Can anyone point me in the right direction on how to get a US patent?

Answer 1

Well, step one is to truely invent something.

While you can prepare and file a patent application yourself, you would be far better off getting the professional assistance of a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney. They all have technical degrees, to pick one that has a degree in the area of your invention. Even better, pick one that has done real work in the technical area of your invention.

Be prepared to spend a lot of money, 5-20K

You can save some money by doing things to save your professional time. 1 identify the part of you invention you think is NEW. Write down a clear explanation of what your invention is. Make sure it mentions the NEW stuff. Use drawings or photos to show the important bits.

Do a patent search of things that are close to your thing --Google patents-- is great for this. Look at how they are described. Look at the CLAIMS, which are at the end of the patent, these are the most important part. Make an attempt to draft a claim for your invention, be sure to include some mention of the NEW part...this will be a great talking point for your first meeting with the professional...

you can find a professional near you here: http://des.uspto.gov/OEDCI/