Invention reasoning scheme based on workshop design konstruktion (WDK) artefact models and its applicationin the patent search

• Autores: Dragan Vasiljević, Biljana Stosic, Branislav Popkonstantinović
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 32, no. 5 (Parte A), 2016, 2015 págs.
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Patent system has an important role in engineering design process as it provides a source of ideas through patentinformation. On the other hand, the patent system poses potential constraints on the engineering design process, because agranted patent in force may prevent the exploitation of a technical solution. The aforementioned issues are the mainreasons why the patent search should not only be performed as a search for ideas and a search for potential constraints onthe innovation process, but also be taught in engineering design courses. Namely, in order to be able to carry out theirfuture tasks in industry, engineering students need to be capable of handling patent information since it strongly influencesany industrial innovation process. The existence of information, however, does not guarantee its proper usage, since patentsearch requires considerable knowledge and effort by the searcher to access and benefit from the information contained inpatent databases. For this reason, we developed an invention representation and reasoning scheme based on engineeringdesign artefact models in order to improve the quality of patent search process, primarily among non-experiencedsearchers, such as engineering students who typically use patent information as a source of ideas in engineering design andproduct development projects. The invention reasoning scheme contains categories adopted from the theory of technicalsystems, primarily the model of transformation process and the model of technical system, as well as categories from otherWorkshop Design Konstruktion (WDK) theories, and is aimed at supporting reasoning during the patent search process.In order to investigate the applicability of such a scheme in patent search, a case study on a small group mainly consisting ofmechanical engineering students was conducted, which demonstrated that this patent search reasoning tool based on theWDK artefact models may be successfully applied in patent searches conducted by non-professional patent searchers.