Patent Task

PATENT RESEARCH / RECORD CONDITIONS AND EVIDENCE

How to run a patent search you can rely on

In patent research, what you searched and which passages you compared matter more than how many hits you found. Set a purpose, search, and record publication numbers with claim, paragraph and figure references so the next person knows what to check.

Search available documents →Download the search record sheet

Patent Task's document coverage is limited. Do not judge completeness or patentability from this service alone; confirm in official databases and the original documents. The record sheet needs no account.

What you are looking for decides where you read

Understand a technology field

Find documents by keyword, applicant, classification and period. Changes in counts also reflect how the data is collected.

Distinguish your invention

Break down your structure and operating conditions and compare them with specific claims, paragraphs and figures. Record exactly what you compared.

Check others' rights

Check each country, the claims and the legal status separately. Not finding a keyword does not establish freedom to operate.

Four steps from search to comparison

  1. 01

    Set the purpose, countries and period

    Record why you are searching and whether you limit by filing or publication date, and why.

  2. 02

    Vary words, then check by class and number

    Try synonyms for parts, uses and problems, then add IPC/CPC classes and applicants found in relevant documents. Record each change and its retrieval status.

  3. 03

    Read the claims, description and figures

    Do not conclude from abstracts. Note which claim, paragraph or figure contains each compared feature, and check translations against the original.

  4. 04

    Separate findings from open points

    Distinguish facts, differences, hypotheses and what you could not retrieve. A data-source error is not the same as zero results.

EXAMPLE / FICTITIOUS SEARCH PLAN

Searching for a temperature-monitored conveyor

Start with conveyor AND temperature AND stop, then try variants such as belt, overheat and shutdown. Compare each feature—reading the temperature, comparing it with a set value, stopping the conveyor—with what the documents and your disclosure say. This explains a method; it cites no real documents or counts.

Conditions to record
Search date, service used, keywords, countries, applicants, classes, date limits and retrieval status.
Evidence to record
Exact publication number and kind code, document version, source URL, claim, paragraph and figure references, similarities and differences.
How to use the search log →

Confirm the originals before you move on

Re-check publication numbers and original text in USPTO Patent Public Search or Espacenet, and share your conditions and comparison record when you consult a practitioner. Keep third-party documents separate from facts about your invention.

USPTO Patent Public Search →Espacenet →Patent Task search: features and coverage →

Once you can explain your invention

When the structure, operation and differences from prior art are clear, you can prepare a specification draft or create drawings that explain the technology. Do not let AI draw conclusions before the original sources are checked.

Try a search →Patent search basics