What are the steps to apply for an invention patent?

With the steps of applying for invention patents, people's awareness of protecting intellectual property rights is getting stronger and stronger. According to the provisions of the Patent Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Patent Law of China, there are three kinds of inventions that can be patented: inventions, utility models and designs, among which the invention patent is the most important one. So what are the steps to apply for an invention patent? What are the steps to apply for an invention patent? (1) In the acceptance stage, the Patent Office will review the patent application after receiving it. If the conditions for acceptance are met, the Patent Office shall determine the date of application, give the application number, and after checking the list of documents, issue an acceptance notice to inform the applicant. The application documents are not printed, printed, illegible or altered; Or drawings and pictures are not drawn with drawing tools and black ink, and the photos are blurred and altered; Or the application documents are incomplete; Or the name or address of the applicant is not known in the request; Or the patent application category is unclear or uncertain, and the patent application sent directly by foreign units and individuals without foreign-related patent agencies will not be accepted. (2) The patent application accepted in the preliminary examination stage will automatically enter the preliminary examination stage if the application fee is paid in accordance with the regulations. Before the preliminary examination, the application for a patent for invention must be examined in confidentiality, and if confidentiality is required, it shall be handled in accordance with the confidentiality procedures. In the preliminary examination, it is necessary to examine whether there are obvious defects in the application, mainly including whether the contents of the examination fall within the scope of the patent law that does not grant the patent right, whether the obvious lack of technical content does not constitute a technical scheme, whether it lacks singularity, whether the application documents are complete and whether the format meets the requirements. If it is a foreign applicant, it is necessary to conduct qualification examination and application formalities examination. (3) Publication stage The application for a patent for invention shall enter the publication stage from the date when the notice of preliminary examination is issued. If the applicant does not make an early request for publicity, it will not enter the public preparation procedure until 18 months after the application date. If the applicant requests to be made public in advance, the application will immediately enter the public preparation procedure. After format review, editing and proofreading, computer processing, typesetting and printing, about three months later, the abstract of its instructions was published in the Patent Gazette, and a brochure was published. (4) After the publication of the application for a patent for invention in the substantive examination stage, if the applicant makes a request for substantive examination and the request has taken effect, the applicant will enter the substantive examination procedure. If the applicant fails to make a request for real trial within three years from the date of application, or the request for real trial does not take effect, the application shall be deemed to have been withdrawn. (5) In the authorization stage, the application for a patent for utility model and design has been preliminarily examined, and if the application for a patent for invention has not found any reasons for rejection after substantive examination, the examiner will make an authorization notice and apply for authorization registration preparation. The Patent Office examines the legal effect and completeness of the authorized text, proofreads and modifies the description items of the patent application, and then issues a notice of authorization and a notice of registration. After receiving the notice, the applicant shall go through the registration formalities in accordance with the requirements of the notice and pay the prescribed fees within 2 months. If the registration formalities are completed on schedule, the Patent Office will grant a patent right, issue a patent certificate, record it in the patent register, and announce it in the patent bulletin two months later. Failure to go through the registration formalities in accordance with the provisions shall be regarded as giving up the right to obtain the patent right.