On Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:00:06 -0700, Driveway Woes <> wrote...
Post by unknownIf you have the application number and/or the publication number, how
do you search and locate that on the USPTO site?
I tried looking for it there using the field code, but there doesn't
seem to be any codes I can use for an application number nor the pub
number I can use here,
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
That page is for searching issued patents, rather than published
applications. And it's not the best interface for a simple search by a
beginner.
The front page of the system is at http://patft.uspto.gov/
Note that there are two separate databases, one on the left for issued
patents and one on the right for published applications. The top three
links of each go to different search interfaces of varying complexity.
(Note that it's not possible to search applications which are
unpublished.)
If you have a publication number for an application (rather than an
issued patent number) then click "Publication Number" in the right hand
box. This gives you a single search box and an example of the number
format to use (e.g. you need to have the right number of digits).
If you have an application number for an application you believe has
been published, click "Quick Search" in the right hand box. Choose
"Application Serial Number" as the field name. Use the help system to
get the format right.
If the patent might have issued, you should repeat the search in the
other database. Many patents are published twice, once as a pending
application and then again when the patent issues. Some are only
published when they issue.
For alternative databases, try Espacenet or Google Patents.
http://ep.espacenet.com/
http://www.google.com/patents
Again, the number format is important. (And as Espacenet covers patent
documents from many countries it needs a US prefix.)
Both Espacenet and Google offer PDF copies of patent documents that you
find (unlike the USPTO). Getting PDFs from Google is a little simpler.
Espacenet has the advantage that if there are both a published
application and an issued patent then the record usually has an "Also
published as" section which links them together. It will also link
corresponding patents or applications in other countries.
--
Tim Jackson
***@timjackson.invalid
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