PATCOM - THOMSON REUTERSClassification needs and first experiences with CPCIPC WORKSHOP, Geneva 2013

Doina Nanu

CLASSIFICATION NEEDS AND FIRST EXPERIENCES WITH CPC

• Introduction – classification systems

• Is Patent Classification still needed

• Patent classification uses

• Classification challenges

• CPC – threat or opportunity - Conclusions

(TOO) MANY PATENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS

• International Patent Classification – WIPO

• Cooperative Patent Classification (ECLA)– EPO/USPTO

• US Patent Classification (until 2015) – USPTO

• DECLA – German Patent and Trademark Office

• FI /F-Terms – Japanese Patent Office

• DWPI Manual Coding system

• Common Hybrid Classification – Global Patent Classification

IS PATENT CLASSIFICATION STILL NEEDED?

• Increasing global patent activity

• Classification systems require high maintenance• High granularity, often dependent on national, regional

technology profile

• Frequent updating cycles (revisions, reclassifications)

• Consistent classification rules often reconciled with national patent law

• The more refined to meet specific requirements, the higher the maintenance and, paradoxically, risk of failing

• Different classification systems (national, regional)

• Recent classification developments (CPC, CHC) - substantial projects undertaken by patent offices

• High interest from patent user community

• Patent classification has multiple applications and is useful !

PATENT CLASSIFICATION USES • Search tool :

• Language independent : overcomes translation variations and terminology alternatives in emerging technologies, as well as spelling errors

• Suitable for Technology drill down and concept retrieval

• Document routing tool:• In production and editorial departments patent documents are

routed to technology experts

• In product creation : for alerts and patent profiles

• In Machine Translation developments where the classification is used to associate the correct technical dictionary with the respective technology

CLASSIFICATION CHALLENGES

• Classification features with limited user benefits:– Inconsistency of classification attributes (eg generating

office, position, source of classification, etc.)

– Insufficient details related to certain classification features, linking codes

• Missing classification

• Invalid classification

• Availability at publication with the rest of bibliographic data

MISSING/INVALID IPCs IN NEW PULICATIONS LOADED IN DWPI

IPC – SAME INVENTION, DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION

IPCs applied only once within family

A23L 1/0522

A23L 1/09

A23L 2/00

A61K 47/14

A61K 47/26

A61K 47/36

A61K 8/97

A61Q 13/00

B01F 17/00

B01F 17/34

B01F 17/36

B01F 3/08

C08B 35/02

C08J 3/02

C08L 3/06

CHALLENGE MEANS OPPORTUNITY

• Missing and invalid IPCs – value add by assigning front end classification

• Inconsistent classification – DWPI Manual coding

– DWPI patent family

• Confusing Attributes - product enhancement features eg Inventive, non-inventive, generating office, version, etc

CPC –THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY?Conclusions (1)

• Yet another classification system or chance for Integration in IPC or be the backbone for global classification?

• Granular, but how representative for technology developments in Japan, China, Korea?

• Applied to a large number of collections but not available at the time of patent document publication (except for US data, EP)

CPC –THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY?Conclusions (2)

• Concordance with IPC good for now but how will the divergence be avoided as CPC evolves

• If more offices join in, how will the consistency of classification be maintained?– Role of the USPTO in consolidating the success of CPC

– Role of WIPO in unifying the very best of the existing systems into a global classification, consistently applied by patent offices worldwide irrespective of their size

Classification needs and first experiences with CPC - IPC Quality Issues -

Christiane EmmerichPATCOM/FIZ Karlsruhe

IPC Workshop, Geneva 2013

IPC Quality Issues

• Invalid IPCs in the DOCDB backfile • Missing IPCs of new patent publications

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Invalid IPCs in DOCDB

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The IPC subgroup C12N 5/06 was transferred to C12N 5/07 plus further subgroups with IPC version 2010.01

IPC Revision 2010.01

Invalid IPCs in DOCDBC12N 5/06 became invalid with IPC version 2010.01

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24.556 records with C12N 5/06 IPC reform codes only*

US 7.713

JP 2.476

WO 2.233

EP 2.230

AU 1.726

CA 1.484

DE 981

CN 877

* 25.115 records in INPADOCDB with C12N 5/06 (IPC8) of which 559 provide the revised code C12N 5/07 (plus further subgroups), search week 06/2013

Invalid IPCs in DOCDB

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AN 59944434 INPADOCDB ED 20091217 EW 200951 UP 20100422 UW 201016FN 38698386TI USE OF FXA, FVIIA, TF, OR A COMBINATION THEREOF AS ANTI-APOPTOTIC AGENTS. UTILISATION DE FXA, DE FVIIA, DE TF OU D'UNE COMBINAISON DE CEUX-CI EN TANT QU'AGENTS ANTI-APOPTOTIQUES.IN DAUBIE, VALERY; POCHET, ROLANDINS DAUBIE VALERY, BE; POCHET ROLAND, BEPA UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES; DAUBIE, VALERY; POCHET, ROLANDPAS UNIV BRUXELLES, BE; DAUBIE VALERY, BE; POCHET ROLAND, BEPI WO 2009146746 A1 20091210PIT WOA1 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED WITH INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORTAI WO 2008-EP56994 W 20080605 EnglishAIT WOW International application NumberPRAI WO 2008-EP56994 W 20080605 (WOW, 20091217, Y) PRAIT WOW International application NumberIPCI C12N0005-06 [I,A]CPC C12N0005-0031; C12N2500-84; C12N2501-70EPC C12N0005-00M2ICO M12N0500:84; M12N0501:700

WO2009/146746 has one invalid IPC assigned, no reclassification data are available:

New Patent Publications without IPC* in DOCDB from August 2012

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1.373.086 new publications from August 2012

IPC8 1.330.822

IPC7, only 612**

reclassified IPC, only 6.899***

no IPC 34.763

2,5 % of new publications have no IPC assigned

* new INPADOCDB records (new applications)** BE A3 (251), AR A1 (164), BE A5 (86), EP A1 (63)*** TW (3678), PT (1479), KR (1062), SG (140), EA (101)

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New Patent Publications without IPC in DOCDB from August 2012

publication type no IPC code* comments

design patents 10.710 US S1 (10.648), CR S, DO S

gazette references 9.539 GB D0 (9.525), IL D0, AP D0

utility models 1.580 IT U1 (1.179), CN U, FI U1, BR U2

other 12.934 see next slide

total 34.763

*number of new records in INPADOCDB without IPC

New Patent Publications without IPC in DOCDB from August 2012

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patent publica-tion type

no IPC code* total number of publications

IT A1 5222 (99,9%) 5.227

WO A1, A2 2654 (2,8%) 95.201

SG A1 3631 (96,2%) 3.775

CN A 386 (0,1%) 294.327

BR A2 279 (6,9%) 4.002

US A1 209 (0,1%) 170.679

*number of new records in INPADOCDB without IPC

New PCT-Publications without IPCin DOCDB from August 2012

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PCT-Filing Office No of Records*

US 1048

EP 566

KR 247

GB 173

IB 154

DE 57

CN 53

total 2.654

*number of new PCT-records in INPADOCDB without IPC

New PCT-Publication without IPC in DOCDB

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AN 70190717 INPADOCDB ED 20120830 EW 201235 UP 20120906 UW 201236FN 45280289TI VERFAHREN ZUM BETREIBEN EINES SOLARBEHEIZTEN ABHITZEDAMPFERZEUGERS SOWIE SOLARTHERMISCHER ABHITZEDAMPFERZEUGER. METHOD FOR OPERATING A SOLAR-HEATED WASTE HEAT STEAM GENERATOR, AND SOLAR-THERMAL WASTE HEAT STEAM GENERATOR. PROCEDE POUR FAIRE FONCTIONNER UN GENERATEUR DE VAPEUR A RECUPERATION DE CHALEUR CHAUFFE A L'ENERGIE SOLAIRE ET GENERATEUR DE VAPEUR A RECUPERATION DE CHALEUR CHAUFFE A L'ENERGIE SOLAIRE.IN BRUECKNER, JAN; FRANKE, JOACHIM; THOMAS, FRANKINS BRUECKNER JAN, DE; FRANKE JOACHIM, DE; THOMAS FRANK, DEPA SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT; BRUECKNER, JAN; FRANKE, JOACHIM; THOMAS,FRANKPAS SIEMENS AG, DE; BRUECKNER JAN, DE; FRANKE JOACHIM, DE; THOMAS FRANK, DEDT PatentPI WO 2012110342 A2 20120823PIT WOA2 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED WITHOUT INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT or INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED WITH DECLARATION UNDER ARTICLE 17 (2) (A) [FROM 20090101 ONWARDS]AI WO 2012-EP51920 W 20120206 GermanAIT WOW International application NumberPRAI DE 2011-102011004263 A 20110217 (DEA, 20120823, Y) PRAIT DEA Patent applicationREC 1. THERE IS 1 CITED REFERENCE (0 PATENT, 1 NON PATENT) AVAILABLE FOR THIS RECORD. ALL CITATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE RE FORMAT.

WO2012/110342 has no IPC or ECLA/CPC assigned

Conclusions

• Reclassification of the MCD backfile needs to be enhanced to ensure comprehensive retrieval when searching with the current version of the IPC

• WIPO should encourage smaller patent authorities to assign IPCs more extensively, e.g. IT, SG, AR

• PCT searching authorities should be encouraged to assign IPCs more timely to PCT documents, so that IPC could be used for monitoring purposes

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