Plant Patent Portal Project

Abstract

Our Plant Patent Portal (PPP) project is an interactive visualization of around 30,000 plant-related patents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We geocoded the original, aspatial data, converting it from a simple table with no spatial reference into a georeferenced, spatially aware layer of all of these patents. Each is symbolized as a point on a map based on where the inventor in question resides. To interactively visualize our data as well as get it online, we created an interactive dashboard using ArcGIS Experience Builder that combines maps with statistics and filtering options to promote data exploration and custom visualization. Our goal is twofold: create a tool for the general public to better understand the spatial distribution of plant patents granted by the USPTO, and to provide a much more intuitive and eye-catching way to present this dataset as opposed to the original tables.