Search options available in STN databases - FIZ Karlsruhe

128
Guide to STN Patent Databases
20 Search by formal data
(Publication and application data)
20.1 Search fields
Information on publication, application, and priority is displayed as a dataset in the DISPLAY fields PI, AI and PRAI.
These fields have a largely uniform structure.
PI DE 19835894 C2 19990826 PG OP3 (10) letzte Publ./ DE-Schrift
AI DE 1998-19835894 A 19980807 ADP (22) DE-Patentanmeldung
PRAI JP 1997-213431 A 19970807 CP (32) Unionsprioritaet
| | | | |
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
The data are subdivided in search fields enabling the user a straightforward search for specific items.
PI DE 19835894 C2 19990826 PG OP3 (10) letzte Publ./ DE-Schrift
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/PC /PN /PK /PD /PT
/PY
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
PI
Publication
AI
Application
PRAI
Priority
(1)
(2)*
Country Number
/PC /PN
Doc#
/AC /AP
App#
/PRC /PRN
Pri#
(3)
(4)
(4a)
(5)**
Kind Code Date
Year
Type
/PK /PD /PY /PT
/AK /AD /AY /AT
/PRK /PRD /PRY /PRT
* Doc# Document, publication number
App# Application number, serial number of the application
Pri# Priority number, serial number of the priority application
** Type of the publication, the application or priority application, only in the PATDPA database;
Type of the publication in INPADOCDB/INPAFAMDB (see Online aids)
As can be seen here, this indexing is applied uniformly to the Publication Information, Application Information, and
Priority Application Information. (Only the SEARCH field /AP does not follow this system, but /AN is used for the
Accession Number.) The fields for information on Related Patents, /RLI, and Cited patent and non-patent literature,
/REP, are similar in their structure. Subdivision into search fields is applied as above.
In the course of further standardization of the patent databases, the following Super-SEARCH fields are defined:
/PATS for Patent Numbers, /APPS for Application Numbers (serial number), and /PCS for Patent Countries
(Publication Country/Designated State).
It is advised to check for availability of data and their indexing format before a search by publication or application
data using the EXPAND command:
=> E DE97-1970005/AP 5
E1 1 DE97-19700048/AP
E2 1 DE97-19700049/AP
E3 0 --> DE97-1970005/AP
E4 1 DE97-19700050/AP
E5 1 DE97-19700051/AP
It can be seen if the number entered is in the index and, if not, if the number format was correct at all (for example, it
can be seen that German application numbers are indexed with eight digits, in the example one digit is missing).
The number formats are described in more detail in the sections below.
Sometimes the details of old documents are incomplete in INPADOCDB/INPAFAMDB. In theses cases the European
Patent Office uses dummy numbers.