Anatomy of a Patent
Draft a mini patent application for your business concept. The draftapplication should reflect your understanding of the materials discussed in the anatomy of a patent lecture materials this week. You may evaluate existing and prior patents in the U.S. onwww.google.com/patents(Links to an external site.), and other search engines in other countries,by searching on keywords
Your submission should include the followingsections:
Abstract,
Drawing(s),
Background of the Invention,
Summary of the Invention,
Detailed Description of the Invention, and
Claim(s).
Please include at least one drawing and at least one claim in those sections.
Your mini patent application should be 5 to 7 pages, not including Drawings.
NOTE:
Based on the types of questions I received from previous cohorts on this assignment, I wanted to sharea note to help you further prepare for the assignment and my expectations. Two primary questions/concerns were raised in the past:
1)Thereseems to bea good bit of redundancythroughout the various sections of a patent application. Is this right?
2) My business is a service or is not patentable otherwise. How am I suppose to approach the assignment?
If you find yourself in one of these camps, then you are in luck because I have anticipated your question. Please keep the following in mind:
1) There is a lot of redundancy in patent applications, so it will be different from the drafting style you will use in other areas of writing. Based on the sections of a patent application, some repetition makes sense. For example, a detailed description of the invention will necessarily include material from the background of the invention or the summary of the invention. There is also some strategy involved in doing this. In order to have the strongest possible patent, you want to describe your invention in as much detail as possible and with as many variations as possible. That’s why you will see a lot of repetition with only subtle differences throughout most patent applications. Gene Quinn has a nice blog post on this topic that you should consider reading. Don’t be deterred by the repetition; it is expected.
2) For purposes of this assignment, don’t worry about whether your invention/service/product/idea is in fact patentable. I am not grading you on whether your mini patent application is something that would result in a granted patent. I am more interested in getting you to understand how to approach the patent drafting process. You can use whatever information you have to date about your business to approach this – regardless of the type of business.
For example, many of you are building mobile apps. You can describe the mobile app and how it is intended to work as part of the description of the invention in your patent application. I imagine your patent claim will read something like: “A mobile [insert business idea]comprising: A) a mobile application for x, y and z; B) a processor for x, y, and z; and C) a website for x, y and z”
The same can work for a service idea. Describe the service in the description sections of the patent application. Rather than having a claim for a product or device (as would be the case for a product or web application), you may want to consider a process or method claim. For example, “A method forincorporating [insert business idea]comprising the steps of: a, b, and c.”
Many of you have mobile application ideas, which will lend themselves to both product claims and method/process claims (like the two examples I outlined above).
Hope this helps.
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4/29/2015
1
Patent Application Process
What well discuss
Anatomy of a patent
Patent claims
Examination process
Costs
4/29/2015
2
Anatomy of a Patent
Abstract
Drawings
Field and Background of the Invention
Summary of the Invention
Detailed Description
Claims
Anatomy of a Patent
Image from USPTO Apple Patent
4/29/2015
3
Anatomy of a Patent
Image from http://www.pixabay.com
Examination Process
Image from http://www.alumnitip.com/patent-faqs.html
4/29/2015
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Costs
Image from http://www.pixabay.com
Summary
Patent application describes your invention
in great detail
Patent claims determine the scope of your
rights in the invention
The patent application process can take
years
Obtaining a patent can be an expensive
endeavor, especially if you are using a
patent attorney TBSB Network: The Next Way to Enjoy Sports
In an era where social media and entertainment technology rule, it is important for industries to integrate with the times. Whether it be fashion, music, or in this casesportspeople nowadays prefer to have their daily dose of action best served hot! Technology has enabled industries to do so. Through the latest news updates and broadcasting dimensions, the sports industry in particular has broadened the access that audience members have to their favorite teams, players, and sport. Just as technology evolves with the times, I feel it is important for industries to do the same.
High performing sports are part of Americas past time. Whether one grew up playing recreationally or was graced an opportunity to perform at an upper level, sports has had some impact on the lives of millions. Considering where this admiration for any particular sport came from, it is expected to have happened at an early age. According to the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, the Athletic Footwear Association, an USA Today Survey, and Michigan State in 2013, roughly 35 million kids sign up each season to participate in a sport. While kiddie soccer may not be the most interesting of segments, this data does raise the question as to why high-performing athletes are not broadcasted at earlier stages in their sports careers. Considerably, that [college] would be the phase where professional athletes are segmented from the amateurs. Should they not be broadcasted as well?
Next level entertainment is under way. TBSB Network offers viewing opportunities for lovers of D1-D3 sports, particularly American football. The NCAA is a billion-dollar industry, enabling ordinary young adults to become extraordinary legends in their own athletic right. People from all over the world tune in to watch the NCAA championship and March Madness, but these events are not nearly enough of a fix for football [and basketball] lovers. TBSB sees opportunity in this industry decay, and thus, an app that fixates the right material was created.
From physical distance for family & friends, to time zone dilemmas, it was hard for people to catch my latest tackle if they were not one of the 81,500 fans in the stands. (Mind you, tickets would resell for thousands of dollars and parking was nearly impossible!). The people who were always front row at my little league games where it all started were now lucky if they could catch a glimpse of a play during the years where my football performance mattered the most.
Growing up around and befriending other athletes like myself, it was great to see my friends achieving the very dreams we shared as kids. Some of my best friends are pursuing their careers at the next level, and though I know they are well performing athletes, it would have been great to be able to see them play virtually. The delay was always that our games would occur at the same time. My time on the road when traveling to games was extensive, and I & others like myself would have been extremely amused to see our peers play-by-play. All because we play the sport, does not mean we do not like to see others play it as well.
There are other networks in this industry that highlight college sports and players, but lets acknowledge what they lack. To begin, their highlights are not nearly enough of what actually goes on off screen. Similar to the NFL, D1-D3 athletes train immensely. Many of us come from humble beginnings and inspirational upbringings that make our story more unique. Unless it is draft season, these stories are not brought to light. This disables the possibility for fans to build more interpersonal connections with their favorite player, and for college players alike to lack the chance to show our personal, normal side.
Another disadvantage that these other networks have is that they tend to only show powerful plays. Overtime occurrences, major game-changing plays, and other newsworthy events are what is typically shown after a college football-filled Saturdayand only on Saturdays. However, replays of entire games, as well as other segments relating to the teams and their players, are not portrayed. This creates a massive delay in information for college football lovers, as well as an untapped market that can potential attract billions.
Contrary to broadcasts from ESPN, TBSB offers the latest in college interviews, team updates, games, and any & all other behind-the-scene opportunities. Again, the objective of the app is to maintain a high-level interaction between fans, friends, family, and football players. The TBSB Network would specialize in these interpersonal connections with news updates, live streaming opportunities, and message board features. Through these application features, user connectivity is promoted and practiced.
Fan favoritism is also an element that TBSB plans to promote. During my time at Clemson, there were endless fans, automobiles, and businesses painted our school colors: orange and purple. Inspired by this, users of the application will be able to customize their background/theme to their liking! Daily raffles and weekly mega-raffles will be administered by these teams, giving users a chance to win various prizes and promoting use of the app.
D2 and D3 schools often rely on individual data updates for scores, player stats, and other team information. With D1 and NFL teams, their information is fact-checked and regulated for the most accurate updates. TBSB understands how lower-level divisions may be at risk for data miscalculation, and therefore, information ca only be updated by those with authority over the games [head coaches, referees, and league administrators]. For extra assurance, information will be cross-checked via browsing software with other sources of data [i.e. Twitter, blogs] so that if any potential discrepancies are identified, they can be flagged and investigated.
The audience range for this particular application is massive. Alma-maters & alumni, family & friends, scouts, agents, and many more! Football fans do not fall under the same category of age, race, or ability. TBSB understands that and aims to make the app accessible for all users. From clear & concise new user tutorials, to friendly virus-free add-ons, TBSB Network members can control and customize their usage to their liking!
Most importantly, the application will be interactive, even when inactive. Considering that fan favoritism factor, the app will flash with different colors [of course to the users liking if enabled] that will signify a new sports update on ones favorite team or player. This feature differentiates from ESPN and other sports networks, with their single [and boring] color. The flash feature will attract usage & further exemplify the fast happening news that TBSB is able to provide!
With these features and several more underway, the TBSB is forecasted to be a great success to the sports industry and technology market. The creative approach to intuitive navigation and robust features will grasp the users attention, and the love and passion that we all share for football will lock them in as TBSB member for life!
