Abstract: Permutations of features of an invention are ranked in accordance with factors such as importance and specificity to identify a reasonable number of (i.e. 20 or fewer) permutations as candidates for structuring a corresponding number of claims for a patent application. The identified permutations desirably include permutations corresponding to claims of broad scope, claims of narrow scope, and claims of intermediate scope; and exclude illogical or impractical permutations of features.