Categories of patents in U.S.

Utility Patent: This is the most common type of patent used to protect new, useful, and non-obvious inventions, including mechanical devices, chemical compositions, manufacturing processes, etc. The term for a utility patent is 20 years from the date of application.

Plant Patent: Whoever invents or discovers and asexually reproduces any distinct and new variety of plant, including cultivated sports, mutants, hybrids, and newly found seedlings, other than a tuber propagated plant or a plant found in an uncultivated state, may obtain a plant patent therefor. The term for plant patents is 20 years from the date of application.

Design Patent: Granted for any new, original, and ornamental design for an article. Design patents seek to protect the appearance rather than the functionality of the design. The term for design patents is 15 years from the date of application.