Patent Application Requirements

In 1996, the USPTO amended Rule 77(a) for the order of elements to be included in a utility patent application. Based upon this rule they are as follows:

• Title of Invention
• Background of the Invention
• Field of the Invention
• Description of the Related Art
• Summary of the Invention
• Brief Description of the Drawings
• Description of the Specific Embodiments
• Drawings

This format is much like that of the invention disclosure form in our Quick Start Guide. What's important however, is that you make your provisional patent applications as broad as possible. Include all of the inventive subject matter as outlined in the the Quick Start Guide. Use The Patent Writer book or the PatentWizard software and you'll write a professional patent application.