Abstract of Inventions

Assigned - Thursday, February 22
due - Tuesday, February 27

In response to Larry Richards talk, identify several inventions that are environmentally unsound. Identify what areas of the invention need improvement and propose some possible solutions. With the selected inventions, write a paragraph description of the new, more environmentally sound inventions or products. Your group is to hand in an "The Tire Patent Search" for examples of existing abstracts. These abstracts are more formal than are required for the assignment, but they give an idea of how an abstract should be structured.

Revision of the Abstracts

Assigned - Tuesday, February 27
due - Thursday, February 29

Using the input from Rodger Flagg, continue to build the concepts of your inventions. Improve or rework the abstracts from the previous assignment using this input.
Also see: Understanding the Computer Aided Patent Search
Your abstracts, once turned in, will be mailed to Express Search, Inc. in Annandale, Virginia where a computer search will be conducted. The results will be returned to Mr.Gorman before the following Thursday.

Background and Summary of Invention

Assigned - Thursday, February 29
due - Thursday, March 7

Using the patents available from Mr.Gorman, write a "Background and Summary" for your best abstract. There are several sections that are typically used in the background. These are suggested, but as you will see from reading many patents, it is not required.
BACKGROUND:

• INTRODUCTION OF INVENTION - Briefly describe the invention. This should be an explanation of the problem your invention is trying to solve. Unlike the abstract, which covers design features and points of possible novelty, this paragraph should state "what" the invention does as opposed to the "how" it is done (stated in the abstract).
• PRIOR ART - Briefly explain alternate methods that have attempted to solve this problem.
• PROBLEM - Describe why the above methods fall short of the overall design goal. Specifically, show that the above prior art (assumed to be the best current solutions to the problem) does not adequately address the problem.
• DEFINE SOLUTION CRITERIA - Explain what a good solution would require (a good solution being your design, of course). Explain how each of the above problems might be addressed.

SUMMARY:

• OBJECT OF INVENTION - List the objects of the invention, starting at the most basic and ending in the most specific. There should be at LEAST one object for every problem stated in the background. This will help sway the examiner and convince that this invention is useful.
• GENERAL STATEMENT - Briefly describe the design of your invention. This should be a more extensive description of the design than given in the abstract.
  
  

This assignment should serve to focus your design. Make sure you review the patents in Mr.Gorman's office. You'll notice that this section is used as a preamble to the main descriptions of the invention. It is the most persuasive section of the patent and should be drafted to show that this is the best of all solutions to the problem.

Revision of the Background and Summary

Assigned - Tuesday, March 19th
due - Thursday, March 28st

Given the patents found during the Patent Officcce trip, revise your Background and Summary to include references to the actual prior art. The Background and Summary is the only place in the patent you can compare and contrast you invention to the inventions of the competition. Make a convincing argument about the strengths of your idea versus the weaknesses of the competition. This revision should also follow the guideline stated in the origional assignment.

Preferred Embodiment

Assigned - Thursday, March 21
due - Tuesday, March 28
The preferred emboidment takes the invention from an abstract concept and gives it form. It is also the basis of the claims. Every feature mentioned in the claims must appear somewhere in the preferred emboidment or the examiner will reject the patent .
Step for drafting the preferred embodiment:

1. Make a parts list
   List all of the elements of your invention. The list will be useful for drafting everything from this point on. Look at the prior art. Does your list have any elements that the prior art doesn't mention? If so, you can describe this element as broadly as possible (and receive better coverage for your patent)
2. Order the elements for required to supplementary
   Divide the elements of your invention into two groups. The first group will consist of all of the essential features of you invention. The second group will contain all of the non-essential elements of your design. It will be hard to call elements of your design "non-essential" since you put them in there for a good reason, but remember that the more general your patent is, the better it will turn out.
3. Pick an angle
   You need to describe the elements in your invention in some manner. The easiest way is to choose an orientation and describe from there. Try listing the essential elements of you patent from front to back, from top to bottom, or from inside to outside. Look at some of the patents Mr.Gorman has for examples of this.
4. Make some preliminary drawings
   Once you have an orientation for you invention, make a couple of sketchs. After you've drawn a couple of the orientations you will be speaking about, draw arrows to ALL of the elements of your invention. If you can't come up with a consistant set of views that shows all of your elements, consider picking a different angle from which to describe your invention.
5. Write the preferred embodiment
   All of the tools are at hand, so its time to write the document itself. Using the pictures you've sketched and the list of parts you've made, begin fo describe the invention. Most patents follow the same format for notation, so any patent you can find will make a good guide to the actual language of the preferred embodiment.
6. Draft the figures
   After the preferred embodiment has been written, take the sketchs you've used and draft an official set of reference diagrams. The patent examiner will require these to be acurate and consistant. Also, if an element of your invention is missing from the drawings, the examiner will reject your patent.

Design Presentation

Assigned - Thursday, March 21
due - Tuesday, March 26 or March 28
Present, as a group, your findings. Your presentation should cover your group processes as well as you invention. Tell us what the highlights of this module have been. You have completed an actual provisional application - something that would cost over $1500 if written by a professional.

Individual Reports

Assigned - Tuesday, March 26
due - Tuesday, April 2
Write a two page paper on the differences in the process between the first and second module - cite readings where appropriate.

Revisions resulting from Presentation

Assigned - Tuesday, March 26
due - Tuesday, April 2

1. Claims for the patent
2. Memorandum stating
   • environmental benefits of the project
   • market potential - will the environmental savings pay back the extra costs? How long until these benefits are seen?

NOTE: Extra work on one of the above assignments will compensate for less work on another. For example, if a group wants to really focus on the environmental benefits of their project and their market considerations can get away with a rougher set of claims. Similarly, a great process memo will count disproportionately in favor of the student whoe writes it. You need all THREE assignments, however - you can't skip one!