The technical documents are where you explain the invention you want to protect, present your invention and define it. All patent specifications are structured according to uniform worldwide criteria. Essential information should already be visible on the title page. The abstract, which is often supplemented with a technical drawing, makes it possible to quickly evaluate the content of a patent specification.

The technical documents consist of:

The purpose of the description is to disclose the invention. What problem does the invention solve? The answer to that question is the disclosure. The solution must also be comprehensible to a person skilled in the art. Technical drawings are helpful in that they promote understanding of the description.
The relevant features of the invention, as well as useful additional features, are defined in the patent claims. These determine the scope of protection. They are interpreted from the description.
The title and abstract allow the invention to be quickly evaluated. These will be modified by the IPI if necessary.

The technical documents are the foundation for preparing the patent specifications. The formal requirements for preparing the technical documents can be found in our technical documents information leaflet (in German, in French or in Italian). Our technical documentation example (in German, in French or in Italian) shows how to comply with them.

You can get an idea of how a patent specification is structured and formulated in our sample document. Or you can order a print copy of a patent specification and we will send it to you free of charge.