Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income

Individual assignment:

1. Develop a plan for dissemination of your final project
2. Prepare drafts of your summary slide (presentation.png, 1920x1080) and video clip (presentation.mp4, 1080p HTML5, < ~minute, < ~25 MB) and put them in your website's root directory

Types of Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, artistic works, designs, symbols, or names used in commerce. It is protected by law to encourage innovation and creativity.
Reference

Patents

Description: Legal protection for new inventions, processes, machines, or compositions of matter that are novel, non-obvious, and useful.

Examples: A new motor controller circuit design, a unique software algorithm.

Duration: Typically 20 years from filing (utility patents); 15 years for design patents.

Protection: Grants exclusive rights to make, use, or sell the invention.

Trademarks

Description: Protects symbols, names, logos, or phrases that distinguish goods or services.

Examples: A brand name for a motor controller product, a distinctive logo on a PCB.

Duration: Indefinite, as long as used and renewed (every 10 years in many jurisdictions).

Protection: Prevents others from using similar marks that cause confusion.

Copyrights

Description: Protects original works fixed in a tangible medium, such as literature, music, software code, or artistic designs.

Examples: Firmware code for a motor controller, a project demo video, a technical poster.

Duration: Typically author’s life + 70 years; for corporate works, 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation.

Protection: Grants exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, or adapt the work.

Trade Secrets

Description: Protects confidential business information that provides a competitive edge, provided it’s kept secret.

Examples: Proprietary calibration methods for a current sensor, undisclosed PCB layout techniques.

Duration: Indefinite, as long as secrecy is maintained.

Protection: No formal registration; relies on confidentiality measures (e.g., NDAs).

Industrial Designs

Description: Protects the ornamental or aesthetic design of a product.

Examples: The unique shape of a motor controller enclosure, OLED display interface layout.

Protection: Covers the visual appearance but not the functional aspects.

Geographical Indications

Description: Protects products tied to a specific region due to their unique qualities or reputation.

Examples: Champagne, Darjeeling tea (less relevant to motor controller projects).

Duration: Indefinite, as long as the product maintains its regional tie.

Protection: Prevents misleading use of origin.

Intellectual Property of Choice
The IP I have chosen for E-bike project is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial license. This allows others to use, share, and follow my work for non-commercial purposes while giving back credit to me as the original creator.

This assignment covers final project dissemination and the future project

Dissemination Plan

Purpose To ensure that the design, implementation, testing results, and lessons learned from the E-Bike conversion kit and system architecture are shared broadly to benefit makers, educators, and the DIY community. Dissemination builds visibility, invites collaboration, and helps others learn from my successes and setbacks.

Target Audience

• Makers, Engineers, and Hobbyists
  Individuals who enjoy building electronics or E-vehicles from scratch. They can adapt or iterate on the proofs of concept and contribute improvements.
• E-Bike DIY Enthusiasts
  Riders and builders looking to upgrade or modify their own bicycle with an electric drivetrain. They need detailed schematics, BOMs, and step-by-step instructions.
• Fab Lab & Maker Community Members
  Workshop and hackerspace participants who share resources, conduct workshops, and mentor others. They can integrate the project into local training or group builds.
• Technical Educators and Students
  Instructors in electronics, robotics, or electrical engineering courses. They can adopt this project as a classroom or lab assignment, learning about power electronics, embedded systems, and mechanical integration.

Methods of Dissemination

1. Online Documentation (Project Webpage)
   
   • Create a GitHub Pages site dedicated to the E-Bike project.
   • Include high-resolution images of the PCB layout, schematic screenshots, and mechanical CAD renders.
   • Embed short demonstration videos (e.g., how to assemble the controller, how to wire everything, and live testing footage).
   • Publish complete design files: KiCad schematics, PCB Gerbers, 3D model CAD files (STEP or STL), and mechanical drawings.
   • Provide a fully detailed Bill of Materials (BOM) listing each component, manufacturer part number, quantity, and approximate cost.
   • Host source code repository with well commented firmware (C++ or Arduino), instructions, and a troubleshooting.
2. Social Media
   
   • Share build updates on LinkedIn groups focused on hardware engineering and e-mobility.
   • Post on Facebook maker groups to engage hobbyists and gather feedback.
   • Use concise, visually appealing posts (images of the PCB, short video clips, in progress photos, or screenshots of simulation results).
3. Video Presentation
   
   • Produce a polished 2–3 minute overview video summarizing project goals, system architecture, and a live demo of the e-bike running under controller power.
   • Include textover explaining each subsystem: power stage, control logic, user interface, and safety features.
   
   Future Opportunities for E-Bike Project
   Smart Features
   • Bluetooth/Wi-Fi App Control: Monitor speed, battery health, GPS location, and ride history in real-time.
   • Remote Diagnostics: Detect faults using onboard sensors and report issues to a connected mobile app or cloud service.
   • Anti-theft System: GPS-based tracking, motion alerts, and remote locking features to enhance security.
   Sustainable Power
   • Solar Charging: Integrate solar panels for charging while parked or during extended rides to boost range.
   Commercial Expansion
   • Rental Business: Provide e-bikes for delivery services, campus transport, or shared ride systems.
   • Government Tenders: Propose the project to public agencies for transport initiatives, including police patrol e-bikes.
   • Local Assembly Kits: Promote local economic development through in-country assembly, such as FabLab-based workshops in Lesotho.
4. GitHub Repository
   
   • Create a public GitHub repository for ease access to the documentation.
   • Include a description that explains project purpose, features, and usage instructions.
   • Maintain an “Issues” tab for user questions and community contributions (bug reports, design suggestions, feature requests).

What Have You Learned?

• PCB Layout for High Current: Allocating wide copper pours and multiple vias under MOSFET pads drastically reduces thermal resistance. Combining this with a proper heatsink mounting area is essential to prevent thermal runaway.
• Signal Integrity & Noise Filtering: Long throttle cables introduced EMI noise into ADC readings. Also, digital filtering in firmware (e.g., median filter) helps reject spikes.
• Modular Prototyping: Separating the design into modular test stages (power stage alone, then add current sensing, then add throttle interface) allowed systematic debugging. Each block was validated before integration, saving hours of trial-and-error later on.
• Design for Manufacturability & Serviceability: Silkscreen labels for test points (e.g., “Throttle”, “IRFZ44”, “M-,M+”). For future revisions, consider surface‐mount only to reduce assembly time in small batches.
• Documentation & Communication: Clear, annotated schematics and concise “how it works” sections in the project report significantly reduce confusion for new contributors. Visual aids (block diagrams, flowcharts) aid non‐electrical‐engineers in understanding system logic.

Code and Interface Files

The following files are included as part of the project:

• HTML File – A web-based interface for interacting with the Arduino via serial.
• Arduino Code File – Contains the full sketch used in this implementation.