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Quick & Dirty Patent Search Guide
(Step by step directions and short cuts)


Of the 85 Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDL's) around the U.S., UNR has one at the Getchell Library. If one is near the UNR campus, it is best to go directly to the PTDL library and start the patentability search there.


If not convenient at the time, one can begin the search with a home PC and modem, on the internet: The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) database web page address is:

http://www.patents.uspto.gov


There, it is easy to do a "word" search in the area of technology one is interested in. By following the directions on the "Advanced Search" page a list of relevant patents may be brought up in hypertext in order to read the abstracts of each one. Graphics (drawing) are available on the PTO web site, and also on the IBM site:

http://www.patents.ibm.com


Theyare slow download due to telephone line restrictions. The advantage of the PTO site is getting a look at the U.S. Patent Classifications system. IBM does not support classification searching because that is part of the government system, not IBM.


At the PTDL library one will find the staff very helpful and very knowledgeable. They will fill you in on the idiosyncrasies of the CD Rom searching system "CASSIS." It's an acronym for Classification And Search Support Information System.

Your first place to start is with the alphabetical listing of general subjects book. It is an index of common language terms, such as "electronic switches" instead of "miscellaneous active nonlinear devices, circuits and systems", which is how the same subject would be listed in the patent classification manual.

The alpha listings will give some classification and subclassification identification, which you should jot down as a side note, to be used later with your word search.

Then go to the computer terminal where the CASSIS working screen can be brought up in the "Bibliographic" search mode. On the "Title or Abstract" line (top line) type in your key word, or words. See Illustration #1 .

If the words cover a broad subject there will be displayed far too many patents to search, like 400 or so. Illustration #2. That only means it is necessary to go back and add or change words to narrow the subject search down to a workable number of patents to look up; say 20 or 30. Illustrations #3 & #4.

Example: Suppose we invented a new type of safety release device for ski bindings. The word "ski" indicates 4,216 patents have that word "ski" in their title or abstract. By adding the word "binding" it narrows it down to 951. Then the added word "safety" brings up 362; still too many. one more word, "release" narrows it finally to 20. That's searchable in very little time.

But if we had looked up "skis" in the alpha index and jotted down Class 280, which is where most ski patents are classified, then we could have entered the search words "safety release device" in the top line for title or abstract, dropped down one line to highlight the Classification line and entered the class number 280 with a forward slash and a wild card symbol, the asterisk, (280/*) we would have the database search the entire ski class for our key words and get a combination of only 14 patents that match that code. Illustration #4

In order to view those 14 patents, (title and patent number) we press the function key F3. It will display all 14 in numerical order, with their titles. Illustration #5

We can't memorize that many, so we press the function key F4 to bring down "action" menu. In order to print out the list for searching in the Official Gazette books, we must set up the print defaults. Illustrations #6 & #7
(defaults are changed by using the arrow keys, horizontal scroll keys)

       Document Format            : Brief Record

       Include Search Text        : Toggle to "Yes"

       What Range?                : Current Document

       Page Eject                 : Never

       Print Graphics             : Toggle to "No"

       Start Print                : Toggle to "Yes"

Press Escape key to toggle back to patent title list.

This happens to be a very short list of patents, but sometimes you have a rather long list that may include quite a few that are really not too relevant.

Now we can search the Official Gazette books, on the shelves, to get a look at a drawing,and read an abstract, of only 13 patents that are "in our ball park," so to speak. This is called a compound search.
That's about it. Once you spot a patent in the Official Gazette books, that looks like you need to read the full text and view all the drawings, the microfilm reader will print out the full patent by using your library copy cards. Best of all, except for the copying costs, it's free.

DISCLAIMER:

This is a preliminary prior art patent search that will satisfy many questions concerning prior art that is already patented. It's useful to eliminate most patented information that might prevent patentability, plus it reveals and teaches technology in your area of interest. But it is not to be construed as equal to a complete, professional patentability search of all prior art in existence. That involves not only more thoroughness but also a search of non-patented material, such as technical papers and articles published in that relevant discipline.



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Page done by Vince Chemist.
Created on Jan. 20, 2000
Updated on October 31, 2005