Hi Robert,
Thank you for your excellent advice.

Here are you key points:
1. Read at least a dozen "closely" relate patents;
2. You must describe the novel items;
3. The claims should cover all possible aspects that can be legally
covered.

I think this is inventor's responsibility:
looking at the item upside-down, sideways, backwards, inside-out, and
crazy-blue-sky if one can.
The example of paper clip doesn't exist for eletronical circuits.

For eletronical circuit, the inventor must have to think a lot about
any possible designs around patents that any lawyers couldn't do it.
Block them or invent them together.

I don't understand the following statement:
even as a "small entity" it is expensive.

Thank you.

Weng