 176: 205 patents in force now held by others · 1,445 patents ended · 19 applications pending · 477 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.

Export every term end as CSV · Pro

Seiko Instruments Inc.