Patent search in the field of physical culture and sports: current state and trends

Abstract

Abstract. Topicality. The article discusses modern approaches to patent search in the field of physical culture and sports, analyzes the dynamics of filing applications for inventions and utility models in the field of sports technologies, and reveals the relevance of the patent landscape for assessing the level of novelty and competitiveness of developments. The study confirms that, given the rapid pace of development of sports methods, equipment and software, monitoring of patent documentation is becoming critically important. Such a search makes it possible to identify technical innovations, ideas and solutions that are not always reflected in open scientific sources.

The purpose of the study is to summarize modern approaches to patent search in the field of physical culture and sports and to identify trends in patent activity in the industry.

Material and methods of the study. The methods used were theoretical analysis, generalization of previous publications, patent information search, empirical grouping and statistical processing of applications filed with international and national patent offices.

Results of the study. With the rapid development of information resources in the 1990s, the practice of patent analytics began to take shape, in particular, with the help of online databases. It has been found that the main areas of patent activity are the development of ergonomic equipment, digital solutions (IT platforms, sensor systems), rehabilitation technologies and green initiatives. There has been a steady increase in the number of applications, especially in Asia and North America, as well as a gradual increase in the role of women inventors. Over the past five years, the number of applications related to the field of physical culture and sports has shown a steady upward trend of approximately 6-10 % annually. The current stage of development of patent search in the field of physical culture and sports is characterized by the integration of IT and electronic solutions into classical sports inventions; focus on environmental and interdisciplinary developments; a high level of globalization of the search process due to a wide network of international patent databases; active use of artificial intelligence algorithms and comprehensive patent analysis to form competitive scientific and technical solutions.

Conclusions. Patent search in the field of physical culture and sports is a strategic tool for protecting intellectual property and creating an innovative environment that creates prospects for further research and development of the industry.