Patent Portfolio Analysis of IoT-Based Control Systems for Environmental Irrigation Applications

IoT-based irrigation systems have become one of the trending topics in the field of water resource management in recent years, with an increasing amount of related research. However, there is still a considerable lack of research on the aspect of patent portfolios. This study aims to investigate the current status of technological development and patent portfolio of IoT-based irrigation systems and to survey major countries to better understand the development trends of IoT-based irrigation systems. Based on this, this study presents research findings and suggestions. This study uses data-mining methods such as correspondence analysis and K-means clustering to explore the competitive technological relationships and strategic-group relationships between the major countries in IoT-based irrigation systems. The results show differences in technological positioning and patent portfolio among countries. This study evaluates the relative technological advantages of each country in IoT-based irrigation systems and proposes suggestions for technological development.