Using Patent Classification for Searching, in particular the International Patent Classification David Barford Consultant Ulaanbaatar March 2015

Introduction Patents cover all areas of science and technology - from toothbrushes to nuclear reactors, and from pharmaceuticals to hats How can we divide this vast field of invention into smaller, more manageable chunks? Let’s start with eight chunks or sections 2

Sections A to D Section A: HUMAN NECESSITIES (eg agriculture, food, clothes, furniture, brushes, furniture, sports and games) Section B: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING (eg manufacturing, metal working, moulding, printing; railways, other land vehicles, aircraft) Section C: CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY (eg inorganic chemistry, organic macromolecular chemistry, metallurgy) Section D: TEXTILES; PAPER (eg threads, yarns, spinning, weaving) 3

Sections E to H Section E: FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS (eg buildings; earth or rock drilling; mining) Section F: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING;HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING (eg engines, pumps, heat exchangers) Section G: PHYSICS (eg instruments, controls, computers, nucleonics Section H: ELECTRICITY eg circuits, generating electricity, communications 4

Searching If, when a patent document is published, the relevant code A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H is printed on the front page, we can use this when searching So if we are interested in cements of a particular composition, we only need to search code C, the code under which chemicals, including cements, are classified Unfortunately, we soon find that literally millions of documents carry code C So we need much more detail than a mere eight sections 5

International Patent Classification (IPC) The IPC is based on this eight section structure, but each section is divided into classes, these are further divided into subclasses, which are then divided into main groups, and finally into subgroups. This is called a hierarchical structure: Section Class Subclass Main group Subgroup 6

IPC: Structure - general Section Subclass Class Main group Subclass Subgroup … … …

IPC: Structure – from chemistry down to cements C Subclass C04Class C04B 7/00Main group C04B SubgroupC04B 7/02 …C04B 7/06 … …

IPC: definitions C C04 C04B C04B 7/00 C04B 7/02 C04B 7/06  Chemistry  Cements; concrete; artificial stone; ceramics; refractories  Lime; magnesia; slag; cements; compositions thereof…; artificial stone; ceramics; refractories; treatment of natural stone  Hydraulic cements  Portland cement  using alkaline raw materials

IPC: Structure (subgroups)  More dots = lower hierarchical level 10

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Major patent classification systems International Patent Classification (IPC) Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) Japanese Patent Classification (FI/F-terms) European Patent Classification (ECLA) and the US Patent Classification (USPC)  replaced by CPC from

Difference between classification systems Language availabilityNumber of entries IPCEnglish and French (w/ national versions) ~70,000 CPCEnglish only~250,000Based on IPC FI/F-termsEnglish and Japanese~190,000Based on IPC

Difference between classification systems Applied by (offices)Applied to (collections) IPCOver 190 patent offices worldwide PCT, European, Japan, US, and other regional and national collections CPCEuropean Patent Office and United States Patent and Trademark Office European, PCT, Japan, US, and other regional and national collections FI/F-termsJapan Patent OfficeJapan

IPC: Structure (notes and references)  Relevant symbols  Relevant symbols, definitions  Relevant symbols, definitions, versions

Words or classifications? Words advantages disadvantages Classifications advantages Disadvantages Words and classifications 16

Words – advantages can be used in most databases easy to use infinitely flexible can use singly or – using operators - in specified combinations/orders/separations in many databases, the user can select whether to search the full text or restrict to titles/abstracts/claims 17

Words - disadvantages different languages synonyms (cellphone, cell phone, mobile phone; lift, elevator) homonyms (beam - optical or building?; mouse – computer or transgenic?) alternative spellings (color and colour) specialist terminology 18

Classifications - advantages independent of language independent of synonyms and homonyms independent of alternative spellings independent of terminology independent of typographic errors available for (old) patent documents for which little or no searchable text is available specially adapted for patent documents comprehensive and detailed; a spot-on classification term – if there is one - can be the quickest and best way of doing a search 19

Classifications - disadvantages not universally applied – except for the IPC can be complex and challenging to understand beyond an elementary level may not have any terms which are a good fit for a particular search may be applied with varying skill and accuracy by different authorities may generate too many hits if used at a general level 20

Words and Classifications Can use words to find classifications by doing a quick word search and looking at the classifications that have been applied to the best hits Can use the two in combination, eg “B62K19/04 AND magnesium“ – to search for bicycle frames made of a magnesium alloy “G02B AND beam“ – to search for optical beams 21

Scenario You have been requested to retrieve patent documents related to semiconductor lasers and have decided to use IPC classification for this purpose. Photo source: NASA

Tools (I) Terms Catchwords Definitions Scheme (ie detailed classification) (2) STATS (3) IPCCAT (4) Using words to find a classification. Search the database using words, display the results, and check the IPC

IPC Official Publication

IPC Terms

IPC Catchwords

IPC Catchword  Scheme (ie detailed classification)

Back to IPC Terms

IPC Definitions

Back to IPC Terms again

IPC Catchword  Scheme (ie detailed classification)

IPC Official Publication – (2) STATS

IPC STATS

IPC Official Publication – (3) IPCCAT

IPCCAT: Note IPCCAT is intended to be used on full sentences or longer texts. You can use it for shorter texts, but remember to put a period (full stop) after your search terms.

IPC: IPCCAT

IPC: IPCCAT (results by subclass)

IPC: IPCCAT (results by main group)

IPC: Bridge

(4)Using words to find a classification Search the database using words, display the results, and check the IPC that has been applied 43

PATENTSCOPE: Results using H01S5/00 44

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