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Click on field title for description. Entering information in more than one field is an "AND" operation. Click for Syntax Samples
 

Field Definitions and Search Tips
The following describes the Field Codes in more detail and provides tips on searching:
Abstract (ABST)
The Abstract contains a brief summary of the invention.  Searching the Abstract using keywords casts a broader net than searching just the Title.

  • Sample Syntax:  ABST/nanotube
  • Sample Syntax:  ABST/"carbon nanotube"
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Agent or Legal Representative (AGT) or (LREP)
This field contains the name of the legal representative of the patent applicant.  With name fields, it is best to use the syntax: lastname-firstname:

  • Sample Syntax:  LREP/Mason-Perry
    Retrieves all records where Perry Mason was the agent.
  • Sample Syntax:  LREP/"Jones Day"
    Retrieves all records where the agent name contains the phrase "Jones Day".
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Application Date (APD)
This field contains the date when a complete application was received by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, following receipt of all filing material requirements.

  • Sample Syntax:  APD/10/12/1999->12/31/2008
    Retrieves records with Application Dates from October 12, 1999 through December 31, 2008.
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Application Number (APN)
This field contains the identification number assigned by a patent office to applications that have received a filing date.  For United States patent applications the application number is a 2-digit Series Code followed by a forward slash and then a 6-digit Serial Number. (Example: 11/924413).

TIP for U.S. Patents:  Commas are optional.  The Application Number must be entered as a full eight digit string without the "/" between the Series Code and the Serial Number. The Serial Number portion must have six digits - add leading zeros, if needed.

  • Sample Syntax:  APN/11000413
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Assignee Name (AN) - Front Page Assignee
A patent or patent application is owned by the inventor unless he or she assigns it to another person or to an entity (e.g., the inventor's employer).  The Assignee Name field shows the name of any such "assignee" at the time a patent application was published or the patent was granted.  These assignees are sometimes called "Front Page Assignees" because their names appear on the front page of the patent document when published or issued.

Patents can be assigned after they are issued.  See "Current Assignee Name" for more information about assignments after publication or issuance.

  • Sample Syntax:  AN/Google
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Assignee Address (AA) - Front Page Assignee
The address for the Front Page Assignee of a U.S. patent or application.  

TIP:  When searching for patents owned by an assignee from a particular state (e.g., California), use both the 2 letter state code used by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and also spell out the name:

  • Sample Syntax:  AA/(CA or California)
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Assignee Name - Current Assignee (ANC)
This field contains the name of the current owner of the patent or patent application based on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office current assignment data.  If the Front Page Assignee (see "Assignee Name - Front Page Assignee") has not changed then the Current Assignee Name will be the same as the Front Page Assignee.  NOTE: a patent can be assigned without recording the assignment, although recording does provide certain protections - see USPTO General Information Concerning Patents.

  • Sample Syntax:   ANC/"Berkshire Hathaway"
  • Sample Syntax:   ANC/Google
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Associated Application Publication Number (AAPN)
In March 2001 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office started publishing pending applications. In our database, the Associated Application Publication Number field contains the U.S. application publication number (if any) associated with each issued U.S. patent. For example, to find the U.S. application publication number for U.S. patent 6,783,269 enter that patent number in the AAPN field:

  • Sample Syntax:   AAPN/6783269

NOTE: Not all issued U.S. patents have applications that were published so your query may return zero results.

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Claims (ACLM)
This field contains the text of the patent's claims.  The claims define the invention that is patented and the scope of the protection provided by the patent.  Claims are like the "metes and bounds" that describe a parcel of real estate.

  • Sample Syntax:   ACLM/"carbon nanotube"
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Current U.S. Classification: U.S. Class Pair-Primary (CCL)
This field contains the primary USPTO class pair in which the patent was classified at the time of the most recent PTO Master Classification File.  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has developed a U.S. Patent Classification System (USPC) that it uses to classify inventions by area of technology.  The USPC contains approximately 450 main classes of invention and some 150,000 subclasses.  Inventions are usually assigned a main and subclass pair as in 714/699 "ERROR DETECTION/PULSE OR DATA ERROR HANDLING".  A single invention can be assigned more than one classification code, in which case, the first classification is called the "primary class pair" and the other codes are the "secondary class pairs".

If you are searching for a specific class and subclass, you should phrase your query as ccl/class/subclass, for example, ccl/2/5.  Some subclasses can contain decimal and alpha modifiers (for example, 345/1.1 or 427/3A)

TIP: If you are searching for the entire contents of a specific class without specifying a particular subclass, you should use the * wildcard character, as in CCL/427/*

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Current U.S. Classification: U.S. Class Pairs-Secondary (CCLS)
This field contains the Secondary U.S. Classes assigned to a patent or application by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office using the U.S. Patent Classification System.  

  • Sample Syntax:   CCL/714/669
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Cooperative Patent Classification: CPC Group - Primary (CPC)
This field contains the Primary CPC Group assigned to a patent or application by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office using the Cooperative Patent Classification System.
  • Sample Syntax:   CPC/A01B35/16    or CPC/A01B  35/16
  • For all in Subclass:   CPC/A01B*    i.e., put an asterix "*" at the end
  • For all in a Group:   CPC/A01B35*    i.e., put an asterix "*" at the end
The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) is a joint partnership between the USPTO and the European Patent Office (EPO) where the Offices agreed to harmonize their existing classification systems (ECLA and USPC, respectively) and migrate towards a common classification scheme.   As of June 1, 2015 U.S. utility patents and applications are no longer published with USPCs. Plant patents and design patents are the exception, and they will continue to carry a USPC designation.

The CPC has the following "top level" Sections:
  • A: Human Necessities
  • B: Operations and Transport
  • C: Chemistry and Metallurgy
  • D: Textiles
  • E: Fixed Constructions
  • F: Mechanical Engineering
  • G: Physics
  • H: Electricity
  • Y: Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies

From the "top level" Section the classification hierarchy goes as follows:
    Hierarchy
      Section (one letter A to H and also Y)
        Class (two digits)
          Subclass (one letter)
            Group (one to three digits)
              Main group and subgroups (at least two digits)

    In the above example "A01B 35/16"
      Section:   A (Human Necessities)
        Class:   01 (A01: Agriculture; Forestry; Animal Husbandry; Hunting; Trapping; Fishing)
          Subclass:   B: (A01B: Soil Working In Agriculture Or Forestry; Parts, Details, Or Accessories Of Agricultural Machines Or Implements, In General
            Group:   35 (A01B 35: Other machines for working soil)
              Main group:   16 (A01B 35/16: with rotating or circulating non-propelled tools)

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Cooperative Patent Classification: CPC Group - Secondary (CPCS)
This field contains the Secondary CPC Group assigned to a patent or application by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office using the Cooperative Patent Classification System.

  • Sample Syntax:   CPCS/A21B1/42   or  CPCS/A01B  1/42
  • For all in Subclass:   CPC/A21B*    i.e., put an asterix "*" at the end
  • For all in a Group:   CPC/A21B1*    i.e., put an asterix "*" at the end
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Description/Specification (SPEC)
This field contains the patent description, including a brief summary and background of the invention, the detailed description, and a brief description of the drawing, if applicable.

  • Sample Syntax:   SPEC/"carbon nanotube"
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Examiner-Primary (EXP)
This field contains the name of the primary examiner responsible for examining the patent application.  As with other name fields it is best to use the syntax: lastname-firstname-middleinitial:

  • Sample Syntax:   EXP/Ellis-Richard-L
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Examiner-Assistant (EXA)
This field contains the name of any assistant examiner involved in the examination of the patent application.  As with other name fields it is best to use the syntax: lastname-firstname-middleinitial:

  • Sample Syntax:   EXA/"Ho-Anthony"
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Government Interest (GOVT)
This field contains data describing the U.S. Government's Interest in the patent, e.g., a retained license by the department of government that funded research, such as the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency or DARPA.

  • Sample Syntax:   GOVT/DARPA
  • Sample Syntax:   GOVT/license
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International Classes (ICL)
This field contains the International Patent Classification(s) to which the patent has been assigned.  The International Patent Classification (IPC), established by the Strasbourg Agreement 1971, provides for a hierarchical system of language independent symbols for the classification of patents and utility models according to the different areas of technology to which they pertain.

  • Sample Syntax:   ICL/C08F8/00
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Inventor(s) (IN)
The person or persons whose invention is described in a patent.  As with other name fields it is best to use the syntax: lastname-firstname-middleinitial:

  • Sample Syntax:   IN/Langer-Robert-S
    Retrieves all records with Robert S Langer as an inventor
  • Sample Syntax:   IN/Langer
    Retrieves all records with an inventor name containing "Langer"
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Inventor Address (IA)
The address(es) for the Inventor(s) of a U.S. patent or application.  

TIP:  When searching for patents for Inventors from a particular state (e.g., California), enter both the 2 letter state code used by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and also spell out the name:

  • Sample Syntax:   IA/(KS or Kansas)
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Issue/Publication Date (ISD or PD)
For an issued patent this contains the patent Issue Date.  For a patent application this contains the application Publication Date.

  • Sample Syntax:   ISD/1/1/2000
    Retrieves all U.S. patents issued on January 1, 2000
  • Sample Syntax:   PD/1/1/2000->1/31/2000
    Retrieves all U.S. patent applications published from January 1, 2000 through January 31, 2000 inclusive.
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Kind Code (KCOD)
This field contains the Kind Code for the patent document.  This is based on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standard ST.16 codes (kind codes), that include a letter, and in many cases a number, used to distinguish the kind of patent document (e.g., publication of an application for a utility patent (patent application publication), patent, plant patent application publication, plant patent, or design patent) and the level of publication (e.g., first publication, second publication, or corrected publication).  Detailed information on Standard ST.16 and the use of kind codes by patent offices throughout the world is available on the WIPO web site at http://www.wipo.int/scit/en

See: "Kind Codes" Included on USPTO Patent Documents

  • Sample Syntax:   KCOD/A
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Other References (OREF)
This field contains other (non-patent) references cited by the Inventor or the Examiner as prior art, including books, journals, and conference proceedings.

  • Sample Syntax:  OREF/"Origin of Species"
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Parent Case Text (PARN)
This field contains the "Parent Case Text" from the Front Page of an issued U.S. patent, e.g., "This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 228,641 filed Aug. 5, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,862 issued July 25, 1989."

  • Sample Syntax:  PARN/divisional
    This retrieves all patents with the word "divisional" in the Parent Case Text field
  • Sample Syntax:  4851862
    This retrieves all patents that have the patent number "4851862" or "4,851,862" in the Parent Case Text field
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Patent/Document Number (PN)
This field contains the number for an issued patent or the document number for a published patent application.

  • Sample Syntax:  PN/7171405    for U.S. Patent 7,171,405
  • Sample Syntax:  PN/20040133555   for U.S. Published Application 20040133555
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Patent Status (STAT)
This field contains information about the status of an issued patent:
A= Abandoned
E= Expired due to Nonpayment of maintenance fees
RE= Expired but Reinstated after payment of maintenance fees

  • Sample Syntax:  STAT/E
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References: patents or applications cited (REFS)
This field contains the U.S. patents or applications that are cited by a U.S. patent.  By searching the REFS field you can find the U.S. patents that cite a given U.S. patent or published U.S. patent application; enter that patent number or published patent application number.  NOTE: The References field finds the "Forward Citation Patents" for a patent.

  • Sample Syntax:  REFS/6000000 to find patents that cite U.S. Patent 6,000,000
  • Sample Syntax:  REFS/20010049649 to find patents that cite U.S. Published Patent Application 20010049649
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References: Assignees (REFSA)
The Assignee/Owner of the Backward Citation Patents that are cited by a patent or patent application as prior art.  NOTE: These are the Front Page Assignees of the Backward Citation Patents, which are not necessarily the Current Assignees.  To find the Current Assignees do a "Current Assignee" analysis on the list of References/Backward Citation Patents you obtain from the search.

  • Sample Syntax:  REFSA/"Texas Instruments"
    Retrieves all patents owned at the date of issuance by Texas Instruments that are cited as prior art by other U.S. patents.
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References: Number of BC (BCS)
The number of Backward Citation patents or patent applications cited by a patent as prior art.  These are called "Backward Citations" because when a patent issues the patents or applications it cites as prior art are "backwards in time" relative to that date.

TIP: Use the BCS field to search for patents that cite more than a certain number of patents or published patent applications.

  • Sample Syntax:  BCS/=>100
    Retrieves all patents that cite 100 or more patents or applications.
  • Sample Syntax:  BCS/=>100 AND ISD/1/1/2008->1/31/2008
    Retrieves all patents issued in January 2008 that cited more than 100 patents or applications as prior art.
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Referenced By (REFBY)
The patents that cite a patent or published patent application as prior art.

TIP: To search for a document citing a particular patent as prior art, you should search for the patent number in this field. A search for 6000000 in the Referenced By field will retrieve all patents cited by patent number 6,000,000 as prior art.

  • Sample Syntax:  REFBY/6000000
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Referenced By: Assignees (REFBYA)
The Assignee/Owner of the Forward Citation Patents that cite a patent or patent application as prior art.  NOTE: These are the Front Page Assignees of the Forward Citation Patents, which are not necessarily the Current Assignees.  To find the Current Assignees do a "Current Assignee" analysis on the list of Referenced By/Forward Citation Patents you obtain from the search.

  • Sample Syntax:   REFBYA/"General Electric"
    Retrieves all patents that are cited by patents owned by General Electric.
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Referenced By: Number of FC (FCS)
The number of Forward Citation Patents that cite a patent or patent application as prior art.  These are called "Forward Citations" because they are issued after the patents or applications they cite, hence they are "forward in time" of the patents/applications they cite.

TIP: Use the FCS field to search for patents or applications that are cited by more than a certain number of patents.

  • Sample Syntax:   FCS/=>50
    Retrieves all patents or applications that are cited by 50 or more patents.
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Title (TTL)
This field contains the title of the patent or patent application.

  • Sample Syntax:   TTL/"wireless widget"
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