Judging Priority for Design-Around by Combining Patent-Technology-Field Analysis and Element-Joint-Type Evaluation

[[abstract]] 對於一新產品開發案而言，能在最短時程內進行量產，且無專利侵權顧慮是企業所樂見的。在新產品開發過程中，專利迴避設計是企業有效、可快速爭取市場的手段之一，但在專利迴避設計的過程中，處理繁雜的專利資訊是決定該開發案是否成功的關鍵，這些資訊甚至將會影響企業的經營決策。故如何使研發人員快速且有效地查閱專利資訊，並透過簡明的統計運算對其分析，提出適切可行的結果供給開發決策者作為參考，即是本研究的首要目標。基於前述理由，本研究提出一｢結合技術領域分析與元件結合型式評估於判定專利迴避設計優先序｣方法，該方法主要特色為：針對一專利迴避設計案中的標的專利群所屬的美國專利分類號，以及該群專利各自的審查引證資訊作為量化分析對象，得到各個標的專利在此設計案中所在的「技術深度」與「技術廣度」後，由前述兩項指標篩選出較核心的專利；接著從機構觀點，在各標的專利元件間的結合型式分析中獲取「關鍵元件」與如欲對該專利提出變更或再設計的「變更難度」；最後以該專利群於「技術深度」、「技術廣度」、「關鍵元件」與「變更難度」等進行綜合研判，讓研發人員在進行該設計案時，知悉迴避既有專利的風險與難度。本研究採用省力型人力釘書機的相關美國公告專利共30件進行案例推演，其結果證明該方法確實能發揮預期效益，提出合理且可行的建議。[[abstract]] Developing a new product and launching it rapidly without any patent infringement is conducive to enterprises During the product development design-around is one of the most effective manners to gain market shares; however complicated patent information processing would influence the design-around task and even more so if for business strategy Therefore the objective of this research is to construct an approach to help R&D staff find out feasible solution to their tasks through a simplified evaluation According to the objective and practical requirements a specific approach “Judging priority for design-around by combining patent-technology-field analysis and element-joint-type evaluation” is proposed and its features are: (1) To reach the “depth of technology” and “breadth of technology” of the each patent among the target group under the consideration of their US classifications and citing/cited information and then identify the kernel patents of the target group (2) To find out the “key element” of the each patent by judging the element joint type from mechanism perspective and then reach the “degree of difficulty for altering or redesign” of the patent (3) To make a comprehensive survey for forecasting the risk of the design-around task according to the “depth of technology ” “breadth of technology ” “key element” and “difficulty for altering or redesign” of the patents The proposed approach has been demonstrated by a simulated design-around task for labor-saving staplers and their related technology an acceptable solution also has been reached from the 30 target US patent