How to Be an Inventor Instructor: Drew Boyd Week 4

Agenda Review –Lab Books –Third Tool: Multiplication Fourth Tool: Feature Dependency More PATENTS

Review Lab Books Who has an idea or an invention from their Lab Book that they want to share?

Third Tool: Multiplication 1.Find a product and list all of its parts 2.Multiply, or create a copy of one of the parts 3.Change the multiplied component in some way 4.Imagine your Virtual Product 5.Ask, Who would use this?

Example: Multiply a Part

Picture-in-Picture TV

Fourth Tool: Feature Dependency 1.Find a product and list all of its features (NOT parts). 2.Take one feature and list it beside the name of all the other features 3.Pretend that one feature changes when something about the other feature changes 4.Imagine your Virtual Product 5.Ask, Who would use this?

60-Second Toothbrush Features: 1.Rotating brushes 2.Time 3.Length 4.Width 5.Color

Traffic Light Features: 1.Light color 2.Time 3.Cars Waiting 4.Cars Moving

Scooter Features: 1.Height 2.Wheel Size 3.Speed 4.Road Smoothness 5.Persons height

Patents A patent is a property right Granted by the Government Excludes others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention How? Apply to the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office (USTPO)

Patent Examples

Finger Mounted Toothbrush

Yoyo Inventor: Donald Duncan Sold over 100 million He also invented the: Eskimo Pie Good Humor Ice Cream Truck Parking Meters

Next Week Review all the tools so far Invention Workshop Surprise!