white-space-analysis

name	white-space-analysis
description	Identify patent coverage gaps — feature cross-matrix blank areas revealing unprotected technology combinations. Budget: 150 patent families, 10 claim parses, 60 web searches.

White Space Analysis

Identifies gaps in patent coverage by constructing feature cross-matrices and finding blank areas where no patents exist. Reveals opportunities for new filings.

Purpose

Map the patent coverage landscape as a multi-dimensional feature matrix and identify unprotected technology combinations — areas where innovation is possible without infringing existing IP.

Budget

Metric	Target
Patent families analyzed	150
Claim parses	10
Web searches completed	60

State Ledger

Metric	Target	Current	%
Patent families analyzed	150	0	0%
Claim parses completed	10	0	0%
Web searches completed	60	0	0%
Feature dimensions defined	—	0	—
White spaces identified	—	0	—

HARD-GATE: Cannot exit iteration loop until 80% of patent families (120) and web searches (48) budget met.

Available Tactics

Tactic	When to Use
patent-family-tracing	Fill coverage map by tracing families in each matrix cell
classification-navigation	Define feature dimensions from IPC/CPC hierarchy
claim-decomposition	Extract feature elements from key patents to define matrix axes

Available SOPs

SOP	Role in This Strategy
patent-query-formulation	Generate queries for each feature combination
patent-categorization	Assign patents to matrix cells
white-space-mapping	Construct cross-matrix and identify blanks
claim-parsing	Extract features from key patents for axis definition
trend-analysis	Identify which white spaces are trending toward filling
saturation-detection	Confirm matrix coverage is complete
patent-synthesis	Produce white space opportunity report

Execution Guidance

1. Domain scoping — Define the technology domain boundaries
2. Feature extraction — Use claim-decomposition on key patents to identify feature dimensions
3. Matrix construction — Define 2-3 feature axes using white-space-mapping
4. Systematic search — Query each matrix cell using patent-query-formulation
5. Family tracing — Use patent-family-tracing to ensure complete cell coverage
6. Categorization — Assign all patents to cells with patent-categorization
7. Gap identification — Identify empty and sparse cells
8. Trend overlay — Use trend-analysis to assess which gaps are closing
9. Synthesis — Produce opportunity report ranking white spaces by attractiveness

Output Format

# White Space Analysis: [Technology Domain]

## Feature Dimensions
[Axis definitions with rationale]

## Coverage Matrix
[Cross-matrix with patent counts per cell, blanks highlighted]

## Identified White Spaces (ranked by opportunity)
| Rank | Feature Combination | Adjacent Patents | Trend | Opportunity Score |
|------|--------------------|--------------------|-------|-------------------|

## Opportunity Assessment
[For each top white space: technical feasibility, market potential, filing risk]

## Recommendations
[Prioritized list of filing opportunities]