Accurate analysis, Easy understanding- AI features of the WIPS Global

 

Patent analysis is a very important task for companies and researchers, but the process is quite complex and time-consuming. Even if the technical content is disclosed in detail, patent analysis is still a difficult task even for experts due to numerous manual tasks and technical and legal jargon. Recently, as artificial intelligence (AI) technology has rapidly developed, AI-based features are being introduced in patent analysis. The AI tool is becoming great help not only to patent experts but also to researchers.

There are various patent works that utilize AI, but let's take a look at a few of them.

● Translation

Patent documents are written in various languages, and translation is essential to understand them. Existing patent search engines often provide them using translation engines. The AI ​​multilingual translation can translate patent documents and summarize key contents, and it is evaluated that the translation of the latest technical terms is also natural.

● Understanding and summarizing technical terms

Since patent documents contain very specialized technical terms, it is not easy to accurately understand and analyze them. AI technology can quickly learn massive data to accurately recognize and process technical terms. You can accurately analyze patent documents, identify technical details, and summarize them in general terms to help you easily understand the contents of the patent.

● Discover new business opportunities

You can analyze patent documents with AI technology to discover various technical fields to which the patent can be applied. This can be used to obtain new ideas during the R&D process or to find new business opportunities using existing patents.

● Establish patent strategies

Patent classification and analysis using AI can be one of the most optimized technologies for identifying technological trends. It quickly processes and efficiently analyzes large amounts of data to help companies establish comprehensive and accurate patent strategies. You can classify and monitor patents not only for your company but also for your competitors and use them to establish R&D strategies.

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WIPS Global provides various AI features that can be appropriately utilized for the practices described above. Let's take a look at a few.

AI Summary - This feature allows you to easily and quickly identify the specific contents of an invention by category, from the technical field to the effect. Based on generative AI, the description of the invention is summarized in easy terms instead of difficult terms, allowing the background technology, technical features, and effects of the patent to be understood more quickly and easily.

wipsglobal.com> AI Summary

Provides a summary by 5 categories. Considering the structure of the specification, it provides a summary of the core contents of the relevant patent regarding the technical field, technical problem, technical solution, key features and effects.

It helps to understand the meaning between technical keywords and phrases and summarizes them in general terms to easily understand the patent contents.

AI Search - Quickly finds the information the user wants from millions of data based on keywords or topics (technical content, papers, journals etc.). By extracting similar patents based on specific patents or technologies designated by the user, the user can save time and money while searching for the desired patent information more efficiently.

wipsglobal.com> AI Search

Up to 300 similar patents are searched in order of high similarity by simply entering a sentence. Re-search is possible based on chart-type search results and specific patents. You can also search for the interested technology using 35 types of technical classification information, allowing you to efficiently look through patents.

For more details on the ‘AI Search’, please refer to the previous issue (Webzine #21)

https://wipscorp.blogspot.com/2023/06/no-queries-ai-search-by-neural-network.html

AI classification and analysis - AI is used to analyze technology trends or find similar patents using patent data. AI can quickly analyze large amounts of patent data, so it is used to identify patent trends and analyze technology competitiveness.

WIPS Global's Insight Plus is a feature that maximizes work efficiency by applying AI to patent classification and analysis to effectively process and analyze large amounts of patent information. From complex technology classification to creating chart and report, you can conduct patent analysis more easily and conveniently.

wipsglobal.com> Insight Plus> AI classify

You can obtain accurate results by performing AI automatic classification to create a technology tree. Unclassified patents can be reclassified by selecting similarity according to the learning documents.

wipsglobal.com> Insight Plus> Charts

You can check the charts for all documents at a glance by field. You can analyze charts from various perspectives, such as analyzing the status of technology development activities by country, the company's main technology fields, and the status of market entry.

wipsglobal.com> Insight Plus> Report

You can create a report with the analyzed data. The generated report can be edited not only with charts but also with data. You can download the report you created or share it through a web report.

For more details on the 'Insight Plus' , please refer to the previous issue (Webzine #22)

https://wipscorp.blogspot.com/2023/08/insight-plus-entire-process-of-patent.html

We have looked at several features utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) of the WIPS Global. AI technology is also suggesting a new direction and bringing about changes in the patent industry. We hope you will increase the efficiency of your work with features that effectively utilize artificial intelligence.

 

[International IP Briefing] US, KR

 

US

US Information Technology & Innovation Foundation released the report, 

‘How Innovative Is China in AI?’

On Aug. 26, 2024, the US Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released the report ‘How Innovative Is China in AI?’1) (https://itif.org/publications/2024/08/26/how-innovative-is-china-in-ai/)

 (1) Status of AI in China

While the US has been at the forefront of AI innovation, benefiting from leading universities and solid technology, China has emerged as a strong competitor over the past decade.

Due to the strong education and innovative research of Tsinghua University in China, the world's top four AI startups, including Zhipu AI, Baichuan AI, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax, are mostly Chinese AI startups founded by Tsinghua University faculty and alumni.

China is currently conducting more AI research than the United States, and is rapidly narrowing the performance gap with the United States' Large Language Model (LLM) in bilingual benchmarks, surpassing the United States in terms of research scale.

In terms of AI patents, China has also granted the most AI patents since 2013. Specifically, as of 2022, China has filed about four times more AI patents than the United States, and the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) has granted about three times more patents than the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Number of AI patents in 2022
<source: itif.org>
https://itif.org/publications/2024/08/26/how-innovative-is-china-in-ai/ 

The reason for China's rise in AI is analyzed to be the strong government support for promising AI companies regardless of location or performance indicators, and the Chinese government's venture capital funds are evenly distributed throughout China, including underdeveloped inland regions.

In addition, China's Jifu AI recently received a $400 million investment from Saudi Arabia's Aramco, and has begun to attract overseas investors in the AI ​​field. As a result, China's AI startup ecosystem is narrowing the performance gap with the United States.

(2) Strategy for the United States

The United States should focus on maintaining its leadership in AI innovation, and in particular, the US Congress and the White House should establish a comprehensive national AI strategy and provide funding to achieve the two goals of 'AI development' and 'AI adoption'.

- AI Development

To implement this goal, U.S. policymakers should consider the following tasks: ① Stimulate private investment in AI R&D, ② Revitalize the federal funding process for AI, ③ Avoid policies that undermine U.S. AI leadership and bolster Chinese competitors, and ④ Develop a national data strategy to dramatically expand the availability of data for training AI models.

- AI Adoption

To implement this goal, U.S. policymakers should consider the following tasks: ① Create a national AI roadmap for adoption, ② Prioritize the rapid adoption of AI in the federal government, ③ Support digital transformation, and ④ Incentivize AI workforce training investment.

(Related)

ITIF Senior Policy Manager Hodan Omaar, the author of the report, analyzed that the US policy approach focused on suppressing China's AI development, including strict export controls, will be counterproductive in the long term

He also expressed concern that "China is now building an AI innovation ecosystem comparable to that of the US, producing cutting-edge models that surpass global competitors, and if this trend continues, the US may soon find itself in a position to imitate China."

1) For the original text of the report, refer to the following link: https://www2.itif.org/2024-chinese-ai-innovation.pdf

 

< source >

https://www.kiip.re.kr/board/trend/view.do?bd_gb=trend&bd_cd=1&bd_item=0&po_item_gb=&currentPage=3&po_no=23132

KR

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) surpass US$7.3 million with Video Compression Technology Patents.

On Oct. 2, 2024, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced that the video compression technology, a source technology secured through the university's research and development, was first registered as a core patent for international standards, and the total accumulated technology fees exceeded US$ 7.3 million.

 ∙ The video compression technology patent promoted by the KAIST Institute of Technology Value Creation (ITVC)1) exceeded US$ 7.3 million in total accumulated technology fees after being registered as a core patent for international standards.

∙ The patent is a high-efficiency video compression technology (HEVC) developed by Professors Moon-Cheol Kim and Hyun-Wook Park of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 2014. Together with Columbia University, it was the first university to be registered in the international standard patent pool, securing a total of 246 standard patents, including devices and software for compressing and decompressing digital images.

∙ HEVC (H.265) is an international technology standard created to efficiently compress large-capacity video data with UHD ultra-high definition resolution, and can be applied to various ultra-high definition videos such as TV, broadcasting, smartphones, action cams, CCTV, and real-time streaming.

∙ In order to utilize various patents required for video playback, the Access Advance (formerly HEVC Advance) patent pool selects HEVC technologies to form standard patents and acts as an agent for licensing.

∙ The HEVC-related market has reached a full-fledged growth stage, and while other standard technologies are in the early stages of growth, KAIST achieved approximately US$3.95 million  in technology royalties from Amazon, Apple, Google, etc. in 2024 alone.

∙ Lee Geon-jae, the president of the KAIST Technology Value Creation Institute, said, “In order to advance KAIST’s technology commercialization, we plan to increase economic value in the global market by strengthening the Technology Licensing Office (TLO), which is actively working to foster standard patents, and the linkage between intellectual property, industry-academia cooperation, and technology transfer.”

∙ He also said, “In particular, through the newly established Technology Transfer Headquarters, we plan to invest intensively in the future core KAIST industries of standard patents, 5G/6G communications, bio/pharmaceuticals, quantum/AI semiconductors, and emerge as a mecca for university technology transfer.”

https://itvc.kaist.ac.kr/

1) KAIST Institute of Technology Value Creation was established to create a virtuous cycle of continuous value creation and innovation by utilizing KAIST’s research results to discover high-quality intellectual property, and to spread it to the global society in all directions to increase technological value and return economic value to KAIST (Source: KAIST).

 

< source >

https://www.kiip.re.kr/board/trend/view.do?bd_gb=trend&bd_cd=1&bd_item=0&po_item_gb=KR&po_no=23151

 

 

Patented technologies to prevent electric vehicle battery fires

  Recently in Korea, a large fire broke out in an apartment parking lot due to an electric vehicle fire. As many as 140 cars were burned, and more than 100 residents were forced to evacuate their homes to temporary residential housing due to the toxic gas generated by the fire and the power and water outages.

Apartment parking lot where an electric vehicle fire broke out
<source: ohmynews, https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/047/0002443110?sid=102>

  There have been electric vehicle fires before, but this fire is said to be the most severe in terms of the scale of damage and impact. Is there a technology to prevent electric vehicle battery fires? In this issue, we will look at some of the technologies available for this.

Technology to extinguish fires in the battery pack itself

  In the case of this Mercedes-Benz vehicle, the fire that started in the car was not extinguished first, so it spread into a larger fire. As electric vehicle battery fires are frequent, it seems necessary to establish a function and system that can extinguish fires on its own in the early stages when a fire occurs. Among the existing patented technologies, there are technologies that can extinguish battery fires on their own in the vehicle.

  First, this is the technology of LG Energy Solution, a representative electric vehicle battery manufacturer in Korea. Recent battery modules contain a large number of secondary batteries to improve energy density, so if an explosion occurs in one cell, there is a risk that other cells may explode in a chain reaction. Therefore, LG Energy Solution developed a battery pack that can effectively suppress the thermal runaway chain reaction from a battery module where a fire occurred to other battery modules to improve this problem.

wipsglobal.com
KR10-2022-0106396, Battery pack with enhanced fire safety

  This battery pack has a cooling pipe that supplies coolant, and when a danger detection signal is received from a fire detection sensor, the valve opens to quickly flow coolant into the battery pack.

  SK On, a leading electric vehicle battery company along with LG Energy Solution in Korea, has also developed a technology that can prevent fires in batteries themselves. This invention is a battery pack that includes a firewall that can control the heat transfer phenomenon due to battery fire. It was also developed to prevent the problem of heat from a battery module that caught fire from being transferred to other cells. To solve this problem, SK On chose to build a heat-absorbing firewall in the battery pack.

wipsglobal.com
KR10-2020-0093791, Sandwich fire wall and battery pack comprising the same

  The heat-absorbing firewall contains various flame retardants such as brominated flame retardants and chlorine flame retardants, and is said to absorb heat at about 110-150 degrees with a thickness of 0.12-3 mm. In fact, the technology to place a thermal runaway prevention sheet between battery cells has already been commercialized with conventional technology, but it has been pointed out that its effectiveness is low because it has a wide range and only exhibits heat absorption at very high temperatures of 400 degrees or more.

  This heat-absorbing firewall of SK On consists of an electrode assembly in which the cathode and anode are alternately laminated with a separator as the boundary, and a pouch outer material that surrounds the electrode assembly. Therefore, it can cover the fire heat more densely and respond to relatively low and medium fire temperatures, thereby solving the above problem.

The following is Hyundai Mobis' technology.

  Hyundai Mobis has also developed a battery system with its own fire extinguishing function. This system is equipped with a fire extinguishing fluid storage unit between multiple battery cells so that the extinguishing fluid can be released directly to the ignition point of the battery cell in the event of a fire.

wipsglobal.com
KR10-2018-0004239, Battery system with fire-off function

 The battery pack is equipped with a fire-extinguishing fluid circulation device that maintains the pressure of the fire-extinguishing fluid in the event of a fire, enabling continuous supply to the ignition point. It is a useful system that can effectively prevent a chain fire by quickly extinguishing a fire.

Technology to prevent fire with battery case and cover

  Technologies that prevent fire with the outer case or cover, not the battery itself, have also been filed. Sung Woo Hitech, a partner of Hyundai Motor Company, has developed a battery case and battery module pack equipped with a fire extinguishing function. It is said that the battery case is equipped with a fire extinguishing agent to prevent thermal runaway or fire in the battery module.

wipsglobal.com
KR10-2022-0155614, Battery case with fire extinguishing function, battery module and battery pack including the same

  This battery is equipped with a fire extinguishing agent inside the double-structured battery case. In the event of a fire caused by thermal runaway, the fire extinguishing agent is sprayed to quickly suppress the fire. In addition, the fire extinguishing agent is directly released through the melted area (fused site?) due to the rise in temperature, preventing the battery management system (BMS) from malfunctioning.

  The technology jointly developed by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors is also notable. This technology also prevents fire using the battery cover. To be precise, it is a suffocation extinguishing technology that tightly wraps the battery and blocks the oxygen supply to the furnace that can cause a fire. The battery cover is located under the battery cell, the cover opens from the bottom up to quickly cover the fire when a fire is detected.

wipsglobal.com
KR10-2022-0137221, Fire extinguishing system for battery for vehicle

  Electric vehicle batteries mainly use lithium cathodes rather than carbon, so if exposed to oxygen in the event of a fire, the possibility of oxidation or explosion is very high. The two companies focused on this and devised a method to prevent fire by blocking oxygen.

Technology to extinguish fire from outside the vehicle

  If the above technologies are to extinguish fires inside the vehicle, there is also technology to extinguish fires from outside the electric vehicle. This one is a ‘fire extinguishing system that responds quickly to fires in electric vehicle batteries’ developed by Renault Korea Motors. This technology is designed that when a fire extinguishing cap is installed on the outside of the vehicle and fire extinguishing water is injected from outside the vehicle, the fire extinguishing water is directly sprayed onto the battery pack through the fire extinguishing pipe.

wipsglobal.com
KR10-2023-0165124, The fire extinguishing system responding to fire in electric vehicle battery

  The feature of this technology is that it can spray water directly on the battery pack where the fire started. The downside is that it requires external fire extinguishing water, so it seems difficult if the sprinkler does not work or if no one discovers the fire.

A thorough technological improvement is needed

  As the electric vehicle distribution rate is rapidly increasing, the recent electric vehicle fire in Korea has caused even greater shock. It has gone beyond a simple fire and has led to a public debate. In order to prevent future disasters, the cause of electric vehicle battery fires must be identified and thorough technological improvement must be followed.

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Strong assertive sneakers, Sneaker design disputes

 

The era of ‘sneakers with strong individuality’ is more important than ever

  When you choose sneakers, what do you consider most important? There are various factors to consider, such as comfort, price, design, and brand. However, with the development of SNS, the perception that ‘consumption or taste represents me’ has become stronger among consumers. As a result, ‘visibility’ such as design or brand elements have a stronger effect on purchasing decisions these days.

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That sock-like shoe, Balenciaga is not the only one?

  A few years ago, In Korea, sneakers that looked like socks swept the market. It was the ‘Speed ​​Series’ introduced by the luxury brand Balenciaga. The item led the ‘socks sneaker’ trend with its one-piece design made of knit material, and it is still being released in various lineups to this day.

Balenciaga's 'Speed' series released in various designs to date
<source: https://www.balenciaga.com/ko-kr>

  The design that makes this product recognizable from 100 meters away as 'Oh, that's Balenciaga' is the unique knit material and the bold and masculine line of the sole, so Balenciaga has registered this part as a design IP and is protected.

wipsglobal.com
Balenciaga's registered design patent, D968055 S1

  Of course, it was so popular and expensive that many later products with similar images appeared. The representative SPA brand ZARA introduced various sock sneaker lines and gained popularity. Although Balenciaga focused on modifying the sole part protected by the design rights, the overall feel was similar to that of a sock sneaker, so it was once nicknamed 'Zapidrunner' (similar to Speedrunner).

Socks sneakers models released by ZARA
<source: zara.com>

  There are countless cases where similar designs have become issues. There are also many cases that do not stop at issues and lead to lawsuits and disputes. Let's take a look at a few of them.

Hermes and Sketchers' sneakers, do they have similar soles?

  Even Hermes, a high-end luxury brand, could not avoid lawsuits. The 'Éclair' and 'Envol' sneakers released by Hermes in 2022 attracted attention for their uniquely shaped soles. The unique wave shape, like waves crossing each other, combined with Hermes' signature color, orange, made the design even more striking. However, this design became the subject of a lawsuit.

(left) Hermes 'Envol' and 'Eclair' <source: Hermes.com>
(right) Skechers 'Go Walk' series 'Massage Fit' <source: skechers.com>

  Skechers, an American outdoor brand and famous for running shoes, claimed that this Hermes design infringed on two design patents (D925183, D965263) for the ‘Massage Fit’ wavy sole of its Go Walk walking shoes.

wipsglobal.com
Comparison of Hermes and Skechers design drawings

  In fact, Skechers' registered designs D925183 and D965263 describe the characteristics of the sole bottom in the claims, and the registered drawings also express the sole part in solid lines and specify the scope of protection. In response, Skechers claimed that Hermes' shoe soles were "substantially the same" as those of its own products and requested monetary damages and an injunction against infringement. Fortunately, this lawsuit (1:22-cv-08862), which began in October 2022, ended in May 2023 when Skechers and Hermes reached a confidential settlement and the plaintiff Skechers voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit.

Nike VS BAPE, a long-standing dispute

Nike Dunk Low and BAPE SK8 STA
<source: lesitedelasneaker.com>

  Nike is also in a lawsuit with Japanese street fashion brand BAPE (A Bathing Ape). BAPE, founded in 1993, has gained widespread popularity not only in Japan but also in North America and Europe, and has become recognized as a brand that symbolizes hip-hop. There are many factors that led to BAPE's fame, but among them, sneakers with designs that seemed to pay homage to Nike were also loved by many. That 'similar feeling' became a problem.

Street fashion brand BAPE
<source: sneakernews.com>

The beginning of the plagiarism controversy (2009)

  Nike seems to have sought a friendly solution to the plagiarism controversy that had been going on since 2005 (when BAPE began selling in the US), by proposing a licensing agreement for the 'BAPE STA' model, which was controversial for being similar to the Air Force. However, after several years without much progress, the scale of the infringement seems to have grown rapidly around 2021, and in 2023, Nike finally responded with a lawsuit, escalating the conflict between the two companies.

Nike Sues BAPE (January 2023)

  Nike filed a trademark infringement lawsuit (1:23-cv-00660) in January 2023, claiming that BAPE's flagship sneakers imitate Nike's iconic designs, including the Air Force 1, Air Jordan 1, and Dunks.

  Nike’s position can be understood if you look at the actual trademark registrations and actual comparison photos (below) included in the actual submission documents.

Nike and BAPE product comparison submitted by Nike in the lawsuit
<source: vitallaw.com>

BAPE refutes lawsuit

  However, BAPE bravely(?) refutes Nike's lawsuit. BAPE's attorney pointed out that Nike's claims did not sufficiently understand its sneakers, the BAPE STA, and several trade dress elements, and rejected the request to stop trademark infringement.

*Trade dress is the characteristics of the visual appearance of a product or its packaging (or even the design of a building) that signify the source of the product to consumers. Trade dress is an aspect of trademark law, which is a form of intellectual property protection law. (Wikipedia)

Nike opposes BAPE’s motion to dismiss

  However, Nike once again emphasized the validity of its existing protected trademark rights and the similarity of the BAPE model. They opposed BAPE’s motion to dismiss, arguing that the submitted evidence was sufficient from a trade dress protection perspective.

End of lawsuit, Nike and BAPE reach agreement (March 2024)

  The court sided with Nike and determined that Nike provided strong grounds for the validity of the registered trademark rights. Nike’s registered trademark was deemed sufficient to establish the characteristics of the product’s appearance, and BAPE’s argument that a more specific lawsuit was needed was dismissed.

Decision of Nike and BAPE lawsuit
<source: vitallaw.com>

  With this, Nike's trademark infringement lawsuit against BAPE that has been ongoing since January 2023 has come to an end. BAPE has agreed to modify the design of BAPE STA, which is similar to Nike's Air Force 1, and Sk8 STA, which is similar to the Dunk, and to stop selling BAPE STA Mid, Court STA, and Court STA High models.

Surviving as a leader in the fashion industry

  So far, we have looked at several cases of disputes surrounding sneaker designs. In addition to the cases covered today, there are countless cases of theft, copying, disputes, and lawsuits in the fashion industry. In the fashion industry, it is not easy to prevent and judge disputes because the trend cycle is short, making it easy to imitate and produce counterfeit products, and the criteria for plagiarism can be ambiguous. Also, the line between plagiarism and re-creation is blurred due to the concepts of ‘homage*’ or ‘parody.’ Therefore, these cases are important references in that they reflect the trends of the time and change the public and industry’s perception of intellectual property rights. Of course, it can also be a way for ordinary people who are unfamiliar with IP to consume more healthily. We, WIPS will continue to diligently tell you about design dispute stories that will continue as long as fashion and trends exist.

*Homage: It’s a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic. The term is often used in the arts, where one author or artist shows respect to another by allusion or imitation. <Source: Wikipedia>

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