FTO analysis clears the way for the window cleaning robot to go public, safeguarding millions of expected revenues

2025-11-19
I. Case Introduction
A robotics startup in the field of smart home devices was confronted with a tight and complex layout of over 50 patents from the industry leader, along with potential infringement risks, just before the launch of its window cleaning robot product. The ZYIP team, through a systematic patent free implementation (FTO) analysis, not only accurately identified risks and completed innovative risk avoidance designs, ensuring the timely launch of the product, but also assisted the client in transforming the risk screening process into an opportunity to build their own patent assets, achieving a leap from "risk exclusion" to "value creation". 


II. Case Details 
1. Customer type/Industry
A start-up company specializing in smart home products, mainly offering window cleaning robots. 


2. Customer Pain Points/Problem Description
(1) Product Launch Delay: Before the product was launched, the legal department requested the preparation of an FTO report to eliminate the risk of infringement. However, it was discovered that the industry leader had already filed over 50 related patents, creating a significant intellectual property obstacle.
(2) Major Business Risks: If infringement risks are confirmed, the product needs to be redesigned, which will result in a delay of at least 6 months in the launch plan and is expected to cause a loss of over 20 million RMB in market share. 


3. Solution and Process
The ZYIP team formulated a comprehensive solution that combines search, avoidance, and legal preparation:
(1) Precise Risk Identification: Focusing on the product's structure design, control algorithm, and safety module, a patent map was established. Using semantic analysis and image comparison tools, 10 high-risk related patents with high risks were accurately identified from a large number of patents.
(2) Innovative Avoidance Design: The rights claims of the high-risk patents were decomposed, and specific design suggestions such as "parameter redefinition" were proposed for the path planning algorithm of the product, effectively achieving technical avoidance.
(3) Legal Defense Preparation: A detailed assessment report on the possibility of infringement was issued, reducing the risk level from "high risk" to "low risk". At the same time, evidence packages that could be used in the invalidation procedure were pre-collected and sorted, and 2 key comparison documents were identified that could challenge the novelty of the core patent. 


4. Outcomes/Results
(1) Risk Elimination Successfully Achieved: After verification, the revised product plan successfully avoided all high-risk patents and smoothly passed the internal legal review of the client, clearing the obstacles for the product launch.
(2) Preservation of Business Value: The client's product was able to be launched on the Taobao platform as originally planned. It is expected that the first month's sales will exceed 8,000 units, generating revenue of approximately 16 million yuan, avoiding significant market losses.
(3) Deep Customer Recognition: The client stated: "The report by ZYIP not only avoided the risk of infringement but also helped us find a better technical solution."
(4) Derivative Strategic Value: Based on the FTO analysis insights of the ZYIP team, the client subsequently submitted three defensive patent applications. The client commented: "Not only did you defuse the patent landmines, but you also taught us how to build our own technological moat." 


III. Case Significance 
This case profoundly illustrates the core value of high-quality FTO analysis for technology startups - it is not only a "firewall" to avoid legal risks, but also a "navel guide" to drive technological optimization and strategic planning. The ZYIP team upgraded the simple infringement risk screening to a comprehensive escort that combines technical analysis, competitive intelligence, and legal strategies, helping clients successfully find development space in the patent barriers of giants and initially build their own intellectual property defense system. This provides an outstanding model for all innovative startups to cope with the complex intellectual property environment and achieve safe and rapid development.
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