INDEX

Note: A description of the assignments is linked to the assignment name. Many of these descriptions are still in progress.

Tuesday, February 20

Lecture - Transition to Environmental Module
Assignment - Read A.C. Rich
Turn in - Final Reflection Paper on Telephone Module

Thursday, February 22

Lecture - Larry Richards on Design and Product Development
Assignment - Abstract of Inventions
Turn in -

Tuesday, February 27

Lecture - Rodger Flagg speaks on the Invention Process, both design and marketing
Dinner With the Inventor - Join Rodger Flagg and staff from TCC315 for dinner. This will be a casual forum for discussion of inventing, the Patent Office, and related topics (including help with current design problems) A place and time will be determined in class.
Assignment - Revision of Abstracts
Turn in - The abstract as specified in "Abstract of Inventions" assignment

Thursday, February 29 (Leap Day)

Lecture - Larry Richards on Design for Manufacture and Other Topics
Assignment - Background and Summary of Invention
Turn in - The abstracts as defined in the "Revision of Abstracts" assignment.

Tuesday, March 5

Lecture - Larry Richards on Profiting from Invention
Assignment -
Turn in -

Thursday, March 7

Lecture - Trip to the Patent and Trademark Office
Assignment[marketing] - Proposal to Inventor
Assignment[design] - Preferred Embodiment
Turn in - The report as specified in "Background and Summary" assignment

Spring Recess

Tuesday, March 19

Lecture - Claims Drafting
Assignment - Revise the Background and Summary
Turn In -

Thursday, March 21

Lecture - Larry Richards on Creativity and the Psychology of Invention
Assignment - Design Presentation
Turn In -

Tuesday, March 26

Lecture - Round One of the Final Reports for Module Two
Assignment - Individual Reports
Revisions from Presentation
Assignment -
Turn in -

Thursday, March 28

Lecture - Round Two of the Final Reports for Module Two
Assignment -
Turn In - The preferred embodiement as specified in the "Preferred Embodiment" assignment.
The revised Background and Summary as specified in the "Revision of the Background and Summary" assignemnt.

Tuesday, April 2

Lecture -
Assignment -
Turn in - Individual Reports
Revisions from Presentation

Annotations

Ideas for Designing for the Environment - This page contains several possibilities for environmental designs.

"The Tire Patent Search" - Results from a patent search condicted last semester in this module. Tire underinflation causes a loss of gas milage in automobiles resulting in millions of wasted gallons of gas a year. These patents were sited as being closest to the proposed invention of a group last year.
Contains scans of the patents as well as the text of the abstracts and claims.

The Patent - Undestanding the United States Patent. Contains a listing of the five parts of a patent and thier purpose.

The Patent Search - How to conduct an effective patent search and how to get the most out of your time in the patent office.

Understanding the Computer Aided Patent Search - A description of the results of a computer aided patent search and its uses in conducting a manual patent search.

Claims Drafting - A short essay on drafting patent claims. It covers both the methods for drafting functional claims and the proper forms of the claims section of the patent.

Redesigning of Patents - How to redesign an invention in light of the prior art. How to claim the most novelty without infringing on previous patents.

Dictionary - A list of patent termonology: helpful when drafting claims and sifting through the prior art. These terms are used extensively and give insight into patent law.