Espacenet: Tips for searching patents
Espacenet is an online patent search tool operated by the European Patent Office (EPO). It is a huge database of over 120 million patent documents from all over the world. The tool is invaluable for anyone who wants to search for information on existing patents or explore opportunities for new inventions. Here's an insight into the key resources and search techniques that can help you navigate Espacenet effectively.
1) Espacenets Pocket Guide
Espacenet's Pocket Guide is a short and concise manual that helps new users understand the basics of patent searching. The guide explains how to start a basic search, navigate through search results, and use more advanced features like filter options and search operators. It is a valuable resource for those who want to get started using Espacenet quickly.
2) AND and OR search operators
In Espacenet, you can use logical operators like AND and OR to refine your search. The AND operator is used to find results that include all the search terms. For example, if you search for "Elevation AND bed", you will only get results that include both terms. This could be useful if you are specifically looking for patents on beds with an elevation feature.
The OR operator is used when you want to find results that contain at least one of the keywords. For example, if you search for "Elevation OR bed", you will get results that contain either 'elevation' or 'bed', or both.
You can also combine AND and OR in the same search by using parentheses. For example, if you search for "Elevation AND (bed OR mattress)", you will get results containing 'elevation' along with either 'bed' or 'mattress'.
3) Trunking
Truncation is a clever technique to expand your search by including multiple variations of a word. In Espacenet, the symbol * is used for truncation. For example, if you search for words starting with "elevat" enter elevat* and you will get results that include words like 'elevated', 'elevating' and 'elevation'. This is particularly useful if you want to cover different forms of the same word stem in your search.
Another truncation tool is the ? question mark, which is used to search for both singular and plural forms of a word. For example, if you search for bed, you will get results for both 'bed' and 'beds'. This allows for a broader search without having to specify both forms manually.
4) Proximity Operator / Proximity Operators
Espacenet tilbyder også nærhedsoperatorer, der giver dig mulighed for at søge efter ord, der befinder sig tæt på hinanden i en tekst. Du kan bruge kommandoen prox/distance<nr til at definere, hvor tæt ordene skal være. For eksempel kan en søgning på "Elevation prox/distance<3 bed" give resultater, hvor ordene 'elevation' og 'bed' optræder inden for tre ords afstand. Dette er nyttigt, når man leder efter specifikke sammenhænge mellem ord i et patentdokument.
5) 'NOT' operators
When you use the NOT operator, you can exclude certain words from your search. This is useful if you get irrelevant results. For example, if you're searching for patents on elevation beds but you get results about beds for pigs, you can use the search "Elevation bed NOT pig" to exclude all results that mention 'pig'. This will help refine your search and focus on the relevant results.
6) IP classifications (IPC)
Another powerful tool in Espacenet is the use of IP Classifications (IPC), which is a hierarchical system to classify patents in different technological fields. For example, the category A61 under 'Human Necessities' covers medical technology, including beds and other health aids. By using IP classifications, you can further refine your search. If you search for patents on medical beds, you can filter by relevant subclasses such as A61G7/, which covers hospital beds. This helps you avoid irrelevant results and focus on patents in the desired area.
Want a piece of advice?
Espacenet offers a myriad of tools and resources that make it possible to perform accurate and efficient patent searches. By using search operators such as AND, OR, NOT, as well as truncation, proximity operators and IP classifications, you can customize your search and find the most relevant patent documents. Want some advice along the way? You are always welcome to contact us at Larsen & Birkeholm for a free consultation, where we can help you navigate the patent system and optimize your search strategy.