You can't apply for a patent for a small idea or idea. The types of patents have different regulations in different countries. In China's patent law, there are: invention patent, utility model patent and design patent; In Hongkong patent law, there are: standard patent (equivalent to Chinese mainland's invention patent), short-term patent (equivalent to Chinese mainland's utility model patent) and design patent; In some developed countries, it is divided into invention patents and design patents. The definition of invention in the second paragraph of Article 2 of China's Patent Law is: "Invention refers to a new technical scheme proposed for a product, method or its improvement." The so-called products refer to all kinds of new products that can be manufactured in industry, including solids, liquids and gases with certain shapes and structures. The so-called method refers to the method of processing raw materials and making various products. Invention patents do not seek technical achievements that can be directly applied to industrial production through practice.
It can be a solution to technical problems or an idea, which has the possibility of industrial application. However, this technical scheme or idea cannot be confused with simply putting forward topics and ideas, because simple topics and ideas do not have the possibility of industrial application. Invention refers to a new technical scheme for a product, method or its improvement, which mainly embodies novelty, creativity and practicality. Patent inventions are divided into product inventions (such as machines, instruments and equipment, appliances) and method inventions (manufacturing methods). The definition of utility model in the third paragraph of Article 2 of China's Patent Law is: "Utility model refers to a new and practical technical scheme for the shape, structure or combination of products." Like the invention, the utility model protects a technical scheme. However, the protection scope of utility model patent is narrow, which only protects new products with a certain shape or structure, and does not protect methods and substances without a fixed shape.