A data-driven approach to studying dominant designs through patent images

Dominant designs establish de facto standards for all products within an industry, shaping both competition and innovation dynamics. Studying dominant designs enables firms to make informed decisions for new product development and to anticipate technological shifts. This paper presents a computer-based method that automatically extracts the spatial configuration of components from patent drawings to support the analysis of dominant designs and anomaly detection. A case study on eyeglasses validates the approach, demonstrating its potential for data-driven design innovation.