It is easy to develop tunnel vision when doing the things that we do the most. It seems practical, whether consciously considered or not, to keep performing tasks the same way we always have rather than committing time and energy to exploring alternative solutions to our problems. Of course, when we close our minds to new approaches to old problems, we risk missing out on ways to improve upon our methods and get better results. This is especially true in the patent world, where patent searches have been conducted using the patent search tools provided by patent authorities for decades. The LexisNexis TotalPatent One® patent search platform has put fresh eyes on the most common patent search problems, and provides solutions that help patent professionals perform searches better and faster than ever.
Historically, it has been impossible to perform a global patent search from a single patent search platform. Nearly every patent authority around the world maintains its patent record database, which used to mean patent practitioners would have to search each database separately to achieve a comprehensive global patent search. Unfortunately, this approach is both repetitive and time consuming, and it forces patent practitioners to use discretion when deciding which databases to search and how much time to spend searching each one. Modern patent search platforms like TotalPatent One® enable users to expand the geographic scope of their searches by providing access to patent documents from worldwide patent databases simultaneously from a single search engine. Patent practitioners no longer need to waste time with repetitive prior art database searches, nor do they need to pick and choose which databases to search—one simple query allows them to tap into the world’s patent records for greater efficiency.
As efficient as it is to search multiple patent databases all at once, global patent searches could leave patent professionals with more search results than they know what to do with. They must be able to quickly and easily filter their search results to decipher which patent records are pertinent to their patent search objectives. TotalPatent One provides users with a variety of methods for filtering down search results to only those that matter. Users can filter their search results by keywords, geography, dates, ownership information, classification codes and more. TotalPatent One customizable search filters give patent professionals more control over their patent searches than other patent search tools, so they can spend less time searching and more time interpreting search results.
One of the most common complaints about many patent search tools (especially those provided by government patent authorities) is that search results are not presented in a way that helps searchers determine their relevancy. Patent document titles and application or patent numbers are typically displayed in a not-so-useful list format, meaning that each patent record must be opened separately to determine whether it is on point or should be discarded. The TotalPatent One interface is designed to help users intuitively identify relevant patent documents from the main search results page by including patent document previews in a separate sidebar. Patent document previews help professionals determine each document’s search relevancy by presenting important document information, including clipped patent images, invention summaries, abstracts, claims and more. Previews also include links to related patent documents, such as other documents in the same patent family, as well as forward- and backward-cited patent documents.
It is time for patent professionals to correct their tunnel vision and view patent searches with an entirely new perspective. TotalPatent One search tools solve the problems presented by old search methods and enable patent professionals to find global prior art with efficiency and ease.
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