This chapter discusses the second component of the Lean Canvas for Invention in terms of its questions and a detailed checklist. This chapter with the help of examples will reflect on a process of how researchers, academic inventors, and product developers can seek guidance from existing knowledge including literature published in research papers and patents for building foundation in support of a real-world problem.
TopLiterature Search
The second component of the LCI is the Literature Search. This component is associated with the WHY question of the LCI. Here the purpose is to guide the researchers, academic inventors and product developers to collect academically published literature supporting the real-world problem identified through the LCI Component – I: Problem Identification. It is observed that researchers and academic inventors are very good in reading the research articles published in various impact factor journals. They frequently visit conferences to present their research findings and also publish in conference proceedings. However, reviewing patents is observed as extremely rare practice by researchers and academic inventors (Basberg, 1987).
The literature related to patents, already granted or licensed, is easily accessible through different open databases and for which there is no fees required (Singh, Chakraborty, & Vincent, 2016). Usually, this available pool of knowledge resource is not considered by the academic inventors and researchers during their literature review process and then may lead to certain inventions which are already there and therefore cannot be patented in the future. This is one of the multiple issues that technology managers face at the time of invention disclosures. The academic inventors complete their research, develop a technology and then ask the technology managers to guide in the process of filing patents. Usually, at that moment, process of prior art search for patents and citations begins by the IP and technology managers (Chisum, 1976). They explore for features like novelty, obviousness and freedom to operate. Because these features are not being considered by the academic inventors and researchers during the process of technology development, the findings by the technology managers may conclude that similar solutions already exist and therefore it prevents inventions to be patented (Judd, 1985).
The Literature Search component of the LCI instigates the researchers, academic inventors and entrepreneurs to expand their pool of knowledge resources and along with the research articles include the review of patents for gathering evidence related to the real-world problems. The following question is proposed by the LCI to be answered by the researchers and academic inventors:
The answer of above question enables the researchers and academic inventors to explore the variety of open and proprietary databases (Chandrasekharan et al., 2009) available and look for reasons of not having solutions for the identified real-world problems.
Multiple evidence gathered from published research articles, conference proceedings and patents guide the researchers and academic inventors in the search process of inventions, having similar problems and already invented relevant solutions. The findings may present some inventions having capacities of solving the real-world problem with small changes in their existing features. To facilitate in this literature search process, this book now proposes the LCI Checklist – II. It is suggested that when researchers, academic inventors and entrepreneurs will seek guidance from this checklist, the literature review section of a research proposal will be developed gradually. That will lead towards research gap and building attitude for inventing solutions with a possibility of granting patent in future.
Once patents granted, the TTO professionals (directors and managers) also facilitate in the process of licensing patents and the commercialization of inventions (Dalmarco et al., 2011). Therefore, it is suggested that once the real-world problem is identified with the guidance from the first component of the LCI, the relevant evidence must be gathered with the assistance of the Second component of the LCI: Literature Search and by answering its one question, exploring five items of the LCI Checklist – II and seeking assistance from LCI Templates IV, V, and VI designed for hands-on activities. The five items in the LCI Checklist – II are discussed in table 1.