IP Tracker
Mark kroll holds more than 290 patents. here are his steps for going from
idea to patent. // In TERvIEWED By CORy HERTOG
Words from a Father of Invention
The kernel: If I read about a
new way to slice bread, I will
think about it and wonder
if it’s not also applicable to
slicing sausage or slicing
asphalt. I try to think of many
different ways of applying it.
It goes on a list of ideas that I
look at once in a while so that
I don’t forget.
something to show to the
patent examiner if you have
to go out and deal with the
examiner in person. The
second advantage of making
a prototype is you can work
out bugs you weren’t aware
of, and working out those
bugs can lead to a stronger
patent. The third advantage is
it helps you sell the idea.
walk in, and describe the
idea. Then they search for
prior art. The opposite is to
try to patent the whole thing
yourself. I found that when
I did it on my own, a lot of
times I missed something.
The prototype: Often, I
don’t make a prototype first,
which is no longer required
by law. One advantage [of
a prototype] is you have
Starting the patent process:
There are two extremes of
the patent process. One is to
go to a patent lawyer’s office,
Dealing with the
government: The patent
office is pretty user-friendly.
You’re dealing with a human.
As far as dealing with the
government, it’s not that bad.
What to do with the final
patent: You can sit back and
wait for an infringement. You
just monitor that area of
business. Or you can take a
more proactive approach, and
send the patents out to
people you think might be
interested in them. Then
again, you can start a little
business around it and find
out over time. You must
realize that only about 5
percent of patents lead to
money, and that it’s a slow
process.
S & W Holding, Inc.
(North Mankato, MN)
Invention: Natural Gas
Turbine Generator
Inventor: Neil C.
Saucier
Attorney: Patterson,
Thuente, Skaar &
Christensen, P.A.
Patent #: 7,683,499
Regents of the
University of
Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN)
Invention: Methods
for Diagnosing Bipolar
Disorder
Inventor: S. Hossein
Fatemi
Attorney: Fish &
Richardson P.C.
Patent #: 7,682,806
Cargill, Inc.
(Wayzata, MN)
Invention: Method for
Producing Cooked
Scrambled Egg
Product
Inventors: Charles
Sanderson, Kevin
Uptain and Robert
Prochnow.
Attorney: Not Listed
Patent #: 7,682,645
Medtronic, Inc.
(Minneapolis, MN)
Invention: Refined
Infection Monitoring
Method
Inventors: Martin T.
Gerber and John C.
Rondoni
Attorney: Campbell
Nelson Whipps, LLC
Patent #: 7,682,355
Aeration Industries
International, Inc.
(Chaska, MN)
Invention: Wastewater
Treatment System
Inventors: Daniel
Durda, G. Shawn
Brown and Cory
Mortenson
Attorney: Crompton,
Seager & Tufte LLC
Patent #: 7,678,274
StrokeMaster
Backborad, LLC
(Birchwood, MN)
Invention: Tennis
Backboard
Inventor: Hugh
McTavish
Attorney: Hugh
McTavish
Patent #: 7,677,993
