A stepbystep overview of a patent application and maintenance process. The five stages of a patent process.This tutorial will focus on patents and the process for securing a patent in the U.S. First, let's consider why we have a patent system? This page outlines the typical process the Office of Innovation and Commercialization takes in pursuing patent protection for your invention. First, the applicant for patent must be able to demonstrate that he or she has developed a new, useful, and not obvious process or product.