How the Dynamics between Inventors and Patent Examiners Determines Innovation

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $280,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

The aim of this project is to investigate how exchanges between inventors and patent examiners affect the development of technology and its value once patented, and more generally the translation of research to use. The patent examination process may involve rejections of applications’ claims based on obviousness or novelty, while inventors may respond with arguments for inventions’ distinctiveness; they also may adjust technologies in response. This research investigates this process through innovative AI-assisted analysis of all publicly available patent applications at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It measures how patent applications evolve via the examination process; it measures examiners’ and applicants’ interpretations and counterinterpretations of patent claims; and it models how these interactions affect what gets patented, the long-run value of patented technology, and the strategies examiners and applicants learn through multiple examinations. Results from this study inform improvement in translation of research to patents and from patents to technologies that improve our lives. The research is conducted in three interrelated studies of the patent examination process. Project 1, “Invention Evolution,” measures how patent claims are transformed during prosecution, utilizing a blend of AI and machine learning techniques such as natural language processing, and qualitative coding. Project 2, “Pluralistic Interpretation,” applies a combination of n

Key facts

NSF award ID
2523882
Awardee
Stanford University (CA)
SAM.gov UEI
HJD6G4D6TJY5
PI
Daniel McFarland
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Translational Research, GRADUATE INVOLVEMENT
Estimated total
$280,000
Funds obligated
$280,000
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028