Patents are structured and legal documents that should be drafted and written meticulously without losing even a single data. This is why it is important for a draftsperson to know every detail of a patent document. If you are not fairly acquainted with various elements, sections, and numbers of a patent document you could miss some valuable data that can either make or break your goal.  structure of a patent

In other words, we can say is that getting acquainted with the anatomy of a patent document is vital for the authenticity and correctness of documents related to patents. This article is written to help people understand each and every element of a patent document.

Basic Structure of a Patent

INID codes: INID is the acronym for the term Internationally Agreed Numbers for the Identification of (bibliographic) Data which are used by patent offices for further communication(s). These are indicated by two-digit codes and may be enclosed in brackets, parentheses or circles. Some important INID Codes that the patent office usually uses are:     structure of a patent

10=>Patent Number

12=>Document Type

21=>Application Number

22=>Date of Application

45=>Date of Patent

51=>IPC Classification

52=>National Classification

54=>Title of the Invention

56=>References

57=>Abstract

58=>Field of Search

60=>Related Application Data

65=>Published Application Data

72=>Inventor(s)

73=>Assignee (Owner)

74=>Attorney or agent

                                            Fig: Understanding the Basic Structure of a Patent Document

Title of the invention [54]-The title of the invention is represented with the number 54 and is one of the most important elements in a patent document. The “Title” indicates what the invention is all about and which domain does it belong to. It should be noted that the title only gives an overview of the invention and not the actual content it encloses.     structure of a patent

Inventor(s) [72]-The inventor(s) in a patent document is represented by the number 72 and indicates person(s) involved in the development of the technology/process/article. Inventor(s) may be one/two/many depending upon the people involved in developing the invention/process/article.     structure of a patent

Assignee/Owner [73] – Assignee is the legal entity that holds the ownership of the invention. It is represented with the number 73 and it can either be an individual, company, or a legal entity to which the ownership of the invention can be transferred.

Application number [21] – The application number is represented with the number 21 and it represents the sequence of the document submitted to the patent office by the applicant.      structure of a patent

Application date [22] – This is the date at which the application was submitted by the applicant to the patent office.

Date of Patent [45] – This is the date at which the patent was granted by the patent office

IPC Classification [51] – This is the category to which the invention belongs. For the sake of convenience, patents are categorized into various hypothetical groups based on the nature and characteristics of the invention.      structure of a patent

National Classification [52] – Unlike International patent classification (IPC) numbers, national classifications are assigned by the respective jurisdiction of the country where it was filed and granted.

Title of the Invention [54] – Like any official document the title of the invention is a short description of the invention that gives a brief overview of the nature and intent of the invention.

References [56] – U.S. and foreign patent documents and other publications cited as related prior art by the inventor and patent examiner.

Abstract [57] – The Abstract of an invention is thesimple, non-technical description of the invention.

Field of Search [58] – Field of Search is the USPC codes consulted by the patent examiner during the prior art analysis.

Related U.S. Application Data [60] – Number and date of prior application(s) related to this patent.

Prior Publication Data [65] – Number and date of previously published application.

Inventor(s) [72] – These are the individuals who are involved with the development of the invention.

Attorney or Agent [74] –  Legal professionals that were involved in the legal documentation of the invention.