QPAT The Global Patent Domain Wageningen UR & Plant Research International

1. Questel•Orbit QPAT The Global Patent DomainWageningen UR & Plant Research International Training

2. Login Screen www.qpat.com Help Menu French login screen Secure login, Change password and Direct access on Patent Copy Order

3. Introduction in the Contens of the Databases QPAT databases Bibliographical & Fulltext Databases

4. Databases • Access to the databases: • PlusPat(weekly update, currency depending on the country) • FamPat New from 1st February Patent Family Database • US Patents(weekly update based on Tuesday publication) • USAPPS (weekly update based on Thursday publication) • European Patents(weekly update based on Wednesday publication) • European Patent Applications(weekly update based on Wednesday publication) • International Patent Applications (weekly update based on Thursday publication) • French Patent Applications and Patents(weekly update based on Friday Publication)

5. PlusPat Database (Same for FAMPAT ) • Worldwide Patents database: 42 million patent documents from 72 patent granting authorities • Coverage starting dates vary by country (Coverage table see help button) • Bibliographic coverage for the US and most of Europe starts in the early 1920’s • Extensive coverage, including abstracts generally starts in the early 1970’s for most issuing authorities

6. US Patents Coverage • Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical patents are covered from October 1971 to present • Design and Plant Patents are covered from December 1976 and Statutory Invention Registrations from 1985

7. US Patent Application • US Applications were published from March 15th, 2001 onwards

8. European Patent Coverage • Bibliographic and Fulltext information of EP-B documents from 1991

9. European Published Application Coverage • Bibliographic information from 1978 is provided for all records. • Full-text coverage is from 1988 onwards. • 103.000 records in the period 1978 through 1987 are also full-text. • Full-text is not available for Euro-PCT patent applications. • These you will find in PCT Published Applications

10. PCT Published Application Coverage • Bibliographic and Fulltext information of the International applications published under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) from October 19th, 1978 (Full-text in English, German, French or Spanish).

11. French Published Applications and Patents Coverage • Bibliographic information since 1966. • Special Medicine Patents since 1961. • All French abstracts since 1978.

12. Part IQuick, StandardAdvanced Search

13. The Search Interfaces Which should I use: Quick search: Allows you to perform quick searches on one field; • using truncation • one criteria per search Standard Search: Allows you to do precision text searches and to limit your results using specific data fields • No knowledge of search operators (boolean, hierarchical, proximity) is required to conduct searches

14. Quick Search Interface Type the keywords Allows you to do quick searches in the database of your choice Possibility of Selection of oneor severaldatabases for the Search Choice of number of records per page of results

15. Quick Search Interface • For Text Searching: all the words searched will be present in the patent; • the implied search operator for TEXT is AND Example: gene sequences (retrieves patents that contain all of these words)

16. Quick Search Interface • For Assignee or Company name Searching: different versions can be covered by entering the variations separated by a comma • Use the unique part of the name, use truncation, use all possible variations of the name: acronyms, spelled out in full and as one word or two, use all earlier versions of a company name

17. Quick Search Interface • For Inventor name Searching: different versions can be covered by entering the variations separated by a comma • Inventor names are keyword indexed, so the search “DAVID SMITH” will produce the same results as the search “SMITH DAVID”

18. Quick Search Interface • For Patent Number Searching: Enter two character country code preceding the patent number do not enter commas or slashes do not enter status code for numbers less than seven digits long, left fill with dashes until a length of seven is reached • Publication numbers examples: EP1081432; USD442761 WO200133934; WO9900001 USD442761; US20010001328

19. Standard Search Interface Boolean operators assistance in keyword searching Limit by latest Update Database choice Limit by Date Range Choice of number of records per page of results

20. Standard Search Interface • The Standard Search page allows you to do precision text searches and to limit your results using specific data fields. • No knowledge of search operators (boolean, hierarchical, proximity) is required to conduct searches • Do not use search operators or parentheses. • In the “Limit by …”, “Expand by …” data entry boxes use commas to separate search concepts.

21. Standard Search Interface • When conducting searches in PlusPat, you can limit results to specific countries by entering the two character Country Code in the “patent number” box • For example, entering: TW, KR - would limit your results to patents from Taiwan and Korea • Limit by classes or Expand by classes: In all the QPAT databases the international patent classifications are present

22. Standard Search Interface • Limit by classes or Expand by classes: In PlusPat, PCT Published Applications and French patent databases you can limit or expand your results using the European classification codes. • These codes are revised monthly and are retrospectively applied In PlusPat the US classification codes are revised bimonthly and are retrospectively applied but in the US Patents and US Applications databases they are not revised

23. Standard Search Interface • Limit by year in PlusPat uses the year of the first publication stage (PlusPat contains multiple stages) • Limit by Date Range using Application, Publication or Priority dates • You can limit results to the latest update

24. Advanced Search Interface Search History button Full range of search functions for Text or other fields Choice of number of records per page of results

25. Advanced Search Interface Allows you to perform powerful and complete Searches: • You can perform your search not only using the interfaces for the searched fields but also in the Construct your search box • You can use a full range of search operators, truncation, and logical nesting • As well as Field Qualifiers for some selcted fields on the proposed databases • You can combine criteria together but also search statements • (Your strategy is saved temporarily in the HISTORY)

26. The Advanced Search Interface • Terms that are not separated by an operator will be searched as a phrase • Terms not qualified to a specific field will search the text fields available in the database • In the PlusPat and the PCT Published Applications only titles and abstracts are available for text searching

27. Truncation • Truncation can be used on all Search screens of QPAT - Quick, Standard, Advanced Search • For searching multiple names or numbers, enter each serch term separated by commas Truncation symbols can be used: + Unlimited truncation, both beginning and ending . It is used to expand searches ? Zero or one character truncation, it is used to retrive sigular and plural # Exactly one character truncation, it is used to retrieve American and British spelling in one query Note: Truncation can be used up to 9 times in a query

28. Searching with Field Qualifier Title/TI All databases Abstract/AB All databases, except European Patents U.S. Main Claim /MCLM U.S. Patents; U.S. Applications All U.S. Claims /MCLM/CLM U.S. Patents; U.S. Applications E.P Claims English/CLM German/GCLM French/FCLM European Patents; European Applications

29. Searching with Field Qualifier European Classifications (ECLA)/EC PlusPat: PCT Applications International Patent Classifications /IC All databases U.S. Original Patent Classification /PCLO PlusPat: U.S. Patents; U.S. Applications U.S. Original and Cross-referenceClassifications/PCL PlusPat: U.S. Patents; U.S. Applications

30. Searching with Field Qualifier Legal Representative/RP All databases except PlusPat Patent Country /PC PlusPat Priority Country /PR All databases

31. Boolean Operators • Use AND, OR and NOT to define your search profile in the Advanced Search Screen • In all other searches it is by default • Switch gear: • will look for patent documents containing both words in the abstract or the title next to each others • Switch and gear : • will look for patent documents containing both words in the abstract or the title • switch or gear: • will look for patent documents containing either the word “switch” or the word “gear” in the abstract or the title

32. Proximity Operators When you should use them: • To narrow the search especially in the Fulltext search, they enable a great precision in the search of keywords F terms in the same field P terms in the same paragraph W adjacent term in the order given D adjacent terms in any order nD adjacent terms in any order, separated by up to n words, where n is 1 to 9 nW adjacent terms in specified order, separated by up to n words, where n is 1 to 9 Please Note: Proximity Operators can only be used in the Advanced Search Screen

33. Searching in other fields • PUBLICATION NUMBER... IF YOU KNOW THE PUBLICATION NUMBER OF A DOCUMENT • This field enables you to search for a document using the number assigned to it on publication. The publication number is made up of a two-letter country code (eg GB) and the number of the publication (eg 2301278) resulting in this case in GB2301278. • Questel Orbit Publication format is standardized in all databases: • CCNNNNNNN • 2 letters for the country code and seven digits minimum for the number if less fill the spaces with hyphens.-

34. Searching in other fields • APPLICATION NUMBER • ... IF YOU KNOW THE APPLICATION NUMBER OF A DOCUMENT • This field enables you to search for a document using the application number assigned to it on filing. • The application number is made up of a two-letter country code (for e.g. GB), the year of filing (for e.g. 1995), and the serial number of the application (for e.g. 8026). • In Questel Orbit the application number is indexed as follows: • YYYYCC-NNNNNNN Y=year C=Country Code N-Number • If there are less than seven digits in N fill spaces with zeros.

35. Searching in other fields • PRIORITY NUMBER ... IF YOU WANT TO FIND EQUIVALENT DOCUMENTS • This field enables you to search using the number of the priority document of a patent. By definition, the priority number is the application number of the first application • Some patent documents can have several priority numbers. • If you have found a patent document in one country, and want to know if there is an equivalent (related) publication in another country, use the priority number from the first document to search in the priority field of data from other countries. • The priority number in Questel is indexed as the application number.

36. Searching in other fields • INVENTOR, ASSIGNEE • If you are interested in finding out if a person you know has patented any inventions, or in seeing what application a particular company has filed, you should use the inventor or assignee fields. • The inventor field contains information relating in general to the actual individuals who have made the alleged invention, • whilst the assignee field in many cases contains the name of the company or organisation for which the individuals work. • Searches for a combination of more than one inventor (inventor field) will be rather precise, while searching with the name of a multinational corporation (assignee field) will often produce a very large number of results.

37. Searching in other fields • The inventor field allows you to search for the name of a person registered as the inventor of a patent. • The names are registered with the surname first, followed by the forename(s), for e.g. Smith John Robert. • In QPAT You can search with : • a single surname, for e.g.Smith, • or with a full name, for e.g.Smith John You will retrive Smith John and John Smith the field is key word indexed. • You can also search for documents having more than one inventor:Smith, Joneswill retrieve documents where Smith or Jones are the inventors.

38. EC or IPC Classification What is the IPC classification system? • The IPC is a hierarchical classification system applied to published patent documents. • You can use the IPC class, sub-class and group levels as search criteria in the IPC classification field. • Whenever a patent document is published in the majority of countries in the world, it carries one or more “IPC” symbols classifying it into specific technological areas. • In the IPC, technology is divided into almost 70 000 fields, or groups. Every five years, it is revised by the WIPO and a new edition is issued. • The current edition is the seventh and was issued on 1 January 2000. • Once allocated, a document’s IPC classification never changes.

39. EC or IPC Classification What is the EC classification system? • The EC classification system is used by the EPO for carrying out patent application searches. • Although it is based on the IPC, it is not the same. The most important point for patent information users is that it is designed with the searcher in mind. • Whenever a new document is to be given an EC classification, it is sent to the examiner in charge of the field to which it relates. • The ECLA defines exactly the technological area of an application of an invention • It’s a hierarchy system divided into different classes with sub-divisions • ECLA has more sub-divisions available than IPC system (130,000 additional sub-divisions) • The examiners of the EPO office intellectually apply the ECLA codes

40. Finding the relevant patent classification • Finding the relevant classification is often one of the first steps in a search In QPAT you can locate: • The European Classification • The International Classification • The American Classification Very easily through the Statistical Analysis of the Classification Tool

41. Finding the relevant patent classification • This is the most efficient way to retrieve relevant classification symbols quickly • Enter two or three keywords defining the invention in the Basic or Advanced Search Interfaces Click on search; • Generate Statistical Analysis in the Result Screen - Check the meaning of the classifications

42. Part IIFamily, Citation and Similarity SearchDisplaying Results

43. Patent Family Search What is a Patent Family? • An applicant seeking protection for an invention must file for a patent in each country where patent protection is desired. The worldwide applications and publications for an invention are collectively known as a patent family • Typically, the applicant files for a patent first in his own country. Subsequent applications in other countries will claim priority rights based on this original application and filing date

44. Patent Family Search What is a Priority Number? • The application number and filing date for the original application are called the priority number and priority date What is a Patent Family Search? • A QPAT family search will retrieve all documents in the PlusPat database that share at least one common priority number. (IMPADOC extended ) It will include divisionals, continuations, and continuations-in-part in the family results • IN FAMPAT you will retrieve documents divided into families . Be aware the family concept is strict with some additional rules .

45. Family Search with FAMPAT and options In FamPat , you will search immediately the inventions gathered into strict PLUS families . In the display screen options you will always have the possibility to display the INPADOC familiy

46. Controlled germination

48. Family Search Interface Family + status + abstract + citations Family + status Choice of number of records per page of results.

49. Family Report Display Option Display includes Table, Full bibliographic and legal status details

50. Family search report with legal status data Family Report Display of *Family members in tabular form (*patents belonging to the same invention filed in different countries) Includes Full bibliographic and legal status details