Research Guides: Patents: Search Tools

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Quicklist: Patent Search Engines

Espacenet (EPO Patent Search Engine)
Includes all major countries.
Patent Public Search (USPTO)
Search U.S. patents & applications only
Japan Patent Office (JPO)
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
International Patent Applications
Google Patents Search
Search U.S. patents. Back to the very first has been scanned for keyword searching. The currency of uploads is unknown, so search elsewhere if looking for the most current. Also includes the European Patent Office (EPO), China, Germany, Canada, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

How To Use This Guide & Patent Searching Help

This guide will help in completing a patent search. It has been said that as much as 80% of the information in patents is not published elsewhere. Patent searching is critical to thorough research results.

If you need assistance, contact me using the contact information from the left menu. We can work by email or do a virtual meeting. Training sessions can be offered for groups or a class.

This guide is broken into several parts that can be accessed to the left:

Search Tools - Start here if you know what you are doing
Parts of a Patent - Learn what is included in patents to conduct effective searches
Search Strategies - Tips and guidance to conduct successful searches
Resources - Getting a patent at CWRU, learn more about searching, learn about filing for a patent
Various Tools

Topics tend to cross many disciplines and specialties so KSL offers a team to assist:

European Patent Office (EPO)

European Patent Office (EPO) includes patents from all major countries in a single search tool. It offers various search processes, translations, and downloading of PDFs.

Search tip: Most patent searches should start here as it contains all major countries and has the most advanced search tools and features.

Search Engine:

Espacenet
EPO sponsored patent search engine covering patents of many countries.
Patent information tour
The patent information tour consists of four learning units. Each of them has an introductory video and two or three theory chapters. At the end of each chapter there are exercises for you to test what you have learnt.

Background Information and Support Tools:

The European Patent Office Homepage
The European Patent Office (EPO) examines European patent applications, enabling inventors, researchers and companies from around the world to obtain protection for their inventions in up to 44 countries through a centralised and uniform procedure that requires just one application.
Country Codes
Country codes consist of two letters (e.g. GB) indicating the country or organisation where the patent application was filed or granted.
Kind Codes
The standard for document kind codes is set by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Coverage of the worldwide database
The worldwide database offers you the possibility to search for published patent applications from over 90 patent-granting authorities. However, as the EPO relies on data delivery by the patent-granting authorities, it cannot be guaranteed that the data in Espacenet is complete.

United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO)

The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) provides resources for the searching of patents and trademarks. It also offers various “how to” links and additional tutorials helpful in locating patents or determining if you have a patentable idea. USPTO website is limited to United States patents only.

Search Engines:

Patent Public Search (USPTO)
Search U.S. patents & applications only
Patent Center
Statuses on publicly available patents and applications.
Index to the United States Patent Classification (USPC) System
Index to the USPC is an alphabetical directory of all patent classification codes used by the USPTO.

Background Information and Support Tools:

United States Patent and Trademark Office Home Page
Administers the laws relating to patents and trademarks.
Patent Basics
If you’re new to the process of protecting your rights to your invention by applying for a patent, you’re in the right place. This page will direct you to everything you need to know about U.S. and international patents.
Glossary
USPTO glossary of terms and definitions.
Patent and Trademark Resource Centers
A Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) is a library designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to receive and house copies of U.S. patents and patent and trademark materials, to make them freely available to the public, and to acti
Patent Classification Home Page
Directories, search engines, and other supporting documents related to the USPTO classification codes.
Multi-Step U.S. Patent Search Strategy
Summary of the Multi-Step U.S. Patent Search Strategy
Kind Codes Included on the USPTO Patent Documents
Kind codes include a letter, and in many cases a number, used to distinguish the kind of patent document.
Process for Obtaining a Utility Patent
Flow diagram of all the steps.
Patent FAQs
USPTO FAQ about patents.

Google Patent Search

Google Patent search includes patents from various countries, including scanned versions of older patents and links to the major patent offices.

Search tip: Google does not share what is or is not included in the search tool, nor the delay in which patents will appear in the tool. Thus, the tool is good for quick searches or exploration. Details searches should be conducted at one of the major country search tools.

Advanced Patent Search
Use the advanced search to search by time period or other breakdowns of data. Google Patent Search maxes out after a few hundred results so a search by date allows you to combine results later for a more thorough results set.
Google Patents Search
Search U.S. patents. Back to the very first has been scanned for keyword searching. The currency of uploads is unknown, so search elsewhere if looking for the most current. Also includes the European Patent Office (EPO), China, Germany, Canada, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Databases that Include Patents

Derwent Innovations Index This link opens in a new window
Combines patent information indexed from over 50 patent-issuing authorities in the Derwent World Patent Index (1963 – present) with patent citations indexed from the Derwent Patents Citation Index (1973 – present). Includes links to cited and citing patents, cited articles, and full-text patent data sources. Sections available include: Chemical, Electrical and Electronic, and Engineering.
SciFinderⁿ This link opens in a new window
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Platform provides articles, patents, books, conference proceedings, and dissertations in chemistry and related disciplines. Search by substance name, structure, substructure, reaction, CAS registry number, molecular formula, organization, research topic, and author.

No guest access to this database is allowed. Access is limited to current CWRU affiliates only.
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature: scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Delivering a comprehensive overview of the world's research output in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities, Scopus features smart tools to track, analyze and visualize research.

Various Other Resources

Free Patents Online: Patent Searching and Inventing Resources
Provides an alternative to the various country-sponsored websites for access to US and EP patents. It includes searching capabilities and free download of PDF patents. Patents are branded with its web address, and web pages are ad-sponsored.