How to Read a Patent
- How to Read a U.S. Patent - Queen's University Library
- Anatomy of a Patent - University of Michigan video
- U.S. Patent Number Guide - USPTO
- "Tips for reading patents: a concise introduction for scientists"
Example
NOT SHOWN: Drawings, Background, Summary, Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description, Claims (42 for this patent) |
Code Descriptions
10 Document number:
12 Document type
21 Application number
22 Date of application
45 Date of patent
52 U.S. classification
54 Title of the invention
56 References:
57 Abstract
58 Field of search:
60 Number and date of provisional application
65 Number and date of previously published application
71 Applicant:
72 Inventors
73 Assignee:
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Definitions: Drawings - illustrations of the invention; " The drawings will usually indicate the essential features of the invention using reference numbers." Background - this section can be very helpful to students because it is usually written without legal or technical jargon and helps to explain what is know about the technical field at the time of filing. Note: Patents can take upwards of 3+ years from the time the patent is filed to a granted patent. Note 2: Not all patent applications become granted patents. Summary - "This section should summarize the invention and explain how the invention solves the problem(s) identified in the background." Detailed Description "The purpose of the detailed description is to describe the invention in sufficient detail to enable a skilled person to perform the method and/or produce the product disclosed in the patent. Therefore, depending on the invention, this section will contain details about the best method for using and/or manufacturing the invention and may include information about the materials from which the invention can be constructed, the relative amounts of different components of an invention, and so on. This section may also define certain terms used elsewhere in the patent." Claims - are the most important part of the patent - they define the legal scope of the invention; all patents must include at least one claim but most contain many claims. |