Invention heuristics and mental processes underlying the development of a patent for the application of herbicides

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine invention from the view of cognitive science: How an inventor thinks about the ways simple parts and components come together to form a complex function, tool, or device, and how these thinking processess can be generalized to guide the act of invention. Underlying rules for invention and design are sought by examining a patent for the application of herbicides and by interviewing the inventor. A rich set of invention heuristics, which systematize the thought processes of the inventor, is suggested. These include: The use of a frame description as a data structure, a systematic min/max table, and a systematic constraint table. Two other procedures for invention are discussed: The use of visual imagery to explore alternatives and constraints and the use of metaphor or analogy. In principle, each of these heuristics is generalizable beyond the context of the particular invention that is examined.