We carry out a two level novelty search to help the clients in streamlining their invention ideas. At first level we conduct a quick level filtering of the similar prior arts. This helps the client in strategizing the invention further and come up with a patent application. This level of study is cost-effective and does not involve a full blown patentability search
The second level of analysis involves the comprehensive analysis of the prior art. We help you structure the claims in the best possible way in light of the prior arts identified.
Our report includes detailed analysis on the identified prior art including challenges pertaining to the grant of the patent claims on novelty, inventive and obviousness steps surrounding the invention.
“We had been under the impression that we were the first ones to think of the idea. As it turned out, we were not even the tenth. Consultants from Citius Minds helped us restructure our idea to get it patented, saved us at least a couple of billions that we had already invested in research.”
Head of Research & Development – A Multinational Corporation
Challenge:
A multinational corporation desired to check whether the invention they have come up with was patentable or not. The invention disclosed a mobile phone power management system, such that a computer logic was used to switch off the display screen when it didn’t fall in the user’s line of sight for a specific duration of time. The client believed that their invention was novel and wanted us to verify if they could get it patented so that they can later launch a product on its basis.
Execution:
Our team thoroughly investigated the disclosed invention to understand the technology and novel features of the invention. A ‘Same-Page Document’ was shared with the client for sharing the team’s understanding of the important features of the invention. This document included key features of the invention based on team’s understanding, several representative term-sets and important US, IPC, CPC, etc. classifications, which could potentially be used in conducting the patent search. We used several paid and free patent databases to formulate exhaustive key strings using different term-sets to list the patents (filed globally) similar to the disclosed invention. The team shortlisted several relevant prior-art based on their similarity with the features of the invention and a detailed report including ‘element-wise’ color coded mapping of key features with relevant description of prior arts was prepared.
One of the shortlisted prior art was very similar to the client’s invention. It disclosed an interactive portable gaming module having an OLED touchscreen with power management capabilities. The module kept checking the interaction of the user by tracking his/her eye with the help of an imaging device. The module automatically switched off the screen, paused the game and muted the background music if the user was not keeping his eye on the screen for a specified duration of time. This invention broadly disclosed all the features of the client’s invention, hence, our team suggested the addition of a tilt sensor for power management along with the line of sight logic based on our research in the technology domain. The tilt sensor was incorporated in a way that, while calling operations, the logic would determine the user’s line of sight and the tilt sensor would gauge the movement of the sensor. This further improved the efficiently of the power management system for the mobile device.
Impact:
Our client was able to showcase all the prior arts similar to the disclosed invention to their R&D team using our detailed report. The color coded claim mapping also helped the R&D team to understand the similarities and differences between the identified prior arts and the invention. The addition of the feature of tilted sensor enabled the client to improve the efficiency of their overall energy management system, get their invention patented and save a huge amount of money that they had already invested in research and manufacture of the product based on the invention.