Configuring and Customizing Charts

Note: The sections "Groupings" and "Use Cases" also include numerous charts and tables suitable for many different analyses. For more information on choosing the right chart template, click here.

Inserting a Blank Chart

You can also insert a chart via "Insert" → "Chart" in the main toolbar.

 

	Click on "insert."
	Click on "Chart" to insert a chart. You can then define measures, axes, and groupings according to your analytical objective.

Chart Types

PatentSight provides a variety of chart types to support different analytical questions. You can change the chart type at any time via the chart settings (gearwheel icon). You can easily configure chart type, axes and measures to build the charts you see below:

Typical examples include:

• Bubble Chart – e.g., Quantity vs. Quality (Portfolio Size vs. Competitive Impact with bubble area representing Patent Asset Index)

• Bar Chart – e.g., Pending and Granted Patents

• Line Chart – e.g., Patent Asset Index Development Over Time

• Pie Chart – e.g., Portfolio grouped by CPC / IPC Classes

Each chart type highlights a different analytical perspective:

• Comparison across entities → Bubble or bar chart

• Time development → Line or stacked bar chart

• Distribution across categories → Pie chart

• Two-dimensional grouping → Matrix chart

Switching chart types reinterprets the same dataset from a different visual and analytical angle.

Here you can see how the 'Pending and Granted Patents' chart above, is configured within the platform:

Pending and Granted Patents

What Makes Up a Chart (Structure and Key Elements)

Each chart consists of:

	Title – Defines the analytical focus.
	X-Axis – Defines the horizontal measure or grouping.
	Y-Axis – Defines the vertical measure.
	Bubble Area (Bar Length / Line Value) – Defines the primary KPI visualized.
	Legend – Displays the grouping logic.
	Interactive Controls:   • ▶ Play (time animation)        • ⚙ Settings (full configuration)          • ✕ Close

Click directly on axis labels or bubble areas to exchange measures instantly. All of the options shown above can be clicked and customised.

This structure allows you to reconfigure analytical perspectives without recreating the chart.

What You Can Configure in a Chart

General Settings

Access the full configuration via the gearwheel icon. Under Edit Chart, you can:

	Change chart type
	In this section you can exchange measures, define groupings, modify slicing logic (e.g., bubbles or bar grouping) and adjust axes.

Advanced Tabs (Depending on Chart Type)

• Axis scaling (linear/logarithmic)

• Label visibility

• Visual representation of measures (e.g., bubble size, bar length, column height)

• Data point display settings

• Value display inside chart elements

Changing chart types does not reset your dataset — it reinterprets the same data from another analytical perspective.

How to Analyze Development Over Time

Charts support historical development analysis through:

• Time Slider

• Bubble Trails

Both of these allow for animated feedback via the 'play' button. The animation function allows dynamic visualization of KPI development over time. Here are some examples:

Time Slider

	Click on "Insert" and select "Time Slider".
	The time slider will be added under the chart.
	Click on the play button of the chart. An animation of the data development over time will start immediately. To stop or resume it, click on the play or stop button, respectively.

Note - You can even visualize the change over time across two charts, by applying the time slider to both widgets in the same sheet:

	First, insert two or more charts of your choice, e.g., a bar chart and a bubble chart.
	Click on "Insert" and select "Time Slider"
	The time slider will be added under the chart.
	Click on the play button of the chart. An animation of the data development over time, across both charts, will start immediately. To stop or resume it, click on the play or stop button, respectively.

Bubble Trails

	Click on the gearwheel icon to access the chart settings.
	Check "Show Bubble Trails" to display the bubble trails that visualize the development over time.
	Each bubble represents a certain point in time, for example, a specific Reporting Date, with increasing transparency meaning that the bubble shows a point in time further in the past.
	Click on the play button to watch an animation of the development over time.

What the Matrix Chart Is and When to Use It

The Matrix chart enables cross-dimensional analysis by combining two groupings on the axes and representing a selected measure as bubble size. It allows you to analyze the interaction between two structural dimensions within a single visualization.

In this example, the matrix chart is grouped by owners (y-axis) and IPC classes (x-axis), and the bubble area measure is the Patent Asset Index.

You can also display numerical values inside the bubbles for exact KPI interpretation. 

Reading Example: Patent families owned by RELX that belong to the IPC class "G06F 17" have a Patent Asset Index of 200.

To insert a matrix chart to your workbook

	Option 1 - Access the section "Charts" under "Analysis Templates.
	Select the template "Technology Matrix".
	Option 2 - Click on "Insert" and select "Chart".
	Click on the gearwheel icon of the chart to access the chart settings.
	Under "General", select the chart type "Matrix". Next, select groupings for the x-axis and the y-axis and a measure for the bubble area.

How to Customize and Interact with a Chart

Changing Item Colors

You can assign custom colors to items via the drilldown menu. You can customize the color of any item displayed in your chart.

	Click on a bubble to open the drilldown menu
	Click on "Change Color" to select the color for the item displayed by this bubble. The selected color will be applied not only to this bubble but to all visualizations of this item in all other charts in your workbook.

Adjusting Axes

Axes can be modified by:

• Clicking directly on axis labels

• Using chart settings via the gearwheel icon

You can exchange measures without losing the analytical context. To adjust via axis labels:

	Click on the y-axis label to format the y-axis or to select a different measure
	Click on the x-axis label to format the x-axis or to select a different measure.

Hover Options and Using Drilldown

Hovering over data points reveals detailed information. Items can also be click selected to refine your analysis. In this example, we have selected the portfolio of Medtronic at the Reporting Date 12/31/2023.

Hide Items

If you do not want to display a certain item (e.g., an unwanted owner, tag, or IPC), you can hide it. Such a setting can be helpful for example if you want to hide an owner which is not relevant for your analyses.

	In a chart, click on the item you want to hide (E.g., the owner "Johnson & Johnson").
	In the drop-down menu, click on the eye icon to hide this item only in this chart or table.

Note: Hidden items are still part of the analysis. The only difference is that they are not displayed anymore. You can also choose to hide items in the entire workbook, and even for all future workbooks. Click here to learn more.

Summary

Charts are fully interactive:

• Select items to focus your analysis.

• Combine multiple charts within one workbook.

• Add time sliders independently per chart.

• Use charts to visually validate portfolio strategies.

Charts transform complex patent datasets into configurable analytical models rather than static graphics.