Start here to decide whether to invest your time and money by looking at your market.
Read up on the various types of IP available to help you succeed.
Determine whether your idea is fair game for patenting, and whether the rest of this guide is for you. Decide whether trade secrets are the better choice.
Learn the layout of the standard US Patent document.
Learn to find prior art: existing publicly documented innovation in your technical area.
Invest in the right practitioner for your needs.
Save money by preparing a well-organized patent application file.