CPSC 699 Fall 17
Assignment 2: Inventions
Due: October 14th, 9:00am
Group size: 2 people, single student groups are not allowed for this assignment
Group Information: Friday October 6th, 9:00am to your TA by e-mail
Written Portion: Saturday October 14th, 9:00am to your TA (D2L)
Electronic Poster and Request to Change Presentation Date: Friday October 20th, 9:00 am
NOTE: STUDENTS MUST FORM A GROUP FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. A GROUP MUST CONSIST OF TWO PEOPLE. ONE REPORT PER GROUP MUST BE SUBMITTED.
While academics usually encourage an open exchange of ideas, the world of industryis different. Ideas, or intellectual property can be worth money, and industry is keen on protecting its “know-how” or intellectual property.
Patents are one mechanism used to protect intellectual property. They are intendedto facilitate a free exchange of ideas while protecting the right of the assignee to exploitthose ideas for commercial gain.
The goal of this assignment is for you to become familiar with publication of results of inventions in theform of patents, related to Information technology field. Go to the US Patent Office web site (a link is on the course web page),and search for a patent that interests you. It can be in any area. Try a few things with thesearch engine and see what you come up with. You can also use magazines, journals and newspapers that profile any recent or previous invention that made significant impact on society, preferably in the technology domain. Then SUBMIT for grading as per instructions. You must answer the following questions:
1. What is the name of the invention?
2. Summarize the invention in two paragraphs.
3. Who is (are) the inventor(s)?
4. Who is the patent assigned to?
5. In what way does the invention meet the requirements for a patent?
A lot ofuseful information is available at:
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Submit your Assignment electronically following assignment submission instructions (D2L) on Course web site ( with a cover page containing your name only. Do not put yourID number on the cover page. Your write-up should be in 12-point type, single-spaced,on letter-size paper, with 1-inch margins and should not exceed 5 pages in length.
Second part of this assignment involves preparing a one-page PROFESSIONAL ELECTRONIC POSTER (in PPT or Latex format, some examples will be posted on-line) that should be prepared following general poster format and depict the invention, its users, its usage and its idea.
This poster will be then presented in class on the specially announced date – each group will have 6 min to present.
Please incorporate ONE NOVEL element in your presentation, such as, for example: brining a handout about it and distributing in class, showing a short 1 min movie about it, drawing a cartoon, bringing a device which uses the invention etc.
Please form your group and inform your TA about it by Oct 6th. If you want to change your group presentation date, please inform your TA by October 20th.