Invention

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Inventor" and "Invented" redirect here. For other uses, see Invention (disambiguation).

For the CAD design software, see Autodesk Inventor.

'BUILD YOUR OWN TELEVISION RECEIVER.' Science and Inventionmagazine cover, November 1928

An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. The invention process is a process within an overall engineering and product development process. It may be an improvement upon a machine or product, or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. Such works are novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field. An inventor may be taking a big step in success or failure.

Some inventions can be patented. A patent legally protects the intellectual property rights of the inventor and legally recognizes that a claimed invention is actually an invention. The rules and requirements for patenting an invention vary from country to country, and the process of obtaining a patent is often expensive.

Another meaning of invention is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social behaviours adopted by people and passed on to others.^[1] The Institute for Social Inventions collected many such ideas in magazines and books.^[2] Invention is also an important component of artistic and design creativity. Inventions often extend the boundaries of human knowledge, experience or capability.

Contents

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• 1The Process of Invention
  • 1.1Practical means of invention
  • 1.2Conceptual means
    • 1.2.1Play
    • 1.2.2Re-envision
    • 1.2.3Insight
    • 1.2.4Exploration
    • 1.2.5Improvement
  • 1.3Implementing Inventions
  • 1.4Invention vs. innovation
  • 1.5Purposes of invention
  • 1.6Invention as defined by patent law
  • 1.7Invention in the arts
    • 1.7.1List of artistic inventors
  • 1.8See also
  • 1.9References
  • 1.10Further reading
  • 1.11External links