Invention Analysis and Claiming::
Identifying the Inventive Concept -- Consult with Colleagues, Part I¹

By Ronald Slusky

Ronald Slusky mentored dozens of attorneys in "old school" invention analysis and claiming principles over a 31-year career at Bell Laboratories. He is now in private practice in New York City, and can be reached at 212-246-4546 and rdslusky@verizon.net.. This article is adapted from Ron's 2007 book "Invention Analysis and Claiming: A Patent Lawyer's Guide," which serves as the foundation for his CLE-accredited two-day seminar for patent practitioners. www.sluskyseminars.com

There are as many approaches to analyzing inventions as there are practitioners plying this trade. The analysis of virtually any invention can therefore invariably be enhanced by discussing it with a colleague. Inevitably a co-worker will have offer one or more questions or insights that can shed further light on the problem and/or the solution.

This month's column presents some invention-identification ideas that a number of practicing patent attorneys have shared with the author.² Their approaches coalesce into a few thematic strands, which echo many of the ideas that appears in this space. We are, after all, all focused...