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Help: Searching for Text

You can search for text in the following fields:

Table of Contents

The Boolean Text Search lets you search text in up to three of the text fields and in one of the date fields concurrently.

The Advanced Text Search lets you search text in all of the text fields and in one of the date fields concurrently.

Examples of Text Field Searches

For each of the text fields, we have provided a few example searches and some comments. These examples show the capacity of the search language feature of the Canadian Patent Database.

  • Title Field

    Type the word(s) or phrase you hope to find in the title of the invention.

    Note: Phrases are enclosed in quotation marks.

    Examples:
    • computer
      • Finds patent documents with the word "computer" in the title.
    • processor OR "multiprocessor"
      • Finds patent documents with either the word "processor" or "multiprocessor" in the title.
    • "robotic arm" OR "robot arm"
      • Finds patent documents with the phrase "robotic arm" or "robot arm" in title.
    • golf NOT ball
      • Finds patent documents with the word "golf" but not the word "ball" in the title.
    • "disk drive"~2
      • Finds patent documents with the word "disk" within 2 words of the word "drive" in the title.
  • Abstract Field

    Enter the word(s) or phrases you hope to find in the abstract of the invention. A search on the Abstract field will only retrieve laid-open patent applications and patent documents that were filed after August 15, 1978.

    Examples:
    • "virtual memory"
      • Finds patent documents with the phrase "virtual memory" in the abstract.
    • virtual OR memory
      • Finds patent documents with either the word "virtual" or the word "memory" in the abstract.
    • "virtual memory" NOT compiler
      • Finds patent documents with the phrase "virtual memory", but not with the word "compiler" in the abstract.
  • Claims Field

    Enter the word(s) or phrases you hope to find in the invention claims. A search on the Claims field will only retrieve laid-open patent applications and patent documents that were filed after August 15, 1978.

    Examples:
    • superconductor
      • Finds patent documents with the word "superconductor" in the claims.
    • superconductor OR process
      • Finds patent documents with either the word "superconductor" or "process" in the claims.
    • superconductor NOT process
      • Finds patent documents with the word "superconductor", but not with the word "process" in the claims.
  • Description Field

    Enter the word(s) or phrases you hope to find in the description of the invention. A search on the Description field will only retrieve laid-open patent applications and patent documents that were filed after August 15, 1978.

    Note: The information is displayed in a text area with its own scroll bar.

    Examples:
    • elasticity
      • Finds patent documents with the word "elasticity" in the description.
    • elasticity OR plasticity
      • Finds patent documents with either the word "elasticity" or "plasticity" in the description.
    • elasticity NOT plasticity
      • Finds patent documents with the word "elasticity", but not with the word "plasticity" in the description.
  • Inventor Field

    Type a portion of a name, a full name or multiple names of inventors.

    Examples:
    • swen* OR *swen
      • Finds patent documents with all inventors with a first or last name starting with "swen". The asterisk (*) is used as a wildcard.
    • frommer, statmann
      • Finds inventions with both "frommer" and "statmann" as inventors.
    • selker ed*
      • Finds patent documents with inventors named "selker" and with a first name beginning with "ed".
  • Inventor Country/Territory Field

    This option is available only on Advanced Text Search. The Country/Territory searching is initiated by selecting one of the Country/Territory fields from the pull down box:

  • Owners on Record Field

    Type the name(s) for the person or organization that is the current owner or was the past owner of the patent document. See the definition for Owners.

    Examples:
    • northern telecom
    • laboratories OR labs
      • You may need to look for similar names to find all patent documents for some corporations.
    • northern t*
      • Another way to search multiple spellings.
  • Applicant Field

    Type the name(s) for the person or organization that was the applicant at the time the application was filed.

    Examples:
    • swen*
      • Finds patent documents with all inventors with a first or last name starting with "swen". The asterisk (*) is used as a wildcard.
    • frommer, statmann
      • Finds inventions with both "frommer" and "statmann" as applicants.
    • selker ed*
      • Finds patent documents with inventors named "selker"and with a first name beginning with "ed".
    • northern telecom
    • laboratories OR labs
      • You may need to look for similar names to find all patent documents for some corporations.
    • northern t*
      • Another way to search multiple spellings.
  • Classification Field

    Select the classifications or a portion of the classification under which you hope to find related patent documents. The classification available is: The International Patent Classification (IPC).

    The two latest versions of the IPC (IPC-2018 or IPC version 7.6) can be consulted on the WIPO website at http://classifications.wipo.int/

    Examples:
    • H03K 19/0175 (with IPC selected)
      • Finds all patent documents with this classification in either the primary or secondary IPC fields.

    Note: The zero after the slash in the IPC subgroup specification is significant. Any third or subsequent digit after the slash is to be understood as a decimal subdivision of the digit preceding it, e.g., "19/0175" is to be found after "19/017" and before "19/018".

    • G06Q 40/* (with IPC selected)
      • Finds all patent documents classified into this group in either the primary or secondary IPC fields.
    • G06Q* (with IPC selected)
      • Find all patent documents classified into this subclass in either the primary or secondary IPC fields.
  • PCT Filing Number Field

    Enter the PCT Filing Number assigned by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). See the list of PCT contracting states.

    Examples:
    • PCT/JP2011/053737
      • Find the patent document filed to WIPO with this PCT Filing Number.
    • *CA2009*
      • Find all patent documents filed to WIPO from Canada in 2009.
  • International Publication Number Field

    Enter the International Publication Number assigned by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

    Example:
    • WO1992/007846
      • Find the patent document with this International Publication Number assigned by WIPO.
    • WO1992*
      • Find all patent documents with an International Publication Number assigned by WIPO in 1992.