Guide to STN Patent Databases – Basic Version - Paton - TU Ilmenau

108
Guide to STN Patent Databases
From field / Indicator Entry in IPC.KW Code in
IPC.KW
Notes
Attributes of IPC1 7 MAIN ICM Main classification, not assigned any longer
Codes
SECONDARY ICS Secondary classification, not assigned any longer
ADDITIONAL ICA Additional classification, not assigned any longer
INDEX ICI Index classification, not assigned any longer
Status of IPC codes INITIAL IPCI To identify the original entry, re-classification, deleted
(STAT)
RECLASSIFICATION IPCR, R entries, etc.
CURRENT CUR
ORIGINAL O
Level of IPC8 codes CORE C Level of the classification
(LEVEL)
ADVANCED A
(Offices assigning Advanced-Level codes mark all
SUBCLASS S
codes with A, even if a Core-Level code was assigned)
Position of the IPC8 FIRST F Position of the codes on the printed document. First
codes (POS)
LATER L
(Main) classification, Later (Secondary or Additional)
classification *
Value (INV) INVENTION I To identify invention or non-invention (additional)
NON-INVENTION N
information.
How was the code HUMAN (none) To identify codes assigned by a person (examiner)
assigned (SOURCE,
(also entered if the IPC code was assigned through a
ASSIGMENT)
concordance list see US).
MACHINE (none) To identify codes transferred from a document with
the same priority**, Rolled-Up Core (in INPADOCDB,
INPAFAMDB, CA, etc.)
SOFTWARE (none) To identify codes assigned by a classification
software, i.e. a computer program assigned this IPC
code
Generating Office (CC) EP
Country code of the patent office (two-letter code +
DE
WO, etc.
name)
Other
98 Codes assigned through Rolled-Up Core (DWPI)
(CC)
RC Codes assigned through Rolled-Up Core
(INPADOCDB, INPAFAMDB, CA, etc.)
99 Codes assigned by Derwent/Thomson Scientific at
Subclass Level if no or no valid IPC codes were
available (DWPI)
BASIC Codes from the Basic (DWPI)
* According to WIPO it is only recommended to place the code for the main aspect in the first position, but this is not
mandatory contrary to IPC1-7, i.e. not all patent offices adhere to this rule.
** Rolled-Up Core codes from Derwent (98/IPC.KW) have HUMAN in this position if the data are original (other
databases show MACHINE in this case)
If the IPC code is entered in old format it will be edited automatically:
=> S A47L013-20/IPC
L2 202 A47L013-20/IPC
(A47L0013-20/IPC)
In addition to the full IPC, the following abbreviated forms are entered into the index of the database so that a
truncation at this search level as a rule is not necessary (an error may occur if truncation is used in connection with
an IPC7 code):
A47L0013/IPC
A47L/IPC
Truncation by ! is only required at still higher levels, e.g. search for class A47: S A47!/IPC, for section A:
S A!!!/IPC. The latter should usually be avoided: To narrow a search to a particular subject field other SEARCH
fields are more appropriate in most cases (e.g. the File Segment /FS field in DWPI).
18.3.3 IPC Thesaurus
The International Patent Classification is available in many STN patent databases with full title in English as an online
thesaurus (from the introduction of edition 8). Search is possible with catchwords (Relationship Operator +KT).