Currently, in order to improve the quality of authorized patents, the Patent Office of the State Intellectual Property Office has also begun to conduct novelty searches for utility model patents, so examination opinions will also be encountered during the examination process of utility model patents. The application procedures for appearance designs and utility models are basically the same, and a novelty search is also required. The following is a flow chart for utility model and design patent applications. Utility model and design patent application flow chart Utility model and design patent application process 1) Approval procedure Utility model or design patent applications do not undergo early publication and substantive examination during the approval process. There are only three stages: acceptance, preliminary examination and authorization. A utility model patent or a design generally goes through the following procedures from application to authorization: 1. The applicant provides a technical briefing and entrusts a patent agency to write the application documents. It is possible to write the application documents with the largest scope of protection, during which the agent will communicate with the applicant for confirmation, which usually takes about 10 to 20 days; 2. After writing the application documents, submit the application documents, obtain the acceptance notice from the Patent Office, and confirm On the application date, 3. The Patent Office will conduct a formal review of the patent application documents, which will take about 3-8 months. After passing the preliminary review, an authorization notice will be issued; 4. The applicant will go through the procedures for receiving the patent certificate; 5. About 2-3 months later Get a patent certificate. The entire process lasts about 1 year, and the specific time depends on the speed of the examiner's review and the thoroughness of the applicant's information. 2) Application documents When preparing to apply for a utility model patent, the application documents should include: utility model patent request, abstract, abstract drawings (when applicable), description, claims, description drawings, each in duplicate. When applying for a design patent, the application documents should include: a design patent request, pictures or photos (if color protection is required, color pictures or photos should be submitted) and a brief description of the design, each in duplicate. If you submit pictures, both copies should be pictures. If you submit photos, both copies should be photos. Pictures or photos should not be mixed.