How to conduct a Patent serach?
For conducting a self patent search through any online patent search tools (global patent search), you should folllow different searching approaches. Patent searching approaches can be categorized under the following heads:
Keyword searches,
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Classification searches,
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Boolean Searches,
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Structure searches,
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Sequence searches, and
- Image searches
Keyword Searches
The most widely used and basic search category for patent searching involves the use of concepts and terms related to the invention by inserting text characters as search terms. Search term includes alternative terms, synonyms, spelling variations, acronyms. It also helps in finding records related to similar technology area.
Classification Searches
Classification searches are performed used to categorize patents based on a specific code that groups inventions according to the technical area. It is an easy, comprehensive, faster and quicker way of classifying patents as per the subject matter.
Classification systems:
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International Patent Classification (IPC),
- United States Patent Classification (USPC),
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Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC),
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Japanese FI and F term classification, F stands for “feature”.
Earlier European Patent Classification (ELICA) was also used but to make the classification easier Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) was introduced. CPC is an extension of the IPC and is jointly managed by the EPO and the US Patent and Trademark Office.
The classification search is used in combination with other search strategies to yield the best search results to the searcher conducting a search in a particular technical area.
Boolean Searches
Boolean Search is a type of search allowing searches to combine keywords with operators such as AND, NOT and OR to produce more relevant results.
Structure Searches
Structure searches involve searching chemical structures on certain databases based on atom to atom and fragment to fragment indexing of chemical structures.
Sequence Searches
Sequence searches are used for searching chemical structures on the certain database based on nucleotide and protein sequences.
Image Searches
Image searches are conducted on Google platform which allows image to image mapping based on a search algorithm helpful in identifying similar images.
Why perform Patent searching?
Patent Searching is performed:
- To determine the novelty of the invention and idea by finding similar patents and prior arts.
- To discover owners of a particular patent or patents in a field of interest.
- To validate and invalidate the particular patent searching.
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