HOW TO CREATE AN INVENTION?

By: Melissa Henao Cardona

Inventions are a fundamental part of society because they generate development to nations

and to the humanity. Starts from a previous idea or something already existing that can be the

result of a need or simply to satisfy something, later a process of investigation is continuing to

strengthen the existing idea, giving way to prototype testing in order that finally it could be

proved and accepted by the society and that it benefits and brings positive impact to the

development of nations. An example of an invention that was important for the humanity and

that now facilitates life for individuals is the car, since that it evolved the transportation and not

only impacted people, but also it benefited in economy and in communication.

For the generating of an invention some steps must be carried out; usually it starts with an

idea, the origin of this idea can be a daily living unconformity, something necessary to realize an

activity, an element to change something that does not work perfectly, to find the solution of a

problem or simply because something new wants to be realized without a specific need.

Continuously an analysis is realized to know if what is had in mind really solves the problem or

existing needs and if it can benefit the individuals in general. Supporting the idea with an

inquiry process to find out if it is something that already exists and thus obtain allusive

information with the purpose of strengthen the existing idea. It is necessary to create a prototype

to prove the utility of the creation, and to know if it really is useful. The prototype let’s explore if

it was clear or accessible to people, if it fulfilled its utility and if the materials were the adequate.
The prototype it’s an advance of what the invention will be and modifications can be applied to

it.

By modifying the prototype errors can be found or improvement opportunities, relevant point

that could be important for the creation. It could be seen on Alexander Graham Bell´s telephone

creation, where his assistant wrongly connected a bolt and turned an alternating current to direct.

(PROFESORES en línea). To finish it is necessary to develop the final product that is going to be

used by the humanity, without forgetting something very important as patenting what was

created.

The patent process, which is defined as “the exclusive right granted by a government to an

inventor to manufacture, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years.”

([Link]). With the patent process the inventor can protect its creation; in many cases the

inventor decides to sell its invention to a company, a brand or an entity and thus these

organizations can take advantage of them in large scale. The person that patents must detail to

the State how the invention it’s going to be produce and how it is going to be used. It is

necessary to follow some parameters to patent a creation. In Colombia there are laws that decides

what is and what is not patentable, for example in accordance with the law “living beings or a

part of it as there are found in nature, literary and artistic works, computer programs or

software, forms of presenting information”1 among others, are not patentable creations

(slideshare, 2010). It is important to highlight that laws vary from one country to another, and is

“los seres vivos o una parte de él tal como se encuentran en la naturaleza, las obras literarias y artísticas, los
1

programas de computador o el soporte lógico, las formas de presentación de información”

laws in the requested country. There are two types of patents; which are design patent and utility

patent. The design patent protects the object that is created to solve any need, and the utility

patent protects the way it is used. Over time different utility models of the same object can be

patented. Some requirements to obtain a design patent are novelty, inventive step, and industrial

applicability. In the case of utility patent the requirements are novelty and industrial

applicability. Inside of the requirements, some documents are necessary, for example, formats,

power of attorney, among others. The patent is a fundamental step for the innovation process,

because it is the protection of the invention and its use. (UNITED STATES PATENT AND

TRADEMARK OFFICE, 2009)

Finally, the importance of inventions lies on the people it impacts, the needs it solves and in

the development it generates to humanity. This is the reason why the educational organizations

have assignments that are focused on innovation and investigation, planting the seeds that will

create new generations of inventors. Today individuals can find mechanisms and tools that are

very useful when they are exploring topics about innovation, because before there was a lack of

all this things.

It is denominated invention to anything that is created to solve a need or problem. The

purpose of the inventions is that it benefits a great number of individuals. It is necessary to patent

the creation in order that legally it turns into an invention. It turns into innovation when really it
is useful for the society. Therefore the creativity must be stimulated in the young people so they

can learn to solve problems and that in a future it becomes something very important.

Bibliography

slideshare. (2010, 06 10). Retrieved 03 23, 2015, from Como patentar un invento:

[Link] invento

[Link]. (n.d.). Retrieved 03 23, 2015, from Patent:

[Link]

PROFESORES en línea. (n.d.). Retrieved 03 23, 2015, from Teléfono:

[Link]

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE. (04 de July de 2009). uspto.

Recuperado el 29 de 03 de 2015, de Design Patent Application Guide:

[Link] getting-started/patent-basics/types-patent-

applications/design-patent-application- guide