1. Patent Information Search Strategies for Information Professional –Case Study
R.D.Sathish Kumar
Principal Technical Officer
Head, Knowledge Resource Division
Convener - Intellectual Property Management Cell  
CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre,
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Campus, Taramani, Chennai

2. Patent Search - Case Study
Patent Information Search
Patent Search is
an online search database where users may conduct searches for any patent application or patent that has been published
reports the existence of prior art affecting the patentability of an invention

3. Need for Patent Information Search
The reasons for performing a patent search are many. The most obvious is to determine whether or not you can get a patent or if your invention has already been patented.
Other reasons include:
Getting a general idea of how an application and patent is structured to help in the preparation or your own application  
Learning more about a new field (studies have shown that 80% of all patents hold information that is not published anywhere else in the world),

4. Competitor tracking
Technology tracking
Find alternative approaches and suggestions to help resolve technological problems,
Tracing the history and progress of specific technologies (areas may be found that are not patented and could provide valuable intellectual property).
To avoid litigation expenditure

5. For Researchers
Stops re-inventing the wheel and spending a lot of money doing it;
Avoiding wasted legal costs in pursuing patents for “old” technology;
Avoiding potential infringement situations;
Discovering research ideas and solving problems;
Find a solution to a technical problem;
Predicting hot-areas of research that can impact on current products and those that are in the development stage

6. For Researchers
Patent documents also have increasing technical and strategic importance - approximately 25% of all scientific or technical publications produced each year originate in patent offices around the world

7. Different Stages for Carrying out Patent Information Search by Researchers
Before the start of R & D Project
stops in re-inventing the wheel
gets a clear and broad picture of the state_of_art
lists shortcomings/drawbacks in the state_of_art
After the start of R & D Project
lists solution to the technical problem
establishes the novelty
After the completion of the R & D project
helps in drafting the Patent Document
helps in either broadening or narrowing down claims

8. COMMONLY USED FREE TO USE PATENT DATABASES
Sources For Patent Information Search
COMMONLY USED FREE TO USE PATENT DATABASES
Search site
Organisation
India
US Patent & Trademarks Office
World Intellectual Property Organisation
European Patent Office
IP Australia (Australian Government)
Intellectual Property of Singapore
Japan Patent Office
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
Intellectual Property Office, United Kingdom
Intellectual Property Office, New Zealand
Google Inc.
FPO IP Research & Communities
Netherlands Patents Office

9. FEE BASED COMMERCIAL PATENT DATABASES
Sources For Patent Information Search
FEE BASED COMMERCIAL PATENT DATABASES
Search site
Organisation
WIPS, KOREA
DELPHION
PATOLIS
DERWENT
MICROPATENT
QPAT
DIALOG WEB
IFI Plenum Corporation 
Lexis-Nexis 
Questel-Orbit
STN 

10. Content of the Patent Document
Bibliography
Description
Drawings and workable example
Prior art
Current invention
Claims

11. How to perform search
Before starting a patent search, the user must reach a point of concise understanding of the claimed invention.
For this purpose, it is helpful to practice summarizing the invention to its most fundamental elements. This can be achieved by attempting to describe the claimed invention in a few sentences, with focus on the nature and novelty of the invention.
This exercise “filters” the bulk of text used in the patent draft and reduces the invention to its most elementary keywords.

12. Types of Search Strategies:
There are 4 basic strategies that are commonly used to search the patent literature
Classification Search Only
Keyword Search Only
Classification AND Other Parameters Search
Others (Citations, Inventor and assignee ..)

13. Keyword search
Advantages: Keyword searches are quick and don't require highly specialized search skills. Keyword searches are also most appropriate for very recently developed technology for which classifications are not yet developed.
Disadvantages: Keyword searches depend solely upon the searcher's ability to anticipate and guess at how an inventor may have described an invention. Older patents must be searched by classification or patent number

14. Classification search
Advantages: Since classification searching relies on the features of a patent, rather than the words used to describe the patent, all patents that utilize specific features will be returned as a search result.
Disadvantages: Searchers new to the concept of classification searching will ideally spend time learning how to find and use classifications to retrieve patents. New searchers may have difficulty finding patents in very new technological areas

15. Extract keywords from invention description
Compose new Boolean search command
Extract keywords from invention description
Save patent as text file
Last abstract to read?
Last class to search?
Assemble search results
Review list of patent titles returned
Titles not relevant, or too many titles (narrow search scope), or too few titles (widen search scope)
Read next patent abstract
Relevant prior art?
Not OK
Titles OK No
Yes

16. The 7-Step U. S. Patent Search Strategy
Classification
Brainstorm keywords related to the purpose, use and composition of the invention.
2. Look up the words in the Index to the U.S. Patent Classification to find potential class/subclasses.
3. Verify the relevancy of the class/subclasses by using the Classification Schedule in the Manual of Classification .
4. Read the Classification Definitions to verify the scope of the subclasses and note “see also” references.

17. Access Full-Text
5. Search the Issued Patents and the Published Applications databases by “Current US Classification” and access full-text patents and published applications.
Review and References
6. Review the claims, specifications and drawings of documents retrieved for relevancy.
7. Check all references and note the “U.S. Cl.” and “Field of Search” areas for additional class/subclasses to search.

18. Step 1: Brainstorming
The first step in our patent search involves brainstorming.
Create a list of words describing your idea/ invention. Think of action words as well as nouns. Be sure to list synonyms. Use the alphabetical subject index for assistance. To perform a thorough search, ask the following questions:
How does the invention function? What’s its purpose?
What is it used for? Are there any special uses?
What is it made of? Is it material or method?
What effect does it have? What’s the end result?

19. Classification based search generally involves the progressive selection of concepts to determine which documents are appropriate for any given requirement.
United State patent Classification system is based on industrial classification; classification by utility –proximate function and by product or effect produced and structure classification in short based on the technology disclosed in US patents

20. Case Study - USPTO Objective
Case Study to find usage of Latex (natural rubber) in cement concrete (combination of building material)
Suggested Solution
Step1. Use the terms latex and cement concrete to build the initial search query
Step2. latex : latex, natural rubber
Cement concrete: concrete, cement, grout, mortar, composite, building material

23. Step 2 : Index to USPC page
Using the HTML version on the Index to USPC is recommended because the HTML version supports linking to the next step in the search process.

27. Step 3 : looking up the classification code

28. Step 4 : classification Definitions
Think about that plus sign that we saw in the Index of Classification. Remember to look around subclass

30. This is where the working definitions for all utility subclasses are located. Occasionally, you will find suggestions for other subclasses to consider.

31. Step 5 : Access Patent Document
Input is USPC=CCL/521/83
Output: 115 references

32. Input is USPC=CCL/521/83 and Rubber
Output: 54 references

33. Input is USPC=CCL/521/83 and concrete
Output: 42 references

34. Input is USPC=CCL/521/83 and concrete and rubber
Output: 18 references

35. Input is USPC=((CCL/521/83 and concrete) and Rubber)
Output: 18 references

36. Step 6 : Review the Claims

37. Step 7 : Retrieve and Review Cited Reference
It is found that there in no patent filed in the area of
invention in USPTO

38. In Brief Identify the parts of an invention.
Search the Index to the U.S. Patent Classification
Use the Manual of Classification
Consult the Patent Classification Definitions
Review the Subclass Listing.
Locate patents by number .
Obtain complete patent document.

39. Keyword serach only Input is USPC=(cement and Rubber)
Output: references

40. Input is USPC=(latex or rubber) and (concrete or cement or grout or mortar)
Output: references

41. Input is USPC=ACLM/(latex or rubber) and
Input is USPC=ACLM/(latex or rubber) and ACLM/ (concrete or cement or grout or mortar)
Output: 1786 references

42. My experience
1 Start with the issued patents and start with using some keywords, which are relevant to your invention. You may use either the quick search method or the advanced search method. Be sure to study the help pages .
2. You will get some results and by using more relevant keywords you can reduce the number of patent titles to a minimum of about 40. Please keep a record of all the keywords that you used.

43. 3. Please note all the classifications of cited in these patents
3. Please note all the classifications of cited in these patents. Note both the US Classification and the International Classification of Patents. This is a must.
4. Repeat the patent search with the Published Applications using Again record the search queries and the classifications.
5. Now study the classifications that are repeated time and again in your results and try to narrow down the invention to some particular classifications. It is not very difficult to do although it will take some time

44. Patent searching is an iterative task.
To do a good search you must determine how your invention works, NOT how you will use your invention.