If you go on either the application/publication trend graph there is the option of trend prediction above the graph:
If you check the box corresponding to it there will then be a prediction of how many patents will have been applied for/published for last year and this year. The reason why we don't have full information for these two years is because patent applications tend to take a number of months to become public, often around 12-18 months. Once you have done this you will get something like the image below:
The way that the prediction line is generated is by the Phase-Average Trend Method which was constructed by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The key considerations of this are:
- Estimation and extrapolation of the long-term trend.
- Calculations of deviations from the moving average trend.
- Correction for extreme values.
- Identification of turning points and cyclical phases.
More information about this method can be found here: