Legal Definitions - embodiment

In patent law, an embodiment refers to a specific, concrete version or realization of an invention. It is a particular way an invention can be made, constructed, or used in the real world. A patent application typically describes one or more embodiments to illustrate how the invention works and to demonstrate its practical application.

Here are some examples:

• Imagine an inventor develops a new type of bicycle frame designed to absorb road vibrations more effectively. An embodiment of this invention would be a detailed description in the patent application of a specific bicycle frame. This description would include the exact materials used (e.g., a specific carbon fiber composite), the precise geometry of the frame tubes, the method of joining them, and how the vibration-absorbing elements are integrated. This concrete, detailed example of the frame is an embodiment, showing how the invention takes physical form.

• Consider a company that invents a novel process for recycling plastic waste into a durable construction material. An embodiment of this invention would be the detailed description of a specific industrial setup that performs this process. This might include the types of machinery used for shredding, melting, and molding the plastic, the specific chemical additives introduced at each stage, the temperature and pressure parameters, and the sequence of steps involved. This particular configuration and operational method, demonstrating the invention in action, constitutes an embodiment.

• Suppose a software developer creates an innovative user interface for a medical diagnostic device that allows doctors to navigate complex patient data using intuitive touch gestures. An embodiment of this invention would be the detailed description of this specific user interface within the patent application. This would include mock-ups of the screen layouts, descriptions of the specific gestures recognized, the visual feedback provided to the user, and how the software processes these interactions to display information. This concrete manifestation of the user interface, showing how the invention operates, is an embodiment.