patent

Safety Razor Blade

  • 2024年01月05日
#Inventions of the Day #patent

　Today, I will introduce an invention that is closely associated with today (January 5), the safety razor blade. January 5 is the birthday of King Camp Gillette, an American businessman and inventor of the safety razor.

　When I think of safety razors, I think of Gillette or Schick, although there is also Kaijirushi(KAI) and Feather. By the way, I use Schick’s Extreme 3 every morning. It is a disposable product, but it lasts rather long (lol).

Schick's Extreme 3

　Gillette was born in 1855 in Wisconsin and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. While working as a salesman, he came up with the idea of inventing a disposable razor blade when his employer told him that he could stabilize his customer base by introducing a disposable product. He went on to develop a replaceable blade safety razor and founded the Gillette Company in September 1901. In December of the same year, he applied for a patent, and after a three-year examination period, he was granted a patent.

(When I searched the J-Plat Pat, the information came up, but unfortunately, “The specified gazette does not exist.” However, a search on Google Patents yielded the gazette as well.)

　Although Gillette did not do well in 1903 when it started manufacturing and selling razor blades, the company’s performance increased when it distributed it to drinks as a free gift, and in 1918, the U.S. government ordered razor blades and replacement blades for soldiers serving in World War I. This led to the company becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of razor blades.

　Today, Gillette is known for its razor and blades model, a business strategy that is said to have been pioneered by the company. This model is based on selling the core product at a lower price (or offering it free of charge) in order to increase sales of complementary products such as consumables. Even today, there are examples such as inkjet printers, where the price of ink cartridges has increased dramatically; coffee machines, where you have to buy special capsules or pods for use; electric toothbrushes…. I’m sure you have some of these in mind. I have all of those listed here (lol).

　Anyway, I guess it is not so easy to succeed just by making a groundbreaking invention. I would like to refer to the struggles of our predecessors who created new markets that had never existed before. (blink)

Seminar on AI and Patent Application

  • 2023年12月22日
#patent

　The Tokai-kai of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association will hold a seminar on January 26, 2024 at the Nagoya Kanko Hotel to commemorate the opening day of the Tokai-kai. The theme of the seminar will be AI (Artificial Intelligence), which has been the focus of much attention recently.
https://www.jpaa-tokai.jp/activities/seminar/chizaiDetail_2941.html

AI

　There are three types of AI-related inventions as follows
(1) AI algorithm invention: Invention about the algorithm of AI technology itself
(2) AI-utilizing invention: Invention to use a completed AI algorithm
(3) AI output invention: An invention that identifies the optimal parameters output by an AI learning model.

　Among these inventions, (2) AI-utilizing inventions are frequently filed in all technical fields. This year (August 2023), I was also in charge of filing a patent application for an AI-utilizing invention. In writing the claims, I referred to the “Patent and Utility Model Examination Handbook” for AI-related technologies and other examples. Generally, claims for AI inventions specify the invention using terms such as “machine learning,” “teacher data,” “learned model,” etc. AI technology is expected to expand the possibilities of intellectual property rights related to AI in the future through various innovations with new points of view not found in conventional technologies. (Conan)

Kids Design Award

  • 2023年11月01日
#design #invention #patent #trademark

The other day, while using the Internet, I came across the term “Kids Design Award”. Somehow I thought it might be related to design, so I read the article “Kids Design Award for ‘Eye Care Clip’ to Control Children’s Myopia“.

The Kids Design Award is an award system for products, services, spaces, activities, and research that fulfill the objectives of “living safely,”, “nurturing sensitivity and creativity,” and “creating a society where it is easy to have and raise children.”. With the aim of disseminating this information to society at large, it appears that in addition to designs for children, designs developed for adults and the general public are also eligible as long as they are child and child-rearing friendly.

Kids Design Award

The “Eye Care Clip” introduced in the article is a product developed by Clear Electronic Co., Ltd. in Tokyo I searched J-Plat Pat to see if the company had also owned patent and registered design, and found, as expected, 2 Japanese Patent applications, 4 Japanese Designs registrations, and 18 Japanese trademark applications.

Also, “Kids Design Award＼KIDS DESIGN AWARD” was registered as a trademark. (Japanese Trademark registration No. 5010693, right holder: Non-profit organization Kids Design Association)

I was interested in the Kids Design Award because I felt that the award and intellectual property are a bit similar.
It would be nice to enrich our lives with useful inventions for children and families raising children. (Rabbit)

Kids Design Award (website) https://kidsdesignaward.jp/

Patents regarding Drones

  • 2023年10月04日
#patent

　Currently, drones are widely used in the fields of aerial photography, surveying, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (e.g., agricultural chemical spraying), inspection (e.g., inspecting deterioration of high structures), transportation and logistics, and security surveillance.

Drone

　The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism is considering the use of highly versatile drones to obtain a wide range of information and speed up initial response in disaster areas in the event of a natural disaster. According to the “Survey and Analysis of Drone Patent Application Status” in April this year, the number of PCT applications (international applications) for 2016-2020 is ranked first by China, second by the United States, and third by Japan. By technical field, applications are related to airframe structure, flight control, flight support, communications, and drone port systems.

　Looking at applications in Japan, an average of about 500 patent applications per year for drone-related inventions were filed between 2016 and 2021. Among them is the invention of a “ball launcher” (Japanese Patent No. 6918384, Patentee: For Nature Co., Ltd.) that launches fire extinguishing balls from a drone at the scene of a fire.
　We hope that drone-based firefighting systems will be used effectively to extinguish wildfires, which are increasing worldwide due to the effects of global warming, as well as fires that occur in areas affected by earthquakes and other natural disasters. (Conan)

　
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “Technical Study Group on the Utilization of Highly Versatile Drones to Meet Administrative Needs” (Only in Japanese)
https://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/gijyutu/sosei_safety_tk2_000041.html

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, “Survey and Analysis of Drone Patent Applications (April 2023) (Only in Japanese)(PDF)
https://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/gijyutu/content/001603643.pdf

“Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki” -Unno Juza

  • 2023年09月13日
#copyright #patent #patent attorney

　I would like to introduce a novel in which a patent attorney is the main character. The title is “Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki (Patent Multi-Armed Human Method)” and it is a novel written by “Unno Juza” (海野十三), a writer in the early Showa period.

　Unno Juza (real name: Sano Shoichi) published many mystery and science fiction novels and is called the “father of Japanese science fiction novels”. After his debut as a writer, in 1936, at the age of 39, Mr. Unno qualified as a patent attorney, and two years later, he opened “Sano Electric Patent Office.

　The “Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki” was published in 1941, when Mr. Unno was 44 years old. The story begins when an inventor visits a patent attorney who runs a patent office and requests a patent application for a “third arm”. A humorous and surreal scene appears in which the patent attorney writes the specification for the application while interacting (playing two roles) with the 100-yen bill (a large sum of money in those days) received from the inventor as the application fee and the application stamp fee. There is also a scene in which the patent attorney shows off his skills as a patent attorney by using the expression “at least” in the description of the claims, claiming that he has expanded the scope of the patent (scope of rights), and another scene in which he receives a notice of reasons for refusal after filing an application, meets with the examiner, and struggles to resolve the reasons for refusal. I feel that this is a story that is also relevant to the current practice of patent attorneys.

Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki (Patent Multi-Armed Human Method)

　There is a lot of humor scattered throughout, and the punchline is quite good. Because it is a short novel, I finished reading it in no time.
　Since more than 50 years have passed since Mr. Unno’s death and the copyright protection period has expired, this work can be freely read at Aozora Bunko and other libraries (Hiro).

Tokkyo Tawan Ningen Hoshiki (Aozora Bunko) (only available in Japanese)

AR and MR Simulation Technology

  • 2023年07月19日
#patent #trademark

　When we wear a head-mounted display and look around us, we see objects in virtual space superimposed on top of real space. This is Augmented Reality (AR). MR (Mixed Reality) is a technology that allows objects in virtual space to move freely. In recent years, AR and MR have been widely used for work support and training in the medical field and other industrial fields, and are also called XR (cross reality) when VR (virtual reality), AR, and MR are combined.

　SUN-SHIELD Co., Ltd., an underground tunneling company using the propulsion and shield tunneling methods, is actively using AR and MR simulation technology in the planning of underground tunneling work and in the manufacturing and maintenance of tunneling machines used in the construction process. We can find examples of actual applications on the Sunshield channel on YouTube(link below).

　In terms of intellectual property, SUN-SHIELD Co., Ltd., has acquired patent rights to the “Work Support System” (Japanese Patent No. 6969807) and trademark rights to the “SUN-SHIELD MR Simulator” (Japanese Trademark Registration No. 6379062).

SunShield_MRsimulator

　The role of underground development in urban development projects will become increasingly important in the future. We look forward to more effective use of XR’s state-of-the-art technology in the work that supports it. (Conan)

SUN-SHIELD Co., Ltd., Website
https://www.sunshield.co.jp/home-en/

YouTube Sun-Shield Co., Ltd., Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvS6w4NRWGAZ7aOcw34CXmA

Work of “Intellectual Property”

  • 2023年04月26日
#design #intellectual property #patent #trademark #utility model

The TV Drama series “Isn’t that Plagiarism?” has started!
I have been looking forward to the drama even more after reading the original novel. I am writing this article after the first episode aired, but I am very much looking forward to the future development of the drama as it has been reconstructed for the drama and there are many parts that differ from the original story from the very first episode. I was impressed by the lines “patents are a battle of words” and “the job of intellectual property is to protect the crystallization of someone else’s sweat and tears”.

In the first episode of the drama, the company where the main character works does not yet have an intellectual property department (IP department). How will the activities of the newly established IP department be depicted in the second and subsequent episodes? I think the content will be realistic as it is supervised by a patent attorney, so you will be able to gain knowledge that you can learn while enjoying the drama.

The original story has a subtitle “The Work of a New Intellectual Property Department Employee”.
I think it will help those companies that do not have an IP department but have a development department or a general affairs department that is concurrently in charge of IP. We would like to better understand the role of the IP department at our firm and utilize this information to provide services that are needed by our customers.

Isn't that Plagiarism? Isn't that Plagiarism?

By the way, the JPO also paid attention to this drama and tweeted about it.
It seems that they also cooperated in the filming of the drama, and you can see places that are not usually seen at the JPO. This is also noteworthy♪ (Cacao)

https://www.ntv.co.jp/sorepaku/original/ (Japanese only)
https://shueisha.online/culture/121224 (Japanese only)
http://www.jipa.or.jp/coffeebreak/hitokoto/hito2303.html (Japanese only)
https://twitter.com/jpo_NIPPON/status/1645696954343788545

Protecting the lives of your precious pets – Japan Animal Referral Medical Center

  • 2023年02月01日
#patent #trademark

　About two months ago, my dog (male, 11 years old) looked unwell, so I took him to see his veterinarian, who referred him to the Japan Animal Referral Medical Center for a detailed examination.

animal Hospital

　At the Japan Animal Referral Medical Center, veterinarians in specialized medical fields provide optimal examination, diagnosis, and treatment for sick animals using specialized medical equipment.
　　　https://www.jarmec.co.jp/english/

　“JARMEC”, the abbreviation for Japan Animal Referral Medical Center, and the mark of Japan Animal Referral Medical Center are registered as Japanese trademarks (No. 5075207 and No. 5922959) for the designated service of “treatment of animals”. Japan Animal Referral Medical Center has also obtained a Japanese patent (No. 6840886) for the invention of “The planting inhibitor for cancer cells of dogs”.

JARMEC_Trademark

　As a result of a detailed examination, fortunately no tumor or other abnormality was found in my dog, and he was diagnosed as being under observation for the time being. The index values improved with the administration of medication, and he is now living a healthy life. (Conan)

medical examination

　(Note) The illustration is an image and has nothing to do with the Japan Animal Referral Medical Center.

Electric Salt

  • 2023年01月25日
#patent #trademark

　“Electric Salt” is a spoon- and bowl-shaped device that enhances the salty taste of low-sodium food by approximately 1.5 times via stimulation, and was developed through joint research by the laboratory of Dr. Homei Miyashita of the Department of Frontier Media Science, School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences (Miyashita Laboratory) and Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin). They are currently conducting demonstration tests and aim to launch the “Electic Salt” device in 2023.

　“Electric Salt” is equipped with a unique electric current waveform Electric taste sensation technology, which is effective when a weak electric current flows through a spoon or bowl. I was watching TV during the year end and new-year holidays and noticed that it was featured in several programs.

　I thought that they might have a patent, so I looked it up and found two Japanese applications related to Electric taste sensation, where the applicant is Meiji University and Dr. Homei Miyashita is the inventor. (JP 2021-045399 and JP 2019-212799)
　In addition, the trademark “Electric Salt” has been applied for by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, and is currently under examination. (Japanese trademark application 2022-088846)

　Japanese people are said to consume too much salt. It is likely to be introduced from the medical and nursing care fields at first, but I would like to try it when it becomes available at an affordable price. (Marron)

Reference article: Meiji University 2022 press release

Far-infrared graphite heater

  • 2023年01月11日
#patent

　I live in Nagoya, where it rarely snows and I, who is sensitive to cold weather, feel comfortable all year round, but this year it has been getting colder in December.
　The living room at home is comfortable thanks to air conditioning, but the coldness of the changing room and washroom, which are only used during bathing and at dawn, has been an issue for many years. I had been holding it back for a long time, partly because I felt a sense of resistance to the idea of using them only for a short time, but this year I finally purchased a far-infrared graphite heater for spot heating that I found in a newspaper flyer.

Aladdin far-infrared graphite heater

　This time, I purchased an Aladdin brand far-infrared graphite heater (two-light tube). Despite its retro appearance, it also has a device that automatically turns off the power when clothes touch it. The moment I turned it on, it warmed up immediately even at a distance, and it seemed to be safe even if I was naked. I am very satisfied with the comfort as if the extremely cold place until now was a lie.
　Incidentally, a few days after the heater was delivered, Nagoya suddenly had its first snowfall (and it was cold enough to record 10 cm of snow for the first time in eight years), but thanks to the far-infrared heater, it was as if nothing had happened.

　Currently, the company that sells Aladdin brand appliances is called Sengoku Corporation. Some time ago, an article was published in the JPO’s public relations magazine, “Patent Vol. 51,” and I would like to introduce it to you.
　According to the article, a major company with which Sengoku had a business relationship suggested “Why don’t you buy our patented technology for ultra-high-performance heaters?” and the purchase of the technology became a turning point in the company’s business.
　Sengoku was originally an OEM specialist for home appliances, but as it enhanced its technological capabilities, it has grown by utilizing the patented technology acquired through the business transfer under the management policy of “bringing in resources that are not available in-house from outside.

　Sengoku’s website introduces the company’s Japanese Patent No. 4739314, and a search on J-PlatPat reveals that there is also a related patent, Japanese Patent No. 5383741 (divisional application of Japanese Patent No. 4739314). Referring to these gazettes, it appears that the “major company” mentioned above was Panasonic Corporation, since (at the time of publication of the gazette) the “patentee Panasonic Corporation” is listed as the “patentee.
　It is said that about half of all patents are unused patents, etc., and the problem is that these patents are so-called “treasure troves”. Since only the patentee is granted a patent for an invention, no one other than the patentee is allowed to work the invention, and the unused patent remains unexercised for the duration of the patent (up to about 20 years). This can be considered a major social loss.
　In this sense, the steps taken by Aladdin Brand and Sengoku Co. might be a great reference for us. (blink)

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