A Study of Technology Trends Analysis Using Patent Search Systems

Patent information is effective in clarifying the research policy and strategy of a company and its competitors through the analysis of technological trends. In this study, we devised a patent analysis system that incorporates one patent search system, YUPASS (Yamaguchi University Patent Search System), and patent mapping software. In order to confirm the effectiveness of this analysis system, we focused on the differences in technological features of exposure equipment of Canon, Nikon and ASML for use in semiconductor manufacturing and their market share, and attempted to infer the technological reason for the changes in each company's market share through the analysis of patent maps. The analysis result correlated well with the market share investigation report, and we have found that it is a useful analytical tool in clarifying a company's or its competitor's research strategy and policy.