The filing date of a patent application is the date the patent application was filed in one or more patent offices. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with patent prosecution. ... A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organisation which controls the issue of patents. ...
In the United States, if a patent application is mailed to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) by Express Mail, Post Office to Addressee, then the date the application was deposited in the post office is the filing date. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent and trademark protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions and corporate and product identification. ...