Rain Chen

Design Patent Map: An Innovative Measure for Corporative Design Strategies

Abstract: The design patent map is one of the essential strategic measures for formulating design strategies. Because the design patent is considered less definite than other patent categories, it is relatively difficult to create a design patent map. No study has been discovered in a worldwide search of patent documents or publications that is relevant to design patent maps, proving the innovative nature of this study. The authors have extracted 96 representative works for bicycle frame design patents that were published from 1992 to 2003 and have used them as the study samples. To ensure precise interpretation of the technical data of bicycle frames and to create the design patent map, the authors have interviewed 11 design patent examiners who have an average of 10 years of experience in patent examination, and are currently working in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office. Based on the matrix for the available patenting capability and the degree of need for patents, the authors have further converted the design patent map into nine feasibly specific design strategies: (1) overall seizure, (2) expansion, (3) closing-in, (4) envelopment, (5) dispersion, (6) pincer attack, (7) division, (8) deviation, and (9) abandonment. As a result, enterprises will be able to employ the design patent map developed in this study to customize their own design strategies. Such a strategic measure will soon become a new competitive edge for enterprises with the arrival of the knowledge economy era.

Design patent map visualization display

Design patent map is an important strategic tool for establishing design strategies. Of types of patents, design patents occupy a unique patent field, since design patents are not as definitive as other patent fields. Therefore, the construction of design patent map is extremely difficult. Until now, in world-renowned patent periodicals, studies on design patent map have not been found; thus, this study is very innovative. In this study, design patents from between 2005 and 2007 in the United States were selected, 74 patent samples in the car industry were selected as research subjects. Ten design patent examiners who have an average of 10 years of patent evaluation experience in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) and 29 industrial designers who have had an average of over 3 years of design experience are enlisted to assist in construction of design patent map. Corporations can use the concrete steps provided by this study, with the multi-dimensional scale, to establish a design patent map and use this to form patent strategies. This strategic tool will become a new tool for competition for firms facing the knowledge economy era!

Effects of color sample display and color sample grouping on screen layout usability for customized product color selection

This study investigates the effects of color sample display and color sample grouping on the usability (task efficiency and user preference) of a color combination interface. A 180-subject nested design experiment tested each of the three levels of color sample grouping (associative color number, color series, and product section) against each of the two levels of color sample display (color chip, product thumbnail) for efficiency and effectiveness (search time and error rate). A separate 30-subject experiment evaluated user preference. Of the three grouping types, product section (grouping of color chips or product thumbnails to correspond with modular sections of a product preview image) yielded the lowest search time and error rates. Of the two display types, product thumbnails achieved the highest user preference. Of the six formation-display configurations, color sample chips grouped by product section yielded both the lowest search time and highest preference.

Studying Factors Causing Wordmark Confusions to Improve Brand Identity

By establishing a trademark map, an enterprise could understand the similarities among trademarks for trademark orientation. This study aims to analyze four similar patterns of word marks, namely (1) Alphabet Similar, (2) Pronunciation Similar, (3) Font Similar, and (4) Color Similar. From 2012 brand value report of BrandZ, Google is selected as the word mark sample in this study, tending to understand the confusion of graphic designers and consumers in the four similar patterns. Aiming at 34 graphic designers with more than 2-year design experiences and 30 consumers, the similarity test of trademark samples is proceeded to construct the trademark map presented by the graphic designers and consumers for detailed analyses and cognitive differences. The experimental results show judging differences in trademark similarity between the two groups that Font Similar is the major factor in trademark confusion. However, graphic designers are not likely to confuse Pronunciation Similar, and consumers do not easily confuse Alphabet Similar. The results could guide enterprises to the concept of trademark map when designing trademarks so as to obtain the optimal brand orientation.

Similarity scope of design patent rights

This study examines 55 product designers who have worked for more than four years in the field of design and 60 ordinary consumers in order to individually investigate the similarity in research about design patent rights. The results of this study will be compared with the well-known design patent results of justice judgment in the world, with the goal of understanding whether or not the generally acknowledged scope of design patent rights is the same as that of the judges. The results of this study could produce design patent information to suit both sides, or the judges could provide controversial items for ordinary consumers to identify similar infringements before enacting lawsuits in the future.

GA-based dissimilarity visualization engine for design patent map systems

Patent deployment has become a competition strength for companies. The intelligence property can keep the competition advantage of a company from opponents through the patent deployment which can be visualized by the patent map technique. The patent map is an important strategic tool for establishing design strategies. Our past efforts studied the display techniques in design patent map, and the comparisons of design patents in United States and Taiwan. Of types of patents, design patents occupy a unique patent field, since design patents are not as definitive as other patent fields. Therefore, the construction of design patent map is extremely difficult. Current commercial patent map systems visualize the patents according to non-populace attributes. However, such patent map systems are insufficient for providing more objective results from populace to support more powerful evidences in law courts. A key component to support the patent map system adopting the populace opinions is a fast dissimilarity visualization engine which can traslate the dissimilarity of patents from the populace opinions to a patent map. This paper presents a GA-based dissimilarity visualization engine for the above mentioned purpose. We design a set of crossover and multion operations based on the observations could generate patent maps with better quality. Our primary results reveal that the GA-based dissimilarity visualization engine indeed speeds up around 50% than the traditional method. Hence, such the engine is quite suitable for impatient users on the internet platform.

Framework of Design Patent Map Systems Based on Dissimilarity from Populace Survey

Patent deployment has become a competition strength for companies. The intelligence property can keep the competition advantage of a company from opponents through the patent deployment which can be visualized by the patent map. Design patent map is an important strategic tool for establishing design strategies. Our past efforts studied the display techniques in design patent map, and the comparisons of design patents in United States and Taiwan. Of types of patents, design patents occupy a unique patent field, since design patents are not as definitive as other patent fields. Therefore, the construction of design patent map is extremely difficult. In this paper, we focus on the implementation of a design patent map system, which can be used to collect populace opinion on comparisons of the design patents. Our proposed framework for the design patent map systems consists of a dissimilarity collector, a patent database, a patent map visualization engine, a rendering tool, and a set of interface components. Hence, their functional integration fulfills both the populace survey and the automation of generating up-to-date patent maps. After prototype and demonstration, the proposed framework is able to offer a easy-to-use design patent map system to collect populace opinions and display design patent maps on web environments.

Application of interactive design as teaching materials for learning disabled students

This study focuses on how to design teaching materials for learning disabled students. User-friendly and user-centred interface design are the basic rules. In this study, we understand different needs from different learning disabled students, then design and made customer-made teaching materials, it is discussed to explicate why the design worked well and how it can be improved on different case study. This study applies touch screen and single switch as assistive technology the use for learning disabled students. It is improve the interactivity of teaching aid for students. There are four teachers work for disabled students take part in this study. The design of the teaching materials offered both the teachers and students a novel learning method.

Expansion of design patent: from united patents to continuation patents

In recent year, the fierce competition among large-scale enterprises like Apple and Samsung in the consumer electronic market has put design patents into the spotlight. In the design patent system, a continuation patent system has been included after abolishing the united patent system. This change is definitely critical in the reform of the patent system. The study subjects here are patent engineers and product designers (N = 40), and the goal was to construct a concrete continuation patent scope. The research findings are as follows. The continuation patent system provides designers a broader patent scope. In the future, enterprises can make a good use of the continuation patent system on patent layouts to protect design patents while suppressing copying or imitating works of continuation patents. When continuation patents are less similar among each other, the created patent scope can be maximized. The research conclusion provides important information for patent layout planning.

An ISM Based Approach for Product Innovation Using a Synthesized Process

Internet shopping has become a global business activity; it also increases the workload of delivery services. The Transnet logistics can easily deliver and collect cargos from everywhere, with difficulty of having the greatest efficiency. This study is composed of four parts; the first step of identifies opportunities in which proposing an auxiliary vehicle for Transnet truck to support service in narrow or crowded road. A weight calculation system determined the relative value of different items and applied the interpretive structural model (ISM) to modularize SET for constructing innovation from integrated new product development (iNPD). From finding GAPs in opportunities of search results are explored an innovative light electric carrier as an auxiliary vehicle is determined. The second part consists of quantifying 21 items based upon 7 specific attributes for user orientation. The third part describes a new kind of light electric vehicle which is developed and mounted on the rear side of transport trucks; it can be used to deliver goods along narrow roads. Finally, more specific details of a collapsible electric motor carrier with a battery that is recharged using truck’s power system after using it are presented. The results of this study establish a research and product design to help Transnet drivers by improving carrying efficiency in narrow and crowded roads.