Design Patent Analyzer v1.0.0IMPORTANT — Working Directory: All scripts in this skill MUST be executed with the working directory set to the absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md file (the skill root directory). Always
cdinto this directory before running any command. Do NOT use relative paths or shell shortcuts like~in paths, as they may not be resolved by the execution environment.
Product Understanding Step
Before running this skill, if the user provides a product, image, ASIN, listing, product ID, or product idea, first identify:
- product type/category
- main use case
- key physical, design, or functional features
- target marketplace, country, or platform
- user's analysis goal
Use this product understanding to choose parameters, filters, competitors, regions, keywords, or analysis dimensions before executing the script.
Does this design have conflicts?
Design patent similarity analysis using dual-model image search against 170M+ patents.
Core Question
— Does this design have patent conflicts? — Is my product design safe to launch?
When to Use
- Before finalizing product design — check for conflicts early
- Before mold production — expensive to change later
- When copying competitor designs — know the risks
- For design registration — ensure novelty
Differs From / Not Applicable
- Use patent-risk-checker for broader product-level IP/FTO risk screening.
- Use patent-claim-analyzer for interpreting a known patent claim.
- Use patent-legal-status for validity/expiration questions.
- Use this skill when visual/design similarity is the main concern.
Workflow
- Understand product appearance and target countries.
- Run design/appearance patent similarity search from the image.
- Rank similar designs by visual similarity and legal relevance.
- Return risk level, closest matches, and next legal-review steps.
Data Sources
| Source | Endpoint | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/linkfox/zhihuiya/patentImageSearch (model=1) |
Smart association — similar designs by appearance |
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/linkfox/zhihuiya/patentImageSearch (model=2) |
Exact match — shape and pattern-based matches |
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/linkfox/zhihuiya/legalStatus |
Legal status and litigation events |
Coverage: 170M+ patents from 150+ countries. Full Locarno classification (LOC) support.
⚠️ MANDATORY: Charts & Display Rules
- Generate charts by default for full analytical reports — use
--chartwith an output directory unless the user asks for a quick text-only result or chart data is unavailable. - Send generated charts to the user — when charts are created, share all chart PNGs immediately.
- All chart styling is driven by
ecommerce_chart_helpers.pywhich reads fromchart_style.json(derived fromreferences/display-rules.md). Do NOT hardcode colors in scripts.
Usage
# Basic search
python3 scripts/design_patent_analyzer.py '{"imageUrl": "https://example.com/product.jpg"}'
# With region filter
python3 scripts/design_patent_analyzer.py '{"imageUrl": "https://example.com/product.jpg", "countries": "US,CN,EU"}'
# Generate charts
python3 scripts/design_patent_analyzer.py '{"imageUrl": "..."}' --chart /tmp/charts
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
imageUrl |
string | Yes | - | Product image URL |
countries |
string | No | all | Country filter (e.g., "US,CN,EU") |
limit |
int | No | 30 | Max patents per model |
activeOnly |
bool | No | true | Only active patents |
Output Structure
The output will be a structured markdown report, following this format:
Product Design Patent Analysis Report
1. Executive Summary
- Analysis Date: [analysis_date]
- Data Source: [data_source]
- Input Image: [input.image_url] (Analyzed Countries: [input.countries], Active Patents Only: [input.active_only])
- Conflict Level: [conflict_summary.emoji] [conflict_summary.level] (Highest Similarity: [conflict_summary.max_similarity_pct])
- Core Recommendation: [conflict_summary.recommendation]
- Total Patents Found: [conflict_summary.total_patents_found]
2. Similarity Model Comparison
- Similar Patents Found by Different Models:
| Model | Count Found | Total in Database | Highest Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Association | [model_comparison.smart_association.count] | [model_comparison.smart_association.total_in_db] | [model_comparison.smart_association.max_similarity] |
| Exact Match | [model_comparison.exact_match.count] | [model_comparison.exact_match.total_in_db] | [model_comparison.exact_match.max_similarity] |
3. Conflict Summary
- Conflict Level Distribution:
| Level | Count |
|---|---|
| Likely Conflict | [conflict_summary.conflict_counts.likely] |
| High Similarity | [conflict_summary.conflict_counts.high] |
| Potential Conflict | [conflict_summary.conflict_counts.potential] |
| None | [conflict_summary.conflict_counts.none] |
4. Top Similar Patents Found
- List of Patents Ranked by Similarity (Showing Top 5):
| Patent Number | Similarity | Title | Assignee | Filing Date | Status | Patent Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [top_conflicts[0].patent_number] | [top_conflicts[0].similarity] | [top_conflicts[0].title] | [top_conflicts[0].assignee] | [top_conflicts[0].filing_date] | [top_conflicts[0].status] | [top_conflicts[0].image_url] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
5. Locarno Classification Analysis
- Predicted Product Classification: [loc_analysis.predicted_product_loc]
- Total LOC Matches: [loc_analysis.total_loc_matches]
- Unique Classifications: [loc_analysis.unique_classifications]
- Top Classifications:
- [loc_analysis.top_classifications[0].loc] (Count: [loc_analysis.top_classifications[0].count])
- ...
6. Assignee Analysis
- Unique Assignees: [assignee_analysis.unique_assignees]
- Top Assignees (Showing Top 3):
| Assignee Name | Patent Count | Highest Similarity |
|---|---|---|
| [assignee_analysis.top_assignees[0].name] | [assignee_analysis.top_assignees[0].patent_count] | [assignee_analysis.top_assignees[0].max_similarity] |
| ... | ... | ... |
7. Attached Visualizations
- Similarity Gauge (1_conflict_gauge.png)
- Model Comparison (2_model_comparison.png)
- Top Conflicts Distribution (3_top_conflicts.png)
- Assignee Map (4_assignees.png)
- Conflict Level Distribution (5_distribution.png)
Conflict Levels
| Level | Similarity | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 NO_CONFLICT | < 50% | Design appears novel — safe to proceed |
| 🟡 POTENTIAL | 50–70% | Review specific features, consider modifications |
| 🟠 HIGH_SIMILARITY | 70–85% | Significant redesign recommended |
| 🔴 LIKELY_CONFLICT | ≥ 85% | Abandon this design direction |
LOC Classification
Locarno Classification (LOC) categorizes industrial designs:
| Class | Category |
|---|---|
| 01 | Foodstuffs |
| 02 | Clothing |
| 06 | Furnishing |
| 07 | Household goods |
| 09 | Packaging |
| 14 | Recording equipment |
| 21 | Games & toys |
| 26 | Lighting |
Charts Generated
| Chart | Description | File |
|---|---|---|
| Similarity Gauge | Overall conflict level | 1_conflict_gauge.png |
| Model Comparison | Smart vs Exact results | 2_model_comparison.png |
| Top Conflicts | Similarity distribution | 3_top_conflicts.png |
| Assignee Map | Top patent holders | 4_assignees.png |
| Conflict Distribution | Level breakdown pie | 5_distribution.png |
Limitations
- Image quality affects search accuracy
- Some newer patents may not be indexed
- Results are advisory, not legal opinions
- Best for product appearance, not functional features
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
NEXSCOPE_PROXY_BASE |
Yes | NexScope proxy base URL |
NEXSCOPE_API_KEY |
Yes | NexScope proxy API key |
References
- Locarno Classification: https://www.wipo.int/classifications/locarno/