Patent Citation Analysis Research Articles

A novel integrated approach for quantifying the convergence of disruptive technologies from science to technology

With rapid developments in science and technology, knowledge transfer from science to technology and technology convergence from different fields are accelerating. Technology convergence has become a main source of disruptive technologies (DTs). To facilitate enterprise R&D strategic decision-making and government innovation policies formulation, it is necessary to quantify the convergence processes of DTs and understand the DTs' emergence characteristics from science to technology. Existing research on technology convergence measurement mainly used patent citation information, patent co-classification analysis, and text mining. However, since these studies have limited analysis of the sources and causes of technology convergence from the perspective of knowledge memes, resulting in insufficient revelation of the processes and characteristics of DTs' emergence. Knowledge meme theory helps to reveal the relationships between knowledge diffusion, knowledge convergence, and technology convergence. Therefore, in this paper, we proposed a research framework for quantifying the convergence of DTs from science to technology. In this framework, we analyzed the knowledge diffusion and technology convergence of DTs from science to technology based on knowledge meme theory. We also integrated patent citation analysis, text mining, and cascade network models to quantitatively measure knowledge diffusion and technology convergence characteristics. We tried to understand the generation mechanisms of DTs from the perspective of technology convergence. We took smartphones as a case study to verify the framework's validity and flexibility. This paper provides a novel approach for quantifying the convergence of DTs from science to technology, which can help us to understand the emergence and development trends of DTs. This paper will also be of interest to smartphone technology R&D experts.

A Study on the Flow of Technological Knowledge in Korean Industries: Focusing on Inter-industry Patent Citation Analysis Based on Pavitt"s Taxonomy

A Study on the Flow of Technological Knowledge in Korean Industries: Focusing on Inter-industry Patent Citation Analysis Based on Pavitt"s Taxonomy

Sustainable polyurethane for the remediation of oil spills: a review.

Catastrophic oil spill is one of the major issues to the environment. Various methods have been used to treat oil spillage including in situ burning, the use of skimmers, dispersants, bioremediation, dispersing agents, oil sorbents, and biological agents. Application of oil sorbent is one of the effective solutions in oil spill clean-up. Polymers are sustainable extraordinary materials for the treatment of oil spillage due to their special physicochemical characteristics such as high porosity, good hydrophobicity, and reusability. Polymers are modified using suitable chemical reagents and their hydrophobicity is enhanced, making them suitable for oil spill clean-up. The present manuscript is an attempt to summarize the study of chemical modifications done on a polymer polyurethane (PU) for achieving the desirable properties, for efficient oil spill clean-up. A patent analysis has been carried out for the leading countries, top inventors, leading assignees, trends of patent publications, citation analysis, and summary of granted patents in the area of the use ofapolymerPolyurethane (PU) for oil spill clean-up.

Patent analysis based technology innovation assessment with the lens of disruptive innovation theory: A case of blockchain technological trajectories

The technological innovation period has reduced drastically in the current era giving rise to constantly new disruptive technologies, which may seem discreet; however, their evolution is also derived from the previous technological path. This study aims to identify the technology trajectory and evolution phases of disruptive technology, Blockchain, with respect to its predecessor technologies. Within the context of disruptive innovation theory, patent citation analysis employing the key-route main path method was utilized for this study. The data collection was based on keywords and IPC codes to retrieve US patents from the webpat database. The data obtained included 10,919 initial patents and 6206 final patents after simple family merge. The results acquired ranged from the year 1974 to 2021. The study identified five significant technology clusters based on the key-route main path analysis and framed the evolution path of the technology. The findings reveal the technological path dependence and knowledge flow of technological innovation. The novelty of this study lies in its approach to mapping DI theory characteristics with patent analysis to identify the path dependence of disruptive innovations, which aids researchers and decision-makers in understanding and assessing their innovation strategies.

An analysis of the key drivers of the Japanese digital therapeutics patents: A cross-sectional study.

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are software or other tools that support or implement medical practices such as disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment using digital technology. DTx has been approved in Japan, and it is anticipated that the number of approvals will increase in the future. DTx differs from conventional medical devices in that its primary purpose is treatment. This study aims to identify the key drivers of DTx in Japan by analyzing patents in the field of medical information, including DTx. This study visualizes the results of patent analyses for DTx and examines patent applications that feature applied technology and indications in the medical information field as the key drivers. The study will also employ patent citation analysis. It can be argued that the more citations a patent receives, the more similar research and development activities are being conducted, and the greater the competition. The number of citations per patent application will also be calculated to help identify areas where the value per patent application is high and competition intensifies. A patent citation matrix analysis will be conducted for notable Japanese companies in the DTx field. The citation matrix analysis consists of the number of citations and the company's selfcitation ratio to visualize the patent value. This study investigates the key drivers of DTx by analyzing patent technologies, focusing on patent applications with a high number of citations or a high selfcitation ratio. Key drivers of digital therapeutics were examined by analyzing patents in the fields of healthcare informatics and diagnostics. In terms of the number of patent applications and citations in Japan, numerous patents were related to "applications," "sensors," "medical imaging," "central nervous system/psychiatry," and "heart." As a result, Japanese companies are expected to conduct R&D with an eye toward overseas expansion.

Unveiling strategies in recent automotive history. Using patent citations for ambidexterity evidence

Through decarbonization of the world economy a normative imperative to the realization of a post-fossil age emerged. The global ecosystem is threatened by the current world economic model and fundamental transformations are asked for in all economic sectors. For two decades now, the automotive industry is undergoing a permanent ambidextrous phase, after having been locked in technological routines for nearly a century. The omni-present electrification of the powertrain together with the technological convergence with connected-car and autonomous-driving technology are the key challenges. To process the pressure, new strategies are designed and implemented. Nevertheless, current studies, based on patent analysis show that classic powertrain technology still represents the dominant design. At the same time, patent analysis shows that competition between firms in the field of electric powertrain technology is fierce. We use patent citation analysis to improve our understanding of the underlying industrial learning processes and of their impacts. To analyze the change in the automotive industry and unveil actors’ strategies, we examine the three most essential differentiating features of an automobile: classic powertrain, electric powertrain and autonomous driving. We aim to analyze these main differentiators along three key questions: the geographic dimension, the positioning in the value chain, and the individual company perspective, by developing a new structuring logic– the ambidexterity matrix – and its dynamic representation along the ambidexterity path.

Identifying Firm Significance and Positions in the Patent Innovation Based on Centrality Measures’ Clustering Approach

In the current era of inevitable technological progress, organizations strive to achieve technological competence. One way to measure the adaptability of firms to huge technological shifts is through various parameters, including patenting activities. This study presents a method for identifying the significance of firms in an innovation network using patent citation analysis and centrality measures. Specifically, the study employs k-means clustering to classify firms into similar clusters based on Network-based centrality measures such as betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality. The study then develops a cluster relational network by establishing a cluster adjacency network and identifying firm positions within and between clusters. By examining the relation between clusters, the cluster network identifies the significance of firms. The study identifies four positions, namely, leader, follower, knowledge inertia, and significantly emerging, that align with the status of firms in patenting innovation capability. The method is implemented using blockchain technology as a case study. The novelty of the study lies in the structured approach to identifying firm significance by adding another layer of adjacency network to existing patent citation analysis techniques.

Tracing technological evolution and trajectory of biomass power generation: a patent-based analysis.

Biomass power generation technologies, which are now mature and competitive, can alleviate power shortages, reduce the damaging environmental effects of coal-based power generation, and provide alternative renewable energy. While understanding trends is essential for making policies and decisions, few studies to date have examined biomass power generation's technological evolutionary development path from a patent data perspective. This paper uses patent data to reveal the biomass power generation technological evolutionary trajectory. Using growth curve and citation network approaches, the evolution of the core technologies and the main trajectories over time were identified. After simulations and predictions based on the logistic growth curve, it was revealed that biomass power generation had entered technological maturity and would meet saturation in 2031. Main path analysis was introduced to trace the technological trajectory. The patent citation analysis revealed six main technology paths. Further analysis identified biomass power generation hybridization, the use of waste to generate power, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage as potential technologies to achieve negative emissions.

Patent Valuation Using Citations: A Review and Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract As a result of studies demonstrating a correlation between a patent’s value and its forward citation count, patent valuation using forward citations has been increasingly used by practitioners when a patent’s value has not been otherwise established. Although potential limitations of patent citation analysis have been discussed in the past, there is little empirical research demonstrating the sensitivity of estimated patent values to various assumptions embedded within the method. We first summarize an approach that has been used by prior practitioners to estimate the relative value of patents within a portfolio using forward citations, and then perform various analyses to investigate the sensitivity of the approach to certain assumptions. We find that some concerns of prior literature are well-founded, while others are less so. For example, we confirm that biased valuations will result from failure to properly control for patent age and technology. Our analysis also finds that truncation bias is a problem when analyzing recently issued patents, which confirms findings from existing literature. We estimate the rate at which such truncation bias dissipates as patents age and find that the bias for the median patent is reduced to below 10% within five years from the date of publication, although additional variation can remain on an individualized level. Regarding the issue of self-citations, we find that the valuation approach using forward citation analysis can be (but is not always) sensitive to the issue of self-citations, with a median difference of 16.8%. Finally, the valuation approach using forward citation analysis appears to be robust to assumptions underlying patent cohort construction.

The development of autonomous driving technology: perspectives from patent citation analysis

ABSTRACT Autonomous vehicles have been widely discussed recently due to the rapid advancement of related technologies and high growth potential in many markets around the world. To take a strategic position for coping with their fast development, business strategists have to find out the key players and how these players share technological information in the knowledge network. This research particularly explores the main technologies that have been developed and applied in this field by conducting a systematic and quantitative analysis to answer these questions. We analyse U.S. patents related to autonomous driving technology in a systematic manner through cross-citation analysis (CCA) and main path analysis (MPA). The former reveals knowledge flow among major players, while the latter uncovers the technology development trajectory and the associated players. The results of CCA indicate that several companies (e.g. Google and GM) in the U.S. utilise locational advantage to build an industrial chain and to facilitate knowledge exchange. MPA results reveal a development trajectory and the key players at different development phases. Our analysis infers four trends. First, more solutions in communication systems will be patented in the future as communication is crucial to realise vehicle-to-everything. Second, perception technologies are integrating with artificial intelligence to enhance vehicle autonomy. Third, players with roles as “technology developer”, “technology integrator”, and “technology implementer” in different development phases are together advancing autonomous driving technologies. Fourth, traditional vehicle makers are expected to strengthen their cooperation with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies for the purpose of obtaining communication and data technologies.

Patent citation network analysis: A perspective from descriptive statistics and ERGMs.

Patent Citation Analysis has been gaining considerable traction over the past few decades. In this paper, we collect extensive information on patents and citations and provide a perspective of citation network analysis of patents from a statistical viewpoint. We identify and analyze the most cited patents, the most innovative and the highly cited companies along with the structural properties of the network by providing in-depth descriptive analysis. Furthermore, we employ Exponential Random Graph Models (ERGMs) to analyze the citation networks. ERGMs enables understanding the social perspectives of a patent citation network which has not been studied earlier. We demonstrate that social properties such as homophily (the inclination to cite patents from the same country or in the same language) and transitivity (the inclination to cite references’ references) together with the technicalities of the patents (e.g., language, categories), has a significant effect on citations. We also provide an in-depth analysis of citations for sectors in patents and how it is affected by the size of the same. Overall, our paper delves into European patents with the aim of providing new insights and serves as an account for fitting ERGMs on large networks and analyzing them. ERGMs help us model network mechanisms directly, instead of acting as a proxy for unspecified dependence and relationships among the observations.

Identifying potential technological spin-offs using hierarchical information in international patent classification

As the relationships among technologies become more complex, technological convergence is occurring in many fields, resulting in technological spin-offs in which technologies born in an industry are used in unexpected fields. Predictions of these events, such as patent citation analysis and International Patent Classification's (IPC) association analysis, are used to propose a method. Previous studies have not taken into account the hierarchical structure of technologies. In this study, we propose a hypothetical co-occurrence network in multiple technology layers using IPC's hierarchical information to show that features of different hierarchies can contribute to predictive performance and interpretation. Patent information on carbon fiber reinforced plastics and functionally graded material is extracted from patent database, Thomson Innovation, for a case study. The results show that an F1 measure of classification model exceed 0.94 and an adjusted R2 of regression model exceed 0.73. The existence of key common IPCs, which occurred in a different layer than the spin-off prediction target, allowed us to identify the technology fusion behind each specific example. The identification and prediction of technological spin-offs can contribute to research and development strategies and the development of potential business partners.

Technological innovation in libraries

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify technological innovation in libraries and further examine the knowledge source and their effects during the technology life cycle (TLC).Design/methodology/approachThis paper discusses the technological innovation taking place in libraries. Patent citation analysis was used to capture the trend of technological innovation associated with libraries.FindingsThe findings are as follows: (1) library technologies are now in the ascent phase of their life cycles; (2) private companies from the United States, Germany, France, Japan and the United Kingdom are the top-five owners of intellectual property rights associated with library technology and (3) patent data along with knowledge and technology indicators can be interpreted in the light of library development. The knowledge source with the highest degree of scientific and technological orientation was identified as basic material chemistry. The major technological categories that have received the greatest knowledge effect from library-associated technological innovation are chemistry, electrical engineering, instruments, mechanical engineering, with other fields (civil engineering and furniture, games) being subject to less effect.Research limitations/implicationsThere are two research limitations in this study. First, the results use single informants, patents retrieved from United States Patent and Trademark Office, as the source of data. Second, this study uses patent citation measures for exploring the knowledge source and effect of technological innovation, these measures are only subjective for those new invention highly based technological advances. This study concludes that technological innovation for libraries will be characterized by an increasing role for science-intensive and interdisciplinary areas. This study also suggests that organizational learning facilitates innovation. Therefore, a library hoping to co-evolve with dynamic environment through technological innovation should improve its organizational learning processes.Practical implicationsTheories of technology-push and demand-pull were examined in relation to technological innovation taking place in libraries. The TLC analysis indicated that library technology is mainly in the ascent stage, suggesting that libraries have not achieved the strongest technological transformation. The findings suggest that the importance of demand-pull and technology-push vary over the TLC of libraries.Social implicationsTo survive in a dynamic environment library must be able to cope with increasing complexity and high-speed technological change. It is pivotal to integrate the views of users (as customers), software houses or design companies (as suppliers) as well as other libraries (as communities) into the sustainable development strategy of a library. In these contexts, libraries with the capacity to innovate will be able to respond to new demands faster and to invent and provide new services better than noninnovative libraries.Originality/valueAnalysis based on the technological innovation perspective to identify the future development of libraries is still lacking. This paper seeks to identify the technological innovation employed in libraries to accommodate the 21st century model of information-seeking behavior. This study identifies a variety of factors that have influenced the transformation of library services, and these include technology developments and new demands from library users. To illustrate the driving forces of technology-push in libraries, this paper examines holistic-patented technologies invented for libraries.

Mechanism of “Liquid State” of Emerging Technology Innovation Network Based on Case Analysis of Coastal Cities

Wang, J.B.; Cao, X., and Zhu, J.Y., 2020. Mechanism of “liquid state” of emerging technology innovation network based on case analysis of coastal cities. In: Guido Aldana, P.A. and Kantamaneni, K. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Coastal Management, and Marine Science Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 104, pp. 223–228. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.When the innovation system is on the “edge of chaos”, the innovation ability is significantly enhanced. Combined with the evolution theory of emerging technologies, the development trajectory of emerging technologies is analyzed, and the formation mechanism of the “liquid state” of the innovation network is deeply studied. A case study was carried out by collecting coastal cities patent data of self-driving cars, and the method of combining patent citation analysis and social network analysis was used to verify the technical characteristics and knowledge flow characteristics of the emerging technology innovation network - the “liquid state” network.

Forecasting technological positioning through technology knowledge redundancy: Patent citation analysis of IoT, cybersecurity, and Blockchain

Researchers and organizations are becoming increasingly interested in Internet of Things (IoT) cybersecurity and blockchain technology due to its ability to provide solutions to problems of classical centralized architecture. This research approaches the relative locations of a company in the technological network based on patent citations of the IoT cybersecurity and blockchain.To understand how the blockchain and IoT can be merged, it is important to have a better understanding of the emerging technologies of IoT, cybersecurity, and blockchain. We used patent analysis, and merged the patent co-citation analysis (PCA) approach with the patent family to obtain a complete data set analysis. After that, we generated the data using multiple software technologies such as CiteSpace, Pajek, and VOSViewer. We applied the Technology Knowledge Redundancy method for the patent citation network, used the main two indicators TKS (Technology Knowledge Status) and TKR (Technology Knowledge Reliability for the analysis, and then used the Derwent Innovations Index patent data.

Mapping technological trajectories and exploring knowledge sources: A case study of 3D printing technologies

Technological trajectories provide valuable information on technological development as well as its potential impact. Using 3D printing technology as a case study, this paper maps the trajectory of technological development and explores the contribution of various knowledge sources (from both geographical and technological perspectives). Based on patent citation analysis, our results show that there was a main concentrated technological trajectory between 1998 and the early 2000s, indicating a technology lock-in situation. However, a great diversification can be observed after the mid-2000s. The U.S. and Japan were the pioneer countries to develop core 3DP technologies, while China and South Korea contributed relatively more to the recent core 3DP technologies. By tracking technology domains in the patents cited by 3DP technologies, we also detect contributions from different technology categories in the process of 3DP technology development. At a disaggregated level, this study provides insights on how technologies from various fields contributed to the development of 3D printing technology. The diversified knowledge contributions from different countries and different fields indicate not only a broader range of future business opportunities in various domains, but also a far-ranging social impact in various nations.

Understanding the Architectural Control of Opened Complex Systems under Cooperative Standardization

Drawing on the case of the mobile telecommunication sector, the article attempts to elucidate why and how leading firms can control opened technologies of complex systems under cooperative standardization. Different from the case of a proprietary standard by a leading firm, even leading firms can hardly control complex systems of technologies opened under cooperative standardization. Cooperative standardization and related patenting can widely cause technology spillover from leading firms to others including new entrants. However, at the same time, such spillovers are presumed to increase leading firms’ control over technologies, architectural control, in the sector concerned. We conduct a longitudinal network analysis of patent citations by proprietary patents (Non-SEPs) from standard essential patents (SEPs), which are declared as essential for the implementation of technology specifications to product systems. The data shows that even though the technology development and standardization become conducted more dispersively by a variety of firms, the networks of SEP citations have increasingly converged upon a few leading firms. While declaring a number of SEPs with causing technology spillovers, such leading firms have outstandingly accumulated system knowledge covering and interrelating multiple technology domains. The finding reveals that system knowledge as well as the number of patents (SEPs) helps firms nurture and preserve architectural control to drive technology development and innovation even under an open technology environment.

Does Geography Matter? A Study of Technological Learning and Innovation in the Solar Photovoltaic Balance-of-Systems Industry

Technologies whose future development trajectory depends significantly on local factors (e.g., administrative codes, user preferences, etc.) exhibit interactive feedback between geographical factors and technological learning. However, in such a context it is unclear which factors influence the degree of localized learning and the extent to which and at which geographic level localized learning is important for innovation. To empirically investigate firms’ learning and innovation processes in relation to geography, in this paper we use patent citation analysis on a unique database of PV balance-of-system (BOS) patents in the U.S. issued between 2000 to 2014. The PV BOS industry offers an excellent empirical opportunity to examine the linkages between geography and learning in the context of technologies in the deployment process, wherein features of such technologies are associated with the locations in which they are applied and deployed. We find that localized learning is more important for technologies that are more associated with the local context. We also find that extra-local knowledge significantly contributes to the quality of patents. Overall, our findings suggest that for technological learning and innovation in PV BOS technologies, neither local learning nor extra-local learning is uniformly superior in its importance. Thus policies to support deployment technologies should pay explicit attention to the local vs. extra-local knowledge needs of local firms. For example, local demand-pull policies may be more helpful in earlier phases of market development, while helping firms build bridges to extra-local knowledge networks may be more helpful later on.

ROLE OF THE PATENT SYSTEM IN THE INTERNATIONALI-ZATION OF THE DIFFUSION OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE

The article attempts to show the role of the patent system in the internationalization of diffusion of technical knowledge. Its purpose is to analyse, use of international technical knowledge made available through patent systems, by Polish companies that are inventively active. For its implementation, research was carried out based on a qualitative analysis of the so-called patent citations, included in the technical documentation submitted for the protection of inventions. Conclusions resulting from the research show a high degree of internationalization of the diffusion of technical knowledge in relation to scientific and technical publications and low when the existing technical solutions are the basis.

The Contribution of Ukraine to the World Development of Technologies: Patent Citation Analysis of the Scientific Publications of Employees of the Ukrainian Institutions In 2009–2018

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of publications of Ukrainian scientific institutions on the development of world technology.Research methodology. An analysis of the cited scientific publications of employees of Ukrainian institutions in patents in 2009–2018 was conducted using the SciVal platform tools. Also, patents were analyzed, which contain references to scientific publications of employees of Ukrainian institutions.Results. The results show that only 476 patents cited publications of employees of Ukrainians institutions, which is significantly less than the number of citations of publications of employees of institutions from technologically developed countries. In addition, the average number of patent citations for Ukrainian publications turned out to be the lowest among all the neighboring countries of Ukraine. The results indicate some problems with the connection between science and industry in Ukraine.Novelty of this paper consists in using of the SciVal platform to collect the necessary patent and scientometric information. This allowed collecting data with much wider chronological coverage and range of disciplines than in previous studies.The practical significance consists in identifying the successful experience of the employees of Ukrainian scientific institutions who create a scientific product that influences the development of world technologies for funding the authors of commercially promising results of scientific and technical activities at the state level. Also, the proposed approach can be used in the process of identifying technologically promising areas of national research.