What is the content of a patent?
The actual patent document contains numerous items: the patent number, the date the patent was issued, the title of the invention, the name of the inventors, and the assignee. The filing date of the patent application is also included as well as cited references, such as U.S. patent documents and other publications related to the invention. The patent also contains an abstract, which is a detailed one-paragraph summary of the invention, figures, tables, schematics, and drawings that show how the invention is put together. Following the abstract and drawings is a detailed description of the invention and the object of its use. The most important part of the patent is contained in the “claims.” A claim basically defines the extent of the subject matter of the invention or discovery for which patent protection is afforded. Thus, no matter how broadly or how extensively an invention is disclosed in the body of the patent, only what is claimed is actually patented.
