IPC8 and Commercial Patent Databases

Rob WillowsVice President, Patent Offices and Special Accounts,

Thomson Scientificand

Chairman, PatCom Technical Working Group

Introduction to PatCom

• PATCOM, the Commercial Patent Services Group, is an association of commercial patent information providers based mainly in Europe,  who work to ensure a fair balance between the free information services of patent offices, commercial value-added patent information services and users’ interests to create a greater public awareness of Intellectual Property.

• PatCom has set up working groups for cooperation in commonly important areas like IPC8 Reform, standards and SME training. This is to intensify the communication in specifically defined questions and to reach commonly agreed solutions.

PatCom Members

• Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) • empolis GmbH • EUROPATENT • FIZ Karlsruhe • IFI  Patent Intelligence • INCOM IPS • LexisNexis • Lighthouse I.P. • MATRIXWARE Information Services GmbH • Minesoft • Nerac, Inc. • Prous Science • Questel • RWS • SCIPAT • Thomson Scientific • unycom Germany IT Services

IPC8 on STN International

IPC implementation inIPC implementation indatabases on STN International (1)databases on STN International (1)

• all patent files include Reformed IPC-codes for all new patent publications from 2006 onwards

• CA/CAPLUS, INPADOCDB , WPINDEX , USPATFULL…– IPC-backfile and frontfile have been loaded on

the basis of MCD/DOCDB • Advance-to-Core Level "rolled-up" during file

loading for selected files if not provided– especially for national patent fulltext databases

IPC implementation inIPC implementation indatabases on STN International (2)databases on STN International (2)

• The old IPC classifications remain in all files• STN has compiled WIPO's Master Classification and

Validity File into an hierarchical STN IPC thesaurus ; - thesauri for all IPC versions 1-8- the hierarchy and range capability can be used for searching and patent monitoring

• One single BASIC INDEX for the old and new IPC: IPC• All IPC attributes are in a separate keyword index:

IPC.KW (keywords: invention, advanced, core, non-invention, human, machine, original, EP, DE, main, secondary etc.) and can be linked by sentence proximity to the IPC index

• "Search/expand edits" allow searches in old or new IPC formats

IPC implementation inIPC implementation indatabases on STN International (3)databases on STN International (3)

• New DISPLAY fields/formats, e.g.

IPC displays the IPC with selected attributes in a short form IPC.TAB displays IPC with all attributes in a detailed tabular form

• Detailed ANALYZE possibilitiesIPC.F Select field for statistical analysis

(contains the ICM codes (pre-IPC8) and all the first IPC8 codes from publication 2006 onwards)

IPC.A Selects all advanced levels IPC.C Selects all core levelsIPC.AI Selects all advanced levels for inventionIPC.CI Selects all core levels for invention

IPC implementation inIPC implementation indatabases on STN International (4)databases on STN International (4)

DISPLAY IPC IPC.TABL3 ANSWER 1 OF 210803 INPADOCDB COPYRIGHT 2008 EPO/FIZ KA on STN

IPCI C07D0503-00 [I,A]; C07D0503-00 [I,C*]

IPCR A61P0031-04 [I,A]; C07C0051-41 [I,A]; C07C0053-126 [I,A];

C07D0503-18 [I,A]

A61P0031-00 [I,C*]; C07C0051-41 [I,C*]; C07C0053-00 [I,C*]

IPC CODE VERSION POS INV LEVEL CC ASSIGNMENT DATE STAT

---- ---------------- -------- --- --- -------- -- ---------- -------- ----

IPCI C07D0503-00 (200601) F I Advanced EP Human 20051017 O

C07D0503-00 (2006) F I Core* RC Machine 20051017 O

IPCR A61P0031-04 (200601) - I Advanced US Machine 20060521 R

C07C0051-41 (200601) L I Advanced JP Machine 20051220 R

C07C0053-126 (200601) L I Advanced JP Machine 20051220 R

C07D0503-18 (200601) - I Advanced US Machine 20060521 R

A61P0031-00 (2006) - I Core* RC Machine 20060521 R

C07C0051-41 (2006) L I Core* RC Machine 20051220 R

C07C0053-00 (2006) L I Core* RC Machine 20051220 R

IPC

IPC.TAB

The following DISPLAY shows the original (IPCI) and reformed IPC (IPCR) in different formats IPC and IPC.TAB:

IPC8 in Thomson Scientific Databases

IPCR implementation in DWPI

• Total number of records reclassified is 14,492,092 – represent 90.3% of the records in the file– This includes all IPCR data to the end of

November 2007 plus more current data for any record that has been updated for another reason other than IPC Reclassification.

• Total records with patent office code 99 (those records where we correct invalid IPC and assign IPC symbols if missing) = 36,214

IPCR implementation in DWPI

• Back file is reclassified on a quarterly basis.  – The next update will be to the end of March 2008 and

will go online in April.  – ECLA and US Class reclassification will also be

included from then on  (the backfile will be processed in Q1/Q2 by the hosts)

• The main issue for the hosts has been the sheer volume of data to be processed in between normal DWPI updates.  Questel and STN are up to date.  Dialog are currently working on the 2007 data and should be up to date in time for the next quarterly update.

DWPI IPC 8 implementation – country

coverage (based on Gazette input)

• IPC8 compliance: BR, CA,CH, CZ, DK, ES, FI, NO, PT, RO, SE, MX– They all indicate:

• Advanced/ core • Inventive/non-inventive• Version date (year and month)

– Exceptions: • BR does not distinguish Inventive/non-inventive and most

IPCs have wrong version date

• MX does not consistently distinguish Inventive/non-inventive

DWPI IPC 8 implementation – country coverage (based on Gazette input)

• IPC8 core level : IE, SK – Exception : no version date (year)

• IPC8 incorrectly presented ( attributes cannot be inferred from the gazette entries): AT, IL, LU, NL, PH

• IPC7 : BE, IT, NZ, SG, ZA– Notes:

• most BE IPCs on front pages and website are at subclass level• Many SG patents in the Gazette do not have any IPCs• IT expected to assign Advanced level but no starting date• BE and NZ expected to assign Core level but no starting date

IPC8 in Dialog databases

•   IPCR has been implemented in all patent files and in CASearch on Dialog. •   Dialog continues to maintain the distinction between pre-2006 IPCs, 

IPCs assumed to be in the pre-2006 format use 3-digit groups, e.g. A01B-001/00     For 2006+ IPCs, 4-digit groups are used, e.g. A01B-0001/00

•   Advance and Core IPCs are retained as provided.  In other words, whatever is sent by the database provider is passed through as is.

•   Dialog retains the full complement of IPCR attributes for each IPCR code to provide the with potentially valuable information on how a particular was developed.

• All IPCs can be searched with the IC= prefix.  Advance IPCs can also be searched using ICA=, and Core IPCs can also be searched using ICC=

 • In the search indexes, Dialog provides cascaded searching so the user can

select IPCs at the class/subclass level, e.g., A01B, at the class and group level, e.g., A01B-033 or A01B-0033, and as the complete classification, e.g., A01B-0033/12.  This means the customer can immediately see whether to broaden or narrow the search strategy based on IPCs 

• Dialog currently loads IPC reclassification data only into DWPI, because it is supplied in a form that can be incorporated relatively easily into the database rupdating process.

IPC8 in Micropatent and Delphion databases

• All databases have IPCR from 2006 onwards:– PATENTWEB, AUREKA, DELPHION, THOMSON

INNOVATION – IPCR back files, front files, IPCR first level data

– MPI - IPCR front files only (docdb and FLD for EP/WOA/US/JPA)

• All databases retain IPC 1-7 • Validity file is used to supplement Core class by

Advanced if not provided for FLD data • IPC and IPCR title browsing databases built on WIPO's

Master Classification and Validity File • All IPC attributes are indexed and searchable attributes

are advanced, core, subclass, invention (keywords: adv, core, sub, inv) that can be linked by sentence-level proximity operators. For example: (A63B005314) same ((adv or core or sub) and inv)

IPC8 on Questel Databases

IPC8 on QuestelIPC8 on Questel

• One challenge:Keep it as simple as possible

• Databases concerned

• Search• Display

• Practical use

• Wish list

IPC8 - Questel - DatabasesIPC8 - Questel - Databases

• International files– TS DWPI 14,372,722 families

– FAMPAT 29,384,902 families

– PLUSPAT 44,733,396 applications

• National files– IFI Claims 5,431,195

– US granted 343,053

– US applications 611,344

– EP A 224,150

– EP B 122,528

– PAJ 605,297

– PCT applications 285,490

– …

IPC8 – Questel - SearchIPC8 – Questel - Search

• Existing format extended for new IPCs

• Several levels of search

/IC all codes

/ICCA Core level, AllICCI Core level, Inventive

ICCN Core level Non inventive

/ICAA Advanced level, All/ICAI Advanced level, Inventive

/ICAN Advanced level, Non inventive

• Attributes searchable when appropriate

IPC8 – Questel – Display IPC8 – Questel – Display (FAMPAT)(FAMPAT)

• Short display (no attributes) 1/1 FAMPAT - (C) QUESTEL-ORBIT- image

PN - GB9904692 D0 19990421 [GB9904692]

- WO200052641 A1 20000908 [WO200052641]

- EP1163641 A1 20011219 [EP1163641]

- […]

- US7315640 B1 20080101 [US7315640]

IC - G06K-009/00 G06T-001/00 G06T-005/00 G06T-005/20 H04N-005/325

• Detailed display (per family member) 1/1 FAMPAT - (C) QUESTEL-ORBIT- image

PN - GB9904692 D0 19990421 [GB9904692]

ICAA- G06T-005/00 [2006-01 A - I R M EP]

 

1/1 FAMPAT - (C) QUESTEL-ORBIT- image

PN - WO200052641 A1 20000908 [WO200052641]

ICAA- G06T-005/00 [2006-01 A - I R M EP]

[...]

IPC8 - Questel – Practical useIPC8 - Questel – Practical use

Before IPC8 is stabilised, we suggest • To use several classification systems

For instance, over 1.2 million FAMPAT records include IPC, ECLA, USCLASS and FTerm

• Allowinga mapping of these various classifications

to find equivalents

Problems/Questions (1)

• Even in 2007 some patent offices deliver IPC-data in the pre-IPC8 format

• About 2 % of all new applications have no classifications (IPC, ECLA, NCL) at all

• A small amount of US design patents have IPCR classification along with Locarno classes. Did this arise through a family propagation or it is a mistake in EPO reclassification process?

Problems/Questions (2)

• Users strongly request one IPC marked as main or first for statistical analysis

• Rolled-up cores are marked as HUMAN, while MACHINE would be more appropriate to distinguish the core level codes assigned by examiners

• The frequency of IPC revisions is considered a big burden for users, database producers and patent offices

PatCom Wish list (1)PatCom Wish list (1)

• Clear communications from offices on indexing practices– Machine not Human for

• “rolled up codes” • “mapped” codes

– Common meaning of • “First” from all offices (DE, JP, EP) • “Advanced” from all offices (US)

• Huge revisions: issues for clients/vendors– Planning provided by offices – Limit of terms & documents modified in updates – Support modifications delivered separately– Preferred Revision Frequency: not more than twice a year

PatCom Wish list (2)

• Updated version of IPCCAT - Categorization Assistant to be used for IPC8

• Less frequent updates of the classification

• Higher commitment from NPO to applying the IPC8 features

• Study on true efficacy of IPC8 revisions on retrieval– By office – By art

Thank You

Check out the PatCom Web site at

http://www.patcom.org/