How to Choose Classifications on a Patent Application

Patents award inventors with originality and exclusive rights to profit from their ideas. Patents can only be awarded by an issuing country or regional patent authority. In the United States, patents are granted by the Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Applications to the USPTO are classified by an official examiner. Inventors, patent attorneys and agents find that ascertaining the patent classification for an invention aids the examiner in searching for patents on similar inventions and may save processing time.

• 1

  Confirm the subject matter and claims of the invention. Weigh the most detailed claim as the basis for the invention.

• 2

  Determine which main group the invention falls under by reviewing the USPTO combined classes listing at the USPTO website. Patents receive classification in four main groups. Group I is for chemicals and related arts. Group II covers patents for communications, radiant energy, weapons, electrical and computer arts. Group III is for body treatment and care, heating and cooling, material handling and treatment, mechanical manufacturing, mechanical power, static and related arts. Group IV covers industrial designs.

• 3

  Review the class listing for the subject matter group for the invention. Choose the class or classes that closely relates to the invention.

• 4

  Determine subclass by reviewing the list of subclasses or the class schedule on the USPTO patent classification home page. Type the class into "Section A," select the radial dial for class schedule and press submit. A list of sub classes pops up. Choose the subclass that is most appropriate. The classification will be written as class-subclass (see Resources).