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Searching Patents forChemical Processes

Ron Hambric

Patent & TrademarkResearch Center

Evans Library1st Floor, Room 105

Hours: M-F 8-10am and 1-3pm

Phone – 458-1336 Email: rhambric@tamu.edu

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The World’s Patenting Offices

Depositary of the largest databases

of technical knowledge

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What types of patent documents are there?

For the United States Patent Office over 7.4 million patents have issued since July 31, 1790

Patent types – Utility, design and plant

2004 Total patents issues – 181,322

As of Tuesday morning - 6,993,790 – files Aug. 30, 2001

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An article made from the compound or

How is this useful to me as a chemist?

A process for preparing a compound or

A composition containing a compound or

An article made containing the compound or

A method of using the compound for a specific purpose

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Where you could encounter patents -

As citations in chemical literature

When preparing a patent application

When involved in the negotiations for licensing a patent

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Type “patent” in thisField and click on“Submit”

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Then click on the titlewith your left mousebutton

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Scroll to bottom ofwindow and select“Tools”

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Beginning the Search – Step #1 in the Seven Step Strategy –Use ‘U.S. Patent Classification Index’

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Select ‘USPC Index’ button

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Looking for “Hydrogen Peroxide”Select the Letter ‘H’ for “Hydrogen”

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Use browser ‘Find’ functionto search page for the word“Hydrogen”

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Hydrofluosilic Acid ........................  423 / 341 Hydrofoils .................................  114 / 274 Hydrogen ...................................  423 / 648.1+     Alloys for storage .....................  420 / 900*     Carbureting ............................  48 / 199 R         Apparatus ..........................  48 / 116+     Compositions containing ................  252 / 372+     Electrolytic synthesis .................  205 / 637+     Exchange disproportionation           Hydrogenation by ...................  585 / 257         Olefin synthesis by ................  585 / 656     Generative composition .................  252 / 188.1+     Ion           Electrolytic analysis or testing ...  205 / 787.5         For ph .............................  205 / 787.5         Testing electrolytic apparatus .....  204 / 433         Testing systems ....................  324 / 438     Peroxide ...............................  423 / 584+         Electrolytic synthesis .............  205 / 465+         Electrostatic field or .............  204 / 175         Electrical discharge synthesis .....  204 / 175         Treatment ..........................  430 / 943*     Sulphide           Synthetic resin or natural .........  525 / 343+         Rubber vulcanization with ..........  525 / 343+

Located the subject “Hydrogen”then “Peroxide”

Class / subclass is423 / 584+

Hyperlinks to ‘Manual of Classification’

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‘Class 423’hyperlink todefinition of class

Step #2 – Class 423, Chemistry of Inorganic Compounds

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Note the Manual’s Hierarchical Setup

Scanning down the schedulewe find the appropriate ‘peroxide’by following the schedule hierarchyfrom least specific to most specific

Subclass ‘584’ looks goodCheck its definition using the hyperlink

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Step #3 – Finding the Definition for 423/584

Note that ‘See’references canprovide suggestionsfor further searching

Use the red “P”hyperlinkSee all patents for aParticular class/subclass

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Full-Text and Image Only Patents

Example of a classification havingpatents granted before 1976

A patent displaying a “T” icon hasthe full text available for viewing. A patent displaying the “picture”icon, only has the patent imageavailable for viewing.

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Step #5 – Find out it you are on the Right PathLooking at patents 1790 - present

Scrolling down and reviewingtitles, it looks like number5,961,948 might be worthreviewing

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Step #6 Reading the Information from a Patent

Patent Numberand date issued

Title of the Invention Abstract of patent

Inventors’ names

Assignee Information

Classification information

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Valuable information can be found from the listed References

Patents which are cited by the inventorReferences which cited this patentOther references – journal articles, patent applications, etc

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The description gives a brief summary of the invention, a description of theany drawings, useful background information of the invention and a detailed description of the invention

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Examples listed in a patent shows how the invention works

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Claims identify the features of the invention that make it patentable

Classes / Subclasses supports the claims

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Retrieved Image for US patent 5,961,948

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WWW.USPTO.GOV

Select the ‘Search’ button under Patents

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Retrieving a patent when we havethe patent number

Select the “Patent Number Search”

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Retrieve patent number 3,492,131

Input patent number as a seven digit number

Select the ‘Search’ button

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Full Text is not available

View the patent image byselecting the ‘Image’ button

Note: Current U.S. Class is displayed

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Viewing an earlierpatent documentstyle

Use the tool bar in the document window to print,save, enlarge documentview, etc.

Use these buttonsto select pages ofpatent

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Note: U.S. CL. 99 – 141Is an old Classification

Current Classification “426/548”was shown on search result page

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Looking at the Patent Image

To view digital images of your

Patent click on “Images.”

If you computer does not an

Image viewer, click on “Help”

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A Word About the Images

This link will take you to the viewersfor the patent images

Installation instructions will be foundon that page

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Searching the Published Applications

Select - ‘Quick Search’ button

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Searching Published Applications

Fill boxes with search terms

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Searching 432/584 (class/subclass) for Hydrogen Peroxide

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Results of Search for 423/584 (class/subclass)

Note: format of Pub. App. Num.

Select the first application

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In the format of a patent

Line (10) – Pub. No.US 2006/0002847

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Could not find ‘Aspartame’ in USPC Index Used the Merck Index to locate addition information

Found – US Patent 3492131Found class/sub/class as 426/548

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Can’t find a startingClass/subclass

The Merck Index

Encyclopedia of Chemical Trademarks and Synonyms

Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry

Scifinder Scholar – Chemical Abstracts

Search patent by keyword or synonym

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Advantages of using thePatent & Trademark

Research Center

PubWEST – Web-based Examiner’s Search Tool

Searches can be saved

U.S. patents Full – Text back to 1971

U.S. Pre-Grand Publication Full-Text

U.S. OCR Full-Text – 1920 to 1970

Foreign Patent Images

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Chempat Website – follow linksLib. Home page, Collections.General Collections, Patents, Select – Teaching Guides for Chemistry