# Presentation: 090519

## Electronic Patent Searching

**and**
**Navigating the USPTO **
**Internet Site**

## Why search?

- To see if any Prior Art related to your invention exists
- Helps determine if you want to file an application
- Helps to determine the appropriate claim scope when drafting claims

## What Documents are Available to be Searched?

- US Patents and US Published Applications
- Foreign Patent Documents(e.g., EPO and JPO)
- Non-Patent Literature (any published documents publicly available other than Patents or Published Patent Applications)
- Internet Searches (Google, Yahoo, etc.)
- Trade Publications and Databases (e.g., ACM, IEEE, CHEMnetBASE, MechanicalEngineeringnetBASE)

## Where Can Patent Searches Be Performed?

- The USPTO Public Search Room
- Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDL’s)
- Located in 50 states, Washington D.C. and  Puerto Rico
- World Wide Web Search Engines
- USPTO (_[www.uspto.gov](http://www.uspto.gov/)_)
- EPO (_[http://ep.espacenet.com](http://ep.espacenet.com/)_)
- JPO (http://www.jpo.go.jp)
- Commercially Available Patent Databases
- Private Patent Search Firms

## Internet Searching Using uspto.gov

- World Wide Web Searching Using
- www.uspto.gov

- www.USPTO.Gov

## Features of the Website

- Apply Online for a Patent or Trademark
- Check Status of a Patent or Trademark Online
- Search US Patent and Trademark Databases
- Search Patent and Trademark Classification Manuals
- Download Forms and Fee Schedules
- Patent and Trademark Help Resources
- Access Details of Currently Pending Published Patent Applications (Public PAIR)

- Patents

- Trademarks

- &

## Overview of Website

## Overview of Website

-    Downloading Forms from the Website
-    Click on “Patents”, then click on “Forms”

## Downloading Forms

## Patents Overview - Searching

## Searching US Patents

## Searching US Patents

- Three Types of Searches
- Quick
- Advanced
- Patent Number
- 	Or Application Number
- Two Different Databases to Search
- Issued patents
- Published Applications

## Quick Search

## Advanced Search

- Query Search
- Nested Boolean
- Television or (Cathode and Tube)
- Phrase Searching
- “Tennis Racket”
- Right Truncation
- Elec$

## Advanced Search

- Fields and Indexes
- Examples are:
- Patent Number (PN)
- Class (CCL)
- Title (TTL)
- Abstract (ABST)
- Enables Retrieval of Patents Based on a Selected Portion of the Patent

- ccl/43/2

## Performing a Text Search

## Classification Overview

- The USPC provides for the storage and  retrieval of every U.S. patent document that a patent examiner needs to review when examining patent applications

## Patent Classification

- Hierarchical Structure
- Technology divided into
-         three major disciplines:
- Chemical
- Electrical
- Mechanical

## Patent Classification

- Each Discipline is Further Divided into Sub-Technologies
- Electrical
- Communications
- Computers
- Physics, Optics
- System Components

## Patent Classification

- Each Sub-Technology is Divided into Classes
- Electrical
- Communications
- Class 379  Telephony
- Class 382  Image Analysis
- Class 455  Telecommunications
- Class 348  Television

## Patent Classification

- Each Class is Broken Down into Subclasses which are the Smallest Division
- Class 348 Television has Subclasses such as
- TV Displays
- Bandwidth Compression
- Transmitters
- Receivers
- Etc.

## Advantages of the MOC

- The Title and Definition of each Class and Subclass are Text Searchable
- Benefit of Organized Classification System
- Text Searching can be Tightly Focused
- Combination of Word Searching and Class/Subclass Searching Yields Better Results

## Manual of Classification

- To get to the Manual of Classification on the Website, click on “Guides and Manuals” on the top left half of the Home Page
- On the following screen, click on “Manual of Patent Classification”

## Manual of Classification

## Manual of Classification (Web)

## Searching the Manual of Classification

- Text search through the Manual of Classification to find the Class and subclass number of the subject matter
- For example, to search for “fishing nets”:
- Type “fishing nets” in the “Search For” box on the right hand side of the page
- Click “Search”
- The result returns Class 43 “Fishing, Trapping and Vermin Destroying”

## Search for “fishing nets”

## “Fishing Nets” Results

## “Fishing Nets” Example

- Clicking on the hyperlink to Class 43 shows all the subclasses in this Class
- Note that subclasses 7 through 14 are directed to “Fishing Nets”
- Clicking on the red “**P**” on any subclass to automatically retrieve all the US patents in the chosen subclass, known as a Classification Search (not limited)
- Allows for a complete search of all patents issued in a particular subclass
- The only way to view patents that were issued prior to 1976

## Class 43

## Class Number and Titles

- To view all the classes in the Manual of Classification, click on “Class Number and Titles” in the upper left hand corner of the page
- A list of all the classes will appear below

## Class Numbers and Titles

## Class Numbers and Titles

- Clicking on the “Go” button for Class 2 will show all the subclasses under Class 2 “Apparel”

## Class 2 “Apparel”

## Performing a Text SearchAn Example of Searching

- Radio
- Sunglasses

## Performing a Text Search

- Logic for Advanced Search
- Search “Radio” and “Sunglasses” Concepts Separately
- 	(“Building Block” Method)
- “AND” Together Results

- AND

## Performing a Text Search

- First Search Statement:
- radio or receiver or tuner
- Use Synonyms (with the “or” operator)
- Search Returns _346,000_*+ Patents
- 								* as of August, 2006

## Performing a Text Search

- Second Search Statement
- sunglass$ or eyeglass$ or spectacl$
- Use Synonyms and Truncation
- Search returns ~_13,000_*+ Patents
- 								* as of August, 2006

## Performing a Text Search

- “AND” together the first and second searches
- Returns _1559_* Patents
- This represents the intersection between the two ideas
- The result set contains all the patents that have the two concepts in the same patent
- 								* as of August, 2006

## Performing a Text Search

- Scan Titles of the Patents
- Note Class/Subclass of the Pertinent Patents
- Three Classes Regularly Appear:
- Class 381  Audio
- Class 455  Telecommunications
- Class 351  Eye Examination and Vision 			       Correction

## Performing a Text Search

- Consult Manual of Classification and Patent Class Definitions for Class 381, 455 and 351
- Do Additional Word Searching in the Pertinent Class/Subclasses Identified
- Check Cited References of Pertinent Patents Found

## Summary -Text Searching Tips

- Combination of the Following Yields Good Results:
- Use Synonyms
- Use Truncation
- Use Selected Fields/Indexes
- Use Manual of Classification Class/Subclasses

## More Text Searching Tips

- Constantly Evaluate Your Results
- Remember:  Text Searching is an Iterative Process
- Start with a “Big Net” and Refine Your Results Step-by-Step