Patent Searching

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About this tutorial This tutorial was developed by the University of Minnesota Libraries Science Librarians Hannah Cabullo and Meghan Lafferty. Instructional and web design by Andrew Palahniuk. An accompanying tutorial about Patents and Patentability provides more information about patent research. It can be found at z.umn.edu/patents. Instructional content in this tutorial is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). For disability accommodations, or to receive this information in alternative formats, contact libid@umn.edu or 612-624-0365.

About this tutorial

Last updated February 2025

Patent Searching

Why search patents?

Next: Where to search

Patents and Patentability

After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:understand the benefits of using patents in your researchcomplete a search using Google Patents in conjunction with the USPTO's Patent Public Searchapply advanced searching in Google Patents to get better results and to find more relevant patents

Patents are a rich and unique source of technical information! They allow you to:Gain perspective on the problem you are working on.Familiarize yourself with people and organizations working in your area of interest.Identify key articles, reports, patents, and other resources.Determine whether your idea is patentable by familiarizing yourself with existing relevant patents, an important piece of prior art, i.e., the body of knowledge related to an invention.

To get the most out of this tutorial and learn important background information on parts of a patent and its contents, please complete the accompanying Patents and Patentability tutorial.

Patents are a rich and unique source of technical information! They allow you to:

Why search patents?

Gain perspective on the problem you are working on.Familiarize yourself with people and organizations working in your area of interest.Identify key articles, reports, patents, and other resources.Determine whether your idea is patentable by familiarizing yourself with existing relevant patents, an important piece of prior art, i.e., the body of knowledge related to an invention.

Control system for wind turbine US 10711764

Learning objectives

Robotic Vehicle System US 8260459B2

After completing this tutorial, you will be able to: understand the benefits of using patents in your researchcomplete a search using Google Patents in conjunction with the USPTO's Patent Public Searchapply advanced searching in Google Patents to get better results and to find more relevant patents

Patents and patentability

To get the most out of this tutorial and learn important background information on parts of a patent and its contents, please complete the accompanying Patents and Patentability tutorial.

HomeLearning objectivesWhy search patents?Patents and PatentabilityWhere to search: Google Patents and USPTOPros and cons of Google PatentsPros and cons of USPTOBrainstorming keywordsFind keywordsAnswering questions gives keywordsSearch using Google PatentsSearch results in Google PatentsAdvanced search using Google PatentsSearch results in Google PatentsSelect a patent from Google Patents resultsFind related patents in Google PatentsSearch USPTOSearch using CPC codes in USPTOBasic search using USPTOSearch for a known patent using USPTOFinal considerationsPatent and Trademark Resource CentersCheck your knowledge 1Check your knowledge 2ReviewNeed help?

Seeing what other work is being done in your area of interest (prior art)

Your turn: Check your knowledge

True

Determining whether an invention has been commercialized

True or false: The purpose of CPC codes is to group related patents into a hierarchy of categories.

Patents can be helpful for: (select all that apply)

Finding relevant technical information

False

Finding relevant technical informationCorrect!

Determining whether an invention has been commercializedTry again

Seeing what other work is being done in your area of interest (prior art)Correct!

True Correct!

False Try again

Where to search

Google Patents

We will focus on the following online resources in this tutorial:

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Search

Pros

Cons

Pros and cons of Google Patents

Has the familiar Google interface.Full-text search is available back to the first U.S. patent.Includes patents from the World Intellectual Patent Organization (WIPO), the European Union, and many other countries.

It is not comprehensive which means some patents are missing.May not contain more recent patents.May not reflect current legal status of patents and patent applications.

Basic search limits to searching two keywords at once.Advanced search function is not intuitive for less experienced users.

Pros and cons of USPTO

Is the authoritative source for U.S. patents.Has the most complete and current collection of U.S. patents.Offers basic and advanced search functions.

What results does the invention seek to achieve?

Here are some other tips for finding keywords:Come up with multiple ways to say what you are looking for (i.e., synonyms) so as not to miss relevant information.Wikipedia is a good source for relevant words and synonyms.Consider terminology used by experts in the field as well as by the average person.Avoid searching for brand names as they are unlikely to be in the patents.

How does the invention work?

The process for searching for patents can be framed by answering the following three questions. We use the answers to these questions to help find keywords!

What does the invention affect?

Brainstorming keywords

What results does the invention seek to achieve?

Beware homonyms!Some words have multiple meanings, affecting your search. For example, calf could be a baby cow, a piece of an iceberg, or a part of the leg!

Beware homonyms!

How does the invention work?

One-step foldable elliptical exercise machine US 7736279B2

Find keywords by asking questions

CC BY-NC 2.0 Gastrocnemius by Rob Swatski

We will answer the three questions by investigating exercise machines designed to develop strength in shins and calves. Select each question below to see what we found.

Calf by Hernan Sicha

How does the invention work?Exercise machines can also be referred to as:trainersfitness equipmentaccessoriesdevicesapparatus, etc.Names of particular devices can be helpful, too:treadmillselliptical machinesstationary bikessteppersrowers, etc.

What does the invention affect?

What does the invention affect?The affected body parts could include: shincalfleglower limbslower extremitiesSearching these basic terms may reveal more advanced/expert terms such as human locomotor system or anatomical terms for relevant muscles like soleus, gastrocnemius, or triceps surae.

What results does the invention seek to achieve?fitnesstrainingworkoutbody buildingstrength developmentresistanceenduranceexplosive strengthWhile these keywords are not all synonyms, they might lead you to relevant information.

CC BY-NC 2.0 Iceberg in the Arm by Felip1

Great! Answering the three questions and investigating exercise machines designed to develop strength in shins and calves provides us with many keywords to search with.

How does the invention work?machinefitness equipmentapparatusdevicetreadmillsstationary bikes

What results does the invention seek to achieve?exercisefitnesstrainingbodybuildingstrength development

Answering questions gives keywords

What does the invention affect?calfshinsoleusgastrocnemiustriceps suraetibialis anterior

Advanced search in Google Patents

Use search fieldsYou can search within your current results using “Search Fields,” which are listed to the left of your search results.Useful fields include Assignee (the organization or person who holds the patent), Patent Office (e.g., U.S., World, or other country), Language, and Date. Because it can be helpful to search for patents only in your target market, we are limiting our results to U.S. patents only.

Adding the term “sitting” decreases the number of search results.

Non-U.S. patentsGoogle Patents includes patents from the United States as well as a number of other patent offices including World (WO) and offices across Europe and Asia.

Sometimes a simple search is not enough and it’s necessary to use advanced search tools (choose the pencil icon above search results). Explore 3 advanced search techniques below.

Modify search termsAdd synonyms to broaden your results, or add additional terms for different concepts to narrow your results.

For example, add “fitness equipment” along with “exercise machine” using OR to get more results.

We recommend starting your search in Google Patents. It allows us to search full text back to the first U.S. Patent issued and has a familiar search interface. Let’s enter our search example: calf exercise machine.

Search using Google Patents

Search results in Google Patents

Notice the tools to work with the search results such as Download, Sort by, Group by, and more. You can investigate the patents in your results by choosing the blue title text. For our search, the results don’t look very relevant. We will need to use Advanced search to get better results. To access Advanced search in Google Patents, choose the pencil icon above the search results.

Added more synonyms

(tibialis anterior OR calf OR soleus OR gastrocnemius OR (triceps surae)) ((exercise OR fitness) AND (equipment OR machine OR device OR apparatus)) (sitting)

We applied the following advanced search techniques to our initial search to get more relevant results:

Limited patent office to U.S.A.

Results of a Google Patents search

Limited patent language to English

Scrolling through the results, we find a great patent called “Calf exercise machine."

Select a patent from results

We open the patent and read through the abstract to be sure it's relevant. Looks good!

Find related patents using classifications (CPC codes)

Look in "Non-Patent Citations” (sometimes called Other Publications) to find books, articles, and other resources. Your library may have these items.

You can also add a CPC code to a Google Patent search to find only patents with that classification. Searching the letter/numbers before the slash will search a broader category, while including the numbers after the slash will search a specific subcategory. For example, for the CPC code A63B23/085:A63B23 is “Exercising apparatus specially adapted for particular parts of the body”, whileA63B23/085 is more specifically “Exercising apparatus specially adapted for particular parts of the body… for ankle joints {by rotational movement of the joint in a plane substantially parallel to the body-symmetrical-plane}."Note that two patents that seem very similar to you might have slightly different CPC codes for similar concepts, so you will want to try out multiple searches with different codes.

Finding related patents in Google Patents

Find related patents by using classifications

Find related patents by using citations

Use your search results to find even better results! Select each button below to find out how.

All U.S. patents have a Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) code assigned (e.g. A63B22/0664), which can be used to find related patents. Browsing related patents is also a good way to find more synonyms for your search terms. Using CPC codes from a Google Patents search resultUnder each patent is a list of CPC codes and descriptions. Read the descriptions to see which seem the most helpful to your search. Select the links to find patents with that classification.

Find related patents using citations

U.S. Patent Documents contain a list of previously issued U.S. and international patents that describe previous stages of development of the technology.

Look at "Cited By" to see newer patents that have cited this one.

Use citations to locate additional related patents (or even journal articles and books). Access citations with the “Info" links in the side panel of the patent.

Apply CPC codes to your Google Patents search

Search using USPTO Patent Public Search

Next, use your Google Patents results to find the authoritative patents within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Public Search. This is the most up-to-date and complete resource for U.S. patents. Searching USPTO Patent Public Search as well as Google Patents will help you do a more comprehensive search.

For example, a useful CPC we found is A63B23/085.

Review what you learned earlier about CPC codes in Google Patents. (links to earlier page in this lesson)

Search USPTO using CPC codes

Refer back to the Classification Codes (CPCs) from any useful patents you discovered in Google Patents. Next, we’ll search the Patent Public Search using these CPCs.

Searching the USPTO Patent Database

Review search results Nice! Our search for CPC code A63B23/085 and calf found a few hundred results.

Perform a Basic search In the Basic USPTO Patent Public Search:enter the CPC number from your Google Patents search in the For box (we entered A63B23/085)optional: add a relevant one-word keyword to the second For box (we entered calf)select Search

Search USPTO for a known patent

To search for a known patent using a patent number:Go to the USPTO Patent Public Search pageUnder Quick lookup enter the patent number (we entered 5135457 from the Calf exercise machine patent.)Select SearchNotes:Remove all letters before or after so you only search numbers. You should have a 7-digit number.If the patent number is fewer than 7 digits, add zeroes at the beginning to bring the number up to 7 digits.To find the patent number on a patent, in Google Patents, look at the top of the patent’s informational panel, or the top right corner of a patent’s PDF.

Final patent searching considerations

One search attempt may not be enough For thorough and comprehensive patent searching, you may need to conduct numerous searches using a variety of keywords and classification numbers. Different strategies or expert assistance may be required Different research questions will need different levels of searching. Sometimes a simple search will work, other times advanced techniques or assistance from your librarian may be necessary.

Minneapolis Central Library is the PTRC for MinnesotaFind the PTRC nearest you using this map

Map of PTRC locations in the U.S.A.

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers

The atrium at Minneapolis Central Library, which holds Minnesota’s PTRC

If you need help with an advanced patent search, contact your local Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC). PTRCs provide access to collections of patents and patent-related reference materials and have librarians specially trained to help inventors and researchers.

Review

In this tutorial you have learned: the benefits of using patents in your researchto search Google Patents in conjunction with the USPTO’s Patent Public Searchadvanced searching in Google Patents to get better results and to find more relevant patents

Need help?

Visit the How to find resources by format: Patents page: libguides.umn.edu/FindResourcesbyFormat/patents

Please contact the University of Minnesota Libraries: www.lib.umn.edu/help

Search multiple patent databases

Limit your date range to more recent patents

Do the broadest possible search and look through all results

Ask a librarian for assistance

Look at related patents for useful search terms

What are some ways to improve your search? (i.e. make sure that you are not missing anything) select all that apply

Use CPC codes to find related patents

Try additional searches with new search terms

Use CPC codes to find related patentsCorrect!

Do the broadest possible search and look through all resultsTry again

Search multiple patent databasesCorrect!

Look at related patents for useful search termsCorrect!

Limit your date range to more recent patentsTry again

Try additional searches with new search termsCorrect!

Ask a librarian for assistanceCorrect!

What are some ways to improve your search? (i.e. make sure that you are not missing anything) (select all that apply)

True or false: The purpose of CPC codes is to group related patents into a hierarchy of categories.

Review

Your turn: Test your knowledge

True

Back

Nicely done! You are now able torecognize the benefits of using patents in your researchsearch Google Patents in conjunction with the USPTO’s Patent Public Searchuse advanced searching in Google Patents to get better results and to find more relevant patents

Patents can be helpful for: (select all that apply)

If you would like to learn more please contact the University of Minnesota Libraries: www.lib.umn.edu/help You can also visit the How to find resources by format: Patents page.

Home

Finding relevant technical information Correct!

Determining whether an invention has been commercialized Try again

Seeing what other work is being done in your area of interest (prior art) Correct!

True Correct!

False Try again

Use CPC codes to find related patents Correct!

Do the broadest possible search and look through all results Try again

Search multiple patent databases Correct!

Look at related patents for useful search terms Correct!

Limit your date range to more recent patents Try again

Try additional searches with new search terms Correct!

Ask a librarian for assistance Correct!

3. What does the invention affect?

Find keywords by asking questions

Cons:It is not comprehensive which means some patents are missing.May not contain more recent patents.May not reflect current legal status of patents and patent applications.

Pros:Has the familiar Google interface.Full-text search is available back to the first U.S. patent.Includes patents from the World Intellectual Patent Organization (WIPO), the European Union, and many other countries.

Beware homonyms!

Exercise machines can also be referred to as: trainersfitness equipmentaccessoriesdevicesapparatus, etc.Names of particular devices can be helpful, too:treadmillselliptical machinesstationary bikessteppersrowers, etc.

2. How does the invention work?

The process for searching for patents can be framed by answering the following 3 questions:

CC BY-NC 2.0 Gastrocnemius by Rob Swatski

Pros and cons of Google Patents

How does the invention work?

1. What results does the invention seek to achieve?

Great! Answering the 3 questions and investigating exercise machines designed to develop strength in shins and calves provides us with many keywords to search with.

Cons:Basic search limits to searching two keywords at once.Advanced search function is not intuitive for less experienced users.

We will focus on the following online resources in this tutorial:

What results does the invention seek to achieve? exercisefitnesstrainingbodybuildingstrength development

We use the answers to these questions to help find keywords!

Pros:Is the authoritative source for U.S. patents.Has the most complete and current collection of U.S. patents.Offers basic and advanced search functions.

Brainstorming keywords

How does the invention work? machinefitness equipmentapparatusdevicetreadmillsstationary bikes

The affected body parts could include: shincalfleglower limbslower extremitiesSearching these basic terms may reveal more advanced/expert terms such as human locomotor system or anatomical terms for relevant muscles like soleus, gastrocnemius, or triceps surae.

Answering questions gives keywords

What results does the invention seek to achieve?

What does the invention affect? calfshinsoleusgastrocnemiustriceps suraetibialis anterior

Where to search

What does the invention affect?

fitnesstrainingworkoutbody buildingstrength developmentresistanceenduranceexplosive strengthWhile these keywords are not all synonyms, they might lead you to relevant information.

Pros and cons of USPTO

We will answer the 3 questions by investigating exercise machines designed to develop strength in shins and calves.

Calf by Hernan Sicha

Some words have multiple meanings, affecting your search. For example, calf could be a baby cow, a piece of an iceberg, or a part of the leg!

Scrolling through the results, we find a great patent called “Calf exercise machine."

Because it can be helpful to search for patents only in your target market, we are limiting our results to U.S. patents only.

Using classifications (CPC codes)

Add synonyms to broaden your results, or add additional terms for different concepts to narrow your results. For example, add “fitness equipment” along with “exercise machine” using OR to get more results.

Google Patents includes patents from the United States as well as a number of other patent offices including World (WO) and offices across Europe and Asia.

U.S. Patent Documents contain a list of previously issued U.S. and international patents that describe previous stages of development of the technology. Use citations to locate additional related patents (or even journal articles and books). Access citations with the “Info" links in the side panel of the patent.

Search results in Google Patents

(tibialis anterior OR calf OR soleus OR gastrocnemius OR (triceps surae)) ((exercise OR fitness) AND (equipment OR machine OR device OR apparatus)) (sitting)

Under each patent is a list of CPC codes and descriptions. Read the descriptions to see which seem the most helpful to your search. Select the links to find patents with that classification.

Select a patent from results

Apply CPC codes to your Google Patents search

Choose Advanced Search

Non-U.S. patents

Sometimes a simple search is not enough and it’s necessary to use advanced search tools (choose the pencil icon above search results). Explore 3 advanced search techniques below.

For our search, the results don’t look very relevant. We will need to use Advanced search to get better results. To access Advanced search in Google Patents, choose the pencil icon above the search results.

Use your search results to find even better results!

Search tools

Finding related patents in Google Patents

Advanced Search in Google Patents

Added more synonyms

Search using Google Patents

Investigate patents

We applied the following advanced search techniques to our initial search to get more relevant results:

You can search within your current results using “Search Fields,” which are listed to the left of your search results. Useful fields include:Assignee (the organization or person who holds the patent)Patent Office (e.g., U.S., World, or other country)LanguageDate

We open the patent and read through the abstract to be sure it's relevant. Looks good!

Limited patent office to U.S.A.

Look in "Non-Patent Citations” (sometimes called Other Publications) to find books, articles, and other resources. Your library may have these items.

Look at "Cited By" to see newer patents that have cited this one.

Results of a Google Patents search

Use search fields

Using citations

Limited patent language to English

You can investigate the patents in your results by choosing the blue title text.

Notice the tools to work with the search results such as Download, Sort by, Group by, and more.

Modify search terms

Using CPC codes from a Google Patents search result

Search using USPTO Public Patent Search

Go to the USPTO Patent Public Search pageUnder Quick lookup enter the patent number (we entered 5135457 from the Calf exercise machine patent.)Select Search

If the patent number is fewer than 7 digits, add zeroes at the beginning to bring the number up to 7 digits.To find the patent number on a patent, in Google Patents, look at the top of the patent’s informational panel, or the top right corner of a patent’s PDF.

In the Basic USPTO Patent Public Search:enter the CPC number from your Google Patents search in the For box (we entered A63B23/085)optional: add a relevant one-word keyword to the second For box (we entered calf)select Search

Perform a Basic search

Nice! Our search for CPC code A63B23/085 and calf found a few hundred results.

Search USPTO for a known patent

Searching using the USPTO patent database

Search USPTO using CPC codes

Review what you learned earlier about CPC codes in Google Patents. (links to earlier page in this lesson)

Notes:Remove all letters before or after so you only search numbers. You should have a 7-digit number.

Review search results

Final patent searching considerations

One search attempt may not be enough

For thorough and comprehensive patent searching, you may need to conduct numerous searches using a variety of keywords and classification numbers.

Find the PTRC nearest you using this map

Sometimes a simple search will work, other times advanced techniques or assistance from your librarian may be necessary

Minneapolis Central Library is the PTRC for Minnesota

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers

Different strategies or expert assistance may be required