DESIGNING PATENT PORTFOLIO FOR DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION – A NEW METHODOLOGY BASED ON C-K THEORY

DS 68-2: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED 11), Impacting Society through Engineering Design, Vol. 2: Design Theory and Research Methodology, Lyngby/Copenhagen, Denmark, 15.-19.08.2011

Year: 2011
Editor: Culley, S.J.; Hicks, B.J.; McAloone, T.C.; Howard, T.J. & Reich, Y.
Author: Felk, Yacine; Le Masson, Pascal; Weil, Benoit; Cogez, Patrick; Hatchuel, Armand
Series: ICED
Section: Design Theory and Research Methodology
Page(s): 214-225

Abstract

In this paper we explore a key element of knowledge intensive innovation, the issue of patent generation. Whereas patent is often considered as a ‘by-product’ (output) of design activity, we focus on the situation of disruptive innovation, where recent studies in management of innovation have shown that patent is particularly crucial. Only few methods are based on patent modelling, they rely most of all on problem solving design reasoning. Nevertheless, these are not adapted to disruptive innovation where both creativity and problem solving are mandatory. Looking at this situation as an issue of portfolio design provides a useful heuristic for management insights of a “design for patentability” approach. Our contribution is defined in two parts, first a patent model and second, a process of patent generation. We propose to model patent information as an (Action, Knowledge, Effect) triplet. In disruptive situations, all three elements (A, K, E) are unknown. Based on this modelling, we show through an illustrative case how a team in charge of disruptive innovation exploration proposed several (A, K, E) triplets. This work suggests a method “C-K Invent” derived from C-K design theory.

Keywords: PATENT; INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY; DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY; DESIGN TEAMS; C-K THEORY

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