Exploração de depósitos de patentes relacionados a área da ferramenta de qualidade FTA

Abstract

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a quality tool consisting of a logical deductive process, which from a predefined unwanted event, looks for possible causes for that event, adopting appropriate measures to address it, and remedy them, thereby seeking to improve the reliability of processes and products. The FTA is usually in the form of a flowchart to assist in decision making. The present work aimed to analyze the number of patent filings associated with the FTA tool made in the main patent databases in Brazil and in the world. The databases used in this research were: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the European Patent Office (Espacenet). The methodology used in this research relied on the use of keywords related to the FTA quality tool, inserted in the search fields of these databases. The search results were analyzed, interpreted and compared, generating statistical graphs that show the technological innovation process of this tool over the years. The data obtained in this research show that China and the United States were the countries that invested the most in technological innovations related to this technology, with 539 and 69 patent filings respectively. Brazil, in turn, when compared to these countries, has a low number of patent applications in this area of FTA, registering only 01 patent filing related to this technology in the INPI database.