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United States Patent Platform

USPTO · 35 U.S.C. / AIA 2011

USPTO PatFT prior art search · AIA-compliant claim drafting · Office Action response under § 101/102/103/112 · Track One prioritized examination

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§101 · §102 · §103 · §112 · Alice/Mayo · KSR · Track One

Patent Center

Quick Law Reference — USPTO

35 U.S.C. § 101

Patent-eligible subject matter — Alice/Mayo framework

35 U.S.C. § 102

Novelty — AIA prior art provisions (effective filing date)

35 U.S.C. § 103

Non-obviousness — PHOSITA standard, KSR analysis

35 U.S.C. § 112

Written description, enablement, and definiteness

37 C.F.R. § 1.56

Duty of candor — disclose all known material prior art

MPEP § 2100

Patentability — complete USPTO examiner guidelines

Patent Journey — Pre-filing to Grant

Prior Art Search

Search PatFT, PGPUB, Google Patents, and foreign databases. Assess § 102/103 prior art risks. USForge AI generates a patentability memo with Alice/Mayo § 101 analysis.

PatFT SearchPGPUBGoogle Patents

Provisional / Non-Provisional

File provisional to lock priority date (12 months). File non-provisional utility with full claims, specification, drawings, and Application Data Sheet (ADS). Track One prioritized examination optional.

ADS (37 C.F.R. § 1.76)SpecificationDrawingsClaims

Prosecution

Respond to Office Actions within 3 months (extendable to 6). USForge AI drafts Alice/Mayo § 101 eligibility arguments and § 102/103 amendments. PTAB appeals, RCE, or continuation strategies.

Response to Office ActionRCEAppeal BriefContinuation

Grant & Maintenance

Notice of Allowance → Issue Fee within 3 months. Maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years from grant. Maximum patent term: 20 years from earliest effective filing date.

Issue FeeMaintenance Fees (3.5yr / 7.5yr / 11.5yr)

Fee Schedule — USPTO

Action	Micro Entity	Small Entity	Large Entity
Basic Filing Fee (Utility Non-Provisional)	$320	$800	$1,600
Search Fee (Utility)	$170	$430	$700
Examination Fee (Utility)	$185	$460	$760
Issue Fee (Utility)	$600	$1,000	$2,000

⚠️ Fees are approximate. Verify current fee schedule at uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/fees-and-payment before filing. Micro entity requires written certification.

USForge AI — USPTO Tools & Calculators

6 interactive tools

USPTO Fee Calculator — FY 2025

Full itemized breakdown · Large / Small / Micro entity · Track One

Entity Status

500+ employees, most corporations, universities not qualifying small

Application Type

Track One Prioritized Examination

+$4,200 · Target first action within 3 months, grant in 6–12 months

Fee Type	Large (base)	Your Rate
Basic Filing Fee	$330	$330
Search Fee	$700	$700
Examination Fee	$800	$800
Issue Fee (on allowance)	$1,200	$1,200
Maintenance — 3.5 yr (yr 4)	$2,000	$2,000
Maintenance — 7.5 yr (yr 8)	$3,760	$3,760
Maintenance — 11.5 yr (yr 12)	$7,700	$7,700

Estimated Total (20yr lifecycle)$16,490

Approximate FY2025 USPTO rates. Excludes attorney fees, RCEs, and appeal fees. Always verify at uspto.gov/patent/fees.

Provisional → Non-Provisional Strategy

35 U.S.C. §111(b) · §119(e) · 12-month window deadline calculator

Provisional Filing Date

Non-Provisional Deadline (§119(e))

Enter provisional date →

Month 0

File Provisional Application

Step 1/4

File a provisional application (35 U.S.C. §111(b)) — a low-cost placeholder that establishes your priority date immediately. No claims required. No formal oath. Fee: ~$330 (Large) · $165 (Small) · $66 (Micro).

Include as much technical detail as possible — it sets the scope of your priority
Label as 'Provisional' — not examined, automatically abandoned at 12 months
Enables 'Patent Pending' marking immediately on filing date

The 12-month provisional window cannot be extended under any circumstances. File the non-provisional before the anniversary date or the priority claim is permanently lost.

Track One Prioritized Examination

35 U.S.C. §2(b)(2) · MPEP 708.02(b) · First action in 3 months

Entity Status

Technology Area

Standard

29 mo

avg. pendency

Track One

6–12 mo

20 months faster

T1 Fee

$4,200

large entity

Track One likely worth it — estimated net saving ~$11,800

20 months × ~$800/mo attorney = $16,000 saved · Track One fee = $4,200

Eligibility Checklist

0/5 met

Utility patent application (not design or plant)≤ 4 independent claims, ≤ 30 total claimsNot a Request for Continued Examination (RCE)Not a PCT national phase entry (35 U.S.C. §371)No prior Track One grant on this application

USPTO meets the 12-month grant target ~88% of the time. Track One is unavailable for PCT national phase entries and RCEs. Verify at uspto.gov.

§101 Alice / Mayo — Before & After Claim Charts

Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank (2014) · Mayo v. Prometheus (2012) · 2019 PEG guidance

§101 Rejection — Abstract Idea — Mental Process

Examiner applies the two-step Alice/Mayo test. Claim is directed to an abstract idea / law of nature without an inventive concept adding "something more."

Rejected Claim

1. A method of personalizing content recommendations comprising: receiving user behavior data; analyzing said data using a machine learning model; generating a ranked list of recommendations; and returning said list to the user.

Allowable Amended Claim

1. A method for improving content delivery network efficiency comprising: receiving, by a specialized hardware cache processor, user behavior data transmitted over a distributed network; applying a trained neural network model stored in non-transitory memory to identify latency-reducing prefetch opportunities; generating, in real time, a ranked prefetch queue that measurably reduces average page load by ≥ 15%; and transmitting said queue via CDN edge-node protocol to a requesting client device.

Amendment Strategy:

Add 'something more': tie to a specific technical improvement in the computer system — not just the result, but HOW the hardware achieves it differently.

Why the amended claim survives §101:

Technical effect (reduced latency ≥15%) is concrete and measurable

Specialized hardware (cache processor, CDN edge node) prevents preemption of the abstract idea

Real-world improvement to computer network architecture — not 'merely applying' an idea on a generic computer

Need help with your §101 rejection?

USForge AI analyzes your specific claim language, identifies the abstract idea the examiner will cite, and generates a §101 amendment strategy tailored to your technology area.

Analyze my claim with USForge AI

Illustrative examples only. Always consult a registered US patent practitioner before filing or amending. Strategy depends on specific invention facts and claim language.