[INDUSTRY]Electrical hardware
We protect the circuit, the control method and the product name, starting with a search because the field is crowded. One flat fee for each step.
Your attorneys
Andrew RapackeManaging Partner · Registered Patent AttorneyElectrical and computer engineering. Former Naval Engineering Officer.
Ken BrooksRegistered Patent AttorneySoftware, AI and machine learning, electrical and mechanical systems.[01]Who it's for
From a first working board to a manufacturer adding to its line, the work starts the same way. Find out what is new, then protect it before it goes to testing, a pilot or a trade show.
Founders building converters, chargers and battery systems, protected before the first pilot or investor meeting.
Teams whose edge sits in the controller, the sensors and the firmware that ties them together.
Motors, drives and the control methods behind electric vehicles, tools and robots.
New filings for each version on predictable flat fees, so protection keeps pace with the product line.
[02]What's protectable
Most electrical products carry more than one kind of protection. A patent on how it works, a design patent on how it looks and a trademark on its name each stop a different kind of copy.
01Utility patent
The circuit, the topology and the way power and signals move through it. Claims are written around what your design does better than what is on the market today, such as lower losses, faster charging or fewer parts.
02Utility patent
The control method or firmware that makes the hardware work better, claimed as a system and as the method it performs, tied to a technical result rather than an abstract idea.
03Design patent
The ornamental design of a housing, a charger or a control screen, protected for 15 years from grant.
04Trademark
Clear and file the name before it goes on datasheets, packaging and the product itself, so the name you build a reputation on is one you can keep.
Some things stay secret
A manufacturing process, a winding method or production settings no one can learn from the finished product may be worth more as a trade secret than as a published patent. Your attorney tells you which on your first call.
[03]The flat-fee path
Every step is quoted before any work begins, and the search fee is credited when you file. Most hardware founders file a provisional before certification testing, a pilot or a trade show, then the full application within 12 months.
01Start here
$999
Patentable or your money back. Credited when you file
Report in about 5 days
Not patentable, full refund*02Then
$2.5k–3.5k
Patent pending the day it is filed
Patentability issues, full refund*03Within 12 months
$7k–12k
Drawings and USPTO filing fees included
Filed before your 12-month deadline
Flat fee, not covered by the guaranteeAlongside the patent
*Refunds subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter. Utility (non-provisional) patents are quoted flat and are not covered by the guarantee. How The RLG Guarantee works
[04]Prior art and launch
Electrical fields are mature, so most new work builds on known circuits and parts. The search shows where your improvement sits. The filing has to be in before the product goes to a manufacturer, a test lab, a pilot customer or a trade show.
PatentWho can make and sell it
ProductWhen others see it
File before you certify or show
An FCC equipment authorization is published when it is granted, often with photos of the device. A trade show booth, a pilot or a datasheet can make an invention public too. File at least a provisional first.
Power supplies, motors and sensors have decades of patents and papers behind them. A search before drafting shows what is already known, so the claims cover what is actually new in your design.
How prior art can help your ideaCircuit diagrams, block diagrams, flowcharts and timing diagrams are the usual drawings in an electrical application. Put the ones that show how it works in the provisional, because a claim only keeps the provisional's date for what the provisional describes.
What a provisional application needsWhen software runs the hardware, claim both the system and the method it performs, tied to a technical result such as lower power use or a more accurate reading. A competitor then has to avoid both.
How to write patent claimsGeneral information, not legal or regulatory advice. Certification requirements depend on the product and where it is sold.
[05]Related services
One firm for the patent, the brand and the agreements around them.
[06]Questions
Still deciding? Your first call is free and comes with a straight answer on whether to file.
Book A Free Strategy CallYes. New circuits, power and control systems, sensors, batteries, motors and the methods that run them can be patented when they are new and not obvious. These fields are crowded, so the claims have to focus on what your design does that earlier ones do not, which is why the work starts with a search.
A utility patent protects how the system works, such as the circuit, the control method or the structure. A design patent protects how a product looks, such as a housing, a charger or a control screen. Many electrical products are worth protecting both ways, and the search shows which is stronger for yours.
Claim both sides. A system claim covers the hardware and what its processor or controller is set up to do, and a method claim covers the steps it performs. Tying the claims to a technical result, such as less power used or a more accurate reading, helps show the invention is more than an abstract idea.
If competitors cannot learn the process from the finished product, a trade secret can last as long as it stays secret and is never published. If the product gives it away, or others could work it out on their own, a patent is often the better fit. Your attorney weighs it with you on the first call.
When you need patent pending status before others see the product, at a trade show, with a pilot customer, at a contract manufacturer or in a certification filing. It holds your filing date for 12 months while you test and refine the design. Include the schematics and block diagrams that show how it works, since later claims rely on what the provisional describes.
Flat fees at every step. A $999 patentability search, a provisional application at $2,500 to $3,500 depending on the invention, and a non-provisional application at $7,000 to $12,000 with drawings and USPTO filing fees included. A design patent is $3,200. Every fee is quoted before work begins, and the search fee is credited toward your application.
The patentability search, the provisional application, design patents and trademarks. If the search finds your invention is not novel, you get a full refund or another search. If patentability issues come up on your provisional, a full refund or more searches. If the USPTO denies your design application, you get a full refund. If it refuses your trademark, you get a refund or a new mark. Non-provisional applications are not covered. Refunds are subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter.
[07]Learning Center
Most patents granted each year protect incremental improvements rather than entirely new inventions. In fact, industry experts estimate that up to 90% of patents granted…
how to write claims — learn how to write patent claims that are broad, valid, and enforceable. Expert guidance on independent claims, method claims, and comm
A provisional patent application is your gateway to the coveted ‘patent pending’ status, offering a crucial head start in the competitive world of innovation. By filing…
Even when prior art discloses each of several concepts included within a Patent, it may still be patentable. According to the USPTO’s Patent and Trial Appeal Board…
One of the most common questions we encounter during our initial consultation is what type of patent application do I need? What are the differences between a design…
Explore 5 famous examples of trade secrets, from Coca-Cola to Google, and learn how to fit trade secrets into your IP strategy. Book a free IP strategy call.
[08]Client reviews
4.7 across 614 public reviews on Google, Trustpilot and Avvo.
#1Top reviewed IP law firm*
Read client reviews“It gave us peace of mind knowing the total cost for this service was included in their flat-fee proposal.”
“Completed the patent search and utility patent within weeks.”
“Their writing allowed for protection of my invention's most important aspects, as well as giving me room to modify and adapt my product.”
Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Quotes are excerpts. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. *#1 top reviewed means the most public client reviews on Google, Trustpilot and Avvo of any US patent or trademark firm.
Talk through your system with a registered patent attorney. The call is free, with no obligation.
