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Modernizing the Patent Electronic

Filing System

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Modernizing – next steps

• Evaluating legacy systems

• Taking user feedback for user centric design

• Exploring landscape of current and future

solutions

• Maintaining legacy functionality in

replacement solutions

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Legacy System (EFS-Web)

Improvements

3

Improvements to EFS-Web

• Replaced PKI authentication with 2FA

– NIST Standard Security

• Web ADS forms

– Convenient creation/editing of ADS forms in browser

• Integration with USPTO.GOV

• Single sign-on

• Acceptance of SPEC, CLM, and ABST as DOCX file

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Improvements to EFS-Web

• Integration with USPTO.GOV

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4

Improvements to EFS-Web

• Replacement of PKI with 2FA

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Improvements to EFS-Web

• Replacement of PKI with 2FA

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Note: By selecting the checkbox that “this is a computer that I trust and use regularly,”

the second step authentication will be valid for 24 hours after the initial sign-in. If you

are logged out after 30 minutes of inactivity, you will only need to use your first factor,

email and password, to authenticate back into EFS-Web and PAIR.

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Single sign-on

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USPTO.GOV

account

Private

PAIR

(anyone)

Patent

Center

(limited)

EFS-Web

(anyone)

DOCX: A smarter way to file

Pre-examination suggestions

and feedback

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DOCX – feedback document

• Pinpoints warnings/errors in the document

• Reduces examination delays

– Warns for possible examination informalities

– Allows editing live document prior to submission

• Confidential

– Only for pre-submission, and not included in the file wrapper

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DOCX – feedback document overview

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7

Improvements to EFS-Web - DOCX

13

EFS-Web improvements - DOCX

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Uploaded

Document

Feedback

Document

PDF For File

Wrapper

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Improvements – DOCX warnings

and errors

15

Improvements in EFS-Web – retrieve

PDF/XML/DOCX

16

9

Patent Center

Modernizing – key considerations

• Ensuring stability and support

• Provide intuitive interface

• Improve user convenience

• Prepare and integrate data with other

USPTO systems

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10

Patent CenterPatent Center is the next generation patent filing system for

the USPTO. It replaces EFS-Web and PAIR, and provides

a convenient filing portal while reducing

errors and delays in processing

patent applications.

9/18/2019

Fall 2019

Patent Center Closed Beta Release

• System: Next Gen

• Participants: External (via registration)

• Invitee only training sessions

Late 2019

Patent Center Open Beta Release

• Anyone may join Beta

• Open training sessions

Mid 2020

Continued Refinement of Patent Center Beta

• Site visits

• Gather and review external input from stakeholders

• Continue to add new functionalities to match filing types found in EFS-Web

• Continue to improve backend systems integration

• Begin incorporating additional features based on user feedback and stakeholder interests

2020-2021

Patent Center Open to Public

• Continue support of Patent Center Beta and EFS-Web filing systems

• Refine previous features

• Finish adding legacy functionality

• Add artificial intelligence aspects to DOCX natural language processing

2021+

Patent Center Replaces EFS-Web and Private PAIR

• Legacy systems are discontinued

• Continue to add new functionality based on user feedback

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Patent Center overview

New and unified system to replace EFS-Web and PAIR

• Features single interface for filing and

managing patent applications

Single Interface

• Integrates recent technology

• Allows for enhanced system operations

• Enables increased functionality

Recent Technology

• Implements new authentication method

• Independent of Java Applet

Authentication

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Patent Center overview

DOCX/XML features

Upload multiple documents at a time

Drag and drop for document upload

Document Code Prediction

New look and feel (user interface)

Save submissions at any time

Patent Center dashboard

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12

Patent Center – training mode

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Want to Practice

Filing? – Try Training

Mode!

Find Out

What’s

New

24

Patent Center – submissions management

13

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Patent Center – work bench

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Patent Center – workbench filters

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Patent Center – correspondence sorting

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Patent Center – petitions

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Patent Center – petition generation

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Patent Center – petition generation

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Patent Center – petition generation

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Patent Center – customer number management

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Patent Center – update application associations

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Patent Center – intuitive application viewer

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35

Pay fees via financial manager

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Patent Center – sponsorship management

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Filing DOCX In Patent Center

Filing – drag and drop

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20

Filing DOCX – warnings and errors

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DOCX – claim detection and validations

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21

Filing DOCX – viewing documents

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Feedback Document

Feedback

Document

Quick

Viewer

Download DOCX

and PDF Files

DOCX – multiple section documents

• Detects and splits specification, claims,

abstract found in a single file

• Renumbers pages after splitting if no

numbers present

• Automatically assigns DOC codes

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22

DOCX – multiple section documents

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Application

Sections

Detected

Filing DOCX – multi-section split documents and

XML retrieval

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Filing DOCX – reviewing XML

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Patent Center beta release

• Launches October 2019

• Incorporates updates and additional features from alpha

release

• Participants will be added in phases

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If you are interested in joining Patent Center Beta, please email eMod@uspto.gov with the subject line

“Participation Request: eMod Patent Center Beta Release” and we will contact you to share the

guidelines and registration information.

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Getting Help

• Patent Electronic Business Center (EBC)

• Phone: 1-866-217-9197

• Email: ebc@uspto.gov

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We want to hear from you!

• Patent Center is built to be user centric, please let us know what you think

– Fill out surveys

– Participate on the eMod and Patent Center IdeaScale websites at https://uspto-emod.ideascale.com/

– Sign up for Patent Alerts at www.uspto.gov/subscribe

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25

Questions

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