Numbering Patent Figures

[Med_Star_IP]

When numbering figures which represent different embodiments of the same system, should you use like numbers for like components in each figure or start the numbering process from scratch for each one? For example, you have two system network architectures, a basic and a more complex version, but each have some components in common such as a client computer, wireless device, internet, firewall, web server, application server, etc. The two figures are different versions of a system used to implement the invention. Should you give those like components like numbers in each? They just illustrate that you can build out or implement the same invention in a basic or more complex system. Thanks everyone!

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I've only got some brief patent experience but the goal is simple - create as many variations as possible so that each may be considered a separate patentable process.