Invention on Demand

A TRIZ Perspective

Dr. Andrei Cernasov

 Definitions

• Invention: Any new article, machine,

composition, or process or new use
developed by humans.
• Patent: Grant from a government that
confers to the inventor exclusive rights to
make, use, sell, or offer for sale the rights to
an invention for a fixed period of time.
• Patentable Invention: A new, non-obvious
and useful process, machine, manufacture,
or composition of matter, or any new and
useful improvement thereof.
• Innovation: “The process of equipping in new
improved capabilities, or increased utility”,
Peter, F. Drucker.
• Innovation: “Invention + Capital”, Joseph
Schumpeter.
USPTO Building, Washington, DC
 History of Patents

• 1449 - King Henry VI of England awards

“John of Utynam” a patent for a method of
manufacturing stained glass.
• 1787 - US Constitution, Article 1, Section
8, Clause 8, the “Intellectual Property
Clause”.
• 1790 - The Patent Act of 1790, Thomas
Jefferson.
• 1793 - The Patent Act of 1793, Thomas
Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
• 1836 - The Patent Act of 1836 establishes
the Patent Office as part of Department of
State.
• 1975 - The US Patent Office becomes the
US Patent and Trademark Office under the
Department of Commerce

King Henry VI
 Famous Patents
Patent No 0000001: Locomotive steam engine for rail and other roads
Patent No 0821393: Flying Machine
Patent No 1102653: Rocket Apparatus
Patent No 0001582: Camera Apparatus
Patent No 0223898: Electric Bulb
Patent No 0644077: Aspirin
Patent No 2139296: Cathode Ray Tube
Smart Inventions? Dumb Inventions?
Patent No 6796396: Personal Transporter
Patent No 5071161: Air Bag Restraining System with Venting Means
Patent No 5071161: Air Bag Restraining System with Venting Means
Patent No 4773863: Amusement Device for a Toilet bowl or Urinal
 Patent No 4773863: Amusement Device for a Toilet bowl or Urinal

Talking toilet orders men to sit down

Latest Updated by 2004-05-27 11:42:35

A GERMAN inventor who developed a gadget that berates men if they try to use the toilet standing up
has sold more than 1.6 million devices, his business manager said on Tuesday.
German women fed up with a man with a poor aim can turn to the ghost-shaped gadget, which lurks
under the toilet rim and, if the seat is lifted, declares in a stern female tone:
"Hello, what are you up to? Put the seat back down right away, you are definitely not to pee standing up
... you will make a big mess..."
Alex Benkhardt, 46, invented the "WC Ghost" and its creators are in negotiations to market it in Britain,
Canada and Italy.
Patent No 5280371: Directional Diffuser for a Liquid Crystal Display

TMO Reports - Honeywell Sues

Apple, 33 Others Over LCD Patent
by Brad Gibson
Brad Gibson, 7:10 PM EDT, October 6th, 2004

A spokesman for Honeywell told The Mac

Observer that the United States patent in
question is number 5,280,371, filed in July of
1992 and granted in January of 1994.
Defendants named in Honeywell's lawsuit
besides Apple include Argus, Audiovox, Casio
Computer, Casio, Concord Cameras, Dell,
Eastman Kodak, Fuji Photo Film, Fuji Photo
Film, Fujitsu, Fujitsu America, Fujitsu
Computer Products, Kyocera Wireless,
Matsushita Electrical, Matsushita Electrical
Corp. of America, Navman NZ, Navman
U.S.A., Nikon USA, Nikon Inc., Nokia, Nokia
Americas, Olympus, Olympus America,
Pentax, Pentax U.S.A., Sanyo Electric, Sanyo
North America, Sony, Sony Corporation Of
America, Sony Ericsson Mobile
Communications AB, Sony Ericsson Mobile
Communications (U.S.A.) Inc., Toshiba, and
Toshiba America.
Famous Inventors
Innovation Targets Post-Industrial Age
Business structure Customer service

• Alliances • Service process

• Capital formation • Communication
• Financial tools
Administration

• Information flow Supply chain

• Automation
• Insourcing/outsourcing services • Distribution system
• Manufacturing
Organization • Communication

• Structure type Product

• Facilities infrastructure
• IT infrastructure • Product offering
• Employee/contractor mix • Product availability
• Employee experience • Technology (invisible)
• Decision making processes • Technology (visible)
• Facilities effectiveness • Manufacturing
• Process improvements • R&D
• User interface
Customer experience • Packaging
• Functionality
• Communication • Life cycle model
• Customer relationship management • Sales model
• Brand/image • Sustainability
• Advertising • After-sale service
• Feedback • Distribution
 Classic Invention Methods
Specific Design Specific Design
Problem Solution
Classic Invention
Methods

Brainstorming Matrix Search Methods

• Multidisciplinary idea generation team • Identify desired function
• All ideas recorded • Identify relevant variables
• No criticism or sanity checks during session • Apply all possible combinations of variables until
• All ideas ranked by a separate analysis team acceptable solution is found
• Selected ideas presented for second stage
brainstorming
Analysis and Synthesis
• Process continued from problem stage to
manufacturing stage
• Specific problem reduced to abstract
Analogy • Find desired transfer function
• Use system type synthesis tools to find abstract
• Specific problem reduced to abstract solution
• Similar problems in nature or other industries • Reduce abstract solution to specific design
are studied and analogies are drawn
• Analogous solutions are developed Darwinian Evolution

Empathy • Current system exposed to new conditions

• Become the problem object
• Apply local laws
• Solve problem from the object point of view
• Small changes are made to each variable
(perturbations)
• Is output function moving in the right direction?
• If yes keep the change and continue to next
variable. If not discard.
 TRIZ
The Theory of Inventive Problems Solving

• Method of inventing based on the analysis of over 200,000

mechanically oriented Russian patents.
• Describes problems in terms of 39 interrelated physical or
operational “features”.
• The uniqueness of each problem is embodies in
contradictions among different features.
• The uniqueness of each inventive solution is identified as a
subset of 40 TRIZ “inventive principles”.
• A 39X39 TRIZ “Contradiction Matrix” summarizes the
solution space of the 200,000 patents studied and offers the
most effective subset of TRIZ inventive principles to be used
by the would be inventor.
Genrich Altshuller • Leverages the knowledge of thousands of inventors.
• Convergent.
• Addresses known problems (Not a Blue-Sky method).
• The “Nostradamus Effect”
 TRIZ Method

Thousands of Thousands of Inventors Thousands of

Problems Problems

General TRIZ Method General

TRIZ Problem TRIZ Solution

Problem Problem
Translation Translation

Specific Design Specific Design

Problem Solution
Classic Invention
Methods
 TRIZ Ideal Machine

• Products and systems that repair themselves instantly

• Products and services that market themselves to customers
• Products and systems that do not require energy
• Products that take no space
• Zero pollution products
• Infinite or zero bandwidth communication links
• Instantaneous auto insurance rating changes, based on speed
and location of a car
• Prescription drugs that automatically adjust their effectiveness
based on body chemistry encountered after ingestion
• Medical insurance claims paid when service is provided
• Inventory that replenishes itself
 TRIZ Problem Features
Substance • Area of moving object
• Area of stationary object
• Volume of moving object
• Weight of moving object • Volume of stationary object
• Weight of stationary object • Shape
• Loss of substance
• Quantity of substance Time

• Speed
Structure • Duration of action of moving object
• Duration of action of stationary object
• Stability of composition • Loss of time
• Manufacturing precision • Productivity
• Ease of manufacture
Energy
• Device complexity
• Force (intensity)
Space • Stress or pressure
• Strength
• Temperature
• Length of moving object
• Illumination intensity
• Length of stationary object • Use of energy by moving object
•
 TRIZ Problem Features
• Use of energy by stationary object
• Power
• Loss of energy

Information

• Loss of information
• Reliability
• Measurement accuracy
• Object-affected harmful factors
• Object-generated harmful factors
• Adaptability or versatility
• Difficulty of detecting and measuring
• Extent of automation
• Ease of operation
• Ease of repair
 TRIZ 40 Inventive Principles
1 Segmentation
2 Taking out
3 Local quality
4 Asymmetry
5 Merging
6 Universality
7 Nested dolls (Matrioshka)
8 Anti-weight
9 Preliminary anti-action
10 Preliminary action
11 Beforehand cushioning
12 Equipontentiality
13 The other way around
14 Spheroidality - Curvature
15 Dynamics
 TRIZ 40 Inventive Principles
16 Partial or excessive actions
17 Another dimension
18 Mechanical Vibration
19 Periodic action
20 Continuity of useful sction
21 Skipping
22 Blessing in disguise
23 Feedback
24 Intermediary
25 Self-service
26 Copying
27 Cheap short-living objects
28 Mechanics substitution
29 Pneumatics and hydraulics
30 Flexible shells and thin films
 TRIZ 40 Inventive Principles

31 Porous materials

32 Color changes

33 Homogeneity

34 Discarding and recovering

35 Parameter changes

36 Phase transitions

37 Thermal expansion

38 Strong oxidants

39 Inert atmosphere

40 Composite materials
 The Contradiction Matrix
Improving Feature

Volume
Weight of Weight of Length of Length of Area of Area of Volume
of
moving stationary moving stationary moving stationary of moving
Worsening Feature stationar
object object object object object object object
y object

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

15, 8, 29, 17, 38, 29, 2, 40,

1 Weight of moving object +
29,34 34 28

10, 1, 29, 35, 30, 13, 5, 35, 14,

2 Weight of stationary object +
35 2 2

8, 15, 29, 7, 17, 4,

3 Length of moving object + 15, 17, 4
34 35

35, 28, 40, 17, 7, 10,

4 Length of stationary object + 35, 8, 2,14
29 40

2, 17, 29, 14, 15, 18, 7, 14, 17,

5 Area of moving object +
4 4 4

30, 2, 14, 26, 7, 9,

6 Area of stationary object +
18 39

2, 26, 29,
7 Volume of moving object 1, 7, 4, 35 1, 7, 4, 17 +
40

35, 10, 19, 35, 8, 2,

8 Volume of stationary object 19, 14 +
14 14
 Example 1

Problem: Standard sanders generate excessive amounts of dust

Relevant Features

Improving: 26 - Quantity of substance

Worsening: 36 – Device complexity

TRIZ Principles: 3 – Local quality

13 – The other way around
27 – Cheap short living objects
10 – Preliminary action
Example 1
 Example 2

Problem: Rain sensors are integrated in or on the glass of the windshield

Relevant Features

Improving: 32 – Ease of manufacture

Worsening: 35 – Adaptability or versatility

TRIZ Principles: 2 – Taking out

13 – The other way around
15 - Dynamics
Example 2
 Example 3

Problem: Luggage with built-in rollers topple over on uneven terrain

Relevant Features

Improving: 10 – Force (intensity)

Worsening: 3 – Length of moving object

TRIZ Principles: 17 – Another dimension

19 – Periodic action
9 – Universality
36 – Phase transitions
Example 3
 TRIZ Levels of Inventiveness

Approximate Number
Degree of % of Source of
Level of Solutions to
Inventiveness solutions Knowledge
Consider
Personal
1 Apparent Solution 32% 10
Knowledge
Knowledge within
2 Minor Improvement 45% 100
Company
Knowledge within
3 Major Improvement 18% 1000
the Industry
Knowledge
4 New Concept 4% Outside 100,000
the Industry
All that is
5 Discovery 1% 1,000,000
Knowable
ARIZ - Algorithm of Inventive Problems Solving
(Алгоритм решения изобретательских задач)
 ARIZ

Choosing the Problem

1. Determine the Desired Outcome

a. What is the technical goal?

b. What parameters are fixed?
c. What are the business goals?
d. What is the cost bracket of the solution?
e. What is the main technical/business parameter that needs improvement?

2. Is a more general by-pass solution available, desirable or possible?

3. Select which problem to solve (original or by-pass)

a. Compare the original problem with trends within the given industry
b. Compare the original problem with trends within a leading industry
c. Compare the by-pass problem with trends within the given industry
d. Compare the by-pass problem with trends within a leading industry
e. Compare the original problem with the by-pass problem and select
 ARIZ
4. Define the quantitative characteristics of the solution

5. Apply time-correction to the quantitative characteristics

6. Define the environment of the solution

a. Manufacturing
b. Future scale

Breaking Down the Problem

1. Use patent information

a. How are similar problems solved by other inventors?

b. How are similar problems solved in leading industries?
c. How are opposite problems solved?

2. Use Operator STC (Size, Time, Cost)

a. Let Size go to zero. Does it solve the problem? How?

b. Let Size go to infinity. Does it solve the problem? How?
c. Let Time (Speed) go to zero. Does it solve the problem? How?
 ARIZ
d. Let Time (Speed) go to infinity. Does it solve the problem? How?
e. Let Cost go to zero. Does it solve the problem? How?
f. Let Cost go to infinity. Does it solve the problem? How?

3. Translate the problem into a series of statements with the following format:

a. “Given a system consisting of… (list of elements)…”

b. “…element (state element), under conditions…(state conditions),
produces the following undesirable effect…(state effect)”

4. Reorganize the system elements into two groups:

a. Elements that can be changed, redesigned or retuned

b. Elements difficult to change

5. Choose the elements to modify in the order of their ease of change.

a. Choose fixed elements over the mobile ones

b. Choose unlinked elements over the linked ones
c. Include the outside environment as a changeable element
 ARIZ
Analyzing the Problem

1. Formulate the Ideal Final Result

a. Select an appropriate element

b. State its action
c. State how it performs this action
d. State when it perform this action
e. State under what conditions it performs this action (limitations,
requirements, etc.)

2. Visualize the “Initial” and “Ideal” solutions (drawings, block diagrams,

flowcharts…)

3. Mark the elements that cannot perform the required function

4. Why can’t this element (by itself) perform the function?

5. What element parameters should be changed (be wild)?

6. How can these parameters be changed (effectively)?

 ARIZ
7. Formulate practical concepts that support the required parameter changes

8. Select the most promising concept and reduce it to design

Analyzing the Emerging Concept

1. What is better and what got worse (list)?

2. Is there a first-order fix for the “worse” part?

3. What is the new “worse”?

4. Compare gains and losses

5. If Gains > Losses proceed to Synthesis. If not select the next element. If all
elements have been analyzed then continue to the Using TRIZ Tools

Using TRIZ Tools

1. From the Vertical Column of the Contradiction Matrix choose the

feature that must be improved.
 ARIZ
2. Find the dominant Improving vs. Worsening feature contradiction

a. Improve the feature by known means

b. Which feature becomes unacceptable?

3. On the Horizontal Row of the Contradiction Matrix find the Worsening

feature of the dominant contradiction

4. Using the Matrix find the TRIZ Principles for solving the dominant
contradiction

5. Using known techniques (brainstorming, analogy…) apply the Principles to

remove the dominant feature contradiction

6. Repeat the process and remove the next feature contradiction

Generalizing the Solution

1. Adapt the environment to the new system

2. Search for new modes of operation

3. Use equivalent principles to solve other problems.

TRIZ Feature Balance
 ARIZ
Area of Invention: Avionic Boxes

The Environment

Avionic boxes are expensive, complex, high

reliability, low run electronic systems
Avionic boxes are multilevel integrated systems
a. Functions integrated on ICs (FPGA
firmware, software…)
b. ICs integrated into PC boards
c. PC boards integrated into box
systems
d. Communication through
connectors, harnesses and the
backplane
e. Shared infrastructure (mechanical
arrangement, power distribution,
heat management, noise…) Relevant Features: Cost, Complexity,
Avionic boxes are subjected to stresses Reliability, Functionality, Speed, Size (Weight),
Heat (Temperature), Noise, Power…)
 ARIZ
Choosing the Problem

1. Determine the Desired Outcome

a. What is the technical goal?

Reduce the operating temperature
b. What parameters are fixed?
Speed, Size, Power
c. What are the business goals?
d. What is the cost bracket of the solution?
e. What is the main technical/business parameter that needs improvement?
Temperature
2. Is a more general by-pass solution available, desirable or possible?
Higher temperature rating electronics, displays, etc.
3. Select which problem to solve (original or by-pass)

a. Compare the original problem with trends within the given industry
b. Compare the original problem with trends within a leading industry
c. Compare the by-pass problem with trends within the given industry
d. Compare the by-pass problem with trends within a leading industry
e. Compare the original problem with the by-pass problem and select
 ARIZ
4. Define the quantitative characteristics of the solution
Reduce the operating temperature by at least 10 degrees C
5. Apply time-correction to the quantitative characteristics
NA Steady state solution
6. Define the environment of the solution
Little or no change in manufacturing process, scalable, reusable

Breaking Down the Problem

1. Use patent information

a. How are similar problems solved by other inventors?

ARIZ
 ARIZ

b. How are similar problems solved in leading industries?

Solid state cooling, forced air, ionic wind, liquid cooling
c. How are opposite problems solved?
Heaters
2. Use Operator STC (Size, Time, Cost)

3. Translate the problem into a series of statements with the following format:

a. “Given a system consisting of… (list of elements)…”

b. “…element (state element), under conditions…(state conditions),
produces the following undesirable effect…(state effect)”

Given a system consisting of: …PC board, PC board, PC board…IC, IC, IC…,
T,T,T,…heat sink, heat sink…enclosure, …. Element heat sink…produces the following
undesirable effect: insufficient removal of heat…Element heat sink…produces the
following undesirable effect: insufficient removal of heat…Element heat sink…produces
the following undesirable effect: insufficient removal of heat…
 ARIZ
4. Reorganize the system elements into two groups:

a. Elements that can be changed, redesigned or retuned

Heat sinks, PC boards, enclosure
b. Elements difficult to change
ICs, Ts
5. Choose the elements to modify in the order of their ease of change.
Heat sinks, PC boards, enclosure
Analyzing the Problem

1. Formulate the Ideal Final Result

a. Select an appropriate element

Heat sink, Heat sink system (global)
b. State its action
Energy transferred from T,IC to Cold Reservoir (enclosure)
c. State how it performs this action
Energy (heat) is transferred through conduction from T, IC to Sink
(input port) then through conduction from Sink to Air (output port),
Air motion transports the Energy through convection from Sink to
Cold Reservoir
ARIZ
 ARIZ

d. State when it perform this action

e. State under what conditions it performs this action (limitations,
requirements, etc.)

2. Visualize the “Initial” and “Ideal” solutions (drawings, block diagrams,

flowcharts…)
 ARIZ

• 3. Mark the elements that cannot perform the required function

Heat Sinks
• 4. Why can’t this element (by itself) perform the function?
Does not generate flow (passive), large contact area
requires intricate shape that impedes Air flow, cannot
direct energy flows along controlled paths
• 5. What element parameters should be changed (be wild)?
Generate flow (become active), do not impede Air flow,
guide heat
• 6. How can these parameters be changed
Laminar Flow
• 7. Formulate practical concepts that support the required parameter
changes
Shape the system of Heat Sinks and Cold Reservoir to
favor laminar flow
• 8. Select the most promising concept and reduce it to design
 ARIZ
Analyzing the Emerging Concept

1. What is better and what got worse (list)?

2. Is there a first-order fix for the “worse” part?

3. What is the new “worse”?

4. Compare gains and losses

5. If Gains > Losses proceed to Synthesis. If not select the next element. If all
elements have been analyzed then continue to the Using TRIZ Tools

Using TRIZ Tools

1. From the Vertical Column of the Contradiction Matrix choose the

feature that must be improved.
Loss of Energy, Temperature
 ARIZ
2. Find the dominant Improving vs. Worsening feature contradiction

a. Improve the feature by known means

Bigger, more complex heat sink
b. Which feature becomes unacceptable?
Volume, device complexity, ease of manufacture
3. On the Horizontal Row of the Contradiction Matrix find the Worsening
feature of the dominant contradiction
Volume
4. Using the Matrix find the TRIZ Principles for solving the dominant
contradiction
[7- nested and pass-through object solutions],
[4- asymmetry,
6- universality,
35 – parameter changes, flexibility (shape), change
operating temperature ]
5. Using known techniques (brainstorming, analogy…) apply the Principles to
remove the dominant feature contradiction
7- Embed the heat sink into the PCB (separate plane with output
ports where space allows)
4- Shape the heat sinks for better performance
6- Can the heat sinks be also electrical shields (connectors)?
35- Use long flexible metal strips to connect Ts to Cold Reservoir
EUREKA !!!!!!
 Patent Searches
Web Resources: The US Patent and Trademark Office (http://www.uspto.gov/)
FreePatentsOnline.com (http://www.freepatentsonline.com/)
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 Communicating Your Idea

“Obviously, your invention works in practice, but there’s one insurmountable problem:
It will never work in theory.”