Many people want to know they can patent their idea or a product. Before this question can be answered a correction first needs to be made. People wanting to patent an idea are out of luck. An idea by it self can not be patented. However, a product which is based on the idea can be patented.
A product is developed with details unlike ideas which can be abstract and not well defined. Effort must be placed in order to develop and idea into a product or a process as explained in this https://www.linkedin.com/company/inventhelp article.
How to do a Patent and Product Search
The best way to do patent search is to describe your idea in as simply as possible. Write the description down. Think of some certain word and words can be used in place of that first word aka synonyms. Here is a simple example: Lets say you want to find a can. So can, canister, container, cup, cups….
Next, try to find a way that a relate different words to form a idea or concept. For example: a coke can.
A coke can is round, cylindrical and has tops and bottom that are covered except a small opening on the top. It’s also color full.
So (can or canister or container or cup or cups…) all of which have to might relate to (round or circle or cylinder or cylindrical or tube or pipe…) and (opening or hole…) and (cover or top…) and (color or red or white…)
Only certain published patents will meet all of theses criteria. The goal is to get the list to reasonable size so it can be looked at visually. Then its just a matter of searching the list to see what looks like the best choice. This is more tedious then hard so its essential that right words are chosen in the process above. Read more about patenting process from https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Inventhelp.
