This document discusses technological route identification between pioneerism and improvement. It presents a methodology for analyzing the patent landscape of a technology using indicators like the intellectual property density (IPD). The IPD is calculated based on the number of patents filed per year in a technology and the number of patent classes involved. Case studies are presented analyzing the patent data of textile grippers from 1972, 1987 and 1999. Cluster analysis is also used to group patents from different time periods into technological categories. The goal is to better understand the evolution and innovation levels of a technology using quantitative patent data analysis.

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

2. 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)

3. 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

4. REFERENCES
S-curve of Evolution for a
Specific Main Function
and 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.

5. • 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
Function/Principle/Market
Combination
Level of Invention

6. METHODOLOGY STEPS

7. • browsing or searching in the patent
classification the technological fields
characterizing the matter (IPC);
• crossing keywords and classes search.

8. • 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 patents
IPD = ------------------------------------
N°classes involved

9. 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
Function/Principle/Market
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
Function/Principle/Market
Combination
Level of Invention

10. 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.

11. • a clustering algorithm applied to the set of patents;
• minimize cluster interactions;
• new Boolean algorithm of patent search
• without imposing any class constraint.

12. ((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)
8,700 matches found of 11,531,757 patents searched

13. 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450Filed
Year
1958
1966
1969
1972
1975
1978
1981
1984
1987
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
Figure 3: Number of patents per year
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Filed
Year
1958
1966
1969
1972
1975
1978
1981
1984
1987
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
Figure 4: Number of involved IPC classes per year

14. 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000Filed
Year
1958
1966
1969
1972
1975
1978
1981
1984
1987
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
Figure 5: Cumulative number of
patents filed per year
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Filed
Year
1930 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008
Figure 6: Total count of
classes per year

15. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30Filed
Year
1930
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2008
Figure 7: Intellectual
Property Density IPD

16. Figure 8: S-shaped curves fitting IPD data
Figure 9: Bell-shaped curves fitting IPD data

17. 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 %

18. 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)
6,400 matches found of 11,374,720 patents searched
Collections searched: European (Applications - Full text), European (Granted - Full text), US
(Granted - Full text), WIPO PCT Publications (Full text), US (Applications - Full text)

19. 5 clusters graph of collection 1987
((support AND rotation AND tube AND extend AND press)
<in> (TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS)) (5)
1,210 matches found of 11,374,720 patents searched
Collections searched: European (Applications - Full text), European (Granted - Full text), US
(Granted - Full text), WIPO PCT Publications (Full text), US (Applications - Full text)

20. 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 words
Cluster
((include AND move AND position AND engage AND rotation
AND hold) <in> (TITLE,ABSTRACT,CLAIMS)) (6)
21,483 matches found of 11,374,720 patents searched
Collections searched: European (Applications - Full text), European (Granted - Full
text), US (Granted - Full text), WIPO PCT Publications (Full text), US (Applications -
Full text)