Part-based FTO® | Empower R&D to Go Global with Confidence
More than a 'non-infringement report' — we deliver a part-level risk map you can redesign, patent, and negotiate with.
Is Your Product Truly 'Free to Operate'?
Your humanoid robot's joint is blocked by a harmonic drive patent.
Your energy storage BMS algorithm just received a cease-and-desist letter from a U.S. law firm.
Your surgical robot prototype was pulled from an overseas trade show —展品被扣 (exhibits seized).
Days before your STAR Market IPO hearing, regulators ask: Do you have unfreeable third-party patents in your core tech?
These aren't hypotheticals. Over the past five years, Chinese companies facing overseas IP litigation have tripled.
And for most, the first serious FTO was done after the warning letter arrived.
The Hidden Gaps in Traditional FTO
Traditional FTO Approach | The Real Problem |
|---|---|
Treats the product as a black box | Conclusion says 'possible infringement' — R&D has no idea what to change |
Doesn't decompose sourced parts, modules, or open-source libs | Landmines hide in your supply chain, detonating at launch |
One-time report delivery | One BOM change and the entire report is obsolete |
Identifies risk but offers no countermeasures | You paid for a PDF, not a solution |
The issue isn't lawyer quality — it's granularity.
Part-based FTO®: Decompose to the Level You Can Actually Fix
We don't do vague 'product vs. patent' comparisons.
We map: Product → Module → Patent Part → Technical Feature → Claim → Risk Level → Action Plan.
Humanoid Robot Example
Part Level | Screening Target | Risk Response |
|---|---|---|
Joint Module | Reducer / Motor / Encoder / Driver | Design-around / Alternate supplier / Invalidation |
Motion Control | Gait algorithm / Force control / Compliance | Algorithm redesign / Patent encirclement |
Perception System | Vision / LiDAR / Sensor fusion | Sourcing compliance / In-house alternative |
Dexterous Hand | Tendon drive / Linkage / Haptic feedback | Structural workaround / Design detour |
Energy Management | Battery / BMS / Fast charging | Solution swap / License negotiation |
Appearance & UX | Body design / UI / Voice interaction | Design-around / Copyright supplementation |
Each part answers six questions simultaneously:
- Are there enforceable blocking patents in the target jurisdiction?
- Literal infringement or doctrine of equivalents?
- In-house / sourced / open-source — where exactly is the landmine?
- Can it be designed around? Any second-layer risks after redesign?
- Can the opponent's patent be invalidated? What's the success rate?
- Can this be reversed into our own filing opportunity or licensing leverage?
Deliverables: Not a Report, But a Decision Toolkit
✅ Part Risk Map (one-page visual of which modules carry risk and at what severity)
✅ Design-Around Recommendations (specific: 'swap structure A for approach B to bypass patent X')
✅ Invalidation Target List (with success probability and estimated cost)
✅ Patent Filing Opportunity Pool (blank spaces discovered during screening → your next application directions)
✅ BOM Change Re-Screening Protocol (change one part, auto-flag affected conclusions)
✅ Optional: HRPP Patent Pool Integration (safe parts into pool, risky parts cross-licensed)
When You Need This
What You're Doing | When to Engage |
|---|---|
Robotics / Smart hardware going global | Day 1 of R&D project kickoff |
Medical device overseas registration | Pre-clinical / Pre-filing |
Semiconductor equipment / Photonic chips scaling | Pre-prototype finalization |
New energy equipment export | Pre-bid / Pre-contract |
STAR / HKEX / NASDAQ IPO | 6–12 months before filing |
Received a warning letter / 337 investigation | The day it lands |
Why Us
- Methodology Leadership: First China-based team to systematically apply 'patent part decomposition' to FTO; method is advancing toward group standard status
- Aligned with National Standard: Process complies with T/CIPS 001—2026 Guidelines for Patent Infringement Risk Screening — traceable and auditable
- Multi-Jurisdiction Coverage: China search + overseas counsel collaboration; key-market conclusions backed by local attorneys
- Beyond Risk Clearance: Design-around + invalidation + portfolio strategy + licensing + patent pool — end-to-end
- Engineer-Readable: Output isn't a wall of legal text; it's a modification checklist your engineers can actually use
Book Your Part-based FTO Health Check
Whether you're at R&D kickoff, prototype finalization, pre-mass-production, or pre-export —
One assessment. Three answers:
- Which modules in my product carry patent risk?
- Can the risks be removed? How?
- If not removable, what are my options?
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Part-based FTO® is a service methodology of Chengdu Yuhang Patent Agency / Yuhang Think Tank, currently advancing toward group standard designation. This material is for business risk-control decision-making reference only and does not constitute legal opinion.
