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Publications of patent applications and granted patents are a recognized source of information on technological innovation programs and patenting strategies of players in a given field. Tapping into this resource, data reporting tools such as mapping/landscaping are often used to provide general overviews of competitive activity. Going beyond, patent data analysis can become a personalized, wide-ranging strategic tool, if well-defined objectives are set for the analysis, a dedicated search strategy is implemented and an actionable report is produced, with recommendations closely fitting the objectives. As a consequence, patent data can have an impact throughout your innovation cycle, enabling key choices and decisions at every stage of the cycle, from Ideation to Development to Marketing and Monetisation.
In this article, we focus on Ideation.
1. Patent data can help you find ideas
Within your technical field of interest, patent data can provide a comprehensive overview of existing technologies. The more detailed the enquiry, the more relevant to your specific needs the answers. Out of all patent publications in the field, dedicated reports will highlight technological clusters and technical concepts relevant to your enquiry. In addition to the patenting activity and status in each highlighted area, dedicated reports will allow identification of tackled technical problems, and most importantly of problems which are adequately solved versus those which are still outstanding or incompletely remedied.
How is the step-by step analysis conducted?
-First and foremost, a well thought-through objective must be selected for the exercise: e.g. finding inspiration in a determined technological field, finding new ideas in a technology already identified, identifying problem-solving opportunities in a given technological area
-Technological clusters are typically identified and mapped
-Most relevant clusters and technical concepts are selected
-Particularly representative patent families are identified, which can be studied in detail
-A personalized report is drawn, with recommendations addressing the specific objectives set for the exercise
2. Patent data can help you implement ideas
Once an idea is identified, patent data can assist in its development in several ways: confirm the innovative potential, identify best opportunities for optimisation and research, assess the degree of freedom versus 3rd party patent rights, detect players with complementary technologies as potential partners.
How is the step-by-step analysis conducted?
– A well-defined idea must be the starting point
– The objective of the exercise is then carefully defined: confirm innovative potential, assess freedom to practice versus 3rd party patent rights, identify development partners
– The technological environment is reviewed in a global landscape, identifying players and giving general trends
– Most relevant players are analyzed in detail, in terms of patented technology and magnitude of patent coverage
– Selected patent families are classified according to clusters defined by technical aspects
– Ad-hoc categories specific to the context of the idea are created, and selected patent families classified accordingly
– A personalized report is drawn, with recommendations addressing the specific objectives set for the exercise
GEVERS and its specialized patent attorney and information specialists will gladly answer your questions and provide additional perspective.
Please do not hesitate to contact us.