Patent Portfolio Concentration Analysis for Applicant R&D Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques struggle to identify the development and investment activities of a specific applicant accurately.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and method that calculates a concentration degree on technical classifications of patents held by a specific applicant, allowing for the identification of development and investment activities through the use of an acquirer and calculator to analyze patent information and generate display information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional patent analysis techniques are used to count patent numbers and calculate growth rates, then basic patent statistics can be obtained, but the ability to identify specific development and investment activities of applicants is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new parameter 'concentration degree' to measure the distribution of patents across different technical classification categories. This parameter transforms the analysis from simple quantity counting to quality assessment, enabling identification of whether an applicant is concentrating resources in specific technical fields (indicating focused investment) or diversifying (indicating broad development activities).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the patent portfolio by technical classification categories (IPC sections) and time periods, then calculates concentration degrees for each segment. This segmentation allows comparison of patent distribution across different technical fields and temporal evolution, revealing specific development patterns and investment focuses that simple aggregate counts cannot detect.
2Measurement precision
If patent information is analyzed without time-based segmentation, then overall patent portfolio characteristics can be obtained, but time-dependent changes in development and investment activities cannot be identified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the patent portfolio into multiple time periods (e.g., fiscal years) and calculates the concentration degree for each period separately. This temporal segmentation enables tracking of how an applicant's technical focus evolves over time, identifying when they start new research directions or discontinue certain fields, which reflects their development strategy and investment patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent calculates concentration degrees for consecutive time periods and compares them to identify trends (increasing or decreasing concentration). This feedback mechanism provides information about whether an applicant is increasingly focusing or diversifying their technical efforts, enabling dynamic monitoring of their development and investment activities.
3Measurement precision
If only the number of patents is used as an indicator, then patent volume can be measured, but the strategic focus and technical direction of applicant activities remain unclear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from simple patent count to 'concentration degree' which incorporates technical classification data. The concentration degree is calculated as the ratio of patents in a specific technical category to the total patent portfolio, providing a normalized measure of technical focus that accounts for both quantity and categorization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent analyzes the quality composition of the patent portfolio by examining the distribution across different technical classification categories. Instead of treating all patents uniformly, it evaluates the local concentration in specific technical fields (e.g., mechanical engineering, electronics, chemistry), revealing the strategic technical directions the applicant is pursuing.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a technique capable of identifying a situation of development and investment activities of a specific applicant. The information processing apparatus 1 includes an acquirer 10 and a calculator 30. The acquirer 10 is configured to acquire patent information related to a plurality of patents held by a specific applicant. The calculator 30 is configured to calculate a concentration degree on a technical classification extracted under a predetermined condition in a patent group, where the patent group represents a group of patents classified into a predetermined period among a plurality of patents held by the specific applicant.