Background
Patent documents are a rich source of information on the latest technological developments in every possible field.
A precise processing and analysis of patent documents may serve as an important source of information on new fields of research and worldwide trends in Research and Development, collaborations between researchers and future Research and Development projects.
According to various studies approximately 70% of the knowledge described in patents is unique, and is neither recorded nor exists in other sources of information.
Patent search may complete any literary review in the fields of science and technology and enrich research activities with unique and important information for researchers, students and staff of the Academic institution.
The information embodied in patents can assist researchers, students and Academic Research Authorities in producing the following information and benefits:
- Recognizing Research and Development activities and “hot” trends in the desired field of interest.
- Early documentation of parallel development of technologies.
- Saving in Research and Development funds.
- Recognizing collaborations in research.
- Prior Art search before the start of a research project.
Patent search with: PatBase Express
The Technion Libraries has acquired a professional database named PatBase Express. It is considered to be one of the world’s largest and leading databases in its field.
The database includes:
- Over 100 million patents from 105 leading patent authorities (including the Israeli patent database in full text).
- Non Patent Prior Art Literature in the fields of science, engineering and technology.
- Organizing the patents in families in accordance to the country of registration.
- Discovering classifications and detecting patents according to their classification.
- Statistical analysis based on patents for the acknowledgement of inventors, leading companies, target markets and trends.
- Elaborate information on legal status.
- Identification and analysis of citations.
- Creating alerts via RSS to the Technion mail for receiving updates on recently added patents in the designated field of search.
Training sessions for using the database
The information specialist in the library will provide general guidance on searching patents as well as orientation to available patents relevant for the specific field of interest.
The session might include a more in-depth patent search if the appropriate subject terms and more relevant information will be delivered in advance to the consultant.
Further information that may help the search:
- Names of companies relevant to the field of search
- Names of developers who work in the field of search
- List of known patents that are relevant to the field of search
Please note that library instruction and a onetime search in patent databases, cannot replace an authorized patent search service, prior to patent submission.