👉 Systematic approach to solve specific technical problems creatively
🎙 IP Management Voice Episode: Invention on Demand
What is an invention on demand?
An invention is a creative achievement that enables a new solution to a problem. This can be either the achievement of a new goal with known means or a known goal with new means. Inventions are usually referred to in connection with technical problem solving, such as the invention of the gasoline engine or dynamite.
It is important to distinguish between an invention and a discovery. A discovery concerns something that already exists, which is previously unknown and whose usefulness is undetermined. An invention, on the other hand, always concerns a new knowledge that has never existed before.
Invention on demand deals with the question of how an invention is created. A distinction can be made between different invention processes:
- Random invention
Some inventions arise purely by chance through the recognition of possibilities when dealing with products or technologies. - Classical Invention Process (Geneplore Model)
In a business environment, an invention is often the result of a creative process that involves several steps:- Recognizing a problem:
The first step to invention is recognizing a problem or challenge that needs to be solved. - Finding the solution:
After the problem is identified, the creative process of finding a solution begins. This can be done through brainstorming, research, experimentation, and many other methods. - Technical implementation or experimental evidence:
As soon as a solution has been found, it must be technically implemented or experimentally proven. This may include developing a prototype, conducting testing, or creating engineering drawings and models. - Protection of the invention:
If the invention has been realized, it is important to protect it. This can be done by applying for a patent. - Invention Harvesting:
This process is also called ‘invention mining’ and is used to systematically build or expand a patent portfolio. Available documentation of ideas is analysed to determine whether they agree on patent protection. This collection of ideas can also be initially built up in a workshop along a specific question to be solved. This means that invention harvesting assumes that ideas already exist, but that they have not yet been granted patent protection.
- Recognizing a problem:
- Invention on Demand
The Invention on Demand approach assumes a specific technical problem that needs to be solved. The procedure is closely related to the TRIZ method [Link]. Invention on Demand takes place in four steps:- Definition of the desired field of innovation:
A field of innovation refers to the areas of design and topics in which innovation is to be achieved. There are market-driven fields of innovation (“market pull”) that are derived from customer needs or market developments. And there are technology-driven fields of innovation (“technology push”) that are derived from technical skills or scientific findings. - Deriving the problems:
In the field of innovation, there are specific challenges that need to be solved in order to design concrete products, services or benefit experiences for customers. These challenges are formulated as precisely as possible as a technical problem. - Description of problem-solving combinations:
For the respective problem, the closest state of the art is determined, i.e. the existing knowledge that is most relevant to solve the problem. Possible solutions to the problem are identified, looking in particular for those that are not obvious to a professional, as creative, surprising and beneficial solutions. - Evaluate the solutions:
The evaluation of the solutions is carried out according to the following characteristics:- Technical features: How good is the solution to the problem?
- Market potential: What is the potential demand for the solution? Which target group is being addressed?
- Intellectual Property Rights: Can the solution be patented? Is it possible to prove infringement of the patent?
- Economic aspects: What are the costs of developing, producing, and marketing the solution?
- Feasibility: How realistic is it that the solution can be implemented as a marketable product?
- Definition of the desired field of innovation:
With the invention on demand approach, it is possible to develop patent portfolios in a very effort-efficient and effective way.
What role does TRIZ play in invention on demand?
TRIZ (the acronym stands for “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving” in Russian) is a method based on the analysis of patents and identifies patterns in problems and their solutions. It offers a systematic approach to inventive problem solving. The invention on demand approach can take advantage of the TRIZ methodology.
The “Invention on Demand” model with the TRIZ methodology consists of four steps:
- Evaluation of the specific technical problem
the technical system is broken down into its smallest elements, and the functional relationships between these elements are graphically depicted. - Translation of the specific technical problem into a general scientific problem
starting from the element with the lowest functional ranking (i.e., the least useful element), the elements are systematically eliminated. - Search for general scientific solutions
The contradictions are solved systematically. - Translation of general scientific solutions into specific technical solutions
The final step in such a project is to further develop the rough concepts into specific and workable technical solutions.
Thus, the application of TRIZ is a modification of the Invention on Demand approach explained above.
How to patent an idea?
An idea can be understood as a new, original, witty thought or idea. An idea can be a thought that can be acted upon. It can also be a conceptual blueprint for solving a problem.
Not all ideas can be patented. In order to patent, it is necessary that the idea is related to technology, i.e. it applies knowledge from the technical sciences to solve practical problems. It is important for a successful patent application that it is not the “pure idea” that can be patented, but its concrete implementation. In other words, a technical solution that is feasible and commercially usable.
The criteria for patentability may vary slightly from country to country. In general, however, these four criteria play a central role in most national and international patent laws:
- Technical relevance
The idea must be in an area in which patent protection is possible in principle. It must be related to technology. - Novelty
The idea must be new. This means that it is not part of the state of the art at the time of filing a patent application. The state of the art includes all publicly available information and technologies. - Inventive step
The idea must be the result of an inventive step. This means that it must not be obvious or trivial to a professional in the respective field. - Commercial applicability
The idea must be usable for commercial purposes, for example in industry or commerce.
What are the most important steps to patent an idea?
The process of patenting an idea can be complex and requires professional advice in order to secure one’s rights in the best possible way. It is advisable to contact a patent attorney to ensure that the intellectual property is adequately protected.
The patenting of an idea can be divided into the following steps:
- Definition of the idea
The first step is to define the idea that is to be patented as precisely as possible or its concrete implementation. - Research and market analysis
You should also check that the idea or its concrete implementation is new, for example with the help of public databases with patent information. Careful research and market analysis are crucial steps to increase the chances of success of a patent application and to better assess the potential of the inventive idea in terms of competition and market demand. - Working with a Patent Attorney
A patent attorney can help navigate the filing process and ensure that the invention is adequately protected. - From patent application to patent grant
It can take some time from filing a patent application to granting the patent, often between 1.5 to 3 years, depending on the country or region. - Maintenance of the patent
Once the patent has been granted, the patent must be maintained, i.e. fees must be paid in order to derive long-term economic benefit from the invention.
Invention, Innovation and Disruption: What is the difference?
The terms “invention”, “innovation” and “disruption” have very different meanings, especially in the context of business and technology development or innovation management:
- Invention
An invention refers to a new idea or concept that is translated into a product, process, or service. It is the first step in the development of a new product, a new service, a new technology or even an entire industry. Inventions are usually the result of research and development. - Innovation
An innovation is the successful implementation of an invention in a market. This often involves the further development and improvement of existing products, processes or services. Innovations can be both incremental (small improvements) and radical (big, game-changing changes). - Disruption
In innovation management, “disruption” refers to a process that begins in a small, inconspicuous niche of an industry. On the basis of a new technology or business model, products or services are developed that initially appeal only to a small part of customers. Over time, these offering gains momentum, becomes a dominant market factor, and ends up displacing many established companies and their products. Disruptive innovations can “tear apart” existing markets and business models and create new ones.
The term “invention” usually refers to a patentable, technical innovation and thus to the result of research and development to solve practical problems by technical means. The term “innovation” focuses on the innovation in the market, many inventions never reach a market and therefore cannot be regarded as innovation. “Disruption” is about a certain market and technology development pattern, how the success of an innovation presents itself in competition.