前面说过，朋友们在描述你们的发明时，对干部能下的问题一定要高度重视。可是，多下才算下呢？下得过火了，你费笔费墨费神费时，还没啥用处(当然也无大害)。下得不够更糟糕，专利局可能把你拒了，前功尽弃。尽管我非常不愿意引进新概念来烦扰大家，但这儿我实在是绕不过去，不引进不行了。
美国专利法对干部能下的要求是这样规定的: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
这儿提到一个人，名字很长，叫作“any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected”. 国内专利这行有个大致接近的名字，叫作本领域普通技术人员。不管怎样，大家知道有这么个人，就比如是搞软件的普通一族，搞生物技术的普通一族，搞电子工程的普通一族，搞化学合成的普通一族，搞机械的普通一族等等，为简化行文，我们把它叫普族人。普族人在专利法实践中无处不在，从审批专利的标准，到专利侵权CLAIM的解释，再到CLAIM和被控产品或方法的“对号入座”等等，普族人都在垂帘听政。因为普族人与你如此亲密相关，所以你要是个男发明人，最好像我一样将其当成一个普姑娘。你要是个女发明人，诚劝你将其当成一个普小伙(下同不再赘述)。这样大家感觉都好一些。
干部能下，就是下到你能用full, clear, concise, and exact terms 描写你的发明，而且达到一个程度，那就是能够enable普姑娘make and use你的发明。这就是所谓的enablement requirement。
美国专利法还有一个别的国家都没有的要求，就是你爱普姑娘就要爱到敞开心扉，毫无保留。把你内心深处知道的最好的东西，即best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention，奉献给普姑娘。不像在中国，你可以对普姑娘保留心中的不可告人的小秘密，而不在SPEC里面描述这个best mode。这个地方是专利法和商业秘密法的一个接口。
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更精确的专业研究请参:
1.71 Detailed description and specification of the invention.
(a) The specification must include a written description of the invention or discovery and of the manner and process of making and using the same, and is required to be in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which the invention or discovery appertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same.
(b) The specification must set forth the precise invention for which a patent is solicited, in such manner as to distinguish it from other inventions and from what is old. It must describe completely a specific embodiment of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter or improvement invented, and must explain the mode of operation or principle whenever applicable. The best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention must be set forth.
(c) In the case of an improvement, the specification must particularly point out the part or parts of the process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter to which the improvement relates, and the description should be confined to the specific improvement and to such parts as necessarily cooperate with it or as may be necessary to a complete understanding or description of it…
1.83 Content of drawing.
(a) The drawing in a nonprovisional application must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. However, conventional features disclosed in the description and claims, where their detailed illustration is not essential for a proper understanding of the invention, should be illustrated in the drawing in the form of a graphical drawing symbol or a labeled representation (e.g., a labeled rectangular box). In addition, tables and sequence listings that are included in the specification are, except for applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 371, not permitted to be included in the drawings.
(b) When the invention consists of an improvement on an old machine the drawing must when possible exhibit, in one or more views, the improved portion itself, disconnected from the old structure, and also in another view, so much only of the old structure as will suffice to show the connection of the invention therewith.
