The purpose of a patent claim is to define the full scope of what is being claimed as the invention. The Inventors Assistance Center (IAC) provides patent assistance and information to the public.The provisional patent application cover sheet is a form that you file with the specification and drawings of your patent application. The simplest format is a Brief Description of the Invention, which is an informal description of how to make and use the invention. You can file the application, forms, documents, and pay fees online on the USPTO official site. This page provides information on the types of patents and types of patent applications, and the examination process. To do so, simply fill out an invention disclosure form (IDF), nondisclosure agreement (NDA), along with your basic contact information. The simple answer is noyou cannot patent an idea for an invention. The provisional application enables you to obtain quickly an official filing date before the public disclosure of the invention. Novel inventors can follow several key steps to navigate the California nonprovisional utility patent filing process.