1. Preparation and submission of a disclosure in written form to
designated company managers of the idea or innovation by its creator(s) for
initial review and summary evaluation [Estimated Time: 1-2 hours; Cost:
company time].
2. Review by designated company mangers of the disclosed idea or
innovation for potential commercial worth and value [Estimated Time: 1-2
hours; Cost: company time].
3. Summary evaluation of the disclosed idea or innovation by patent
counsel to identify its technical working essentials and to assess
whether these essentials might meet the patent merit requirements of
utility, novelty, and non obviousness in view of the relevant prior art
[Estimated Time: 2- 4 hours; Cost: $195.00 per hour]
4. Review and decision by designated company managers whether and
how to proceed with commercial development of the idea or innovation and
also whether or not to seek patent protection for the innovation based on
patent counsel s summary evaluation [Estimated Time: 3- 6 hours; Cost:
company time].
5. Holding an in-person (if possible) meeting of the
creator/inventors, patent counsel, and company mangers in order to
determine and decide what is or should be the broadest possible scope for
the innovation in commercial and non-commercial terms; and to detail and
characterize inventorship, the number and types of commercial formats, kinds
of variations, preferred embodiments and minimum essential parts, operation
limits and optimal use ranges, and the like which are or might come to be
within the defined limits of the innovation [Estimated Time 2- 3 hours;
Cost: patent counsel @ $195.00 per hour & company time].
6. Preparation and submission to patent counsel of a complete and full
written description of the innovation/invention prepared by the
creators/inventors (in one or more documents) which provides sufficient
technical detail, relevant drawings, useful background information, a
listing of unexpected benefits and desirable advantages, and the relevant
prior art for patent text purposes [Estimated Time: 8-24 hours; Cost:
company time].
7. Preparation and distribution of a first draft text of the patent
application by patent counsel to the named inventors and designated
company managers [Estimated Time: 30-35 hours; Cost: $195.00 per hour]
8. Review and substantive revision of the first draft patent
application text by the named inventors and designated company managers
and return of the revised first draft text to patent counsel [Estimated
Time: 5-10 hours; Cost: company time].
9. Preparation and distribution of a second (and presumably last)
draft text of the patent application by patent counsel to the named
inventors and designated company managers for final comments and changes to
the text [Estimated Time: 10-14 hours; Cost: $195.00 per hour].
10. Receipt by patent counsel of final desired or needed changes
to the patent application text from the named inventors and designated
company managers and preparation of a fully approved text ready to be
submitted to the U. S. Patent Office [Estimated Time 2-4 hours; Cost:
$195.00 per hour].
11. Preparation by patent counsel of required supporting formal
documents and fee payments to accompany the fully approved patent
application manuscript [Estimated Time: 2-3 hours; Cost: $195.00 per hour].
12. Submission, with or without prior signature by the named inventors,
of the fully approved patent application manuscript, supporting formal
documents and requisite fee payments to the U.S. Patent office and obtaining
an official serial number and filing date sufficient for patent pending
purposes.
