1)         Patent Portfolio Development
A comprehensive patent portfolio may include a plurality of related patents of varying scope – including those directed to machines (hardware) and/or methods (software).  Where patents are carefully prepared in a manner to cooperate together, they can provide patent protection over an entire business field -- Protection is enhanced by the cooperative nature of the individual patents from which the portfolio is comprised.
Patent portfolio strategy planning and execution require considerable appreciation of business objectives with an expert view to subject matter which is patentable.  Generally speaking, a broad scope comprehensive application can serve as a portfolio anchor and various (depending upon the nature of the inventions) scope follow-on applications which may largely fall within the most general scope will further support detailed particular aspects of the big picture.

2)         Patent Due Diligence
When an investor participates in a project, one is not only buying into the management and their ability to execute on a vision, one also buys the know-how and inventions; The know-how and invention already existing and that which is forthcoming.  An investment due diligence should include an examination of existing patents and further appraisal of what intellectual property may exist but remain yet undeveloped.  These are generally considered in view of the current state of the art.  Accordingly, a patent due diligence is sometimes a large project of considerable importance.  However, an investment decision – either 'go' or 'no go' is better made when based upon sound and orderly presentation of the patent landscape.

3)         Patent Application/ Prosecution
I.          Initial Disclosure
From initial conception, invention follows an 'invention lifetime'.  In a first most important step, an inventor describes an invention in an 'invention disclosure document'.  In many cases, it is difficult to efficiently produce an invention disclosure document.  While those highly skilled in their field easily describe their ideas in general, an invention disclosure in support of a patent application demands a certain format and specific content.  It is not plain nor straightforward what information is required for a good invention disclosure and many find it at least cumbersome and often exceedingly boring to write invention disclosures.  This may be a leading source of intellectual property procrastination for most companies.
For this reason, Integrity Intellectual Property offers special services with attention to producing invention disclosures as a collective effort.  In face-to-face meeting(s) all pertinent questions can be visited, reviewed and dynamically address in real-time.  A question/answer format makes it easy and indeed greatly accelerates the processes to realize a highly effective and detailed description of the invention in a format most compatible with producing a patent application.  This extra effort first step pays off in the long term as any resulting patent will reflect greater understanding at the earliest stage and that will be express in the patent's improved strength and scope.

II.        Application Preparation
A most critical part of any patent strategy includes very careful preparation of patent applications.  An applicant for a patent is allowed to describe an invention with any words she chooses; however the invention will be strictly limited to the meaning of those chosen words.  Therefore, it is critical to choose every word with great care to assure all possible versions are included.  If one says: "element A is coupled to element B by a screw", then screw it is.  Competitors who weld or glue A to B do not infringe!  Therefore, it is better to say "A is affixed to B".  "Affixed" includes the screw as well as a weld and also glue adhesives.  In this regard alone, a patent application can be far broader than one with just a few words out of place.  The art of patent application preparation includes meticulously choosing words to impart a broadest possible meaning.

III.       Application Prosection
"Patent prosecution" refers to the processes and actions which are taken up from the filing of a patent application to the patent grant.  Once a patent application is prepared and filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it is subject to examination.
Patent examination is a rigorous process most curiously characterized as an adversarial process.  That is, it is the duty of the examiner to build as strong of a case against patentability as she can.  In opposition, the applicant must denounce the examiner's position and provide argument in favor of patentability.  If all goes well, the end result will be agreement between the examiner and applicant and finally grant of patent.  An inventor should not be surprised when an examiner returns a first examination with substantial rejections -- this is normal.
In some cases, several round trips of examinations < -- > response will occur before any "final action" is issued.  In these cases, which sometimes involve argument around complex issues of law, for example "anticipation", and "obviousness", substantial effort to may be needed to get the application and the examiner's opinion into best condition for allowance.  As such, an applicant should plan to incur significant costs after the patent application is filed -- but these additional costs usually come 12 or more months after the initial filing.

IV.       Patent Grant
Once a patent is allowed by an examiner, it is finally reviewed for any errors which may remain.  Errors may be corrected and issue fees paid prior to Tuesday publication (patents are always published on a Tuesday – even on Christmas!)

V.        Maintenance Services
Once a patent issues and is in force, several matters remain which relate to maintenance including: periodic maintenance fees; and general activity in the class; direct citations of your patent in another's patent applications.
To keep a patent in force, one must pay maintenance fees.  Maintenance fees come due on the 3.5, 7.5 and 11.5 anniversary dates from issue date.  To assure proper payment and avoid patent laps, we offer a reminder/payment program which manages payment of all patent maintenance fees.

            If new inventions coming after yours cite your patent in their application, our automated site sniffer will detect this and send you an early warning with a PDF copy of the patent citing yours.  In this way, you can be careful to monitor who are most interested in your patents.

            In addition, we offer a "class review" service whereby certain search of criteria are developed and executed each week on new patents issued in one or more classes.  A report is generated and automatically e-mailed to you each week.

            These patent maintenance services will assure you stay up-to-date with regard to competitor's patent activity in your field for the good health of your intellectual property portfolio.

VI.       Continuing Applications
While a 'patent application' may seem to be a discrete unit, indeed inventions typically 'spill-over' into several related applications.  Even in the same application, claims are dynamic and may be changed in time to more perfectly specify the true nature of an invention with precision.  In some cases, additional claims are pursued under separate cover in a "continuation" type application.  When claims are grouped together in view of some common relationship, it is sometimes preferable, for example when patentability issues might apply to one group but not another, then these claims may be better pursued in a separate application.  A continuation application may have a separate examiner, and most likely has separate arguments for and against patentability.  It is normal course to have several patents finally issue from the identical initial patent disclosure.  This is why you can often find two issued patents with the same title, same description, but different patent number and different claims.
In addition, sometimes new material is added to an existing specification to give rise to a "continuation-in-part" type application.  A continuation-in-part application may have claims drawn to both previously disclosed material, the newly disclosed material, or even to combinations there of.
In some cases, an examiner may determine that a single application includes more than one distinct inventions.  In this case, the examiner may suggest a "divisional application" where one (or more) separate applications be pursued for each distinct invention.

4)         Patent Appeal Specialist
It is sometimes the case that an examiner and applicant reached an impasse and he is not possible to negotiate further on some point relating to patentability.  In such instances, an inventor may seek relief from examiners rejection by taking the matter to the appeal board.  In a patent appeal, a panel of patent judges will review the examiner's position to determine if she is in error.