In today's fast paced world, man is focused on coming up with innovative methods of increasing his fellow beings' convenience and comforts. It could be something that really revolutionizes the way we look at the world, like the new space vehicle to Mars, or something that is a welcome change to the routine things of our day-to-day life, like an under water restaurant and a hotel in the sea.

There is a big market for new inventors and new inventions, from television ads urging you to call toll free numbers to serious research and development organizations that give inventors funds to streamline and market their products.

If you have a new invention that you would like to patent, and would not rather not contact an invention submission corporation, you can approach the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). They will examine and patent your product if it is unique and novel. This office is authorized by Congress to patent inventions, as well as set new standards for what constitutes a patentable new invention.

The process of patenting can be initiated when you have a new idea that you would like to develop. Though you cannot patent the idea, you can get a disclosure document from the USPTO to document the date of conception. After careful examination of a new invention, the USPTO patents it if the product is very different and unique, useful and if its functions are unlike any inventions that already exist.

Any new invention is classified into three categories -- utility, design and plant. These three categories serve to identify if the new invention is ready for use, if it's a design for a new gadget or if it's a new type of plant species that has been invented.