IBM had a record 6,478 U.S. patents in 2012 The number of patents was boosted by increasing contributions from IBM's inventors in other countries, research firm IFI Claims Patent Services said Thursday. Lenders, including Bank of America and Citigroup, have sold assets, cut jobs and bolstered balance sheets after repaying taxpayer bailouts from 2008, when they were overwhelmed by losses on securities tied to the housing market.