7Step U.S. Patent Search Strategy Guide（7步美国专利搜索策略指南）.pdfVIP

7-Step U.S. Patent Search Strategy Guide U.S. Patent Search Assistance at a PTRC Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) library staff are available to provide training on U.S. patent search processes and research tools including PubWEST, PubEAST and the USPTO website’s PatFT and AppFT patent publication databases. For the PTRC nearest you, check /ptrc. For legal questions, contact an attorney or agent registered to practice before the USPTO. A listing is available at . U.S. Patent Prior Art Search vs. Comprehensive Prior Art Search This guide provides a 7-step strategy for searching U.S. patents and published patent applications to locate and evaluate relevant prior art, any previous publication that discloses an invention and would preclude issuance. A comprehensive prior art search would also include foreign patent publications and non-patent literature (newspapers, magazines, dissertations, conference proceedings, and websites). PTRC staff can also provide training on how to locate these additional resources. Search Preparation and Documentation Plan on spending a few hours learning the search process and additional hours for searching and evaluating results. The length of search time depends on the complexity of the invention. Careful recording of the search process (databases used, date and time of search, classes searched, and patents/published patent applications retrieved) is important. 1 STEP 1: Brainstorm Terms Describing Your Invention Begin by writing down a brief, accurate description of the invention. Avoid overly broad and generic terms such as “device,” “process” and “system.” Consider synonyms for the terms you initially select