|
KMID : 1003820130170020077
|
|
Journal Of The Korea Institute Of Oriental Medical Diagnostics
2013 Volume.17 No. 2 p.77 ~ p.89
|
|
|
Analysis of patent trends of computerized tongue diagnosis systems
|
|
Jung Chang-Jin
Lee Yu-Jung
Kim Jae-Uk
Kim Keun-Ho
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Objectives: Tongue diagnosis is an important diagnostic method in traditional Eastern medicine, and it has a high potential to be used in the future healthcare because of easy, quick, and non-contact measuring features. Recently, research and development efforts on computerized tongue diagnosis systems (CTDS) have been active that led to the technical advancements in the field of photographing techniques, image extraction and classification algorithms. In this study, we analyzed the trends in the CTDS patents. Using the WIPS search engine (www.wipsglobal.com), quantitative and qualitative patent analyses were performed through Korea, China, Japan, U.S.A and Europe.
Methods: For a systematic search and data analysis, we defined patent categories based on the application area and technical details. By applying thus-obtained categorical key words, we obtained 360 relevant patents on photographing techniques, image extraction and classification algorithms for the purpose of diagnosis or security.
Results: As a result, companies related to image acquisition, medical imaging and mobile devices and research groups of universities in East Asia were major patent applicants. In all the five countries, the number of patents have been increasing since 1980. In particular, technology related to color correction and image segmentation were most actively patented categories, and expected to continue a high application rate.
Key Words: Finally, the research groups of China showed surging patent applications in the category of the diagnosis algorithm based on color and shape of the tongue since 2006, which implies differential research and patent strategies are required in reference with the Chinese patents.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|
|