Patents tend to be awarded for function rather than for application. Use these strategies to help develop a list of potential keywords to use in your search:
Think about:
* What does the invention do -- function and purpose?
* What is the outcome or result? What problem does it solve?
* How does it work?
* What is it composed of? What materials are used?
Keyword Searching
Once you have brainstormed some keywords based on your products' purpose, composition and use you are ready to start!
If you're just looking for ideas, sample patents are easy to find.
Covers the entire collection of granted patents and published patent applications from the USPTO, EPO, and WIPO. US patent documents date back to 1790, EPO and WIPO to 1978.
Offers free access to information about inventions and technical developments from 1782-present for European countries as well as other countries. Full-text access varies based on country.
This page has TWO options:
Patent Database - Search for U.S. patents 1790-present (1790-1975 searchable only by Issue Date, Patent Number, and Current US Classification).
Application Database - Published applications from 2001-present