Legal Definitions - single-means claim

A single-means claim is a type of patent claim that indicates a process, result, or function but does not describe the method of reaching that end. This type of claim is too broad and is rejected as it claims rights to all possible ways of achieving the result, even ways that have not yet been invented.

• A claim for a method of curing cancer without specifying the method is a single-means claim.
• A claim for a device that performs a certain function without specifying how it performs the function is a single-means claim.

These examples illustrate how a single-means claim is too broad and does not provide enough detail to be considered a valid patent claim.