You can apply for an invention patent.
Invention patent application process:
According to the Patent Law, the approval process for invention patent applications is divided into five stages: acceptance, preliminary examination, publication, substantive examination and authorization:
(1) Acceptance stage
The Patent Office will review the patent application after receiving it. If the acceptance conditions are met, the Patent Office will determine the application date, give the application number, and after verifying the document list, issue an acceptance notice. letter to notify the applicant. If the application documents are not typed, printed or illegible, or have been altered; or the drawings and pictures are not drawn with drawing tools and black ink, and the photos are blurred or altered; or the application documents are incomplete; or the request is missing If the name and address of the applicant are unknown; or if the patent application category is unclear or cannot be determined, and patent applications submitted directly by foreign entities and individuals without a foreign-related patent agency, they will not be accepted.
(2) Preliminary examination stage
If an accepted patent application pays the application fee in accordance with regulations, it will automatically enter the preliminary examination stage. Before the preliminary examination, the invention patent application must first undergo a confidentiality review. If confidentiality is required, it shall be handled according to confidentiality procedures.
In the preliminary examination, it is necessary to examine whether there are obvious defects in the application, mainly including whether the content of the examination falls within the scope of not granting patent rights in the Patent Law, whether there is an obvious lack of technical content that cannot constitute a technical solution, and whether there is a lack of Uniformity, whether the application documents are complete and the format meets the requirements. If you are a foreign applicant, you will also need to undergo a qualification review and application procedures review. If the application is unqualified, the Patent Office will notify the applicant to make corrections or state opinions within the prescribed time limit. If the applicant fails to respond within the time limit, the application will be deemed to have been withdrawn. If the defect has not been eliminated after the reply, it shall be rejected. If the application for an invention patent passes the preliminary examination, a notification of passing the preliminary examination will be issued. For utility model and design patent applications, in addition to the above review, it is also necessary to review whether they are obviously the same as existing patents and are not a new technical solution or new design. If no reason for rejection is found after the preliminary examination. Will go directly to the authorization order.
(3) Publication stage
The invention patent application enters the publication stage from the issuance of the preliminary examination qualification notice. If the applicant does not make a request for early disclosure, it must wait until 15 years have passed since the application date. It took months to enter the public preparation process. If the applicant requests early disclosure, the application will immediately enter the disclosure preparation process. After format review, editing and proofreading, computer processing, typesetting and printing, the summary of the specification will be published in the Patent Gazette and a single volume of the specification will be published in the Patent Gazette about three months later. After the application is published, the applicant obtains the right to temporary protection.
(4) Substantive examination stage
After the invention patent application is published, if the applicant has submitted a substantive examination request and it has taken effect, the applicant will enter the substantive examination procedure. If the applicant has not submitted a request for substantive examination within a year from the date of application, or the request for substantive examination has not taken effect, the application will be deemed to have been withdrawn.
During the actual examination, a comprehensive review will be conducted on whether the patent application has novelty, creativity, practicality and other substantive conditions stipulated in the patent law. If upon review it is determined that the authorization conditions are not met or there are various deficiencies, the applicant will be notified to state their opinions or make modifications within the specified time. If no reply is made within the time limit, the application will be deemed to have been withdrawn. The application still does not meet the requirements after multiple replies. , be dismissed. The actual review period is long. If authorization has not been granted within two years from the date of application, the application maintenance fee must be paid every year from the third year. If it is not paid within the time limit, the application will be deemed to have been withdrawn.
If no reason for rejection is found during the substantive examination, the authorization procedure will be entered in accordance with regulations.
(5) Authorization stage
After preliminary examination of utility model and design patent applications and substantive examination of invention patent applications, if no reason for rejection is found, the examiner shall issue an authorization notice and apply for After entering into preparations for authorization registration, after reviewing the legal validity and completeness of the authorization text, and proofreading and revising the bibliographic items of the patent application, the Patent Office issues an authorization notice and a registration formalities notice. After receiving the notice, the applicant shall If you complete the registration procedures and pay the prescribed fees in accordance with the requirements of the notice within 2 months, and complete the registration procedures on time, the Patent Office will grant the patent right, issue a patent certificate, record it in the patent register, and register it in the patent registration book after 2 months. It is announced in the Patent Gazette that failure to complete registration procedures as required will be deemed to have given up the right to obtain patent rights.