52 Patent Classificatio - Search Tactics (Information Research)
Description
This article is from the Information Research FAQ, by David Novak david@spireproject.com with numerous contributions by others.
52 Patent Classificatio - Search Tactics (Information Research)
All patents are given a special number. Unfortunately, each country has
a distinct numbering scheme: US patents are assigned a consecutive
patent number (currently 6 million+). Australian patents have an
alphanumerical which includes the year. Canadian patents are numbered.
Above these numbering systems, we have the International Patent
Classification (IPC), by the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO). Most every country uses the IPC to classify patents, save the
US. US Patent Classification is similar in many ways.
International Patent Classification
Thanks to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the
International Patent Classification (IPC) works as a universal
classification for patents. Started in 1975 and periodically updated,
we currently use IPC 7th Edition.
Section, Class & Group. The International Patent Classification looks
like this: A 02 J 1/00
At the heart of the IPC is the unique coding of every invention by its
specific form or function. The system is highly specific and logical,
and includes numerous cross-references to other codes of similar form
or function. Think of this as the Dewey Decimal System for patents.
The first letter is the section - one of eight broad categories labeled
A through G. 'A' represents Human Necessities. 'B' covers Transport.
Each section is divided into Classes. Each class includes two numbers.
In addition, each class is divided into subclasses, the letters which
follow the first number.
Each subclass is then divided into groups and subgroups. The number
before the slash is the group, the number after the slash is the
subgroup. Subgroups only have two digits, with further numbers
considered as resting behind a decimal point: 3/46 then 3/464, then
3/47.
Thus A 47 J 27/09 includes the safety device on your rice cooker and B
63 G 11/00 covers your various aircraft carriers.
The IPC system is fully described in these published directories:
The Official Catchword Index by World Intellectual Property
Organization.
International Patent Classification: Guide, Survey of Classes & Summary
of Main Groups
International Patent Classification: Section G - Physics
International Patent Classification: Guide
Thanks to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), these
full documents are online. We now have direct access to the
International Patent Classification (7th Edition): Official Catchword
Index, Guide to the IPC, and the complete Class and Section books.
Note: The International Patent Classification includes plenty of
internal references - indicating this group is similar to another
group; motorized boats take precedence over boat function. These
internal references are important to effectively searching databases.
There is more to the IPC, and we strongly recommend you read the
Introductory Manual to the International Patent Classification (IPC)
found on the WIPO website.
US Patent Classification
US Patents are classified with 400+ main classes and thousands of
subclasses. Sound similar to the International Patent Classification?
It is. US patents are numbered sequentially.
This means you can find US patents:
- by full text searching through the USPTO database CASSIS (found at US
patent libraries),
- by bibliographic & abstract text searching online through the USPTO
or IBM Patent Library,
- by US Patent number by US Patent Classification class & subclass - to
list similar patents by an effective combination search
- by the searching recent notices in the Official Gazette... available
online.
The USPTO allows you to search or browse the US Manual of
Classification online. The Internet Patent Search System lets you to
browse US Patent titles by class/subclass.
A little more information can be found with the Patent Guide to using
CASSIS, at the University of Michigan.
Patent Search Strategies
Here are the avenues open to you:
1_ Full text search and retrieval through a commercial database.
2_ Free bibliographic & abstract searching online followed by selective
patent perusal/ordering.
3_ Paging manually through the relevant official gazette (the US
gazette is searchable).
4_ Retrieval of the titles & abstracts within appropriate
class/subclass then selective review and patent perusal/ordering.
This last avenue is particularly resourceful and swift. Start by
reaching for The Official Catchword Index, a book by World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO). This will tell you the possible
class/subclasses that will interest you. You could word-search a patent
database and note all the class/subclasses found. Lastly, you can
always reach for the three separate printed guides that lead you from
section to subclass.
The result should be a collection of class/subclasses that may interest
you.
With this information, you can now browse all the patents in the
class/subclass. This process will help you locate all the patents that
may interest you since patent classification is more reliable than free
text search. (Note, both British and American spelling appears in
patent databases.) This also allows you to quickly review the patents
in other countries.
If you are undertaking a novelty search - is a patent sufficiently
unique from other existing patents - then you must review more than one
country. There can be a significant delay before patent applications
reach other countries without affecting the protection. Case in point:
Australia only accounts for 7% of the world's patents.
Further Search Strategy
Patent search strategy is further discussed in the Introductory Manual
to the International Patent Classification (IPC) found on the WIPO
website. You may also wish to reach "Searching for Patents"
(http://www.ummu.umich.edu/library/PTO/newpatsearch.html) from the
University of Michigan, and "Patents" by Simon Fraser University
Libraries (http://www.lib.sfu.ca/kiosk/nelles/patents.htm).
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