Susumu IWASAKI Examination Policy Planning Office Japan Patent Office Japanese Classification System (FI, F-term) / Quality of Reclassification / Quality of Reclassification

Japan Patent Office Contents IntroductionIntroduction What is FI?What is FI? What is F-term?What is F-term? Comparison between IPC, FI and F-termComparison between IPC, FI and F-term Effective search by F-termEffective search by F-term –Example 1 –Example 2 Quality of search index in the JPOQuality of search index in the JPO ConclusionConclusion 1

Japan Patent Office Introduction (1) JPOs Contribution to the reformed IPC EP JP 74.7% 24.9% EP 23.8% JP 71.0% JP shares over 70% of the reclassification results 2

Japan Patent Office A huge volume of Japanese patent documents (over 400,000 applications per year) Covered in every technical fields 1993~: CD-ROM publication 1990~: Electronic filing FI/F-term search FI/F-term search Full-text search 35 million records (1885~present) Character of JP patent documents Introduction (2) Character of JP patent documents 3

Japan Patent Office Existence of unique/advanced technologies in Japan Growing number of Patent Documents Inefficient search with IPC Creation of internal search indices since 1984 FI (File Index) F-term Cf. IPC ver.4 (1985) Introduction (3) Background for creation of internal search index 4

Japan Patent Office Introduction (4) Search index structure for JP patent documents JPO original search tool JP patent documents F-term 340,000 items (Multi-dimensional viewpoints) FI (File Index) IPC 190,000 items70,000 items 35 million records 5

Japan Patent Office Subdivision of IPC (around 190,000 items) Covers all technical fields Covers all JP patent documents Backlog reclassification Available in the JPO internal system & IPDL Biannual revise to keep pace with technology development What is FI? (1) Characteristics of FI [Features]IPC 70,000 items FI (File Index) 190,000 items 6

Japan Patent Office IPC:70,000 FI:190,000 Section ASection B 01 A 01 B Section H 01 A 01 B Main group Sub group 1/00 ABCZ 1/ /041/06 ABZ 1/082/002/02 AB 301 A 301 B Z 2/04 ABCZ 2/06 ABZ 1/021/041/061/082/002/022/042/06 Subdivision of IPC 7 What is FI? (2) Relationship b/n FI and IPC

Japan Patent Office What is FI? (3) Position of the FI in the reformed IPC Incorporation of the FI scheme into the reformed IPC in the following areas: Incorporation of the FI scheme into the reformed IPC in the following areas: Inverter devices (H02M7/) T024 A Hybrid Vehicles (B60K6/) T010 A006 Air-conditioning systems (F24F) T035 A013 8

Japan Patent Office Limits of subdivision of IPC (FI) Limits of technical segmentation by single viewpoint? Limits of technical segmentation by single viewpoint? What is F-term ? (1) Background of F-term Destruction of technical segmentation ! Creation of technical group (Theme) Search by multi-dimensional index (F- term) in the above technical group 9

Japan Patent Office Concept of Theme All technical fields are divided by technical groups (Theme) defined by certain FI range e.g., 3E003 (theme code) -> B65B 5/00-5/12 (FI coverage) Container packaging and wrapping operation Approx. 1,800 themes are composed of unique search indices F-terms What is F-term ? (2) Concept of Theme 10

Japan Patent Office Concept of F-term Search keys (F-term) which classify prior art documents in light of some technical viewpoints F-term has some layers so as to search hierarchically Indications comprised of 2 letters selected from A to Z (viewpoint) and 2 numerals selected from 00 to 99 e.g., DD11 = DD (viewpoint) + 11 (numerical order) What is F-term ? (3) Concept of F-term 11

Japan Patent Office AA01*BB01*CC01 Query Preferable number of documents to be retrieved: About documents Preferable number of documents to be retrieved: About documents View point 1 AA01, AA02, F-terms (Multi-dimensional viewpoints) View point 2 BB01, BB02, View point 3 CC01, CC02, What is F-term ? (4) Relationship between IPC/FI/Theme/F-term 70,000 itemsIPC 190,000 itemsFI Theme 12

Japan Patent Office Theme Code View point Subject of theme FI Coverage What is F-term ? (5) Sample of F-term list 13

Japan Patent Office Concept of F-term -Multiple Technological Viewpoints- (1) Viewpoint AA Components Viewpoint BA Functions and Uses Viewpoint CA Structures 14

Japan Patent Office AA components AA04 ··Calcium oxides Concept of F-term -Multiple Technological Viewpoints- (2) AA04 4G031 15

Japan Patent Office BA24 ··Low heat expansion AA components BA Functions and Uses Concept of F-term -Multiple Technological Viewpoints- (3) AA04 and BA24 4G031 16

Japan Patent Office AA components BA Functions and Uses CA Structures CA05 ·Granularity Refine the search effectively! Concept of F-term -Multiple Technological Viewpoints- (4) AA04 and BA24 and CA05 4G031 17

Japan Patent Office Back-log reclassification i.e. reassignment of revised F-terms to the Japanese patent documents already classified in the existing F-terms Available in the JPO internal system & IPDL What is F-term ? (6) Other features of F-term 18

Japan Patent Office IPCFIF-term Total number of items 70,000190,000340,000 Coverage of patent documents More than 100 countries Japanese patent documents Coverage of technical fields All Approx. 70% Comparison between IPC/FI/F-term (1) 19

Japan Patent Office IPCFIF-term Revision Quarterly at most BiannualAnnual Reclassification Comparison between IPC/FI/F-term (2) [FI Revision Policy] To keep pace with technological development To keep pace with technological development To cope with the growing number of documents per the lowest layer of classification To cope with the growing number of documents per the lowest layer of classification 20

Japan Patent Office Effective search by F-term (1) F-term covers about 70% of all technical fields Average of F-term utilization rate : 42.4% F-term utilization rate > 50% : around 600 themes out of 1800 themes F-term is effective tool for searching Japanese patent documents in certain technical fields 21

Japan Patent Office Effective search by F-term (2)... F-term utilization rate > 70% : around 130 themes... 22

Japan Patent Office F-term search (1)-1 [Example 1] Collision Avoidance Radar [Example 1] Collision Avoidance Radar (G01S13/93) IPC: IPC: G01S 13/93 Radar or analogous systems, designed for anti-collision purposes FI: FI: G01S Anti-collision systems for automobile Theme: Theme: 5J070 (Radar systems and details thereof) F-term : F-term : AD00 Antennas and polarized waves AD13. Fixed Antenna BF00 Collision prevention BF19. Curved roadway 23

Japan Patent Office F-term search (1)-2 [Example 1] Collision Avoidance Radar Theme: Theme: 5J070 (Radar systems and details thereof) F-term: F-term: AD00 Antennas and polarized waves AD13. Fixed Antenna BF00 Collision prevention BF19. Curved roadway 24

Japan Patent Office F-term search (1)-3 [Example 1] Collision Avoidance Radar Search Formula and AD13 and BF19 G01S Anti-collision systems for automobile 2266 BF19 Curved roadway 265 AD13 Fixed Antenna F-termFI 25

Japan Patent Office F-term search (1)-4 [Example 1] Collision Avoidance Radar JP 41.6%DE 16.3% EP 13.6% US 11.1% WO 11.5% [Number of Patent Documents with Offices] The percentage of JP documents is over 40% of the total The percentage of JP documents is over 40% of the total Need for search of JP documents Need for search of JP documents F-term and FI are effective for searching JP patent documents F-term and FI are effective for searching JP patent documents 26

Japan Patent Office F-term search (2)-1 [Example 2] Telephone set structure [Example 2] Telephone set structure Claim Element Analysis Application Constructionalelement Purposes,Advantages A portable telephone Comprising a microphone, a microphone, Fixed on a tip of an antenna extendable out from the main device of said portable telephone the size of the device reduced View Point Claim AA07 Portable telephones EE05Microphone LL05Antenna BB03Miniaturization F-term 27

Japan Patent Office F-term search (2)-2 [Example 2] Telephone set structure Application Constructional element Purposes, advantages AA07 Portable phone LL05Antenna EE05Microphone BB03Miniaturization ProperAnswer The final retrieval formula: AA07*BB03*EE05*LL05 28

Japan Patent Office F-term search (2)-3 [Example 2] Telephone set structure [Number of Patent Documents with Offices] WO 10.1% JP 55.6% EP 9.3% US 8.7% DE 5.8% The percentage of JP documents is over 55% of the total The percentage of JP documents is over 55% of the total Need for search of JP documents Need for search of JP documents F-term is effective for searching JP patent documents F-term is effective for searching JP patent documents 29

Japan Patent Office Quality of Search Indices in the JPO Quality of Search Indices in the JPO Reclassification by outsource organization, technical advisors or examiners Outsource organization has many experienced specialists with necessary knowledge Rigid quality control system Stringent check by examiners (Check each case during early stage. Even if some criteria is satisfied, sampling check will be due.) JPs reclassification (quantity and quality) is useful and important infrastructure for other Offices. 30

Japan Patent Office JP plays an important role in the operation of the reformed IPC. Quantity and quality of JPs reclassification will make contribution to search by other Offices Japanese classification (FI / F-term) is effective for searching JP patent documents. Conclusion Future: Super IPC (multi-dimensional viewpoint) ?? 31

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