HOW TO SEARCH FOR A PATENT : GUIDELINES FOR PATENT SEARCHES by ResearchCopyright.com

One of the first things to do regarding getting a patent on your invention, aside from actually inventing something, would be to do a search of the Patent Office's records to make sure there isn't already a similar item registered. If your invention is deemed to be too similar to a previously existing invention, the patent will not be granted.

The USPTO maintains an extremely easy to use database of every patent ever granted. The first patent issued in the United States was granted in 1790.

For patents granted since 1976, the full text of the application and images. The method to search for such patents is simple to use for people who have experience with search engines. There is a "quick search" where you can type in key words and then denote certain aspects of where to have the search engine look, for example, you can have it search for inventor's hometown, the date of issue, the patent number, its current classification, and many other fields.

The results page lists the first fifty results found by the system. The desired result may be among the results, or may be on a subsequent page, if there is one.

The advanced search is a little bit different than the standard search. In the advanced search, the list of fields is listed. Clicking on one of the fields brings up a page describing what each field is in more detail and tips on how to search using those fields.

For example, in the advanced section, if you were to look for the full name of someone, you would format it as last name-first name-middle initial. So if you wanted to look up someone named John Q. Public, you would enter it as Public-John-Q, if the person is an inventor, then you would use IN, for inventor, before the name with a forward slash separating them, for example, IN/Public-John-Q. That is just for the name section, there are similar explanations on how to use the search tool for other pieces of information.

You can also opt to search for patents by the patent number. The page for searching by patent number. The patent numbers for certain things such as utility patents, design patents, or reissued patents are a bit different. Utility patents are simply a series of numbers, while design patents all have a D in front of the numbers. Similarly, reissued patents all lead with RE.

For patents granted before 1976, all that is listed in the patent database is the images in TIFF format. The system to denote regular utility patents from other patents is a bit different, and there are a few types of patents that aren't listed in the modern patent-type list. For example, patents registered before 1836 all have X in front of them. D is still for design patents, but there are also patents for defensive publications that all begin with a T.

The USPTO uses the TIFF format for all images on the site as it is one of the most lossless of image formats. This is also the international standard for all patent offices around the world. To properly view the TIFF files, you may need to download a special plug-in for your browser of choice.

Searching the USPTO's repository of filed patents is an experience that while fun, can also be used to research pre-existing patents and figure out where improvement could be made on patents that have fallen into the public domain.