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Our work at the university: The PATON | Patent Center Thuringia

From the invention to the patent and its exploitation

Making information competently, quickly and comprehensively accessible is the aim of PATON | Patent Center Thuringia at TU Ilmenau. For more than 25 years, a team of experts has been working here on computer-aided technical and patent information in teaching, research and practice.

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In order to present the variety of services offered by PATON, which is headed by Dr. Christoph Hoock, and to inquire about the benefits and sustainability of these services for interested parties, UNIonline spoke with the young scientist Dr. Stefan Griebel, who has often used the PATON service. Stefan Griebel studied at the TU Ilmenau in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and worked on various projects on compliant sensors and actuators at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics (BMTI) and in the Department of Compliant Systems. In this context, six patent applications have been filed. Stefan Griebel recently completed his doctorate.

When did you first come into contact with PATON's offerings or with patents?

It must have been during my studies. At that time, I took advantage of various offers outside the curriculum. So I can remember an introduction to Citavi by the library. And the literature search was followed by a patent search and I came to the PATON search room for the first time as a student. I was amazed and perplexed by the wide range of search options and wondered why many more students did not take advantage of these offerings. The staff member in the search room answered my questions and showed me how to find relevant patents quickly and effectively.

PATON is involved in teaching in almost all faculties with individual events and offers a series of lectures on "Intellectual Property (IP) Management" for Master's students. The PATON search room offers the possibility to conduct searches on patents, utility models, trademarks and designs in professional search systems free of charge after a short briefing by our staff.

 

And what happened next?

For the thesis, I took the opportunity to commission research into the state of the art from my colleagues in the research department. I appreciated this support very much. After a discussion in which I explained the topic and the procedure for the research was discussed with me, I was able to concentrate fully on the evaluation of the research results presented. I was particularly helped by the statistical preparation of the results, which I was able to incorporate directly into the work.

In the PATON search department, patent engineers conduct searches on behalf of clients in the property right (patents, utility models, trademarks, designs), technical and economic literature of commercial online databases of renowned hosts in compliance with the PIZnet search quality standard. Patent statistics and patent analysis represent a special section. Based on subject area searches, competitors can be identified, market and company analyses can be carried out, the development of selected subject areas can be presented and thus comprehensive trend analyses can be offered. An application example of patent statistical analyses is the Patent Dashboard Thuringia for the visualisation of Thuringia's regional patent data, which was developed by the Patent Information Technologies department.

 

Have you thought about filing patents as a student?

No, not right away. My supervisor Professor Lena Zentner gave me this idea and explained to me how important it is to apply for a patent before publishing in articles or writing a thesis. In this context, I also took advantage of the free inventor consultation by a patent attorney at PATON. The application was then processed by the IP officer of the TU Ilmenau, Cordula Müseler, and she supervised it during the patent application and granting process. For the invention disclosure there are appropriate forms, which helped me to prepare the correct information for the actual patent specification. However, some details can only be explained in a conversation, which is quite uncomplicated because the IP officer also has her office in the PATON hallway. My first patent application came about in close cooperation with her and my co-inventors.

The IPR Officer of the TU Ilmenau is responsible for the acceptance, processing and administration of the inventor applications of all employees and students of the TU Ilmenau. Likewise, the contractual regulations concerning inventions and property rights are managed by the Property Rights Officer of the TU Ilmenau.

 

How do you assess the sustainability of this experience?

Personally, I find it crucial to know the state of the art even before working on new topics or implementing ideas, so as not to "invent" things twice, but also to quickly arrive at approaches to solutions that do not yet exist. Today, as a supervisor of students' work, I pass on this experience and always recommend a "visit" to the research room and also the use of the PATON research service. Based on our experiences, we in the department have developed a tip sheet for students to record the state of the art.

Today you are co-inventor of 6 patents. Does that give you a routine when it comes to inventing?

Well, I wouldn't say routine, but I am more sensitive now when it comes to ideas and their solutions. I have noticed that in the last few years the processes within the university have improved more and more, even when it comes to patent applications. Similarly, the increased interconnection with the Research Services and Technology Transfer Unit is having a positive effect. I still receive competent support from the IP officer, for example, when it comes to replying to examination notices.

Does PATON also provide support for the exploitation of patent applications?

The staff of the "Patent Management Thuringian Universities" (PTH) team take our inventions to trade fairs, post them on exploitation portals and explicitly look for suitable exploitation partners. One such success was the contact with the company J. Schmalz GmbH from Glatten, which developed through the presentation at the Hanover Fair. Later, the company also bought one of my patents. The department still benefits from the good contact with this company today, for example through the donated teaching cases.

In addition to the PATINFO conference in Ilmenau, my inventions were also presented at the international trade fair for ideas - inventions - innovations IENA in Nuremberg and contacts were made with interested parties. Participation in trade fairs has always been very motivating for me and the awards were an important recognition for my co-inventors and me. The sale and further exploitation are then the "icing on the cake" for me. The patent application also serves to enhance the reputation and public image of the field and of me as a scientist. Especially the granted patents are publications with peer-review character. So this is also an aspect that can contribute to a successful project approval.

Started in 1962 with 30-40 participants, the PATINFO event has grown tenfold to represent the largest conference on patent and trademark information in Europe.

 

Looking back, how do you assess your experiences with your patent applications and do you have any wishes for PATON in the future?

Overall, I have to say that patent work takes a lot of patience. If I imagine that a time frame of three years is planned for the promotion, then this entire chain from idea generation to the sold patent can hardly be managed in this period of time. In order to increase the efficiency of finding exploitation partners, I could imagine that a regular meeting, say every two months, between colleagues from the patent management PTH and the inventors could deepen the cooperation and contribute to transparency. After all, the marketing of a patent and, at best, the transfer into a product is the actual goal - also with regard to a return on the previously invested monetary resources. That is sometimes quite a lot. I am thinking here, for example, of the fees for an international patent application.

Since 2002, it has been the legal responsibility of universities to protect and market the knowledge generated at universities. The aim is to bring the results of academic research into industrial application more quickly and in a more targeted manner. The Patent Utilisation Agency supports - as the coordinating institution - the partners of the Thuringian Utilisation Association (TVV) in fulfilling this task and thus builds the bridge between science and industry.

 

Can you imagine expanding your knowledge of patents even further?

Yes, in fact, I would like to make greater use of the seminars offered by the PATONakademie in the near future and take further training to become a patent engineer. As a scientist, I do not want to focus on just one or a few special fields. I see the advanced training seminars offered by the PATONakademie as a meaningful expansion of my own horizons.

PATONakademie offers more than 40 different seminars in the field of intellectual property law on the following topics.

  • Patent, trademark and design law

  • Patent information / patent documentation

  • Search

  • IP management

The further education programs with university certificate of the TU Ilmenau enable a qualification as patent engineer/patent manager or patent searcher.

 

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PATON | Patent Center Thuringia