Patent search results depend on 2 Need for the search (type of
search) Invention Disclosure Searcher Knowledge of the Subject
Matter Search Methodology Search Tool Data Coverage Interface
Budget / Time allowed
Slide 3
Basic Search Techniques 3 Identify and Group Subject Features
Search Operators Prepare Text Queries
Slide 4
Database Resources www.uspto.gov www.google.com/patents IEEE
ProQuest Google Scholar ACM Digital Library Applied Science &
Technology Index CiteSeer CiteSeer X Collected Algorithms (CALGO)
of the ACM Collection of Computer Science Bibliographies
COMPUSCIENCE Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Computer
News Fulltext Computer Science Bibliography Computing Research
Repository (CoRR) INFODATA INSPEC MathSci MathSciNet National
Technical Information Service (NTIS) Safari Online Books Software
Patent Institute Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and
Computer Science Zentralblatt MATH (MATHematics Abstracts)
Tutorial:
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/ptdl/CBT/http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/ptdl/CBT/
Slide 5
Properly Scoping the Search 5 Identifying and Grouping Subject
Features Considerations of the Invention Disclosure Informal
description by inventor? Existing patent or drafted patent
application? Problem-Need-Solution approach Generate Keyword/Phrase
clusters
Slide 6
Consider the following simple invention disclosure 6 High speed
police chases are a danger to people and property. The amount of
time a high speed chase continues will increase the chances of
civilian or material harm. To prevent these chases from occurring,
the need has arisen for a remote car disabling mechanism used by
police officers to impede the progress of the getaway car. The
mechanism would incorporate a tamper-proof receiver installed by
default in every automobile upon manufacture that responds to the
signal from a transmitter to cut the fuel supply and ignition to
the engine. The receiver is connected to a relay that may cut off
power to a vehicles electric fuel pump or activate a cutoff valve.
The relay also cuts power to the ignition pack or distributor.
Transmitters and control modules are installed in all police
vehicles. The officer may use the control module to select the
vehicle that requires disablement by identification (e.g. license
plate number) and transmit a fuel-cut-off signal to the appropriate
vehicle. The officer may be in a police vehicle such as a patrol
car or helicopter.
Slide 7
Properly Scoping the Search 7 Questions to answer What is the
problem the invention is intended to solve? What is the need
generated by the problem? How does the invention solve the problem?
How does the invention function? What physically performs the
function?
Slide 8
Properly Scoping the Search 8 Divide the concepts of the
invention into Problem: the concepts relating to the problem the
invention is intended to solve. Need: the concepts relating to the
need for the invention generated by the problem. Solution: the
concepts relating to the way the invention satisfies the need
created by the problem. Function Structural Elements
Slide 9
Properly Scoping the Search 9 Problem: High-speed police chases
are a danger to people and property. Solution: What it is: Control
Module, Transmitter, Receiver, Valve, Switch. What it does:
Remotely disables a car in motion by cutting off the fuel supply
and ignition.
Properly Scoping the Search 11 Preparing Text Queries It is
virtually impossible to generate a single waterproof set of text
queries. Yet, it is important to begin your search with a carefully
thought out set of queries to maximize efficiency and be
systematic.
Properly Scoping the Search 13 Common Text String Operators
Boolean operators Typically AND, OR, NOT. For finding unions,
intersections, and subtractions from data sets. Proximity operators
Typically Wn, WFn, NEAR, SPACE. For finding words within a defined
perimeter of other words Truncation limiters Typically indicated by
a character such as *, #, ?, %. Most engines support back
truncation, where some also support front truncation. For detecting
varying derivatives of the same word.
Slide 14
Scoping Text Queries 14 Verb Attach Attached Attaching Reattach
(Re-attach) Reattaching (Re-attaching) Reattached (Re-attached)
NounAttachment Participle Adjective Attaching Device Attaching
Member Attaching Mechanism AdjectiveAttachable AdverbAttachably The
importance of truncation operators (attach* or reattach*)
Slide 15
Properly Scoping the Search Problem FULL-TEXT: (police or (law
enforcement)) near (chase or pursuit or pursue) Need FULL-TEXT:
(disabl*5 or imped*4 or block*3 or prevent*4 or inhibit*3 or
restrict*3) near (us*3 or operat*3 or driv*4 or escap*3 or motion)
near (vehicle or car or truck or automobile) Solution FULL-TEXT:
(remote*2 or range or distan*2) near (disabl*5 or imped*4 or
block*3 or prevent*4 or inhibit*3 or restrict*3) near (vehicle or
car or truck or automobile) Function FULL-TEXT: (((cut or shut or
turn) WF1 off) or cutoff or shutoff or disconnect*3 or break*3)
near ((fuel WF1 (pump or line or inject*3)) or ignition or
distributor or spark or plug or wire or batter*3 or power or
electric*3 or circuit) and (vehicle or car or truck or automobile)
Structure Receiver FULL-TEXT: ((radio or RF or infrared or IR or
ultrasonic or (wi fi) or Bluetooth or satellite) near (receive*1 or
reception or signal*4 or messag*3 or data)) and (vehicle or car or
truck or automobile) Transmitter FULL-TEXT: ((radio or RF or
infrared or IR or ultrasonic or (wi fi) or Bluetooth or satellite)
near (transmit*5 or send*4 or signal*4 or messag*3 or data)) and
(vehicle or car or truck or automobile) same ((law enforcement) or
police) Relay FULL-TEXT: (circuit or switch or breaker) Control
Module FULL-TEXT: (control or module or terminal or computer or
console) and ((identify*7 or locat*4 or determine*3 or match*3 or
choos*3 or select*3 or find*3) near (vehicle or car or truck or
automobile)) and (police or (law enforcement)) 15
Slide 16
Patentability Searches 16 Goal: Find prior art that could be
used by a patent examiner to reject the invention during
prosecution. All prior public disclosure is prior art. Preparation
for prosecution Aid in finding an appropriate breadth for the
claims of a future patent application. Aid in finding which aspects
of the technology to focus a future patent application.
Slide 17
Patentability Searches 17 Other things that characterize a
patentability search: Used as preliminary research Relatively low
budget, little time allowed Finds only the most closely related
documents typically not exhaustive
