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EGN 4951 & EGN 4952: Integrated Product and Process Design

Helping you find design ideas through patents, etc.

Create a List of Keywords

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.

Use Google Patents or The Lens to try your keywords.

You can also use Google's Advanced Patent Search or the Lens's Structured Search to limit to:

inventor (individuals)
assignee/owner (company/institution)
range of years
countries where the patent was filed
etc.

Sometimes, a brand name is used in a patent, such as the Roomba, which is a "robot obstacle detection system."

When you find patents similar to your concept, make note of their assigned classification numbers, which look like these.

Where to Search

Google Patents - Advanced Search
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.
The Lens
Searches US (USPTO), European (EPO), and World (WIPO) patents, together or separately, with coverage only back to 1976 at earliest.
Espacenet
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.
USPTO's Patent Full-Text Databases
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

Looking for Chemical Patents?

Try one of these specialized tools:

SciFinder-n This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Chemistry database.

Orange Book
FDA's database of drug patent information.

University of Florida Home Page

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