Patent Diagrams Skill

Generate professional patent-style technical diagrams using Graphviz.

Capabilities:

• Flowcharts (method steps, decision flows)
• Block diagrams (system architectures, data flows)
• Custom diagrams (arbitrary DOT code)
• Reference numbering (patent-style annotations)
• Templates (pre-built patterns)

Output: SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) for USPTO submissions

Core Operations

1. create_flowchart

Inputs:

• steps (List[str], required): Ordered list of step descriptions

Outputs:

{
    "success": bool,
    "svg_path": str,         # Absolute path to SVG
    "filename": str,
    "message": str
}

Example:

steps = [
    "Receive input data from sensor",
    "Validate data format",
    "Process data using algorithm",
    "Generate output signal",
    "Transmit result to display"
]
result = create_flowchart(steps)

2. create_block_diagram

Inputs:

• blocks (List[dict], required): Component definitions
  • id (str, required): Unique identifier
  • label (str, required): Display text (use \n for multiline)
  • type (str, optional): Block type ("input", "output", "process", "storage", "decision", "default")
• connections (List[dict], required): Connection definitions
  • from_id (str, required): Source block ID
  • to_id (str, required): Target block ID
  • label (str, optional): Connection label

Example:

blocks = [
    {"id": "sensor", "label": "Input\nSensor", "type": "input"},
    {"id": "cpu", "label": "Processing\nUnit", "type": "process"},
    {"id": "memory", "label": "Memory\nStorage", "type": "storage"},
    {"id": "display", "label": "Output\nDisplay", "type": "output"}
]

connections = [
    {"from_id": "sensor", "to_id": "cpu", "label": "raw data"},
    {"from_id": "cpu", "to_id": "memory", "label": "store"},
    {"from_id": "memory", "to_id": "cpu", "label": "retrieve"},
    {"from_id": "cpu", "to_id": "display", "label": "results"}
]

result = create_block_diagram(blocks, connections)

3. render_diagram

Render arbitrary Graphviz DOT code.

Inputs:

• dot (str, required): Graphviz DOT code

Example:

dot_code = """
digraph CustomDiagram {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor=lightblue];

    A [label="Component A"];
    B [label="Component B"];
    C [label="Component C"];

    A -> B [label="signal"];
    B -> C [label="processed"];
    C -> A [label="feedback"];
}
"""

result = render_diagram(dot_code)

4. add_diagram_references

Add patent-style reference numbers to existing SVG.

Inputs:

• svg_path (str, required): Path to input SVG
• reference_map (dict, required): Element text -> reference number
  • Key: Text to match (case-insensitive substring)
  • Value: Reference number (integer)

Outputs:

{
    "success": bool,
    "svg_path": str,         # NEW annotated SVG path
    "original_path": str,    # Original SVG preserved
    "filename": str,         # Ends with "_annotated.svg"
    "references_added": int,
    "message": str
}

Example:

reference_map = {
    "Input Sensor": 10,
    "Processing Unit": 20,
    "Memory Storage": 30,
    "Output Display": 40
}

result = add_diagram_references(
    svg_path="C:/path/to/block_diagram.svg",
    reference_map=reference_map
)
# Creates: "block_diagram_annotated.svg"

5. get_diagram_templates

Retrieve pre-built templates.

Outputs:

{
    "success": bool,
    "templates": {
        "template_name": {
            "name": str,
            "description": str,
            "dot_code": str
        }
    },
    "template_names": List[str]
}

Available Templates:

• simple_flowchart: Basic method flow
• system_block: System architecture
• method_steps: Patent method claims (101, 102, ...)
• component_hierarchy: Hierarchical tree

Example:

result = get_diagram_templates()
template = result["templates"]["system_block"]
diagram = render_diagram(template["dot_code"])

Graphviz Dependency

Required: Graphviz as Python package AND system executable.

Check Installation:

check_graphviz_installed()
# Returns: {"ready": bool, "python_package": bool, "system_command": bool, "version": str, "message": str}

Install if Missing:

1. Python package: pip install graphviz
2. System executable:
   • Windows: winget install graphviz
   • macOS: brew install graphviz
   • Linux: sudo apt install graphviz

Output Management

Output Directory: PROJECT_ROOT/diagrams/ (auto-created)

Filename Generation:

• Flowcharts: flowchart_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.svg
• Block diagrams: block_diagram_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.svg
• Custom renders: diagram_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.svg
• Annotated: {original_name}_annotated.svg

Format: All paths are absolute (e.g., C:/Users/<YOUR_USER>/Desktop/TEST1/diagrams/flowchart.svg)

Block Types and Styling

Type	Shape	Color	Typical Use
input	invhouse	lightblue	Input devices, sensors
output	house	lightgreen	Output devices, displays
process	box	lightyellow	Processing units, algorithms
storage	cylinder	lightgray	Memory, databases
decision	diamond	lightcoral	Decision points, logic
default	box	white	Generic components

Common Use Cases

1. Method Claims: Use simple_flowchart or method_steps template
2. System Architecture: Use system_block template or custom create_block_diagram
3. Component Relationships: Use component_hierarchy template
4. Custom Layouts: Use render_diagram with full DOT control
5. Final Publication: Use add_diagram_references for patent-style numbering