patent-figure

Patent Figure Generator

Generates formal USPTO-style patent figure drawings from provisional patent application .md files, then iteratively refines them using targeted single-fix edits.

Prerequisites

• nano-banana skill installed (uses its generate_image.py and edit_image.py scripts)
• GEMINI_API_KEY accessible as an env var (see secrets-manager skill for how to wire this from your secret store)
• pip3 install google-genai python-dotenv if not already installed

Core Workflow

v1 — fresh generation (no seed image): Use generate_image.py with the full structured prompt (5 sections, see below).

v2+ — targeted iteration (previous image as seed): Use edit_image.py with the previous version as seed + the same structured prompt + a "ONE FIX NEEDED" section.

Never use the Mermaid diagram as a seed. Mermaid diagrams use different internal labels than what the patent figure needs. The model will follow the Mermaid labels and override your prompt.

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Step 1 — Parse the Provisional

From the provisional .md file, extract:

1. Brief Description — find ## BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS and copy the line for the specific figure verbatim (e.g., **FIG. 1** — System architecture overview: ...)

2. Verify figure number — before generating anything, cross-check the figure number against the Brief Description. Users sometimes describe a figure by its content rather than its actual number (e.g., asking for "FIG. 2 — the trust tier diagram" when FIG. 2 is actually the signal pipeline and FIG. 3 is the tier diagram). Always generate the figure that matches the spec for that number, and note any discrepancy to the user.

3. Reference numerals — scan the ## DETAILED DESCRIPTION section for every component with a parenthetical number (e.g., Discovery Engine (210)). Build an exact table: 210 = DISCOVERY ENGINE. These must match what will appear in the figure exactly — this table is the single most important section of your prompt and prevents the model from hallucinating component labels. If the provisional has no parenthetical numerals yet, assign them yourself starting from the 100-series for top-level components, 200-series for platform internals, 300-series for external components.