TRIZ

TRIZ pronounced as TREES, is a Theory of Inventive Problem Solving developed by a Russian Genrich Altshuller (1926-1988).
TRIZ in Russian is "Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch"

While working in the USSR (former Soviet Union) patent office he and his colleagues analyzed over 200,000 patents and discover how innovation had taken place.

From there he developed the following laws and concepts.
40 Principles of Invention
Evolution of Technical system
Technical and Physical Contradictions
Concept of Ideality
Inventive Problem-solving.