The Dilemma
Finding prior art is an art in itself. It requires being resourceful when it comes to finding patent references that are not easily located. Sometimes it is not possible to search Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) headings in full due to the large numbers of indexed patent references. This can be problematic when trying to find prior art that may not be located using a keyword/classification combination. What are some work arounds to help locate these patent references of interest that are seemingly concealed and buried?
💡 Combine patent classifications
For the two main concepts of the invention, combine the most relevant CPC/IPC headings. IPC headings are important for locating JP and CN patent references. Look at the images where there is no machine translation. In general, combining patent classifications is a good way to locate prior art. It removes the need for synonyms. There might be a synonym used in a reference that has not yet been included in your search strategy. Combination of classifications can prevent missing a reference in this way. Of course, it would require that reference was indexed among two patent classifications in the first place.
💡 Expand English synonyms into the target language
There are resources on the WIPO website that can help with identifying foreign language synonyms. Try to find the noun and root of the verb for synonyms of interest and truncate accordingly. By finding at least the main synonyms in a foreign language, the chances of finding a reference of interest increases.
💡 Use F-terms for Japan
F-terms (File Forming Term) are very granulated and are good for finding headings that are right on the subject matter. IPC headings are usually too vast to search. Being more specific and granulated, these headings are ideal for finding Japanese references of interest. Oftentimes, some Japanese patent references do not have translated abstracts. Using these headings can help find references of interest. To view parallel CPC, FI and IPC headings, visit this link.
💡 Use full-text patent databases
Full text databases like Questel Orbit and PatBase have searchable machine translations. These are useful for locating CN references, especially when combining keywords with IPC headings. PatBase allows the original foreign language text to be viewed side by side the machine translation.
💡 German utility models
If a CPC heading is too large to search in full, aside from a keyword search, separate out the German Utility models and look at the images. There are sometimes some gems hidden there that can be relevant for patentability and invalidity purposes.
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SHUBANA BAARSCH | PATENT SEARCH SERVICES | LONDON | PATENTABILITY | FTO | INVALIDITY
