Knowledge Converter(s) Within Knowledge Flows of Patent Citation Network: Evidence from Patent Lawsuits of Smartphones

Prior studies provided a model to categorize technological companies into Knowledge Absorbers, Knowledge Producers, and Brokers Based on Producing Knowledge, and Brokers Based on Absorbing Knowledge. The model is based on the betweenness centrality of patent citation network and O-I index which is the difference between out-degree centrality and in-degree centrality divided by the sum of them. However, this study has found that the model might fail when the O-I index approaches zero. If a company's O-I index approaches zero and its betweenness centrality is high, its out-degree centrality and indegree centrality will be high. The company within this zone produces and absorbs more knowledge. This kind of companies is called "Knowledge Converter." The result shows that knowledge converters are key players in the smartphone industry.