WORLD CONFERENCE: TRIZ FUTURE 2008 5-7 November 2008, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

WORLD CONFERENCE: TRIZ FUTURE 2008

5-7 November 2008, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

Roberto Nani, Daniele Regazzoni

Scinte s.n.c., Ranica, Italy - University of Bergamo, Dalmine, Italy

Technological Route between

Pioneerism and Improvement

ETRIA Conference TRIZ Future 2008 - November 5-7, 2008 - University of Twente (NL)

GOAL AND METHODOLOGY

• to clearly identify

the patent state of

the art of a certain product or

technology• to perform

research activities such as

technological

forecasting

REFERENCES

S-curve of Evolution for a Specific Main Functionand Levels of Solutions

Differentiating Among the Five

Levels of Solutions

By Valeri Souchkov

The proposed classification helps to better

understand innovation.

• Innovative solutions reside at levels 2-4,

• level 2 represents incremental

innovations;

• level 3 represents radical innovations

for a specific market segment;

• level 4 – pioneering innovations.

A number of solutions at level 1 is

considerably larger than solutions at previous

levels.

• result inside a new market;

• within a new context;

• using a known function/principle combination.

3: Extending a Known

Function/Principle

Combination to a New Market

• qualitative changes and improvements of

components;

• within a technical system;

• based on the existing function/principle/market

combination

2: Qualitative Improvement of

the Existing

Function/Principle/Market

Combination

"scientific solutions" do not address any function or a

market.

5: Discovering a New Principle

• result from creating radically new functions;

• using a scientific principle discovered at level 5.

4: Creating a Radically New

Function/Principle

Combination

• quantitative change of a value of a certain

parameter or a couple of parameter;

• within a technical system;

• based on the existing function/principle/market

combination.

1: Quantitative Improvement of

the Existing


Combination

Level of Invention

METHODOLOGY STEPS

• browsing or searching in the patent classification the technological fields characterizing the matter (IPC);

• crossing keywords and classes search.

• number of patents filed per year;

• number of 4 digits IPC classes in which patents are classified per year;

• cumulative number of patents filed per year;

• total count of classes in which patents have been classified per year.

N°cumulative patentsIPD = ------------------------------------

N°classes involved

0<IPD<1

10<IPD<40

• Few patents, filed when a new

invention appears, can be found in

several different patent classes;

• highly innovative devices or

technology have a wide spectrum of

application and potential fields of

use;

• as a consequence, IPD of an

emerging technology is quite low.

• Increasing of filed patents that are

focused on sub-systems or details

and that are classified in a small

number of classes;

• as a consequence, IPD of mature

technology is much higher.

IPD

3: Extending a Known

Function/Principle

Combination to a New Market

2: Qualitative Improvement of

the Existing


Combination

5: Discovering a New

Principle

1<IPD<10

4: Creating a Radically New

Function/Principle

Combination

10<IPD<100

1: Quantitative Improvement

of the Existing


Combination

Level of Invention

Fitting the IPD data in logistic curves:

• software package for analyzing logistic behaviour developed and shared by the University of Rockefeller (NY) - Loglet Lab.

• Loglet Lab allows to discern and analyze S-shaped curve or a succession of many S-shaped curves even if overlapped in time.

• a clustering algorithm applied to the set of patents;• minimize cluster interactions;

• new Boolean algorithm of patent search• without imposing any class constraint.

((gripper*) <in> (TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS) ) AND ((weft* OR thread* OR filament* <in> (TITLE, ABSTRACT, CLAIMS))) (1)

Collections searched: European (Applications - Full text), European (Granted - Full text), US (Granted - Full text), WIPO PCT Publications (Full text), US (Applications - Full text)

6,458 matches found of 11,531,757 patents searched

(((d03d OR b65h) <in> IC ) AND ((gripp*) <in> (TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS))) (2)

Collections searched: European (Applications - Full text), European (Granted - Full text), US

(Granted - Full text), WIPO PCT Publications (Full text), US (Applications - Full text)


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

File

d Yea

r 19

5819

6619

6919

7219

7519

7819

8119

8419

8719

9019

9319

9619

9920

0220

0520

08

Figure 3: Number of patents per year

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

File

d Yea

r 19

5819

6619

6919

7219

7519

7819

8119

8419

8719

9019

9319

9619

9920

0220

0520

08

Figure 4: Number of involved IPC classes per year

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

File

d Yea

r 19

5819

6619

6919

7219

7519

7819

8119

8419

8719

9019

9319

9619

9920

0220

0520

08

Figure 5: Cumulative number of patents filed per year

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

FiledYear

1930 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008

Figure 6: Total count of classes per year

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

File

d Yea

r 19

30

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

Figure 7: Intellectual

Property Density IPD

Figure 8: S-shaped curves fitting IPD data

Figure 9: Bell-shaped curves fitting IPD data

Technology I: midpoint = 1972; growth time = 14.4; saturation = 6.7;Technology II: midpoint = 1987; growth time = 11.7; saturation = 9.8;Technology III: midpoint = 1999; growth time = 17.3; saturation = 12.4.

Filed Year Items % Bar Chart

1999 305 3.5 %

1987 320 3.7 %

1972 112 1.3 %

Cluster Overview 5 Clusters

For work file: 1972 (112 items )

release, side, arrange, adjacent, movement, locate, operation, hold, first, time5

mean, member, parallel, relative, grip, pair, include, release, pass, groove4

form, engage, surface, end, material, drive, provide, apparatus, lower, length3

sheet, mechanism, gripper, mount, press, transfer, conveyor, include, movement,

printing

2

comprise, loom, roller, provide, apparatus, mean, move, device, control, include1

Descriptive wordsCluster

� ((release AND groove AND arrange AND movement) <in>

(TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS)) (4)




5 clusters graph of collection 1987

� ((support AND rotation AND tube AND extend AND press)

<in> (TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS)) (5)




Cluster Overview 5 Clusters

For work file: 1999 (305 items )

end, support, portion, reel, rotatably, comprise, mount, shaft, arrange, provide5

include, move, position, first, grip, stack, engage, apparatus, rotation,

hold

4

mean, apparatus, control, arrange, transfer, provide, convey, product, form,

first

3

invention, relate, say, gripper, comprise, define, provide, include, section,

guide

2

sheet, device, form, grip, machine, method, station, gripper, position,

comprise

1

Descriptive wordsCluster

� ((include AND move AND position AND engage AND rotation

AND hold) <in> (TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS)) (6)


Collections searched: European (Applications - Full text), European (Granted - Full text), US (Granted - Full text), WIPO PCT Publications (Full text), US (Applications -

Full text)

Presentations & Public Speaking

WORLD CONFERENCE: TRIZ FUTURE 2008 5-7 November 2008, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands