Can you patent an idea for an invention, before you create it?

Question

I have created a couple of tools that have increased my productivity at work..big time.
They need refinement, and the designs will change (maybe many times).
Others have seen what I have done, and they are all over my ideas.
I have had many ideas stolen in the past (a couple have done quite well).
How do I protect myself?
Can you patent something that will essentially be completely different in the future?

Answer 1

You did not mention whether you are on a payroll or not. If you work for other (for money) and inventing new tools, then these intellectual property may belong to the employer.

Apart from that, you need to find a way to patent your idea. A well written patent application can be good enough to help you to protect certain extension that you may not know of today. It is like building a house, and then build the fence to protect this house. The house is your invention, the fence is the skill of the patent attorney to extend the area of protection as much as possible.

There is nothing completely different. You are looking for improvement of current technology that create new invention.

Answer 2

The patent is for the idea -- whether you create a prototype or not. But having a prototype is the best way to ensure the specifications of the patent are correct -- and since patents are expensive, you probably don't want to keep filing multiple patents as you tinker with the design.

And if the final design is completely different -- or even moderately different -- in the future, then it may not be protected by the earlier patent at all.

Answer 3

If it can be changed a bit and do the same thing, getting a patent on an "idea" probably would not do you much good. Beware that your company may step in for a share since you are working on their products. They can claim you did the work on their payroll time.