Classification of Patent Analysis Methods

The development stage of 1. patent analysis method.

Patent information analysis (hereinafter referred to as patent analysis) refers to the processing and combination of a large number of or individual patent information from patent literature, and the use of statistical methods or data processing means to make these information have the function of overview and prediction, and through patent analysis to make them rise from ordinary information to valuable information in business activities. Patent navigation, patent analysis and review, patent early warning analysis, industry patent trend analysis, industry patent analysis, etc. are all lower concepts of patent analysis. Patent analysis is an effective measure and effective means to ensure the leading technological competition of enterprises, which has become an important content of technological innovation and an important means for enterprises to gain competitive advantage.

All kinds of patent analysis reports are the carrier of patent analysis methods. The patent analysis method can be divided into three stages of development: concept formation stage, academic research stage and tool realization stage.

Seidel first systematically proposed the concept of patent citation analysis in 1949, noting that patent citations are citations of prior patents based on similar scientific perspectives, and Seidel also proposed the idea of the relative importance of highly cited patents to their technologies. Some patent analysis methods focus more on the objective and accurate research of the deep-seated mining and analysis results of patent information. For example, Byungun Yoon, Yongtae Park proposed a patent analysis method that combines text mining technology with joint analysis and morphological analysis, and uses patent information to discover new and potential technological opportunities.

After the 1990 s, with the continuous development and improvement of information technology, network technology and patent database, patent analysis began to be truly applicable and applied to enterprise strategy and competition analysis, and various analysis systems began to be established and improved. Many foreign intellectual property consulting agencies have defined different patent analysis indicators, such as the Morgan Association for Research and Analysis (Mogen Research & Analysis Association), the American intellectual property consulting firm CHI, Thomson Reuters and so on.

With the popularization of computers, the development of information technology and network technology, patent information analysis has gradually transitioned from manual processing to the era of computer tools. Due to the huge amount of patent data, various patent analysis methods often rely on patent analysis tools, which directly affect the efficiency and accuracy of patent information analysis. This provides great convenience for patent analysis, promotes the research and application of patent information analysis methods, and also promotes the development of patent analysis methods in the direction of automation, intelligence, networking and visualization, and a variety of patent analysis tools have emerged, such as TI(Thomson Innovation), Innography, WPIS, etc.

The main development of patent analysis methods.

Existing classification methods for 2. patent analysis methods.

According to the degree to which the object of analysis can be analyzed, patent analysis methods are usually divided into qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, proposed quantitative analysis and other types. Quantitative analysis is the use of mathematical statistics, scientific measurement and other methods of patent literature and its related information processing and statistical analysis. Quantitative analysis is mainly through the patent literature on the inherent description of the project to identify the relevant literature, through data processing and analysis to obtain relevant information and intelligence. Qualitative analysis is a method of summarizing and organizing the internal characteristics of patent literature information (such as specifications, the contents of claims, etc.) by means of data mining, and then using professional technology to interpret and analyze. Patent proposed quantitative analysis is an analytical method that combines patent quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. The proposed quantitative analysis of patents usually starts with mathematical statistics, followed by a comprehensive and systematic technical classification and comparative study, and then a targeted quantitative analysis.

Some scholars have proposed four levels of patent intelligence analysis methods: "point", "line", "surface" and "three-dimensional" from the perspective of analytical dimensions. The "point" analysis is mainly a statistical analysis of the individual entries inherent in the patent literature according to the relevant indicators, which is a preliminary excavation of patent information. "Line" analysis of the number of patents, patentees, patent application date and other "point" information according to time, space, classification, etc. to group statistics, or according to time, space, classification, etc. to re-sort the process. The combination of "line" intelligence, that is, the integration of time, space, classification and other aspects of different factors to obtain a variety of interrelated "surface" intelligence over the state of technological development. "Three-dimensional" analysis refers to the combination of the above-mentioned "surface" information, you can get a comprehensive information of the relationship between the patent and other factors, that is, the perspective or angle of patent analysis, the hidden elements are detailed disclosure, and finally get the results of technical analysis.

According to the depth of patent analysis, the patent analysis method is divided into one-dimensional analysis method, two-dimensional analysis method and comprehensive analysis method. Also for the classification of patent analysis methods are based on different research purposes and analysis objects, such as patent analysis methods for different research purposes or audiences, patent analysis methods for technology foresight, patent analysis methods for enterprise strategic layout, patent analysis methods in technology introduction, patent value analysis methods, etc.

The classification of patent analysis methods has lagged behind the developing patent analysis methods themselves. However, the above-mentioned classification methods are still too general relative to the whole patent analysis system, and are still mainly based on the classification of common research methods, which does not reflect the main content and process essence of patent analysis, which is not conducive to beginners to quickly grasp the essence of patent analysis methods.

The analysis purpose determines the analysis content. If only the patent application trend of a certain industry needs to be analyzed, the analysis at the data level should be the main one. If the patent infringement risk analysis of a certain product to be exported needs to be carried out, the analysis at the technical level should be the main one. If you want to analyze the patent mining strategy of a competitor, strategic macro-analysis should be carried out on the basis of technical level analysis. The analysis content determines the depth of the analysis. Some analysis content not only needs the analysis at the data level, but also needs the analysis at the technical level, the strategic level and even the system application level. For example, the analysis of competitors not only needs to count the data of their patent application trends, but also needs to analyze the key technologies they pay attention to, the research and development trends of technologies and other technical levels, it is also necessary to analyze its patent layout strategy, patent litigation strategy, patent application strategy, etc.