Search options available in STN databases - FIZ Karlsruhe

156
Guide to STN Patent Databases
21.5.6 Conclusion for INPADOCDB, DWPI, HCAplus
If it is vital to obtain a fully comprehensive patent family all three family data bases should be searched. Due to the
different country coverage, different definitions of what a patent family is, different timeliness of patent
publications being entered into the databases and different time coverage of the databases the publications
considered members of a given patent family varies in the three databases.
21.6 Non-conventional patent families
A non-conventional patent family combine applications that have the same or similar technical contents but do not
refer to each other. The applicant/patent assignee and inventors may be the same or different (competitors). Such
similar applications may be granted if:
There is no publication of the equivalent in any other country (unpublished applications are only relevant
to novelty and only if relating to the same geographical area),
Two or more equivalent applications are filed on the same day.
These non-conventional families can usually be found by a subject search, name search, etc.
The only database that, among other thins, merges non-conventional patent families is IMSPATENTS (see below).
In IMSPATENTS all patents (product and process patents) on a chemical substance can be merged into a family
(family display formats, cf. the section on IMSPATENTS). This includes applications of competing applicants on one
product.
Owing to the patent strategies of companies it may be that two equivalent applications are filed on one day. Using
the internal priority e. search or examination request be filed for
the other.
To specifically find these non-conventional families, which are not linked by common priorities it may be useful to
search for applications by the applicant concerned of the same day.
Two A1 publications oft he same day, but with different
priorities the documents belong to two different families.
L4 ANSWER 1 OF 4 INPADOCDB COPYRIGHT 2010 EPO/FIZ KA on STN
FN 37910144
TI Funkenstreckenanordnung fuer hoehere Bemessungsspannungen.
PAS DEHN & SOEHNE, DE
PI DE 102008049471 A1 20091112
PIT DEA1 DOC. LAID OPEN (FIRST PUBLICATION)
AI DE 2008-102008049471 A 20080929
AIT DEA Patent application
PRAI DE 2007-102007049319 A 20071015 (DEA1, 20090507, Y)
DE 2008-102008049471 A 20080929 (DEA, 20090507, Y)
PRAIT DEA1 Domestic priority claimed for patent
L4 ANSWER 3 OF 4 INPADOCDB COPYRIGHT 2010 EPO/FIZ KA on STN
FN 37899658
TI Funkenstreckenanordnung fuer hoehere Bemessungsspannungen.
PAS DEHN & SOEHNE, DE
PI DE 102008049458 A1 20090430
PIT DEA1 DOC. LAID OPEN (FIRST PUBLICATION)
AI DE 2008-102008049458 A 20080929
AIT DEA Patent application
PRAI DE 2007-102007049403 A 20071015 (DEA1, 20090430, Y)
DE 2008-102008049458 A 20080929 (DEA, 20090430, N)
PRAIT DEA1 Domestic priority claimed for patent
Whether the contents of both documents are actually the same
needs to be thoroughly examined. At least the similar
application should be found.