Monday, December 13, 2010

Patent Map Generation and Reading

Patent Mapping a way to visualize patent mining results that involves clustering or otherwise orienting patent data on a page so that there is meaning in the spatial relationships among the data points. Patent Landscape: graphical representation of how large numbers of patents relate to each other based on keywords, citations, or patent classifications. It is useful in identify trends, determine patent gaps and opportunities, and design around competitors' patents.
Patent maps are not only produced for a specific use, but also are produced to serve as so-called general-purpose use. Consequently, when using them, their contents can be read from various viewpoints. In particular, by combining multiple maps (figures and tables), it is possible to find a new matter that cannot be obtained from a single map.
In addition, a total of more than 50 types of expressions, excluding minor ones, are used in this patent map series. Furthermore, total more than 200 maps were produced in terms of their technology fields. The readers can grasp various kind of matters from these patent maps according to their objective and intention. In the following section, readers will be able to understand typical objectives of patent map and various representational
types of patent map as well as the matters that can be extracted from these patent maps.
To Understand the Overall State of a Technology Field
When a company start a research and development or licensing for entering into a new business of a certain technology field, the company need to seize the overall image of the technology field and the related technology fields including pertinent patents.
Patent maps of a technology field introduce the content and number to which patents have been filed for the field, the uses in which the technology field is being used and the theme related to research and development of the field. The following shows the typical expressions of patent maps used for these purposes.
Time-series map
In addition, by griping the source of these technologies as a result of ascertaining the process by which technologies developed, it can be used as information that provides a hint for creating new ideas. As the map provides the relationship and the distribution of patent rights in a specific technology field, it allows the preparation of a specification for acquiring strong patent rights by comparing the time series of the distribution.
To Find out Technological Changes
Technology is continuously changing due to the intense competition over the development of technology and the diversification of market needs. Being able to appropriately accommodate these changes is extremely important not only for venture companies and small and medium sized companies, but for proceedings with any kind of business. There are patent maps which are produced by analyzing patent information based on the changes in the number of patent applications and the appearances of important patent.
Since the number of patent applications indicates technological development activities, while the number of applicants indicates the number of participating companies, observing this relationship makes it possible to grip the maturity of the technology field.
In addition, knowing the maturity of a technology field to which one's own company conducts makes it possible to judge the timing of development policies such as establishing technical tie-ups with other companies and focusing on certain development themes.
Matrix analysis
Portraying the correlation between technical elements (such as purpose and function) obtained from patent information in the form of a matrix makes it possible to show important problems affecting the development of a technology field. Moreover, with the addition of a time axis, trends in problems affecting technological development can also be observed. As a result, since technical trends can be caught, the selection of development themes and studies of priority can be conducted effectively when planning and proposing them.
Map of technology development
This patent map makes it possible to view the technical structure and the expanse of technological development of the technology field, the existence
of specific patents that must be paid attention. In addition, since it also provides a complete image of the technology field, it is capable of providing a hint for forecasting the direction of technological development and planning of new products.

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