Certain things are excluded from patenting, such as mathematical algorithms or naturally occurring substances or phenomena. A patent application consists, at a minimum, of documents describing the invention in a manner prescribed by PTO regulations, including a specification, claims, and drawings, an information disclosure statement which sets forth the most relevant prior art of which the inventor is aware, and an oath sworn to and executed by the inventors certifying that they are the true inventors of the claimed subject matter and all statements contained therein are true to the best of their knowledge. Most foreign nations issue patents. The rules for an application's format and contents, and the nature and scope amination to which the issuing agency subjects an application, vary tremendously from country to country. NASA seldom files patent applications in foreign countries.
Time frames are always dependent upon a multitude of factors.
However, the quality of the invention disclosure submitted by the inventor, and the quality of the inventor's analysis of the prior art search are consistently the most important factors leading to an expeditious patent process. Civil servants report their inventions to the GRC Patent Counsel, who is a member of the Office of Chief Counsel. Civil servants are required by regulation to report to their agency any inventions made in the course of their official duties, or with any contribution of agency resources, including but not limited to time, equipment, or facilities. Civil Servants report their inventions to the field center Patent Counsel. The NASA form prescribed for use by civil servants to report inventions to the agency is NF 1679.