Practice-based methodology for effectively modeling and documenting search, protection and innovation

This work relates to a methodology to effectively standardize a “system oriented search” and to document the “path” that is built using patents databases. The aim of this work is to define an improved method and operative tool for a quick and reliable patents investigation driven by Boolean algorithms together with classical Triz tools. The method proposed in this paper is a further enhancement of existing tools such as: FOS (Function-Oriented Search) developed by Litvin and APOS (Function an Problem Oriented Search) by Axelrod. The proposed method consists in defining: the “intrinsic factors” capable of describing the contest that is object of search, protection and innovation; the relationship between the “intrinsic factors”; a “system oriented search” as a physical expression of the combination of the “intrinsic factors” and their relationships; the results of the contextualization of the defined model to the specific problem. The method has been tested with several projects for companies of different industrial areas. Moreover in the last months the method has been used in case studies by students of the University of Bergamo with good results, after a very few hours of training. Some different case studies will be discussed in order to clarify the operative value of the proposed method and to show the results obtained in terms of solutions found and of efforts needed. The first example relates to the field of Pressure Die Casting: the problem of thermal expansion and corrosion of an automotive component is analysed within the process of die casting and galvanisation. The second one relates to the field of transmission of digital information and “Pictorial Communication”: analysis of evolution of protocol related to: Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Digital Right Management (DRM). The third relates to the field of “Electric Communication” technique with means for reducing interference: a model of a textile plant has been created to outline the architecture of printed circuit boards that optimizes the reduction of electromagnetic interference. The fourth relates to the field of producing mixtures containing concrete material: a project evolution of the product has been analysed, keeping into consideration the contribution to the main field of transversal technologies according to the concept of low ponderability discussed on APOS methodology.