How to Be
an
Inventor
Week 1
Instructor: Drew Boyd
1
What We Are Going to Learn
• Five Tools to Create New
Inventions
• Famous Inventors
• Patents
• How to Use a Lab Book
2
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
3
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
then…..
4
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
then…..
• Find a Solution
5
6
What are the parts of a TV?
7
What are the parts of a TV?
1. Screen
8
What are the parts of a TV?
1. Screen
2. Remote
Control
• Volume
• Channel
• Speaker
• Box
• Plug
9
You now have a “virtual TV”
10
You now have a “virtual TV”
Who would use a “screenless” TV?
11
First Tool: Reduction
1. Find a product
2. List all of its parts
3. Take a part away
4. Imagine your “Virtual Product”
5. Ask, “Who would use this?”
12
Kids Can Be Inventors!
• Kathryn Gregory
• Age 10
• Invented the
“Wristies”
• Kids Hall of Fame in
1997
13
Your Lab Book
• Always write down your ideas in the
LAB BOOK.
• For each idea:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Date
Name of the idea
Describe the idea
Tell how you got the idea
Draw a picture of the idea
List the parts
Sign your name
Always write in ink, not pencil
14
Next Week
• Bring in a small toy or other
product from home.
• We will practice REDUCTION.
• We will learn another tool.
15
How to Be
an
Inventor
Week 2
Instructor: Drew Boyd
16
Why are you taking this
class?
17
Why are you taking this
class?
18
Review
• The right way to invent: find
solutions, then find problems
• First Tool: Reduction
• How to Use a Lab Book
19
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
20
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
then…..
21
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
then…..
• Find a Solution
22
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a problem…
•
then…..
• Find a Solution
This is backwards!!!
23
Pencil Sharpener
24
What are the parts of a TV?
25
What are the parts of a TV?
1. Screen
2. Remote
Control
• Volume
• Channel
• Speaker
• Box
• Plug
26
Reduce by taking away the
screen
Who would use a “screenless” TV?
27
First Tool: Reduction
1. Find a product
2. List all of its parts
3. Take a part away
4. Imagine your “Virtual Product”
5. Ask, “Who would use this?”
28
Second Tool: Replacement
1. Find a product and list all of its parts
2. Take a part away
3. REPLACE the part with something else
4. Imagine your “Virtual Product”
5. Ask, “Who would use this?”
29
Famous Inventors
•
•
•
•
K.K. Gregory
Ben Franklin
Thomas Edison
Alexander Graham Bell
30
Kids Can Be Inventors!
• Kathryn Gregory
• Age 10
• Invented the
“Wristies”
• Kids Hall of Fame in
1997
31
Ben Franklin
•
•
•
•
Bifocal glasses
Lightening rod
Franklin stove
Many more!
32
Walt Disney
• Multiplane camera
33
Your Lab Book
• Always write down your ideas in the
LAB BOOK.
• For each idea:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Date
Name of the idea
Describe the idea
Tell how you got the idea
Draw a picture of the idea
List the parts
Sign your name
Always write in ink, not pencil
34
How to Be
an
Inventor
Week 3
Instructor: Drew Boyd
35
What does it take to be an
Inventor?
• Smart? Creative?
36
What does it take to be an
Inventor?
• Smart? Creative? No!!!
37
What does it take to be an
Inventor?
• Smart? Creative? No!!!
• You need to be:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Observant
Curious
Disciplined
Persistent
Question asker
See possibilities
38
Agenda
• Review
– Second Tool: Replacement
– Lab Books
• Third Tool: Multiplication
• Introduction to PATENTS
39
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a Solution…
•
40
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a Solution…
•
then…..
41
How Do People Invent Things?
• Find a Solution…
•
then…..
• Find a Problem
42
Don’t Invent Things Like
This!
43
Review Lab Books
• Who has an idea or an
invention from their Lab Book
that they want to share?
44
Second Tool: Replacement
1. Find a product and list all of its parts
2. Take a part away
3. REPLACE the part with something else
4. Imagine your “Virtual Product”
5. Ask, “Who would use this?”
45
Take away the screen…
1. Screen
2. Remote
Control
• Volume
• Channel
• Speaker
• Box
• Plug
46
And REPLACE it with what?
• Computer screen
• Projector
• Head mounted
47
Examples
•
•
•
•
Stapler
“Tape-ler”
Ice Skate
Roller Blade
Coke Can
Twist Top Can
Phone Cradle
Belt Phone
48
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?”
49
Example: Multiply a Part
50
“Picture-in-Picture” TV
51
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)
52
Patent Examples
53
Patent Examples
54
Patent Examples
55
Patent Examples
56
Next Week
• Review all the tools so far
• Review your LAB BOOKS
– Invent something!!
• Learn a new tool
• Practice!
57
How to Be
an
Inventor
Week 4
Instructor: Drew Boyd
58
Agenda
• Review
– Lab Books
– Third Tool: Multiplication
• Fourth Tool: Feature Dependency
• More PATENTS
59
Review Lab Books
• Who has an idea or an
invention from their Lab Book
that they want to share?
60
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?”
61
Example: Multiply a Part
62
“Picture-in-Picture” TV
63
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?”
64
60-Second
Toothbrush
Features:
1. Rotating
brushes
• Time
• Length
• Width
• Color
65
Traffic Light
Features:
1. Light color
• Time
• Car’s Waiting
• Car’s Moving
66
Scooter
Features:
1. Height
• Wheel Size
• Speed
• Road
Smoothness
• Person’s height
67
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)
68
Patent Examples
69
Patent Examples
70
Patent Examples
71
Patent Examples
72
Finger Mounted Toothbrush
73
Yoyo
• Inventor: Donald Duncan
• Sold over 100 million
• He also invented the:
• Eskimo Pie
• Good Humor Ice Cream
Truck
• Parking Meters
74
Next Week
• Review all the tools so far
• Invention Workshop
• Surprise!
75
How to Be
an
Inventor
Week 5
Instructor: Drew Boyd
76
You are ALL inventors!
77
Agenda
• Review all Tools
• Invention Workshop
• Surprise!
78
First Tool: Reduction
1. Find a product
2. List all of its parts
3. Take a part away
4. Imagine your “Virtual Product”
5. Ask, “Who would use this?”
79
Second Tool: Replacement
1. Find a product and list all of its parts
2. Take a part away
3. REPLACE the part with something else
4. Imagine your “Virtual Product”
5. Ask, “Who would use this?”
80
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?”
81
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?”
82
Invention Workshop
1. Use all of your tools
2. Create several good ideas
3. Draw the best one
83
Graduation
• “You are hereby
empowered to go out a
invent awesome new
products for the
betterment of all
mankind.”
84