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Patent Searching with Patent Lookup |
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The following search fields are available on the Patent Lookup. You may search them individually or in combination with each other:
Definition:
The Title consists of the title of the patent application or the published document. Depending on the database, the original title may be retained, or translated, enhanced, or rewritten by a database producer.
Syntax:
You may search for a single word, several words or a phrase.
| Search term | Retrieves |
| car |
records that contain car in the title |
| car brake* | records that contain car and brake in the same sentence in the title (the NEAR operator is assumed) |
| "car brake*" | records that contain the phrase "car brake" in the title |
| car and brake* | records that contain both terms anywhere in the title |
| car or brake* | records that contain at least one of these terms in the title |
| car not brake | records that contain car but not brake in the title |
See the Searching Guidelines for details.
Definition:
Subject Words includes words from the title, abstract, indexing, claims, and full text, if available.
Syntax:
You may search for a single word, several words or a phrase. Subject words should be entered in the following languages in these databases:
| Databases | Language of Subject Words |
| CAPLUS, DPCI, IFIPAT, JAPIO, USPATFULL, USPAT2, WPINDEX | English |
| PATDPA | German |
| PCTFULL | English, French, German and Spanish are used. English and French abstracts are available for all documents. |
| EPFULL | English, German and French are used. English is preferred. Other languages may be used additionally to obtain more complete results. When the English title is displayed on STN Easy answer page, the language of the claims and description is given in a separate column. |
| INPADOC | Titles are written in a variety of languages (English, German, French, Italian, etc.). |
For syntax examples, see the Title section. See the Searching Guidelines for search details.
Definition:
The Inventor is the name of the original person(s) who is (are) registered on the patent or patent application.
Syntax:
The names of inventors are entered into databases in various ways:
| Databases | Inventor names |
| WPINDEX, DPCI | Last name + Initial of first name+ Initial of middle name (if available) |
| Other STN patent files | Last name + Initial of first name or first name in full + Initial of middle name or middle name in full (if available) |
Always enter the last name of the inventor in the first box. In the second box enter the first name or at least the initial letter. Enter the middle name's initial (M.I.) in the third box only in cases when the middle name is necessary to distinguish one inventor from another.
Use Browse Index in order to verify how the name is entered in the database and to check the spelling variants. You may select one or more name entries from the index by highlighting.
Patent Assignee
Definition:
The Patent Assignee (Applicant) is the name of one or more original or legal companies, organizations, or persons that are registered as proprietor of the patent or patent application.
Syntax:
There are two ways you may search patent assignees: as a complete phrase or single words.
Because there are variations in how an applicant's names may appear, even in the same database, use Browse Index to check the potential variants. Select one or more name entries from the index by highlighting.
You may also search for single words from an assignee name, e.g., DOW and refine your search using the Boolean operator AND, e.g., DOW AND CORNING.
Definition:
The International Patent Classification (IPC) is a hierachical system which provides a breakdown of technology into approximately 60,000 subdivisions. It is used by all the main Patent offices either solely or alongside the national classification system for patents. The IPC is revised every 5 years; the current version is the 7th edition (2000-2004); but existing documents are not reclassified when there is a new edition. The IPC is published by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) in 9 printed volumes, on CD, or on the Internet.
It is not uncommon that several IPCs are assigned to one patent from which one will be the main classification and the others subsidiary classifications.
Syntax:
The hierachical system - highest level in 8 sections from A to H - is constructed as follows:
| Content | Example |
| Section | A Human Necessities |
| Class | A 63 Sports; games; amusements |
| Subclass | A 63C Skates; skis; roller skates; design or layout of courts, rinks or the like |
| Group | A 63C 17 Roller skates; Skate-board |
| Subgroup | A 63C 17/04 . with wheels arranged otherwise than in two pairs |
You can search by IPC Subclass, Group or Subgroup. Note that the format for entering the IPCs online does not include blanks and the slash is replaced by a dash. IPC Groups are searched as 3-digit numbers with leading 0 added, if necessary.
Examples:
| Original document | STN search entries |
| A 63 C 17/04 | A63C017-04 or A63C017 or A63C |
Use Browse Index to check whether certain classifications exist in the database(s) in which you want to perform your search. Use the Refine option to restrict a classification search by means of other terms such as subject words.
Patent Number or Patent Country
Definition:
The Patent Number is the number assigned to a patent or patent application when the patent document is issued.
The Publication Country is the country in which the patent document was issued.
Syntax for Searching Patent Numbers:
The syntax varies depending on the publication numbering system for the patent office. Most patent offices, e.g., EP, DE, US granted patents, use a continuous numbering system. Some patent offices restart the numbering each year and include the year of the publication as part of the patent number. Omit the Document Kind Code when searching patent numbers.
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Patent numbering system |
Format |
Original document |
STN Search term |
|
Continuous |
CCNNNNN where CC is the ISO-Country Code and NNNNN is a variable length number consisting of 1-8 digits, without spaces or punctuation |
DE 19919951 A1 |
DE19919951 |
|
Renumbering each year (prior to 2000) |
CCYYNNNNNN where CC is the ISO-Country Code, YY is a 2-digit year, and NNNNNN is a number of up to 6 digits, without spaces or punctuation. |
WO 99/12345 A1 |
WO9912345 |
|
Renumbering each year (starting in 2000) |
CCYYYYNNNNNN where CC is the ISO- Country Code, YYYY is a 4-digit year, and NNNNNN is a 6-digit number, without spaces or punctuation, with leading 0 added, if necessary |
WO 01/04255 A1 |
WO2001004255 |
Searching Japanese patent documents
|
Type of document |
Format |
Original document |
STN Search term |
|
JP unexamined (Kokai), before Dec 1999 |
JPEENNNNNN where EE is the last 2 digits of the Year of the Emperor * |
6-11796 |
JP06011796 |
|
JP unexamined, 2000 forward |
JP20YYNNNNNN, where20YY is the Western Year * |
2001-57865 |
JP2001057865 |
|
JP examined (Kokoku), before May 1996 |
JPEENNNNNNB, where EE is the last 2 digits of the Year of the Emperor * |
6-11796 |
JP06011796B |
|
JP examined, from May 1996 forward |
JPNNNNNNN, no year element |
* NNNNNN is a 6-digit number, without spaces or punctuation, with leading 0 added, if necessary
Conversion between Emperor Year and Western Year:
| Western Year | Japanese Emperor Year | Conversion factor |
| 1926-1989 | 01-64 | Western Year - 25 |
| 1989-2000 | 01-12 | Western Year - 88 |
Use Browse Index in order to check whether the patent number in question appears in the databases and what format is used.
Syntax for Searching Patent Countries:
Use the two-letter ISO Country Codes (e.g. DE for the German Federal Republic, EP for European Patents, US for U.S. Patents) or the country's full name, in German in PATDPA and English in the other databases. Use Browse Index. Click ISO Country Codes to see a list of ISO country codes.
Definition:
The day of the publication of the patent application or patent specification by printing or similar means.
Syntax:
| Content | Format | Example |
| Publication Date | YYYYMMDD (YYYY-Year, MM -Month, DD - Day) | 19991028 |
Use Browse Index in order to preview your search when searching for a specific Publication Date, but not when searching for a Publication Year.
You may also search for a range of Publication Dates, e.g., 19990601-19990615, or Publication Years, e.g., 1999-2001.
Application Number or Application Country
Definition:
The Application Number is the number assigned to a patent application upon filing by the patent authority.
The Application Country is the country in which the patent application was filed.
Use the STN standard format as follows. Note that the STN format for Application Numbers always includes the year of filing:
|
Type of application |
Format |
Original document |
STN Search term |
|
Non-PCT application |
CCYYYY-aaannnnn where CC is the ISO Country Code, YYYY is the year of filing, aaa is a variable length number or letter (e.g. for Italian applications) and nnnnn is a variable length number without blanks, leading zeros, or check digits |
EP application 91100382.0 |
EP1991-100382 |
|
PCT application |
WOYYYY-CCnnnn where YYYY is the year, CC is the embedded ISO Country Code, and nnnn is a variable length number without leading zeros |
PCT/JP92/00067 |
WO1992-JP67
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When searching for an application country, use the two-letter ISO Country Codes (e.g. DE for the German Federal Republic, EP for European Patents, US for U.S. Patents) or the country's full name, in German in PATDPA and English in the other databases.
Use Browse Index in order to check whether the application number appears in the databases and what format is used.
Priority Number or Priority Country
Definition:
The Priority is the earliest filing of a patent application for an invention. The Priority Number is the Application Number for which priority rights are claimed. All patents relating to the same invention, filed in different countries, belong to the so-called Patent Family.
The Priority country is the Country, in which the earliest filing of a patent application is claimed:
The syntax for searching priority application number or priority country is the same as the syntax for searching application number or application country.
See application number and application country section.
STN Easy Patent Guide Available for Additional Information
For additional information on searching patent information in STN Easy, you may consult the STN Easy Patent Guide.