Using the technology landscape in Fig 1, we find there are approximately 19,000 patents with the words 'light' and guide' and 'plate' in the title or the abstract. Each patent is classified with one or more International Patent Classifications (IPCs). For example, IPC G02B6/00 includes: "Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings”. 3,726 of these 19,000 patents are classified as being in this category. We can identify which category, or categories, your technology will fall into, and see how many patents are already filed in that sector.

We can further refine the list of patents so that you can see exactly which of your competitors are filing patents in which technologies and in which territories they are seeking protection. This analysis can be used for a number of commercial purposes including:

• Understanding where competitors believe the opportunities are greatest
• Identifying potential co-developers for new technologies
• Identifying potential IP barriers to proposed R&D activities
• Highlighting opportunities to in-licence or acquire third party IP before committing valuable resources