What is the significance of reciting only a field of use in patent claims?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

Reciting only a field of use in patent claims is generally insufficient to make an abstract idea patent-eligible. According to MPEP 2106.05(f):

“A claim directed to an abstract idea cannot be made eligible ‘simply by having the applicant acquiesce to limiting the reach of the patent for the formula to a particular technological use.’ Thus, limitations that amount to merely indicating a field of use or technological environment in which to apply a judicial exception do not amount to significantly more than the exception itself.”

This means that simply stating that an abstract idea is applied in a specific field or technological environment is not enough to transform the abstract idea into a patent-eligible invention. The claim must go beyond merely linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment and must provide meaningful limitations that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or add significantly more to the abstract idea itself.