8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 1

Statistics Considered When Prioritizing Common Hybrid

Classification (cHc) Projects

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 2

Common Hybrid Classification Goals

Common searches for cross-filed applications

Reclassification work sharing

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 3

cHc Project Basics

Identify the best schemes/groups to use from IP5 local classifications (CN, EP, JP, KR, US)

Integrate selected groups into cohesive schemes

Implement schemes in IPC

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 4

cHc Project constraints

Time Resources Existing local classifications (primarily) IPC administration

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 5

Factors affecting harmonization priority

Goal based factors:1. Filing activity

Cross filings between IP5 Offices Domestic filings

2. Back file growth rates3. Local classification development

Resource based factors:4. Back file size5. Back file distribution

Within subclasses Between subclasses

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 6

Factors affecting harmonization priority

A23L A61B A61F A61K A61M A63F B01D B01JB08B B23K B24B B29C B32B B41J B60J B60RB62D B65D B65H C01B C07C C07D C07K C08FC08G C09K C12N C22C C23C F02C F02D F02MF04B F16C F16H F21V F25B F28F G01N G01RG02B G02F G03B G03G G05B G05F G06F G06KG06Q G08B G09G G10L G11B G11C H01B H01JH01L H01M H01P H01Q H01R H01S H02J H02KH02P H03F H03K H03M H04B H04L H04M H04NH04R H05K

1.Filing activity – high cross filing subclasses

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 7

Factors affecting harmonization priority

1. Filing activity – high gross filing subclasses (US)

H04L H01L H04B G06F H04N G02B H04MA61B B32B C12N G01N A61M C07D G06QA61K G11B G06K B01D B29C B01J

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 8

Factors affecting harmonization priority

2. Back file growth

Subclass % Increase in Number of Families Published Annually from 2005 to 2008

A01B 8

A01C 32.9

A01D 9.03

A01F 15.63

A01G 9.4

A01H 44.97

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 9

Factors affecting harmonization priority3. Local classification development – IPC with no FI

A01J A01L* A21B A22B A23J A24F A41C A41F A41GA41H A42C A45C A45F A47D A61D A61J A61P A63CA63D A63G* A63J A63K A99Z* B03D* B09C B21G B21HB21L B23G B24C B25F B25G B27B B27G B27H* B27JB29K B29L B41B B41G B41K B41L B42B B42C B42DB43M B44B B44C B44D B44F B60B B60C B60D B60FB60M B60P B60V B61B B61C B61D B61F B61G B61HB61J* B61K B62C B62H B62J B62L B62M B63B B63CB63G* B63H B63J* B64B B64C B64D B64F B64G B66DB68B* B68C B68G B81B B81C B82B* B99Z* C01C C01DC06B C06C* C06D* C06F* C07M C08H* C09F* C09G* C09H*C10F* C10H* C10J* C10N C12C C12G C12L* C12R C12S*C13C* C13D C13F C13G C13H* C13J C13K C22F C22KC23D C25F* C99Z* D01B D01C* D03C D06L D99Z* E02C*E03B E05C E05G E21F E99Z* F01B F01C F01P F02CF02G F02K F02N F03G F03H F15C F15D F16G F16MF16N F16P F16S F16T F17B F21H F21K F21L F21SF21W F21Y F22D F22G F23H F23M F23R F24B F24JF28B F28C F28G F41A F41B F41C F41F F42B F42CF42D F99Z G01W* G04B G04D G06C* G06D* G06E G06GG06J G06M G06N G09D* G10B* G10C G10F* G21B G21DG21F G21G G21H G21J* G99Z* H01K H03D H05C* H99Z*

*Subclasses with neither ECLA nor FI divisions

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 10

Factors affecting harmonization priority

3. Local classification development – IPC with no ECLA

A01P B04C B41D B68F C12F C12J C14B D02HD04C D04G D06J F23B G09C

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Factors affecting harmonization priority

3. Local classification development – ECLA/FI

IPC Subclass ECLA Exists FI Exists Number of Families Requiring Reclassification into FI

Number of Families Requiring Reclassification into ECLA

A01G TRUE TRUE 17881 69214

F16M FALSE TRUE 12484 0

F23B FALSE FALSE 0 0

G03F TRUE FALSE 0 75317

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Factors affecting harmonization priority

4. Back file size

IPC Subclass Total Families

A01B 87370

A01C 72761

A01D 113506

A01F 53761

A01G 134722

A01H 28978

A01J 13494

A01K 177753

A01L 2297

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 13

Factors affecting harmonization priority

5. Back file distribution – within subclasses

IPC SUBCLASS

NO OF US DOCS

NO OF GROUPS

AVG US DOCS PER GROUP

A23G 59275 98 605

A23J 10835 32 339

A23K 31584 21 1504

A23L 134225 196 685

A23N 11584 46 252

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 14

Factors affecting harmonization priority

5. Back file distribution – between subclasses

Average number of IPC symbols/family: 2.4

Source Subclass

Target Subclass Common Families

Percentage of Source Families

Percentage of Target Families

A61K A61P 301141 43 96

A61K C07D 131436 19 33

A61K A61Q 98425 14 100

A61K C07K 93960 13 61

A61K C12N 84551 12 36

H01L G03F 70144 6 44

8 and 9 February, 2010 Presenter: Dave Bender (USPTO) 15

Conclusion - Prioritizing IP5 projects

While IP5 projects are limited by Office budgets, i.e. resources available over a given period of time, statistical data about the IPC and the documents classified therein can help prioritize and organize projects to more quickly achieve the goals of IP5 and to maximize the efficiency of reclassification.