Patent Steps Menu
In order for Carson Patents to best help with the patent application process, the invention at hand must be fully understood. The answers to our invention disclosure intake questions below will help us understand and guide us in our initial discussions. The provided content is also helpful for the application writing process for patent protection for your creation. It is recommended to complete as much as possible and send it to us along with any drawings, sketches, photos, or videos available before your free patent consultation. Read about patent dos and don’ts.
Invention Intake Disclosure Form Purpose
Simply put, the invention disclosure form is used to explain the invention for intake into the steps to seek patent protection. A thorough understanding of how to make and use the new creation is of the upmost importance if it is to be claimed as intellectual property in the form of a patent. Completing the invention disclosure document and sending it also serves to document your intellectual property if it isn’t already in your inventors notebook. Additionally, the documentation of your invention helps if we are going to write, file, and prosecute a patent application for your creation.
We tell our inventors that the most important thing when working with a patent practitioner (patent agent or patent attorney) is to be sure that the one you work with understands your invention. The better your patent practitioner understands your invention, the better they can provide patent services to help you seek patent protection for your creation.
How We Use the Information
We use the answers to the questions on the disclosure form to begin our understanding of the invention and guide our discussions and next steps. The responses to the questions are related to all five of our steps to patenting. Links to detailed information about each of the five steps is available below. The steps are listed here in order with links to more information about each starting with the prior art search.
Our 5 Steps to Patenting
- Prior Art Search – is it new?
- Patentability Study – is it non-obvious?
- Patent Application Writing – describing how to make and use it
- Patent Application Filing – getting it patent pending
- Patent Prosecution – communicating with the patent office seeking allowance
Read about accelerated examination patent applications and how to get your invention submitted under the USPTO Accelerated Examination Program to get the patenting process completed for your invention with 12 months. Read about other ways of accelerating patent applications.
Our 13 Patent Intake Questions
The invention disclosure process is easy and is just disclosure of the invention’s details to us. The following list are the questions that are presented on the downloadable invention disclosure form. The form can be opened and edited. There is no requirement to provide a response to a question if it is not applicable to your invention or the invention’s circumstances. You can skip any question, or preferably, enter “not applicable” and explain why the question is not applicable.
- Title or name of the invention
- Please provide a written description of your invention. Describe its purpose, parts, construction, how it operates, etc.
- What problem does your invention solve? Briefly describe how your invention solves the problem.
- List and briefly describe any existing solutions for the problem your invention solves.
- Describe the problems, limitations and disadvantages associated with already existing solutions that your invention overcomes.
- If there are any known competitors, describe how your invention is different, unique, or an improvement.
- Which features, items, or capabilities of your invention do you want to protect especially?
- Describe possible alternate designs, if any, of the invention (e.g., alternate structural designs, components, materials, process steps, etc.).
- Have you already started making, using, and/or selling the invention? If so, when did you start? Are there any new additions, changes, or developments?
- In which country/countries will you be making and selling your product/invention in?
- Do you want protection in other countries? If yes, which countries?
- Has everyone who knows of your invention agreed to keep it a confidential matter?
- Do you have any other patents or pending patent applications?
Inventor Note: We ask that you also provide any available drawings, sketches, photos, or videos of your invention with the major parts visible and/or described. While utility patents are not focused on the drawings, Carson Patents includes drawings with our patent application writing services. Additionally, it is helpful to have any available images or videos for understanding and to get the figures drawn if we get to work with you. Read more about how to write a patent application.
How to Best Use the Invention Disclosure Form
First, Download the Form
The first thing to do is get your copy of the invention disclosure form downloaded. There is a button below with a link that will open a new tab and download the form. It is the recommended best practice for our inventor clients to save a copy and then complete it with as much description as possible.
Second, Fill Out Everything That Applies
The second thing to do is enter information about your creation. There are no limits on the length of text entry fields in the invention disclosure form. If more content is entered in any section, that section will scroll to enable viewing of the contents. You cannot over-disclose. The more description and detail provided, the better. Remember, the objective is to be sure your patent practitioner understands the invention.
Lastly, Send the Form and Any Images
The last thing to do is send the form and any drawings, sketches, photos, or videos. It is important to note that most email systems default to limiting email to 25Mb of content or less. If you have many attachments, it may help to send more than one email. You can use the button below to start an email. You can email the form and your drawings, sketches, photos, or videos to anyone on our team.