Lesson 4 Patent Search Keywrords.pdf

Patent Information Keywords Search Source:

Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL)

Lesson 4 Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) At the end of the class, the students should be able to

Discuss the different patent search mechanisms Construct different search strings Demonstrate knowledge on the basic search strategy applicable to any patent search

Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)

Assessment Task

Discussion Demonstration

Demonstration

Individual Presentation / Quiz

Patent Search • Is an iterative process by which prior inventions are examined, with the goal of finding information that bears close similarity to a given patent or proposed invention • Is a search conducted in patent databases as well as in the literature available to check whether any invention similar to your invention already exists

Basic Search Mechanisms Three types of searching techniques used in conducting prior-art search:

Classification searching

Text searching

Citation searching

Keyword Based Search One of the basic strategies Synonyms, Industry Jargon, legalese or patentese truncations are used. Iterative kind of search Keywords are taken from different parts of the document.

It can be helpful to generate a variety of keywords before beginning the search. Avoid broad and generic terms such as “device’’, “process” “system”, etc. Such terms will tend to bloat your results. Search strings are modified to converge towards the desired domain

Keywords

• words which describe essential technical features of the invention

Keywords

• can be searched in the title, abstract, description or claims

Keywords: Language, Synonyms and Equivalents Not all patent documents are written in English

color vs. colour; plow vs. plough; center vs. centre truck vs. lorry; backpack vs. rucksack; diaper vs. nappy; elevator vs. lift

Keywords

Synonyms

• Include synonyms in the keyword list. • Search for synonyms e.g. using specialized dictionaries • synonyms are taken from results of search

Keywords

Industry Jargon

• The keyword list should include industry specific terminology. • These terms are particularly useful because their use may be limited specifically to a particular industry. • If so, the search results will be more focused on the invention.

Keywords • AI - (Artificial Intelligence) A program designed to respond "intelligently" to various situations, for example the computer opponent(s) in a game.

Industry Jargon

• Android - A popular operating system or smartphones and tablets, owned by Google.

• Antivirus - Software which protects computers from viruses and suchlike. Has to be updated frequently to keep up with the latest threats, so is usually sold with a subscription which enables you to download updates from the internet.

• App – (APPlication) Any software used to carry out a particular task, such as office programs or games, particularly on smartphones and tablets. Usually downloaded to the device from an online store. Essentially another word for program.

Examples:

• Tablet - A portable computer which consists only of a screen, usually with no keyboard. It is controlled using a touchscreen. The most popular is Apple's iPad, but all the major manufacturers are producing them and they are replacing latops in a lot of situations because they are so much lighter.

Legalese / Patentese •

words or technical terms that are a generalization of the original elements

•

are invented and defined ad hoc by the patent writers and will generally not end up in any dictionary or lexicon

•

Many of the documents are written by patent attorneys meaning that the documents are full of legalese.

•

To broaden applicability of the patent application, attorneys may use generic terms instead of industry jargon to describe the invention.

Legalese Patentese

• the formal and technical language of legal documents that is often hard to understand.

• The legal jargon used in patents.

Legalese / Patentese

• “mouse trap” can also be a “rodent extermination device.”

Patent Jargon

Patent Jargon

Patent Jargon

Patent Jargon

Patent Jargon

Patent Jargon

Legalese / Patentese For "camera" returns these patents that use very different phrases in place of "camera":  Photographing optical apparatus (US5727239)  Image pickup device with facial region detector and method of synthesizing image including facial region (US7440013)  Digital photographing device with separate optical distortion correction for dynamic images and still images (US7265787)  Image sensing apparatus (US7671896)  Recording apparatus and method, reproducing apparatus and method, and program (US8520086)  Image capturing system, image capturing device, and image capturing method (US8369701)  Eye examining instrument with photo-detecting system (US4257687)

Searching for : “smartphone” patents Keywords used: cellular phone, mobile phone, smartphone RESULT: you won’t be able to retrieve patent documents that describe a smartphone with a keyword like “handheld device”, “portable communication device”, “portable communication terminal” or “wireless communication device”

Keywords: Truncation • Restricts the maximum length of strings

Truncation or Word Stemming • Ex: elect* -> electric,

electrical, electricity, etc.

Ooooppps… take extra care, coz this might include irrelevant words, such as election, elect, etc.

Keywords: Spelling vulcanization Option 1vulcanization or vulcanisation Option II – vulcani?ation Option III – vulcani* vulcanisation

Keywords: Spelling color

Option 1-color or colour

Option II – colo*

colour

Keywords: Phrase Searching

Use quotation marks

“”

when

searching for a phrase

Examples:

“solar panel” “electronic cigarette”

Keywords: Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) • tennis AND racket: all docs having both the word tennis and racket • tennis OR racket: all docs having either the word tennis or the word racket • tennis NOT racket: all docs having the word tennis but not the word racket

Keywords: Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT)

Nesting A OR B AND C

(A OR B) AND C

A OR (B AND C)

Nesting

Keywords: Parenthesis/Brackets • Used when keywords are nested to clarify the order of search query elements • For example, you want to find patent documents on either red seaweeds or brown seaweed  seaweed AND red OR brown  possible that a search

database may confuse the search as (seaweed AND red) OR brown  seaweed AND (red OR brown)

Keywords: Parenthesis/Brackets • Wrong format – Dog OR cat OR pet AND cage OR kennel OR housing • Using proper brackets – (Dog OR cat OR pet )AND(cage OR kennel OR housing)

SCOPING THE SEARCH

Properly Generating Text Queries

EXAMPLE: RFID A shipping company would like to improve its logistics management. You've been asked to perform a search for inventions related to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags used to track the movement of containers.

Key Concepts

Copcept 1: radio frequency identification, RFID Concept 2: containers

Phrases Concept 1: “radio frequency identification”, RFID Concept 2: containers

Boolean Operators “radio frequency identification” OR RFID AND containers

Indicate relationships between concepts (synonyms and additional concepts)

Nesting (“radio frequency identification” OR RFID) AND containers

• Resolve ambiguous logic

Wildcard Operators (“radio frequency identification” OR RFID) AND container*

• Include variants (here: plural form)

mobile phone • Bad search – Title/Abstract: ‘mobile phone’

• Poor search – Description: ‘mobile phone’ – Title/Abstract: electronic device

mobile phone • Good search (exhaustive) – Field search is combination of title, abstract, claims and specs – ‘mobile phone’ OR ‘cell phone’ OR ‘cellular phone’ OR ‘hand phone’ OR ‘portable telecommunication device’ OR ‘portable electronic device’ OR ‘handheld communication device’ OR ‘handheld electronic device’ – Plurals

Search string for corrective eyeglass • What if you need to search for patent docs about corrective eyeglass? • Nesting: – (eyeglass* OR “eye glass*” OR eyewear OR “eye wear” OR spectacle* OR goggle*) AND (corrective OR ophthalmic) – (eyeglass* OR “eye glass*” OR eyewear OR “eye wear” OR spectacle* OR goggle*) AND (correct* OR ophthalmic)

SAMPLE INVENTION 1

ADVANCED BIKE SYSTEM

An advanced bicycle system wherein sensors attached to the bicycle process data and send the output to an electronic device such as a mobile phone. The electronic device generates and displays the riding information of the bike in real time. This will enable bikers to measure parameters such as speed, distance, time, altitude, elevation, incline, decline, heart rate, power, derailleur settings etc. A team of cyclists could communicate with each other and share riding information as the electronic device can be paired with devices of one or more other cyclists.

Problem-Solution Approach

Problem/Purpose

Solution Function

To ride as a team Share information

Measure parameters, Share, Process cyclist/rider/riding information or data

Structure (essential features) Bicycle Sensor Electronic device

KEYWORDS 1. Cyclist, rider, riding 2. Information, data 3. Process, measure, share, communicate 4. Bicycle, bike 5. Sensor, sensing device 6. Electronic device

KEYWORDS 1. Cyclist, rider, riding => cyclist OR rider OR riding 2. Information, data => information OR data OR parameter? 3. Process data, measure parameter => process OR measure or share or communicate

4. Bicycle, bike => bicycle OR bike 5. Sensor, sensing device => sensor OR sensing* 6. Electronic device => electronic* OR “mobile phone”

Final Search String (cyclist OR rider OR riding) AND (information OR data OR parameter?) AND (process OR measure or share or communicate) AND (bicycle OR bike) AND (sensor OR sensing*) AND (electronic* OR “mobile phone”)

SAMPLE INVENTION 2

A patch for administering vaccines that comprises microscopic projections made of silicon produced using deep reactive ion etching, with a length adapted to reach Langerhans cells, for improving immune responses through delivery and eliminating the cold chain. Build out concepts and terms around the technology area of interest

CONCEPTS: Initial Text Queries • A patch for administering vaccines that comprises microscopic projections made of silicon produced using deep reactive ion etching, with a length adapted to reach Langerhans cells, for improving immune responses through delivery and eliminating the cold chain. – – – – – – – –

immune response cold chain patch microscopic projection silicon deep reactive ion etching langerhans cell vaccine

QUERY: QUICK AND DIRTY • "immune response" AND "cold chain" AND patch* AND "micro* projection*" AND silicon AND "deep reactive ion etching" AND "langerhans cell*" AND vaccin*

INVENTION: Scoping the Search • A patch for administering vaccines that comprises microscopic projections made of silicon produced using deep reactive ion etching, with a length adapted to reach Langerhans cells, for improving immune responses through delivery and eliminating the cold chain. – What problem does the invention solve? – What is the invention? (Describe what the invention physically is) – What does the invention do?

INVENTION DIAGRAM PROBLEM

immune response cold chain

SOLUTION

What it is: (structure)

What it does: (function)

patch microscopic projection silicon deep reactive ion etching langerhans cell

vaccine

INVENTION: SOLUTION (STRUCTURE, FUNCTION) Key Concepts: [1] vaccine [2] patch [3] microscopic projection [4] silicon [5] deep reactive ion etching [7] langerhans cell

Invention: Brainstorm synonyms and equivalents • vaccine: inoculation, antigen, antibody generator • patch • microscopic projections: microprojections, nanoprojections, microscopic needles, microneedles, nanoneedles • silicon • deep reactive ion etching: DRIE • langerhans cell: dendritic cell, antigen-presenting immune cell

Query: Keywords • Vaccine, inoculation, antigen, antibody generator • patch • microscopic projections, microprojections, nanoprojections, microscopic needles, microneedles nanoneedles • silicon • deep reactive ion etching, DRIE • langerhans cell, dendritic cell, antigen-presenting immune cell

Query: Place Boolean operator • vaccine OR inoculation OR antigen OR antibody generator • patch • microscopic projections OR microprojections OR nanoprojections OR microscopic needles OR microneedles OR nanoneedles • silicon • deep reactive ion etching OR DRIE • langerhans cell OR dendritic cell OR antigen-presenting immune cell

Query: Phrase • vaccine OR inoculation OR antigen OR "antibody generator" • patch • "microscopic projections" OR microprojections OR nanoprojections OR "microscopic needles" OR microneedles OR nanoneedles • silicon • "deep reactive ion etching" OR DRIE • "langerhans cell" OR "dendritic cell" OR "antigenpresenting immune cell"

Query: Apply stemming • vaccin* OR inoculat* OR antigen* OR "antibody generat*" • patch* • "micro* projection*" OR microprojection* OR nanoprojection* OR "micro* needle*" OR microneedle* OR nanoneedle* • silicon • "deep reactive ion etching" OR DRIE • "langerhans cell*" OR "dendritic cell*" OR "antigenpresenting immune cell*"

Query: Put parentheses • (vaccin* OR inoculat* OR antigen* OR "antibody generat*") • patch* • ("micro* projection*" OR microprojection* OR nanoprojection* OR "micro* needle*" OR microneedle* OR nanoneedle*) • silicon • ("deep reactive ion etching" OR DRIE) • ("langerhans cell*" OR "dendritic cell*" OR "antigenpresenting immune cell*")

Query: Nesting • (vaccin* OR inoculat* OR antigen* OR "antibody generat*") AND patch* AND ("micro* projection*" OR microprojection* OR nanoprojection* OR "micro* needle*" OR microneedle* OR nanoneedle*) AND silicon AND ("deep reactive ion etching" OR DRIE) AND ("langerhans cell*" OR "dendritic cell*" OR "antigenpresenting immune cell*")

Final Text Query

(vaccin* OR inoculat* OR antigen* OR "antibody generat*") AND patch* AND ("micro* projection*" OR microprojection* OR nanoprojection* OR "micro* needle*" OR microneedle* OR nanoneedle*) AND silicon AND ("deep reactive ion etching" OR DRIE) AND ("langerhans cell*" OR "dendritic cell*" OR "antigen-presenting immune cell*")

Basic Search Strategy (I) (applicable to any patent search) 1.

Find keywords expressing the essential concept of invention (alternatively, start with IPC, i.e. in step (4) and then use keywords) 2. Find synonyms of these keywords from: • technical dictionaries • documents already found in this technical field • patents classifications • Tools such as CLIR 3. Carry search to see first broad results indicating also more synonyms and classifications

Basic Search Strategy (II) 4. 5.

6.

Find useful patent classification symbols Use keyword search to find the most relevant classification (compare different classifications if necessary as regards their relevance to your search) Carry out search to find relevant classified documents

Basic Search Strategy (III) 7.

Combine the results of the classification search with additional features of the searched technology using keywords 8. Iterate this procedure 9. In general, start broadly (recall) and narrow down (precision) to relevant documents as search progresses 10. Read carefully a manageable number of documents

In summary… Build out concepts and terms of technology Address invention in methodical way (Problem-Solution Approach)

Brainstorm synonyms, word variations or equivalents Apply “ ” when searching for specific phrases Apply word-stemming Regroup terms related to a concept using Boolean operator Avoid broad and generic terms such as “device’’, “process” “system”, etc. Such terms will tend to bloat your results. Use parentheses to organize search

Assignment: Complete the search string below using your own topic: Spellings

Synonyms or word variations Phrase Truncation/word-stemming Boolean operator