comments:
My guess is that OP included a ChatGPT or other AI response to his own question (the "Good question" opener is a giveaway). That answer might be overly technical as your starting point. Yes, CPC codes are the weird way the USPTO classifies things but I think most people can start more simply. Use Google Patents (https://patents.google.com/) — it's free, searchable in plain English, and covers USPTO, EPO, and a bunch of other patent offices worldwide. Type in keywords describing what your invention *does*, not what it *is*. Try 5-10 different keyword combinations because patents use weird technical language. Also run a search on USPTO's own database at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search/patent-public-search and https://worldwide.espacenet.com/ for European patents. A few tips: search for expired patents too — those can actually be goldmines since the technology is free to use. And remember, a prior patent doesn't automatically kill your idea; if you've improved on it, that improvement may be patentable. If you want a deeper walkthrough on how to do this properly before paying a patent attorney, the book *Patent Smarter* covers the prior art search process well: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJ6282CL. It also has some sample AI prompts to take you through the application preparation.
To summarize a few of the key points here, you can ask for an NDA with any potential manufacturer. They will sign it but if they are reputable then they know that their business is producing, not ripping of ideas.As far as market research goes, I'm with pyrotek1: focus on the problem, not your solution. Find out if your TAM really thinks its a pain point for them. Use something like this to assess what people will pay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Westendorp%27s_Price_Sensitivity_Meter. You can then compare that to your build cost (do you make a profit) and look at the payback period (see if people think its worth it).If you want some pointers on how to get yourself a patent without spending too much money, check out my book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/037PZoxh