Monitoring trends of technological changes based on the dynamic patent lattice: A modified formal concept analysis approach

The strategic importance of monitoring technological changes is highlighted given the ever faster pace and increasing complexity of technological innovation. In this respect, patent citation analysis has been the most frequently adopted tool among others. However, patent citation analysis is subject to certain drawbacks that stem from only consideration of citing-cited information and time lags between citing and cited patents. This study proposes a formal concept analysis (FCA)-based approach to developing a dynamic patent lattice that can analyze complex relations among patents and monitor trends of technological changes. The FCA is a mathematical tool for grouping objects with shared properties based on the lattice theory. The distinct strengths of FCA, vis-a-vis other methods, lie in structuring and displaying the relations among objects from a massive amount of data. For the purpose of technology monitoring, the FCA is modified to take into account time periods and changes of patent keywords. A patent context is first constructed with the aid of domain experts and text mining technique. Two types of dynamic patent lattices are then developed by executing the modified FCA algorithm. A case study of laser technology in lithography for semiconductor manufacturing shows that the suggested dynamic patent lattice has considerable advantages over conventional patent citation maps in terms of visualization and informative power. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Nosella A, 2008, J ENG TECHNOL MANAGE, V25, P321, DOI 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2008.10.001Tseng YH, 2007, INFORM PROCESS MANAG, V43, P1216, DOI 10.1016/j.ipm.2006.11.011Shin J, 2007, INF ECON POLICY, V19, P249, DOI 10.1016/j.infoecopol.2007.01.003Hekkert MP, 2007, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, V74, P413, DOI 10.1016/j.techfore.2006.03.002Daim TU, 2006, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, V73, P981, DOI 10.1016/j.techfore.2006.04.004Formica A, 2006, INFORM SCIENCES, V176, P2624, DOI 10.1016/j.ins.2005.11.014Levitas EF, 2006, J ENG TECHNOL MANAGE, V23, P182, DOI 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2006.06.008BOUCHERRYAN P, 2006, KNOWL-BASED SYST, V19, P309HAN YJ, 2006, WORLD PATENT INFORM, V28, P235, DOI DOI 10.1016/J.WPI.2006.01.015Yoon B, 2005, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, V72, P145, DOI 10.1016/j.techfore.2004.08.011AVERSANO L, 2005, P INT WORKSH PRINC SPARK Y, 2005, TECHNOL SOC, V27, P471Tilley T, 2005, LECT NOTES ARTIF INT, V3626, P250HIRSCHEY M, 2004, J EMPIR FINANC, V11, P91YOON B, 2004, J HIGH TECHNOLOGY MA, V15, P37FATTORI M, 2003, WORLD PATENT INFORM, V25, P335JUNG S, 2003, IMPORTANCE USING PATSternitzke C, 2009, SCIENTOMETRICS, V78, P113, DOI 10.1007/s11192-007-1961-zLee S, 2009, TECHNOVATION, V29, P481, DOI 10.1016/j.technovation.2008.10.006Lee S, 2009, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, V76, P769, DOI 10.1016/j.techfore.2009.01.003Choi C, 2009, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, V76, P754, DOI 10.1016/j.techfore.2008.10.007*WIPO, 2003, PAT MAP EX REL WIPOYoon BU, 2002, R&D MANAGE, V32, P291JAFFE AB, 2002, PATENTS CITATIONS INSMITH H, 2002, WORLD PAT INF, V24, P269Abraham BP, 2001, TECHNOVATION, V21, P245DIAZAGUDO B, 2001, P INT C CAS BAS REASHALL BH, 2001, 8498 NBERLEVINSON H, 2001, PRINCIPLES LITHOGRAP, P159*EIRMA, 2000, TECHN MON BUS SUCCGANTER B, 1999, FORMAL CONCEPT ANALErnst H, 1998, J ENG TECHNOL MANAGE, V15, P279Ham RM, 1998, CALIF MANAGE REV, V41, P137JAFFE A, 1998, 6509 NBERSTUMME G, 1998, P EUR S PRINC DAT MIWatts RJ, 1997, TECHNOL FORECAST SOC, V56, P25LENT B, 1997, P INT C KNOWL DISC DLiu SJ, 1997, INT J TECHNOL MANAGE, V13, P661SMITH B, 1997, MICROLITHOGRAPHY SCIArchibugi D, 1996, TECHNOVATION, V16, P451BLACKMAN M, 1995, WORLD PATENT INFORM, V17, P115BEDECARRAX C, 1994, INFORM PROCESS MANAG, V30, P407TONG XS, 1994, RES POLICY, V23, P133MOGEE ME, 1994, TECHNOL ANAL STRATEG, V6, P485PORTER A, 1991, FORECASTING MANAGEMEGRILICHES Z, 1990, J ECON LIT, V28, P1661BASALLA G, 1988, EVOLUT TECHNOLOGYBASBERG BL, 1987, RES POLICY, V16, P131NARIN F, 1987, RES POLICY, V16, P143CAMPBELL RS, 1983, WORLD PATENT INFORM, V5, P137WILLE R, 1982, ORDERED SETSNELSON RR, 1977, RES POLICY, V6, P36BIRKHOFF G, 1973, LATTICE THEORYROSENBERG N, 1969, ECON DEV CULT CHANGE, V18, P1