How to represent arbitrary text in a patent drawing

Question

I am doing drawings for my utility patent, which is a computer process that includes some user feedback in text. I don't know and don't want to limit by specifying exactly what the feedback will be, but I know that it will consist of a set of text values, for example Value1:XXXX, Value2: XXXXX, Value3: XXXXX and so on. I consider that the method of displaying the user feedback is worth a drawing for my invention. Currently, I'm just placing XXXX in the figure where a string of text would be on the display. I know USPTO doesn't like words on the drawings. Is there a/what is the recommended way to represent "there is arbitrary text here whose value does not matter to the invention" in a drawing?

Answer 1

I do not think there is a 'recommended way', what you should do is explicitly state that the value/text could be something else as well. So in the drawings you include the text you mentioned or an actual value/text, but in the description you state something like: in Fig. # an exemplary value/text has been represented for the sake of clarity, the disclosure is not limited to the illustrated value/text, other possible values/text are also part of the present disclosure.

The skilled person should know what other value/text could that be based on your disclosure and the common general knowledge in the art. If you do not explicitly state what those other values/text might be, it is unlikely that you will able to include those in the claims in case that may be beneficial for the patentability of the invention.