How to Track the Journey of Ideas to Patents Across the Lifecycle Using the TIP Tool™

The TIP Tool™ helps you track ideas from early-stage concepts all the way to filed patent applications. The workflow is built as a visual pipeline with stages that represent key steps in the patent lifecycle.

The interface is fairly simple and intuitive — just drag and drop an idea to move it to the next stage.

As you move ideas forward or upload important documents, the system automatically notifies the right people (like inventors, managers, or searchers), so everyone stays aligned.

Let’s walk through what each stage means, what happens there, and how to use it.

Stages in the Patent Lifecycle

The default pipeline in the TIP Tool™ includes six stages:

Capture
Patentability Search
Internal Vetting
Drafting
Patent Review
Filed

Each stage reflects a key moment in the patent process — from idea submission to filed application.

1. Capture

This is where your innovation’s journey begins.

Use the Add Idea button to create a new disclosure. In this stage, you can:

Enter the idea title and summary
Add inventor email addresses
Attach supporting files (e.g., slides, sketches, notes)
Set optional inputs like value score, patentability score, and filing deadline

📌 Note: Ideas remain private until published. You can save as draft and return anytime.

Also learn about How to Add a New Idea in the TIP Tool?

2. Patentability Search (Optional)

Use this stage to perform a prior art or novelty search.

Here’s what you can do:

Drag the idea from Capture to Search
Assign a searcher by entering their email address (internal or external)
The searcher receives an automatic notification
They can upload the search report to this stage
You can also perform the search yourself and upload results directly
All uploaded reports stay linked to the idea for future reference

📌 Tip: If your enterprise doesn’t require searches, you can skip this stage and even hide it from the ‘Idea Manager’ dashboard.

3. Internal Vetting (Optional)

This stage is for internal review and decision-making.

You can use it to involve:

Inventors
Patent committee members
Business unit managers

Here’s what happens:

Reviewers can approve or reject the idea
They may request more info or send it back for updates
This stage helps align filing decisions with business strategy and budget

Also learn about: How the TIP Tool Facilitates Thorough Vetting via Real-Time Collaboration

4. Patent Drafting

Once approved, the idea moves to Patent Drafting, where the patent application is written.

In this stage:

Patent counsel (internal or external) begins preparing the application.
The inventors can upload early drafts and attach supporting documents if counsel requests.
The inventors, managers and prosecutors can communicate with each other via comments and by tagging each other as required.

Here you can begin merging ideas into filings (See: How to Create Filings).

In fact there are four ways of idea-to-filing merging supported in the TIP Tool™ i.e.,

One idea to one filing – A single idea forms the basis of a single application.
Many ideas to one filing – Multiple related ideas are merged into one omnibus application.
One idea to many filings – A single idea is reused across multiple applications, such as for different jurisdictions or continuation strategies.

5. Patent Review

This is where the drafted patent is reviewed before submission.

Key features:

Counsel uploads the draft into the TIP Tool™
The system notifies inventors and reviewers via email
Everyone can review and comment securely inside the platform
All updates are tracked in one place — no need for email threads

🔐 Why it matters: This keeps your intellectual property secure and organized.

6. Filed

This is the final stage – the patent application has been filed.

Here’s what you can do:

Move the idea to Filed once the submission is complete
Upload the filed application PDF
Enter key metadata like filing date or application number

Now here….this marks the end of the innovation management lifecycle in the TIP Tool™, while keeping all filing data stored for reference.

Tips for Better Lifecycle Tracking

Use Tags to group ideas by product, department, or region
Add Filing Deadlines to highlight time-sensitive disclosures
Use Value & Patentability Scores to help plan filings
Archive completed or inactive ideas to keep your view clean

Updated on April 13, 2025

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