Exploring 4G patent and litigation informatics in the mobile telecommunications industry

Patent informatics are often analysed for IP protections, particularly in high-tech industries. This research develops a computer-supported generic methodology for discovering evolutions and linkages between litigations and disputed patents. The IP litigations in mobile telecommunications are used as the case study. An ontology framework representing the 4G domain knowledge is defined first. Then, a modified formal concept analysis (MFCA) approach is developed to discover the evolutionary linkages of legal cases and their disputed patents. In addition to citation-based patent analysis, this research provides a new approach in identifying legal and technical evolutions for future R&D planning and IP strategies.