Data on IPVision Patent Maps may be highlighted to identify specific facts about the patents being shown on the map.  The highlighted data is shown on separate maps that can be accessed under the "Thumbnail View" tab of a map:

The following describes what each of the Map Highlighting functions identifies:

Visual Citation - Seminal 1FC (>20):

This highlights patents that are "Seminal" where Seminal means that they have been directly cited by more than 20 other patents.  We use the term Seminal 1FC to make it clear that this is only looking to the immediate Forward Citation Patents or FCs.  The following example shows that this patent has been cited 23 times:

Visual Citation – Seminal 2 Level Out (>20):

This highlights patents that are cited by at least one patent (1FC Patent) that itself has been cited more than 20 times.  In this example, Patent 5413773 has been cited 19 times:

However one of the patents that cites the '773 patent has itself been cited 58 times as shown in the following IPVision 2 Level Forward Patent Landscape Map™: (see the big "fan" at the top of the map)

Visual Citation - Seminal 2FC Total (>100):

This highlights patents that have been directly or indirectly cited more than 100 times. It takes into account the immediate Forward Citation Patents (1FC) and the patents that cite each 1FC Patent- hence the label "2 Level Out".  Note that a Seminal 2 Level Out (>20) patent such as the one shown in the previous example may also be a Seminal 2 FC Total (>100) Patent.

Portfolio Build - Same Assignee and Main Class (>5):

Each highlighted patent has (>5) forward citation patents by the same Assignee in the same Main Class, up to two citation levels forward.

Patents in Same Primary Main Class:

Highlighted patents are in the same USPTO Primary Main Class and as such may be related technologies as defined by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Classification System

Patents in Same Primary Class Pair:

Highlighted patents are in the same USPTO Primary Class Pair. Classifications are typically expressed as "482/1". The first number, 482, represents the class of invention. The number following the slash is the subclass of invention within the class. There are about 450 Classes of invention and about 150,000 subclasses of invention in the USPC.

Patents in Same First Level Class Hierarchy:

Highlighted patents are in the same Main Branch of the USPTO Classification Tree.  The USPTO Classification System has a "tree structure" with each Main Class being the tree trunk and subclasses branching out from the trunk.  The "First Level Class Hierarchy" is anything in a "first level" branch - e.g. in the following table Class 472/106 is the first branch and 107, 108 and 109 is part of the First Level Class Hierarchy that starts with 472/106:

Portfolio Build - Same Assignee and Main Class (>5):

Each highlighted patent has (>5) forward citation patents by the same Assignee in the same Main Class, up to two citation levels forward.

Portfolio Build - Same Assignee (>15):

Each highlighted patent has (>15) forward citation patents from the same Assignee, up to two citation levels forward.

Patents with Same Examiner:

Highlighted patents have the same Primary Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Common Filing Dates:

Highlighted patents have the Same Filing Dates, color coded by date.  If patents have the same inventor and/or assignee then it may be that they relate to a given product or product family.

Red Flag - Potential Improper or Incomplete Citing:

Highlighted patents have inconsistencies in their cross-citations to each other, color coded by group of cross-citing patents.  A common situation is where patents by the same inventor don't cite each other.

Red Flag - Expired Patents Due to Non-Payment:

Highlighted patents have expired due to non-payment of USPTO maintenance fees, as per USPTO data.  These may be "abandoned patents" in that their owners did not think them valuable enough to pay the maintenance fees.  U.S.patent maintenance fees are payable 3.5 years, 7.5 years and 11.5 years after the patent issues.

Red Flag - Orphan Seminal 1FC (>20):

Highlighted patents are Orphan Patents (i.e., have no citation relationship with other patents on the map) that are Seminal 1FC Patents (i.e.,  have been cited by more than 20 other patents).

Red Flag - Orphan Seminal 2 Level Out (>100):

Highlighted patents are Orphan Patents (i.e., have no citation relationship with other patents on the map) that are Seminal 1FC Patents (i.e.,  have been directly or indirectly cited (2 levels out) by more than 100 other patents).

Red Flag - Orphan Seminal 2FC Total (>100):

Highlighted patents are Orphan Patents (i.e., have no citation relationship with other patents on the map) that have been directly or indirectly cited more than 100 times- see description above under "Visual Citation -- Seminal 2 FC Total (>100)".

Orphan Analysis - Orphans:

Highlighted patents are Orphan Patents that have no cross-citations with other patents on this Map.

Orphan Analysis - Orphan and Same Class Pair Patents:

Highlighted patents are Orphan Patents that are color grouped with other patents in the same U.S. Class Pair.

Orphan Analysis - Orphan and Same Inventor Patents:

Highlighted patents are Orphan Patents that are color grouped with patents by the same inventors.