/create-patent

Create Patent Application

Orchestrates the complete patent application drafting process using autonomous subagents.

What This Command Does

Orchestrates the complete patent application creation process:

1. Prior Art Search (15-30 min)
2. Claims Drafting (30-60 min)
3. Specification Writing (60-120 min)
4. Diagrams Generation (15-30 min)
5. Compliance Checking (15-20 min)
6. Final Assembly (10-15 min)

Estimated Time: 2.5-4.5 hours for complete utility patent application

Note: Time estimates are approximate. Actual duration depends on invention complexity, search depth, and system load. These are not guarantees.

Process

Step 1: Gather Invention Information

I'll interview you about your invention:

• What problem does it solve?
• How does it work (high-level)?
• What are the key components or steps?
• What makes it novel/different?
• Are there any working prototypes or examples?

Step 2: Prior Art Search

I'll use the Patent Researcher agent to:

• Conduct systematic 7-step search
• Search BigQuery (100M+ patents)
• Identify top 10 most relevant prior art
• Assess patentability (novelty + obviousness)
• Recommend claim strategy

Deliverable: Prior art search report with patentability assessment

Step 3: Draft Claims

I'll use the Patent Drafter agent to:

• Write 1-3 independent claims
• Add 10-20 dependent claims
• Distinguish from prior art
• Check antecedent basis and definiteness
• Validate claim structure

Deliverable: Complete claims section (20-25 claims)

Step 4: Write Specification

I'll use the Patent Drafter agent to:

• Create title and abstract
• Write field and background sections
• Draft summary of invention
• Write detailed description with embodiments
• Include examples and advantages
• Verify all claims are supported

Deliverable: Complete specification (20-50 pages)

Step 5: Generate Diagrams

I'll use the Patent Illustrator agent to:

• Create flowcharts for method claims
• Generate block diagrams for system claims
• Add patent-style reference numbers (10, 20, 30...)
• Export in USPTO-compatible formats

Deliverable: 3-10 patent figures (SVG/PNG/PDF)

Step 6: Compliance Check

I'll validate the application:

• Run claims analyzer (35 USC 112(b))
• Check specification support (35 USC 112(a))
• Verify formalities (MPEP 608)
• Fix any critical issues found

Deliverable: Compliance report + fixes

Step 7: Assemble and Validate Draft Package

IMPORTANT: Read skills/setup-assistant/filing-reference.md before generating any filing instructions. Do NOT estimate fee amounts from memory -- direct the user to the live USPTO fee schedule. All filing is through Patent Center (not EFS-Web). Spec/claims/abstract must be DOCX format for filing (this workflow outputs markdown; conversion is a manual post-step).

I'll create the draft package:

• Specification document (markdown -- requires DOCX conversion before filing)
• Claims document (markdown -- requires DOCX conversion before filing)
• Abstract (markdown -- requires DOCX conversion before filing)
• Figures (SVG -- requires PDF conversion to black-and-white line art per 37 CFR 1.84 before filing)
• IDS list (U.S. patents/pubs via eIDS -- no copies needed)
• Filing checklist referencing current Patent Center procedures

Package Validation (hard-fail / soft-fail):

Before declaring the draft complete, validate the output package:

Hard-fail conditions (must be resolved before marking drafting complete):

• Any file listed in the output tree below is missing from disk
• Any reference numeral in a figure is not mentioned in the specification text (37 CFR 1.84(p))
• Any reference numeral in the specification has no corresponding figure element
• Abstract is outside 50-150 word range
• Claims have unresolved CRITICAL compliance issues

Soft-fail conditions (warn the user, do not block completion):

• DOCX versions of spec/claims/abstract do not exist (expected -- conversion is a manual post-step)
• PDF versions of figures do not exist (expected -- conversion is a manual post-step)
• IMPORTANT-level compliance issues remain (note in report for user review)

The final status message MUST distinguish between "drafting complete" and "filing-ready":

• Drafting complete = all markdown/SVG files produced, validated, no hard-fail issues
• Filing-ready = DOCX and PDF conversions done, all documents in Patent Center format (this workflow does NOT achieve this automatically)

Deliverable: Draft filing package (markdown + SVG) with validation report

Output Structure

All files will be organized as:

patent-application-[date]/
├── 01-research/
│   ├── invention-disclosure.md
│   ├── prior-art-search-report.md
│   └── patentability-assessment.md
├── 02-claims/
│   ├── claims-draft.md
│   └── claims-final.md
├── 03-specification/
│   └── specification-full.md
├── 04-figures/
│   ├── fig1-[description].svg
│   ├── fig2-[description].svg
│   ├── fig3-[description].svg
│   └── figures-description.md
├── 05-compliance/
│   ├── claims-compliance.md
│   ├── spec-compliance.md
│   └── formalities-check.md
└── 06-filing-package/
    ├── filing-checklist.md
    ├── ids-list.md
    └── validation-report.md

Note: Title and abstract are included within specification-full.md. Compliance analysis is in 05-compliance/. DOCX and PDF versions are not produced by this workflow -- convert markdown to DOCX and SVG to PDF as manual post-steps before filing through Patent Center.

Requirements

Before running this command:

1. MPEP Index Built:

   • Run /setup-patent-system first (one-time)
   • Or manually: cd ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} && python mcp_server/server.py --rebuild-index

2. BigQuery Configured (for patent search):

   • Google Cloud project created
   • BigQuery API enabled
   • Authenticated: gcloud auth application-default login
   • Environment variable: GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=your-project-id

3. Graphviz Installed (for diagrams):

   • Windows: choco install graphviz
   • Linux: sudo apt install graphviz
   • Mac: brew install graphviz

Options

You can customize the process:

Type of Application:

• Provisional: Lighter requirements, faster (90-120 min)
• Utility (default): Full formal requirements (2.5-4 hours)

Scope:

• Quick: Minimal claims + specification outline
• Standard (default): Complete application
• Comprehensive: Multiple embodiments + extensive examples

Prior Art Depth:

• Basic: Keywords only (15 min)
• Standard (default): 7-step methodology (30 min)
• Thorough: Extended CPC search (60 min)

Execution Mode:

• Autonomous (default): Runs all phases without interruption; delivers complete draft at the end
• Guided: Pauses for your review at four checkpoints:
  1. After prior art search -- review patentability assessment before proceeding
  2. After claims drafting -- review claim scope and structure
  3. After specification -- review completeness and accuracy
  4. Before final assembly -- review figures and compliance before packaging

Example Usage

/create-patent

> I'll guide you through creating a patent application.
>
> What type of application?
> 1. Provisional (faster, lighter requirements)
> 2. Utility (complete draft, formal requirements)
>
> [Select option]
>
> Tell me about your invention...
> [You describe your invention]
>
> [I'll proceed through all 7 steps...]

Tips

• Prepare in advance: Have invention description ready
• Be specific: More detail = better patent
• Review drafts: By default, the workflow runs autonomously. Request "guided mode" for review gates at key checkpoints (see Options)
• Ask questions: Any time during the process
• Save frequently: Each section saved as we complete it

What You'll Have at the End

A complete draft patent application package in markdown and SVG format, including:

• Prior art search with top references
• Patentability assessment (preliminary -- see caveats in report)
• 8-20+ claims (validated for 112(b))
• Multi-page specification (validated for 112(a))
• 3-10 technical figures with reference numbers (SVG format)
• Abstract (50-150 words)
• IDS list for USPTO disclosure
• Compliance reports (all critical checks passed)
• Validation report confirming output completeness

What Still Requires Manual Steps

After this workflow completes, the following steps remain before filing:

1. Convert specification, claims, and abstract from markdown to DOCX (use pandoc or Microsoft Word) -- Patent Center requires DOCX; non-DOCX format triggers a surcharge
2. Convert SVG figures to black-and-white PDF (per 37 CFR 1.84) -- use Inkscape, a browser, or similar tool
3. Human review of all drafted content for technical accuracy
4. Attorney review recommended before filing (prior art assessment is preliminary, not a legal opinion)
5. File through Patent Center (patentcenter.uspto.gov) -- see filing checklist for current procedures
6. Pay filing fees -- see the live USPTO fee schedule (fees change periodically; this tool does not estimate amounts)

Next Steps After Command

1. Review the draft application for accuracy
2. Make edits if needed (I can help)
3. Convert to DOCX/PDF for filing (see above)
4. File through Patent Center
5. Respond to office actions (I can help with that too)