Patent-Application Sub-Skill Prerequisites: Required Inputs and Setup Guide

Prerequisites for using the patent-application sub-skill are a completed disclosure output directory from the patent-disclosure skill, containing the written disclosure document, structured schema data, and line-drawings, plus a declared patent type (invention, utility model, or design).

The patent-application sub-skill in the handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill repository transforms an existing patent disclosure (交底书) into a complete patent-application package. This package includes claims, description, abstract, and black-and-white drawings—collectively known as the 四件套 (four-piece set). Before this conversion can occur, the sub-skill strictly validates that all prerequisite artefacts are present in the disclosure output folder.

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Required Disclosure Output Directory

The foundation prerequisite is a disclosure output directory located under outputs/{案件标识}/. This folder must be generated by the patent-disclosure sub-skill in a prior execution.

In skills/patent-application/tools/check_support.py, the sub-skill validates the presence of this directory before processing begins. If the directory is absent or incomplete, the skill aborts immediately with a prompt to "补交底" (complete the disclosure first).

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Mandatory Artefacts in the Disclosure Folder

The patent-application sub-skill expects three specific artefacts within the disclosure output directory:

Artefact	Description	Failure Mode
交底书 (written disclosure)	The narrative invention description produced by the disclosure skill	Skill aborts if missing
schema (structured data)	JSON or structured metadata describing the invention's technical fields	Validation error
线稿 (line-drawings)	Hand-drawn invention sketches for figure generation	Figure generation skipped or failed

According to the skills/patent-application/README.md, missing any of these components triggers an explicit user prompt to provide the incomplete material before the application builder can proceed.

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Patent Type Declaration

You must declare the 专利类型 (patent type) when invoking the sub-skill. The accepted values are:

• 发明 (invention patent) — requires full claims, detailed description, and technical drawings
• 实用新型 (utility model) — simplified claims with focus on shape/structure improvements
• 外观 (design patent) — emphasizes visual appearance with specialized figure requirements

This declaration determines which templates emit_application_docx.py selects and how compose_application_figure.py processes the line-drawings into formal patent figures.

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How to Verify Prerequisites Are Met

The validation logic in check_support.py performs these checks in sequence:

1. Directory existence — confirms outputs/{case_id}/ is accessible
2. File completeness — locates disclosure.txt, schema.json, and drawing files
3. Schema validity — parses structured data for required fields
4. Patent type compatibility — validates the declared type against available templates

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Invocation Examples (Prerequisites Satisfied)

Once the disclosure output directory is ready, invoke the sub-skill through any supported interface:

# Python wrapper — explicit patent type

from skills.patent_application import run_skill

result = run_skill(
    command="专利申请文件，交底在 outputs/Case12345/",
    patent_type="发明"
)

# Returns: paths to Markdown, Word, and generated figure files

print(result)

# Skill-file YAML configuration

skill: patent-application
input: "专利申请文件，交底在 outputs/Case12345/"
options:
  patent_type: 实用新型

# CLI entry point with design patent type

skill-cli patent-application "专利申请文件，交底在 outputs/Case12345/" --type 外观

All three patterns fail gracefully with an error message if the disclosure artefacts are not found at the specified path.

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Output Generated Upon Successful Completion

When prerequisites are satisfied, the sub-skill produces:

• Markdown — structured application text for review
• Word document (.docx) — formal patent application via emit_application_docx.py
• Black-and-white figures — processed invention drawings via compose_application_figure.py
• 问题清单 (issue list) — appended unresolved questions requiring attorney review

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Summary

• The patent-application sub-skill requires a disclosure output directory from prior patent-disclosure execution
• Three artefacts are mandatory: 交底书 (disclosure text), schema (structured data), and 线稿 (line-drawings)
• Patent type must be declared as 发明, 实用新型, or 外观 to select appropriate templates
• Validation occurs in check_support.py; missing prerequisites trigger "补交底" prompts
• Successful execution produces the 四件套 package plus an issue list for legal review

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I run patent-application without a disclosure folder?

The sub-skill aborts immediately. The validation logic in check_support.py detects the missing directory and returns a message asking you to "补交底" (complete the disclosure) first. No application documents are generated.

Can I reuse a disclosure folder from an older case?

Yes, if the folder structure matches the expected outputs/{案件标识}/ format and contains all three required artefacts. The sub-skill does not validate case timestamps—only file presence and schema completeness.

Where is the patent type used in the generated output?

The patent type flows through emit_application_docx.py to select document templates and through compose_application_figure.py to determine figure styling. Each type produces structurally different claims and drawing requirements per Chinese patent examination guidelines.

Is the issue list (问题清单) always appended?

Yes. According to skills/patent-application/README.md, this list is automatically appended to every output as a quality-control measure, flagging unresolved technical or legal questions that require human attorney review before formal submission.

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