A patent is a grant by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that gives you the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling your invention in the U.S. for a limited period of time (usually 20 years).
There are three main categories of patents: utility patents, design patents and plant patents. Utility patents protect inventions that operate by “useful” methods in any industry. Design patents protect original ornamental designs of an object, such as its shape or its surface ornamentation. Plant patents protect new varieties of plants by providing exclusive rights to reproduce these varieties through propagation and sale.
In order to patent new invention ideas, invention must be novel, useful and non-obvious at the time it was invented. If someone else has already invented something similar to yours, then it is not novel or useful enough to receive a patent. A patent application must also be sufficiently detailed so that someone skilled in the field could make and use it without undue experimentation or guesswork (i.e., non-obviousness).
The USPTO does not grant patents for discoveries; only for inventions that meet these requirements. The USPTO can also reject your invention patent application if it fails to disclose sufficient information, is an obvious variation of prior art or has been previously patented.
The USPTO may issue a patent if it determines that your invention meets all of the requirements above. The patent is then valid for 20 years from the date you file your application.
There are professional invention and patent services, such as InventHelp , that can help you to see if your invention is patentable and assist you with the application process.
Conclusion
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is a government agency responsible for issuing patents. In order to receive a patent, an invention must meet certain requirements that are determined by the USPTO. There are many factors that go into determining whether an invention qualifies for patent protection, including its novelty, usefulness, non-obviousness and more.