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Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Searching for
Patents
Michael Ladisch UCD Library
michael.ladisch@ucd.ie
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Why Perform a Patent Search?
• getting a general idea of how an
application and patent is structured to
help in the preparation of your own
application
• learning more about a new field
• for market information
• competitor tracking
• technology tracking
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Types of Searching
• Text searching
• Classification searching
• Combinatory searching
• Date Range searching
• Discipline specific searching (Chemical
structures, Substances)
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Text Searching
• Identify keywords
• What problems does the invention solve?
• What is the invention (what are its physical
components)?
• What does the invention do?
• Use alternate terminology
• VoIP = Voice over the Internet Protocol; IP
telephony; Broadband telephony; Internet
telephony; Voice over Broadband
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Text Searching
• Use Boolean operators
• bicycle AND wheel (returns records that contain
both terms)
• bicycle OR tyre (returns records that contain
either terms)
• bicycle NOT tyre (returns records that contain
bicycle, but not tyre)
• Combine Boolean operators
• bicycle AND (rim OR wheel OR tyre)
• (bicycle AND wheel) NOT tyre
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Text Searching
• Use Wildcards * ?
• analy?e returns all records containing a variation
of a word – analyze, analyse
• electron* returns all records containing words
starting with electron, such as electron, electrons,
electronic, electronics
• Keep in mind the differences in American
and English spelling!
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Text Searching
• Use Quotation Marks “”
• “lithium battery” returns all records containing the
words in exactly that order as a phrase
• Without quotation marks you will get also records
where the words ‘lithium’ and ‘battery’ occur
unrelated to each other
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• Different classifications
• IPC (International Patent Classification)
• Agreed internationally
• Published by World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO)
• ECLA (European Classification)
• Based on IPC, but adapted by EPO to own
requirements
• Published by European Patent Office (EPO)
• USPC (United States Patent Classification)
• Published by United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO)
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• IPC (International Patent Classification)
• http://www.wipo.int/classifications/ipc/ipc8/
• 8 sections
• A – Human necessities
• B – Performing Operations, Transporting
• C – Chemistry, Metallurgy
• D – Textiles, Paper
• E – Fixed Constructions
• F – Mechanical Engineering, Lighting, Heating, Weapons
• G – Physics
• H - Electricity
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• IPC (International Patent Classification)
• First letter is “section symbol”
• A – Human necessities
• Two digit number is “class symbol”
• A43 - Footwear
• Final letter is “subclass”
• A43C – Fastenings or Attachments for Footwear
• One to three digit number / two digit number are “group”
and “subgroup”
• A43C 3/04 – Spring safety-hooks
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• IPC (international Patent Classification)
• Website offers “IPC Bridge”, links to equivalent in
• IPC national versions (German, Spanish, Polish, Korean,
etc.)
• Patent databases (USPTO, espace@net, Patenscope,
etc.)
• Other classifications (USPC, ECLA)
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• ECLA (European Classification)
• http://worldwide.espacenet.com/eclasrch?classification=
ecla&locale=en_T1
• A – H like IPC
• Y – General Tagging of New Technological Development
• Technologies for Adaptions Against Climate Change
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• USPC (United States Patent Classification)
• http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/selectnumwitht
itle.htm
• Over 400 classes
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• Classification searching is in general preferable
• Terminology/”jargon” independent
• Patent specifications often written by lawyers:
• non-experts, generalists; don’t know specific
terminology
• prefer generic, unspecific terminology for legal
reasons,
• e.g. to avoid any unnecessary limitation of the
scope of protection as defined by claims
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Classification Searching
• Classification searching in general preferable
• Examples for “Lawyerish”
• Swimming pool = “Water retaining recreational
structure”
• Paper bin = “Arrangement for the disposal of refuse”
• Shoe = “Footwear”
• Battery = “Electrical power source for electronic
circuits”
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Patent databases
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
http://www.intellogist.com/wiki/Main_Page
• Wiki for patent searchers
• Information about patent search systems
• Coverage map
• Comparing search systems
• Best practices in Prior Art searching (general and
for specific disciplines)
• Resource Finder for specific disciplines
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
• http://patft.uspto.gov/
• Over 7.5 mio patents
• Two databases: PatFT (issued patents) and AppFT
(applications since 2001)
• Two millionth application in 2009 (prior to 2001 applications
were confidential)
• Very user unfriendly (display of patents in TIFF – needs plug-
in; old fashioned interface)
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
• http://www.google.com/patents
• US patents only, 1790-recent
• Over 8 million patents from USPTO
• Some scanning errors pre-1976
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
• https://www.reaxys.com
• Organic chemistry and Life science patents from US
(since 1976), Worldwide and Europe (since 1978)
• Structure search
• Links to fulltext in relevant database
• Not free, but subscription by UCD Library
http://librarysearch.ucd.ie/
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
• http://www.patentlens.net/
• About 11 mio full text of PCT applications, US patents
and applications, EPO patents, Australian patents
• Interface in different languages
• Search for over 80 mio protein and DNA sequences
• Patent “landscape” reports on specific subjects
• No classification search
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
• http://www.epo.org/espacenet
• Containing data for 70 mio patent documents
• Almost worldwide coverage
• Search engine for European countries
• http://ie.espacenet.com/ for Ireland
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, May 2010
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library March 2012
Michael Ladisch
UCD Library, March 2012
Thank you!
Michael Ladisch
Email: michael.ladisch@ucd.ie
Phone: 01 716 7530