Tom Luxsox Coins

Prototype Concept

The answers to all your prototype questions!

In this article I will discuss the three most popular questions I receive when it comes to a prototype. What is a prototype? Should I develop a prototype? Reasons to develop a prototype.

What is a prototype? 

A prototype is an original model on which something is patterned.  A prototype can range from a crude mock-up developed by the inventor to professionally designed virtual prototypes and/or fully functioning working samples.  

The process of taking your idea and turning it into a tangible product is called “reducing the invention to practice” and the first step in this process is the development of a prototype.  When it comes to prototype development, the inventor can utilize a professional prototype company, virtual designer, model-maker or construct it on his own.  I have seen many prototypes from inventors ranging from cardboard and tape to professionally designed and constructed working samples.  Keep in mind that the prototype process is evolutionary, meaning that you may start with cardboard and evolve the prototype through several iterations over time, as you refine your invention.  

At one time, the USPTO required that a working prototype accompany all patent applications filed.  This requirement limited the number of patent applications that were filed, particularly on inventions that did not actually work or function as intended.  When the USPTO removed this requirement, the patent business exploded and we began to see countless hypothetical and theoretical inventions with issued patents on products that did not work as intended. 

Should I develop a prototype? 

As I discussed on the introduction page, there are two options for going to market: manufacturing on your own, or licensing for royalties.  Various decisions that you make throughout the process will be driven by which option you choose in going to market, as described below. 

Option 1 - Manufacturing on your own - if you are planning to manufacture your invention on your own - either domestically or by utilizing overseas manufacturers - you really don’t have a choice about developing a prototype.  You will have to develop a prototype of your invention to prepare for manufacturing (i.e.: you can’t manufacture something unless you know how it works).

 As for manufacturing, if you utilize a US manufacturer it will likely be an easier process of setting up the manufacturing but it may be more expensive for setup, molds, and unit costs, yet, going overseas also has its tradeoffs.  With technology, the Internet, and the boom in overseas manufacturing in the last 5-10 years, it has become much easier to connect with manufacturers in China, Taiwan, and other countries; however, many inventors do not understand that typically, you need to provide them with an exact working sample or prototype that you would like produced.  Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers are great at copying a finalized prototype that you provide for mass production but, don’t expect them to be as good at figuring out how your invention works and developing working prototypes.  More than likely, you will need to do this in the US and then supply the prototype to your overseas manufacturer.   Also, you should consider the language barrier of working with manufacturers overseas.  We have been working with the same Taiwanese manufacturer for over eight years and I still have a hard time understanding and communicating with him. 

Option 2 - Licensing for royalties – if you are planning on licensing your invention for royalties, it will still be helpful to develop some form of prototype; however, it is not always necessary to develop a fully functioning working sample, which can be very expensive.  Depending on the particular invention, a “Virtual Prototype” may be a more cost effective solution.  A Virtual Prototype is a computer-generated, animated model, which can be rotated on-screen and will enable you to showcase your invention to prospective companies.  Oftentimes, this is all you need to attract interest in and to possibly license your invention; although, it is still possible that a company may ask to see a tangible prototype after a virtual prototype first raises their interest in your invention.  In this instance, you could request that the company evaluate without the prototype or you could consider alternatives such as building a mock-up of your own.  For example, in the case of a particular inventor of ours, we generated interest from a company based on a very professional virtual prototype, which peaked their interest initiating product conversations.  Later in the process, the company asked if the inventor had a tangible prototype, which she did not.  We suggested to the inventor that she construct a simple mock-up of the product using cardboard or foam board.  The inventor spent less than $10 on supplies and a few hours to construct a very nice model out of foam board and the company was more than satisfied.  The virtual prototype “sold” them on the concept and the tangible model gave them a better feel for the actual product dimensions and function while the inventor did not have to spend thousands of dollars developing a working prototype. 

Reasons to develop a prototype 

1. A prototype brings your idea to life for the person evaluating your invention, which increases the chances of ultimately taking your invention to market. 
2. Engineering drawings and artwork alone cannot “prove” the concept in the same manner that a prototype can – prototypes help to ensure that the invention will work the way you intended. 
3. For this reason, I recommend that if you plan to develop a prototype, you do it first, before you file a patent. 
4.  Patent drawings will be much easier to complete if a model is available from which to work.  
5. Your original invention may be altered based on the prototype.

 

About the Author

Russell Williams cofounded InventionHome.com and MatchProduct.com to assist inventors and entrepreneurs through the patent and invention development and marketing process. He's been asked nearly every invention-related question in the book, and shares his wisdom in an article series, "Inventor Q&A".

Prototype $4.99 Prototype

Typology of knowledge, skills and Competences : Clarification of the concept and Prototype $73.13 No Synopsis Available

A Study of a Prototype Floating Community $36.74 Triton was a concept for an anchored floating city for 100,000 people that would be located just offshore and connected with bridges to the mainland. When President Johnson left office he took the model with him and installed it in his Presidential Library in Texas. This is the complete design report prepared by R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) and his Triton Foundation staff for the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Prototype Vol.3 $13.49 Prototype Vol.3

Concept Vehicle $90.81 A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced. General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept, or show, car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s. Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety and cost. A productionintent vehicle, as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 108 Publication Date: 2010/01/11 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.25 inches

'Hurricane' Prototype $24.99 'Hurricane' Prototype - Photographic Print

Prototype 2 Guide $24.74 PROTOTYPE 2 GUIDE

PC - Prototype 2 $96.75 PC PROTOTYPE 2

Prototype Bold $30 Download the Prototype Bold font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format.

Prototype Plain $30 Download the Prototype Plain font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format.

Mitsubishi Concept PxMiev $78.07 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Mitsubishi Concept PXMiEV is a prototype plug in hybrid crossover utility vehicle, first exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show in September 2009. It uses a 85 kW (116 PS; 114 hp) 1.6 litre gasoline engine as a powerplant and generator for two 30 kW electric motors, one on each axle. Mitsubishi claims it to be capable of up to 50 kilometres per litre (141 mpg imp; 118 mpgUS) under optimal driving conditions. The vehicles exterior styling supposedly gives clues to the design of the next generation of Mitsubishi Outlander, as well as showcasing some technologies which could make it into production. The Concept PX was also exhibited at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2009, and the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 112 Publication Date: 2010/07/04 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.26 inches

Used Blue Mouse Prototype $999.99 In Store Used USED BLUE MOUSE PROTOTYPE

Prototype of Conventional Camera $79.99 Prototype of Conventional Camera - Premium Photographic Print

Prototype of the 35Mm Miniature Camera $79.99 Prototype of the 35Mm Miniature Camera - Premium Photographic Print

Software Prototype $60.54 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles A Software Prototype is a highfidelity simulation of the software before its first version is made. It is used to simulate the final design, materials and functionalities of the program. Wrongly associated with mockups or wireframes, a prototype is a fully operational version of an application although it may not have the same coding structure. With the same lookandfeel as the final product, a software prototype is essential to tackle the last flaws and to make lastminute improvements before larger production runs are ordered. It is usually used for show reels and testing purpose. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 72 Publication Date: 2010/09/22 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.17 inches

Prototype Telephone Design, 1873 $34.99 Alexander Graham Bell Prototype Telephone Design, 1873 - Giclee Print

Prototype Quick Reference $9.99 This short cut provides a complete quick reference to the Prototype JavaScript framework. Prototype is an open-source library that is particularly useful to developers of dynamic Ajax applications, and to other web developers who need to work with DOM elements. If you're a web developer building sophisticated, user-friendly applications, you should be using Prototype. This reference gives you everything you need to use Prototype to its fullest. This document covers Prototype 1.4. There will be a free upgrade to the Prototype 1.5 version of this document.

Daytona Prototype $60.54 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles A Daytona Prototype is a type of sports prototype racing car developed specifically for the Grand American Road Racing Associations Rolex Sports Car Series as their top class of car, replacing contemporary open cockpit sports cars, specifically Sports Racing Prototypes (SRPs). They are named after the main Rolex Sports Car Series event, the 24 Hours of Daytona. For the 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series season, the Grand American Road Racing Association (GARRA) announced that they would stop support of their two premiere open cockpit classes, known as SRPI and SRPII. These cars, mostly modified from Le Mans Prototypes, were technologically advanced and could reach high speeds, specifically on the Mulsannes Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, these same speeds were found to be dangerous at GARRAs premiere track, Daytona International Speedway. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 68 Publication Date: 2010/12/30 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.16 inches

Prototype Pattern $71.7 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The prototype pattern is a creational design pattern used in software development when the type of objects to create is determined by a prototypical instance, which is cloned to produce new objects. This pattern is used to: avoid subclasses of an object creator in the client application, like the abstract factory pattern does; avoid the inherent cost of creating a new object in the standard way (e.g., using the new keyword) when it is prohibitively expensive for a given application. To implement the pattern, declare an abstract base class that specifies a pure virtual clone() method. Any class that needs a polymorphic constructor capability derives itself from the abstract base class, and implements the clone() operation. The client, instead of writing code that invokes the new operator on a hardcoded class name, calls the clone() method on the prototype, calls a factory method with a parameter designating the particular concrete derived class desired, or invokes the clone() method through some mechanism provided by another design pattern. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 100 Publication Date: 2010/12/23 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.24 inches

Jeep Prototypes & Concept Vehicles: Photo Archive $14.45 Go behind the scenes and see the exciting evolution of all Jeep vehicles. Included are the familiar CJs, the Wranglers, the Jeep truck, Wagon, Jeepster, Jeepster Commando, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, Cherokee, and the extremely popular Grand Cherokee. Exquisite photographs display all of these rugged Jeeps from concept car to prototype to final production model. Early military models are also featured, as well as significant show cars.

The Prototype Works $50.35 Beginning in 1965, but especially in the years between 1967 and 1971, Lewis Baltz made a body of work concentrated on the dialectic between simple, regular geometric forms found in the postwar industrial landscape, and the culture that generated such forms. Stucco walls, parking lots, the sides of warehouse sheds or disused billboards baked in the steady Californian sunlight. Baltz called his works "Prototypes," by which he meant replicable social conventions as well as model structures of replicable manufacture. Marking Baltz's preliminary forays into a minimal aesthetic, The Prototype Works continued his work to capture the reality of a sprawling Western ecology gone wild.

Used Paiste Prototype 14In Crash $119.99 In Store Used USED PAISTE PROTOTYPE 14IN CRASH

Used Paiste Prototype 20In Ride $114.99 In Store Used USED PAISTE PROTOTYPE 20IN RIDE

Used Gadow Prototype Trem Chy $1599.99 In Store Used USED GADOW PROTOTYPE TREM CHY

Prototype Filter $54.86 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Prototype filters are electronic filter designs that are used as a template to produce a modified filter design for a particular application. They are an example of a nondimensionalised design from which the desired filter can be scaled or transformed. They are most often seen with regard to electronic filters and most especially linear analogue passive filters. However, in principle, the method can be applied to any kind of linear filter or signal processing, including mechanical, acoustic and optical filters. Filters are required to operate at many different frequencies, impedances and bandwidths. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Timpledon, Miriam T./ Marseken, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 74 Publication Date: 2010/05/19 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.17 inches

Practical Prototype and script.aculo.us $39.99 JavaScript developers are aware of some of the time saving, convenience, and functionality provided by JavaScript/Ajax libraries in general. Prototype Core development team member Dupont presents an essential guide to getting the most out of Prototype and script.aculo.us.

Concept to Concept $1.49 Concept to Concept Button Black button with pink, green and yellow writing.

Prototype Complete Family Pack $60 Download the Prototype Complete Family Pack font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format.

Famous Prototype Orange T-shirt $16.99 Draw up a new standard for street style in this Prototype tee by Famous!

Famous Prototype Silver T-shirt $16.99 Draw up a new standard for street style in this Prototype tee by Famous!