The Patent Writer : How to Write Successful Patent Applications

Preface vii Introduction 1(6) Read Before Writing 7(14) It's About Money 7(3) Existing Company 10(1) Entrepreneurial Start-Up 11(1) Independent Inventor or Product Developer 12(1) Self-Drafting Advantages 13(1) Who Writes . . . Who Files? 14(1) What You Should Know Before You Start 15(3) The Patent Writer Plan 18(1) Useful Tools 19(2) Patent Basics 21(22) Types of Intellectual Property 21(3) Patent Definition 24(1) Patent Benefits 25(1) Types of Patents 26(1) Utility Patent Applications 27(1) Patent Scope 28(1) What Is Patentable? 29(2) What Is Not Patentable? 31(1) Important Laws 32(3) Worldwide Filing Rights 35(1) Inventorship 35(1) Who Can File? 36(1) Patent Ownership 36(2) Maintenance Fees 38(1) Patent Costs and Fees 38(2) Other Related Costs 40(3) Patent Objectives 43(12) Maximizing Patent Protection 43(4) Using a Patent Attorney 47(2) Trade Secrets as an Alternative 49(1) Commercialization Objectives 50(1) Roles of a Company's Departments 51(4) Provisional Applications 55(16) Overview 56(1) Advantages of Provisional Patent Applications 56(2) Disadvantages of Provisional Patent Applications 58(1) When NOT to Use a Provisional Patent Application 59(2) Provisional Patent Application Strategies 61(4) Writing a Provisional Patent Application 65(3) Provisional Patent Application Tactics 68(3) Patentable Subject Matter 71(18) The First Step 72(1) Types of Patentable Subject Matter 72(6) Fields of Invention 78(5) Qualify Patentable Subject Matter 83(2) Patentable Subject Matter Checklist 85(4) Claims---The Heart of a Patent 89(24) Overview 89(1) Claims Define Patentable Subject Matter 90(2) Claims Define Scope 92(1) Types of Claims 93(2) Your Claim Strategy 95(4) Using a Patent Attorney 99(1) Identifying Your Claims 100(1) Claim Structure 101(2) Sample Claims 103(2) How to Write Your Claims 105(2) Preparing a Claim Statement 107(6) Wording Basics 113(8) Using Broad Terms 114(2) Words With Ordinary Meaning 116(1) Lexicography 117(2) Industry Terminology 119(1) Using a Thesaurus 119(1) Acronyms 120(1) Writing The Application 121(44) Overview 121(1) Anatomy of a Patent 122(4) The Standard Format 126(1) Title of Invention 127(11) Cross-Reference to Related Applications 138(1) Statement Regarding Federally Sponsored Research or Development 139(1) Background of the Invention 140(3) Brief Summary of the Invention 143(2) Brief Description of the Drawings 145(2) Detailed Description of the Invention 147(11) Claims 158(1) Abstract of the Disclosure 158(1) Filing Your Patent Applications 159(3) Self-Filing a Provisional Patent Application 162(3) Drawings 165(12) Overview 165(1) Drawing Types 166(4) Numbering, Lettering, and Line Types 170(4) Preparing Your Drawings 174(3) Design Patents 177(8) Ornamental Versus Functional 177(2) Written Description 179(1) Drawings 180(5) Special Considerations 185(20) Publication of Applications 186(1) Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) 187(2) FESTO 189(1) Phillips v. AWH---Claim Meaning 190(3) Legislative Changes to Patent Law 193(1) USPTO Examination Regulations 194(5) Appeals 199(1) Other USPTO Actions and Acts 199(2) Patent Infringement 201(4) Conclusion 205(2) Glossary 207(20) Resource List 227(5) About the Authors 232(1) Index 233