patent

September 1st is Disaster Prevention Day. I maintain a rolling stock of food for disaster preparation, and I found bread at a store which the expiration date is over a month. It’s sold by Komo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture. Unusually for bread, it’s also sold in vending machines and can be purchased at stations and airports. I see Danish pastries most often, but croissants and pies are also available.

The reason for its long-term storage is reportedly the use of Panettone yeast, combined with minimizing moisture content to the absolute limit, which suppresses bacterial growth. I had assumed some additive was extending the shelf life, so learning it’s due to the yeast type makes me feel safe letting my kids eat it. When I actually gave it to my children, they said it tasted just as good as other bread with shorter shelf lives and ate several pieces.

Given its unique feature of an extended shelf life—something ordinary bread can’t achieve—I wondered if it held patents. Upon checking, I found it was indeed patented under Japanese Patent Numbers 1721291 and 2971634, though the patents have since expired.

Komo Co., Ltd. seems to be the pioneer and industry leader in long-life bread. As a local company, I want to keep buying their products to support them. Their goods are even being served at the ongoing Osaka-Kansai Expo! (Chamomile)

https://www.comoshop.jp/tokutyo/　（Japanese only）
https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/437689 (Japanese only)

Recently, crimes involving illegal part-time jobs have become a serious social issue.

The Metropolitan Police Department has decided to implement a system that automatically detects illegal part-time job postings on social media using AI (reference site: Japanese only). Currently, police officers search social media posts and select those requiring warnings. However, under the new system, AI will automatically detect terms such as “short-term high-paying jobs” and classify risks into several categories.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2025-52899 (Applicant: SoftBank Group Corp.) discloses an invention for a system to prevent illegal part-time jobs using generative AI. In this invention, a data processing system performs the following processes, for example.

Step 1: The generative AI-based system for preventing illegal part-time jobs initiates chat-based communication with job seekers.
Step 2: A data collection module collects detailed information about illegal part-time work through interactions with job seekers.
Step 3: The collected information is reported to police authorities via a communication module to prevent incidents.

I hope that such technology will contribute to the realization of a safe and secure society free from crime. (Conan)

It’s Swimmer.
I went to “Natual History Mania” held at the Fukiage Hall in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It was an event hosted by TV Aichi with a theme of natural science, featuring fun lectures on stage and over 100 booths displaying and selling various items.

As I walked around the venue, I came across a booth where patent numbers were displayed among fossils, minerals, various biological specimens, and mainly handmade items. There, various animals created using a patented 3D printing method were on display, making it a fascinating and intriguing shop.
I accidentally forgot to ask for permission to post this on my blog, so I’ll include the patent information here.
↓
Three dimensional shape data creation method for three dimensional model, three dimensional model manufacturing method, and three dimensional model
https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/PU/JP-7580688/15/en

As part of my job, I immediately looked up the patent information when I got home.

Natual History Mania Homepage (Japanese only)
https://tv-aichi.co.jp/hakubutsumania/
【Official】Natual History Mania SNS
@hakubutsumania

　Crème brûlée is a French dessert similar to pudding, with the name meaning “burnt cream.” The main difference from regular pudding is the hard caramelized crust on the surface.

　Ohayo Milk’s “BRULEE” is an ice cream with a crispy caramel layer on the surface, just like authentic crème brûlée.

　The patent number (Japanese Patent No. 6732945) was listed, so I looked it up. The invention is titled “Surface-Baked Food and Its Manufacturing Method,” and both the product and the method are patented. In the summary, the invention involves an ice cream (first food) and a caramel layer (a layer of heated sugar products) separated by a layer containing chocolate or other fats (second food), which helps maintain the crispy texture of the caramel layer. Looking at the ingredient list, “chocolate coating” was listed, so this is likely the “second food” referred to in the patent claims. Despite containing chocolate, it doesn’t taste like chocolate, remaining true to its “crème brûlée” flavor, which highlights the food processing technology. I savored the crispy, slightly bitter caramel.

　The price is a bit on the high side (around 400 yen at Seven-Eleven), but as the weather gets warmer, I look forward to enjoying it again as a special treat after a hard day’s work. (Marron)

　On March 24, 2025, the ‘My Number Driver’s License,’ which integrates the My Number Card and driver’s license, began operation. Since it was time to renew my driver’s license, I applied for both the regular driver’s license and the My Number Driver’s License. At the driver’s license examination center, after completing the renewal procedures, vision test, photo, and renewal lecture, you receive the standard new driver’s license. Those who wish to obtain the My Number Driver’s License then proceed to another room to have the electronic driver’s license information written onto their My Number Card. Additionally, you must access the My Number Portal after that day to complete the linkage process.

　By the way, both the regular driver’s license and the My Number driver’s license are issued as IC cards containing the driver’s information. However, globally, there are discussions about storing the information on a smartphone and using it as a mobile driver’s license. Patent No. 7003740 “Mobile Driver’s License and Portable Terminal Device” (Patent Holder: Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.) describes an invention where a public key certificate signed with a public key linked to driver’s license information is provided to a portable terminal device from a terminal authentication server, thereby enabling the portable terminal device to function as a mobile driver’s license.
　In the future, if fully automated driving becomes a reality, there may come a time when driver’s licenses are no longer needed. However, until then, technological development related to driver’s licenses will likely continue for some time. (Conan)

(Reference Site (Japanese only))
https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/oshirase/individual_number.html

　When you have made a new invention and want to apply for a patent, in order to reduce the risk of being notified of reasons for rejection of novelty and inventive step in the examination, it is recommended that you conduct a search before filing an application to see if there are any similar inventions that have been published in the past. However, excluding special technical fields, even if you limit yourself to Japan, there are a huge number of documents that have been published in the past. It is very difficult to find prior art documents that could be used as reasons for rejection. If you are looking for similar documents, it is enough to find one, but if you are looking for documents that do not exist, there is no end to it. It is the so-called “the devil’s proof”.

　It is impossible to conduct a prior art search 100% without omissions and to obtain 100% certainty that a patent can be obtained. However, it is also the same for the examiner who examines patent applications: it is a “devil’s proof”. Therefore, it is considered that the basic approach is to first investigate the range that the examiner is likely to find. If you can quickly find prior art documents that could be cited as reasons for rejection by searching J-PlatPat, you should probably change your application strategy. If you can’t find any prior art documents even if you search within a certain range of search conditions, you might as well try filing an application and taking the challenge of obtaining a patent.

　Infringement prevention searches to determine whether the products that your company plans to manufacture and sell may infringe on the patent rights of other companies are also a “devil’s proof”. If the country in which you plan to manufacture and sell is Japan only, the scope of the infringement prevention search will be limited to existing valid patent gazettes and patent publication gazettes that are currently under examination and may become patents in the future. However, you need to be careful not to overlook documents that include some of the features of the products you plan to implement in the technical scope.
　If you have any requests for patent searches, please contact us. (Conan)