Searching the Patent Application Database at http://www.uspto.gov

The Patent Application database consists of the full text of United States patent applications published in accordance with the 18 month pre-grant publication rules (including new utility and plant patents). The full text of a published application includes all bibliographic data, such as the inventor's name, the published application's title, and the assignee's name, as well as an abstract, the full description of the invention, and the claims. All of the words (text) in the publication are searchable. Patent applications are published weekly – on Thursdays – beginning with March 15, 2001. Full-page images can be accessed by clicking on the IMAGE button at the top of the application's full-text display page. You must have a properly installed G4 TIFF image viewer or plug-in to view these images (See this page for information on TIFF Viewers).

• Application images must be retrieved one page at a time.
• Application images are only accessible from the full-text display of each patent.
• Successful printing of patent application images is entirely dependent on the user's browser and image viewer software. USPTO does not provide support for printing problems. It is suggested, however, based on experience, that with most image viewers (including AlternaTIFF), images may best be printed using the plug-in's print button rather than the browser's print function. This will print only the application, and not the entire window.
• If you have any questions about the patent application process, the USPTO strongly recommends that you consult with a registered patent attorney or agent. The USPTO cannot recommend attorneys or agents. For further information, see Patent Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice before the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/roster/index.html.
• Additional information about the patenting process is available from R.M. Cooper Library, Clemson University - - South Carolina’s only Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL).
• The fact that an invention cannot be found by searching in the USPTO's patent application database does not mean that the invention is patentable. A complete patentability search must consider all prior art, including earlier patents, foreign patents and non-patent literature.

Search tips:

• The right truncation symbol is $ polymer$
• Enclose exact phrases in “ ” “general motors” –You cannot truncate words in “ ”
• Boolean logic:

• Combining indexes: AN/clemson and TTL/intraocular
• The database is not case sensitive; therefore, searching Needle or needle will retrieve the same results.
• Use the Refine Search box to add terms to your original search.
• Enter a number in the Start At box to skip to a 50-increment document list containing that number. For example, with a search results list of 251, entering 251 in the Start At box is easier than clicking on the Next 50 Hits Button 5 times.

Boolean Search Page

1. Enter a term in the Text Entry box labeled Term 1
2. Select which specific field you would like to search from the drop down menu labeled Field 1, located to the right of the Term 1 box.
3. Select a Boolean operator (and, or, andnot) from the menu between the Term boxes.
4. Enter a term in the Text Entry box labeled Term 2.
5. Select which specific field you would like to search from the menu labeled Field 2, located to the right of the Term 2 box.
6. Click on the Search button.
7. A successful search will retrieve up to 50 patent application titles. If you retrieve more, modify your search with an additional term. Click on the title of interest to view the entire text of the patent application. Use the navigational arrows to go to the next page of the application, or the next application in the list. There is also a button to click to view the next 50 hits. Or type a number in the box and click on the jump to menu to go directly to that application.

Search Notes:
• Steps 3 – 5 are not necessary when searching for a single term

Patent Application Number Page

Type a patent application number into the search box and click on Enter. It is possible to search for more than one application at a time - - separate numbers with a space. Anything that is not a number will be ignored. Note that the application numbers begin with the year: i.e. 20010000044

A successful search will display the title(s) of the desired patent application(s). Click on the title to view the entire text of the patent application.

Manual Search Page

1. Type your query into the Text Entry box labeled Query. The query will take the form of a prefix for a particular field, and the term you wish to search, such as ttl/needle (to find “needle” in the title field.
2. Click on the Search button.
3. A successful search will retrieve up to 50 patent application titles. If you retrieve more than that, refine your search with additional search terms. Click on the title of interest to view the entire text of the patent application.

Search Notes:
• You can combine field searching with Boolean Searching. For example, searching TTL/(nasal or nose) retrieves the same information as ttl/nasal or ttl/nose.
• Note that it is not possible to truncate phrases enclosed in quotes. For example, searching AN/“general motor$” will result in an error.

The Manual Search Page depends on fielded searching. See the following page for a list of the fields, along with examples of how they are used. If you have questions about fielded searching, click on the Help Button on any of the Search Pages. See the entry for Help on Fielded Searching.

Field Names and Identifiers

US State and Territory Codes

Country Codes for Selected Countries

(see http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/help/helpctry.html for full list)