A U.S. trade commission has ruled in favor of Apple Inc.'s patent infringement claims against Samsung Electronics Co., granting another home-turf victory to the iPhone maker.

In a preliminary ruling on Wednesday, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) found some Samsung mobile devices infringed four Apple patents, including one design patent and three software patents, according to the documents by the agency's Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender.

The preliminary ruling awaits the approval of the U.S. trade agency's full commission.

The ITC is an independent federal agency, working with the Department of Commerce, that determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries and directs actions against unfair trade practices, such as subsidies, dumping, and infringements of patent, trademark and copyright. (Yonhap News)