patent fundamentals from invention to patent€¦ · patent fundamentals from invention to patent...

Imec-Uhasselt

Diepenbeek, April 1 2015

Patent Fundamentals

From invention to Patent

2 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

IP AT HASSELT UNIVERSITY – ANSWER 3 –

3 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

IP AT HASSELT UNIVERSITY – ANSWER 3 –

4 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

▸ Inventorship has legal consequences

▸ An inventor is any-one who makes an intellectual

contribution to the claimed solution

▸ A person only implementing the invention using his

expertise or by following instructions is not an inventor by

default.

▸ A person only coaching or managing is not an inventor by

default.

INVENTORSHIP

5 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

IMEC’S PATENT GROUP

ATFPV

ANCHEM

CHEM

6 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

IMEC’S PATENT GROUP

ATFPV

ANCHEM

CHEM

PHYSICS

7 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

IMOMEC PATENT PORTFOLIO

active patent (applications)

inventions reported

Areas

Organic incl PV, LED

Reliability/characterization

Alternative Thin film PV

Solid state Battery

8 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

IMOMEC PATENT PORTFOLIO

9 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

TIMELINE PATENT FAMILY

10 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

US

EP

US

JP

FR

UK

DE

12 months

priority

18 months publication (A)

20 years from filing

grant

grant

grant

filing prosecution

publication

filing filing prosecution publication

publication filing prosecution

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11 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

How to prepare ?

▸ Understand your invention - what problem do you solve?

- how do you solve this problem?

▸ Know the details of the state-of-the-art - is your problem known?

- are other solutions to your problem known?

▸ Do not forget your own relevant published work !

2. 1 STEP 1 : Discussing the scope of the invention

12 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

Differences : (A – B)

Function/effect of (A – B)

What specifically: (A)

Is (A – B) obvious?

IRS

Invention A Cited

References B

2. 2 STEP 2 : Discussing the scope of the invention

13 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

2. 2 STEP 2 : Discussing the scope of the invention

Features A

high aspect ratio

conformal

heated substrate

liquid

(sol gel + ethanol)

spray coated

14 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

2. 2 STEP 2 : Discussing the scope of the invention

15 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

- Communication Protocols -

Vocabulary (IP jargon)

Rules & Procedures IP law

Claims

PATENT APPLICATION

Description

Figures

1.

2.

Provide the “exclusivity” scope

(monopoly*)

Help

Person

Skilled

in the art

Scope 1

Scope 2

Scope 3

Translation into “legalese”

16 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

Translation into “claims”

Features A D1 D2 D3 D4

high aspect ratio

conformal

heated substrate

liquid

(sol gel + ethanol)

spray coated

ALL NO NOVELTY

IF ONE NOVELTY

17 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

3. 1 STEP 3 : How to deal with Search Reports

Compare A with whole

prior-art document Dx

(description, figures,

abstract, claims, etc.) Add additional features from

description into the imec CLAIMS ?

Invention

Version 1 A’

Invention

Version 1 A’

Scope of

Invention A Search

Report Dx

Is the resulting CLAIM

inline with the

business strategy ?

YES

What specifically: (A)

Differences : (A – Dx)

Function/effect of (A – Dx) Is (A – Dx) obvious?

18 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

3. 2 STEP 3 : How to deal with Search Reports

Features A D1 D2 D3 D4 D5

high aspect ratio

conformal

heated substrate

liquid

(sol gel + ethanol)

spray coated

ALL NO NOVELTY

IF ONE NOVELTY

D5

19 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

SPECIFIC

Patent

Application

A’

Figures

Description

Uses

Claims

Black and white

Patterns/Styles

Color

Grayscale

Explained

terms

Ambiguous

Track changes

Parallel reviews

CLAIM

AIM / RESULT

≠ System

Device

Process

Block scheme

Circuit

Flow chart

System A, B ...

Device A, B ...

complete

description

4. 1 STEP 4 : Drafting the Patent Application

20 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

SPECIFIC

Patent

Application

A’

Figures

Description

Uses

Claims

GENERIC

SPECIFIC

GENERIC

SPECIFIC

GENERIC

SPECIFIC

GENERIC

SPECIFIC

Black and white

Patterns/Styles

Color

Grayscale

Explained

terms

Ambiguous

Track changes

Parallel reviews

CLAIM

AIM / RESULT

≠

4. 2 STEP 4 : Drafting the Patent Application

21 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

Q5: How complete ?

Device

Schemes

Tools

Components

Person Skilled

in the art

What ? How ?

?

4. 3 STEP 4 : Drafting the Patent Application

22 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

~5-6 years

Grant

(B)

Grant

(B)

(Official)

Search report

6M

Extension

Filing in other

countries

US | JP | CN

12M

Filing

EP

0M 18M

Publication

(A)

Examination

EP | US

JP | CN

24M

Examination

Report 1

Examination

Report 2

Examination

Report N

Priority

Filing method 1: 12 months priority

5. 1 STEP 5 : What happens after FILING

12M

Filing US

Filing JP

Filing CN Extension

23 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

Grant

(B)

Grant

(B)

(Official)

Search report

6M

Extension

Filing in other

countries

US | JP | CN

30M

Filing

EP

0M 18M

Publication

(A)

Examination

EP | US

JP | CN

Examination

Report 1

Examination

Report 2

Examination

Report N

Filing method 2: 30 months priority (PCT)

~5-6 years

Priority

5. 1 STEP 5 : What happens after FILING

Extension

Filing US

Filing JP

Filing CN

30M

24 © IMEC 2012 / CONFIDENTIAL

Inventors Handbook (EPO)

http://www.epo.org/learning-events/materials/inventors-handbook/sins.html

Glossary (EPO)

http://www.epo.org/service-support/glossary.html

Patents for Inventors (USPTO)

http://www.uspto.gov/inventors/patents.jsp

Inventor Basics

http://www.agentschapnl.nl/content/leaflet-patenting-your-idea

http://www.inventorbasics.com/index.htm

Funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShH5SP6WN1Q

Annex : Links to know more about patents