A patent is a government grant to an inventor of the right to exclude others for a limited period of time from making, using and selling the patented invention in the jurisdiction of the government which granted the patent. A U.S. patent applies only to the U.S. To have foreign patent coverage, patents must also be obtained for foreign countries. You must either be the inventor yourself, or have a transfer of rights from the inventor. Your invention must fall within the types of subject matter for which patent protection is available.
Utility patents cover functional features.
Other specialized protection is available for certain types of plants. A patent application must be filed, if at all, no later than ONE YEAR after the first public use or offer for sale of the invention in this country, or of the first publication of the invention in this or a foreign country. Other forms of protection may be available in addition to, or instead of, patent protection. Put your ideas down on paper as soon as possible, sign and date the notes, and get one or more witnesses to also sign and date them. The witnesses should be persons who will understand your invention but who agree to keep it confidential.