Knowledge is Key

I have learned many things this week. I conducted an informational interview with Charles Yeh who has been assisting corporations on complex patent projects for over nine years. We talked a lot about the patent process and he taught me a lot about the different aspects of a patent. I was facing a difficult challenge as to how I would conduct a prior art search using google scholar, the USPTO database, etc. I quickly learned that a patent attorney normally doesn’t conduct a prior art search because that should be left to the patent examiners. He explained to me how the patent attorney’s job is to focus on the claims made by the inventor and not worry too much about whether or not the invention is a novelty. However, it is important to note whether a novelty aspect of the law is clear because an inventor shouldn’t spend a lot of money on a patent for it to be denied unless they have the money. I was very surprised to hear that the formatting of a patent isn’t done by the lawyer because Mr. Yeh showed me how his work is turned in on a word document and then the USPTO turns it into what a patent looks like to the general public. Another challenge that I was facing was how I would create my designs using Microsoft Visio; fortunately, I was made aware that I could create hand drawings and attach them to the document. He was also nice enough to offer me help with the designs from his patent illustrator who could help the illustrations look more professional. I would consider myself successful this week due to all the knowledge I acquired from Mr. Yeh. This new knowledge will help me facilitate growth in my learning as I can now drive my attention towards the claims and understanding the invention. A few questions have arisen after learning this new information: What questions should I ask during the interview with the inventor? What kind of diagrams are created for a wearable tech patent? I need to research (wearable tech) patents this week and learn more about how they are organized. I also have a presentation this Thursday in which I will need to create a visual aid and script alongside. My final product is set to officially start this weekend as I plan on having a meeting with the inventor. I will need to learn about everything that pertains to his invention.