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

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