https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search/patent-public-search

Full Text Patent Searching & Images Too!

USPTO has just enhanced their on line full text patent database. They now provide retrieval of the full text of US patents from US 3930271+ January 1976 onwards. Further the USPTO now provides images of US patents from US 1+ 1790 onwards..

The database consists of the full text of US patents (including utility, design, reissue, plant and SIR patents). The database is updated every Tuesday. Full text includes all bibliographic data, such as the inventor's name, the patent's title, and the assignee's name, as well as the abstract, the full description of the invention, and the claims. All of the words (text) in the patent are searchable.

The search facilities allow the use of the Boolean expressions 'AND', 'OR', 'ANDNOT' and nested search terms (by using brackets). "Phrase searching" by using quotes, Date Ranging 11/13/1997->5/23/1998 and Right Truncation (ie tele$)

The USPTO does not record or log the parameters of search requests submitted. Such uncollected information has thus never been disclosed through sale or FOIA request, intentionally or otherwise, to any third parties. PTO does not have any plan to change this operational policy.

Further the site provides hypertexted listing of the prior art patents that are referenced by the patent in question, and also a hypertexted listing of those patents which reference the patent in question as prior art.

USPTO Application Searching Database
The USPTO, from 15 March 2001, provided an additional database in which one can search publish US patent applications before they are granted.

US Computer-Related Invention Guidelines

Computer-Related Invention Guidelines
· Flowchart
· Slide Presentation
· Examination Worksheet and Hints
· Claim Examples - Machine, Process, Manufacture, and Descriptive Material
· Claim Examples - Compression and Encryption
· Claim Examples - Benson, Warmerdam, Schrader
· Utility Examination Guidelines

US Manual of Patent Examining Procedure
USPTO manual site, https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/mpep.htm

How do I put in an IPC Class in the USPTO Databases?

An International Patent Classification (IPC) Mark is entered in the following formats,

ICL/H05$
ICL/H05K$
ICL/H05K0$
ICL/H05K00$
ICL/H05K001$
ICL/H05K001/$
ICL/H05K001/1$
ICL/H05K001/14$
ICL/H05K001/14

What are the truncation symbols used?

The following symbols can be used:

"$" - for unlimited right hand truncation

Limitations:
"$" may not be used in a search word with fewer than three characters
no truncation symbols are possible within a search word.

Examples:
car$ will retrieve documents containing "car", "cars", "cart", "card", "cards", "cartography", etc
co$ is not allowed because the search word has only two characters

How can I limit the year range that is searched?

In order to limit the year range to, for example, between 23 January 1790 and 27 April 1998 use the Field Code (ISD or PD). Note the date formats. Use an entry like the following;

ISD/Month/Day/Year->Month/Day/Year or
ISD/YearMonthDay->YearMonthDay

For the Patent Searching Database a search would look use (ISD) and appear like;

ISD/01/23/1790->04/27/1998 and (mouse$ and trap$)
ISD/17900123->19980427 and (mouse$ and trap$)

For the Application Searching Database this is would use (PD) and appear like;

PD/01/23/1790->04/27/2002 and (mouse$ and trap$)
PD/17900123->20020427 and (mouse$ and trap$)

Full text searching is only from 1976 however you should still be able to year limit a search of US classes using this method.

What is a quick way to cut down the number of citations being returned?

A simple method, that I use, is to search the claims only using the Field Code ACLM. An easy way to do that is given below:

ACLM/(mouse$ and trap$)

I get a listing of patents but it takes so long to load them all

Well, one solution is to put the mouse arrow over the link, press the right mouse button and choose the "Open in New Window" option. Now just repeat this for all the links you want to look at. What will happen is that you will then have a dozen browsers all going at once. You can look at the ones that are already downloaded and while you are doing this the remainder are being downloaded for you, consequently there is no waiting time to access these patents.

How can I speed up the downloading time

One solution is to disable the setting that automatically allows the browser to download images. If it is just down loading text then the download is much faster.

How do I display images

In order to display images your browser needs a particular plugin that views tiff images. The USPTO covers this at their help page.

They suggest using the plugin from Medical Informatics Engineering's "AlternaTIFF". The latest version is AlternaTIFF v1.7.6.

Public PAIR retired July 31, 2022 https://www.uspto.gov/patents/public-pair-be-retired