Company patents
F5, Inc.
F5, Inc. demonstrates a strong and consistent focus on core networking and security technologies, with Network Security & Access Control (43.5% of portfolio) and Routing, Switching & QoS (34.8%) being dominant. While patenting activity saw a significant surge across most categories in 2025, with Network Security & Access Control growing by 216.7% and Routing, Switching & QoS by 142.9% year-over-year, the sharp declines observed so far in 2026 across nearly all categories, such as a 57.9% drop in Network Security & Access Control and a 76.5% drop in Routing, Switching & QoS, suggest a potential shift in patenting strategy or a natural fluctuation after a peak year, rather than a sustained decline given the partial data for 2026.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
92 US filings (since 2023) · 11 categories · 19 themes
Techniques and systems for optimizing network traffic flow, distributing loads across multiple paths or resources, and ensuring quality of service based on various criteria like application type, latency, or resource availability. This includes dynamic path selection, congestion control, and resource allocation.
Methods and systems for protecting network resources and data from unauthorized access, misuse, or attack, encompassing authentication, authorization, encryption, and traffic filtering mechanisms. This includes securing communication channels and validating network access.
Systems and methods for identifying and blocking unauthorized access, malicious activities, or abnormal behavior within a network by analyzing traffic, system logs, or behavioral patterns.
Systems and methods for automatically deploying, configuring, and updating network devices and services, including software updates, client onboarding, and topology management across various network types.
Techniques and systems designed to monitor network health, diagnose issues, optimize traffic flow, and ensure continuous operation and reduced downtime in complex network environments, including cloud and storage area networks.
Utilizing specialized hardware components such as network processing units (NPUs) or dedicated acceleration circuits to offload and speed up network packet processing, traffic generation, or time-sensitive network operations.
Systems and methods for authenticating users, devices, or applications, authorizing their access to resources based on policies, and managing digital identities across various platforms.
Systems and methods for collecting, processing, and ensuring the quality and consistency of data used for network monitoring, asset management, and operational decision-making, including conflict detection and reliability scoring.
Systems and methods for encrypting data at a fine-grained level (e.g., per data unit or based on sensitivity) and controlling access to it, often involving delegated authorization, contextual policies, or secure data sharing.
Technologies enabling the creation and management of virtual computing environments, including virtual machines and virtual desktops, with an emphasis on secure and efficient remote access, updates, and performance.
Utilizing dedicated hardware components, secure enclaves, or trusted execution environments to perform cryptographic operations, enhancing security, performance, or isolation from software vulnerabilities.
Tools and processes for assessing, monitoring, and improving the security configuration and external accessibility of resources deployed within cloud computing environments.
Techniques for distributing computational tasks, data storage, and service logic across cloud data centers, edge devices, and user equipment to improve performance, resilience, or resource utilization. This includes architectures for split rendering, decentralized ledgers, and microservices.
Methods and systems for monitoring, controlling, and managing Internet of Things (IoT) devices and their communication networks, often involving adaptive or intelligent frameworks for data acquisition, relay, and automation.
Managing and optimizing network resources and services deployed at the edge of the network or within cloud environments, including distributed domain name resolution, resource exposure analysis, and traffic management specific to distributed architectures.
Methods and systems for efficiently allocating computing resources, balancing workloads, and managing power states to improve performance, reduce energy consumption, or enhance reliability in computing platforms.
Technologies for establishing and maintaining secure communication channels between devices or networks, often employing encryption, secure protocols, or virtual private networks (VPNs).
Methods and systems for generating, distributing, updating, rotating, and securely destroying cryptographic keys to maintain data confidentiality and integrity over time, including quantum key distribution.
Systems and methods for automating multi-step tasks, business processes, or service interactions, often involving AI agents, programmable interfaces, or formal orchestration languages to streamline operations.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 11
Access Control & Identity Management