This service categorizes documents according to bibliographical items and technical components specified by the customer, as material for the information analysis stage from a huge amount of patent material on a specific topic. Specifically, we use Excel or similar software to carefully read each document and then categorize it. This is a service we would particularly like you to use if you wish to perform analysis from a unique perspective where there is no appropriate patent classification and mechanical categorization is not possible. For example, we will create data that meets your needs by adding unique classifications and indexes based on your specified criteria.
It can also be used as basic data for patent information analysis when intellectual property departments and research departments venture into undeveloped fields. Once created, a database of specific patent technologies can be created by adding new information every few years.

For details and examples of patent maps, click here.

This is a search to find out whether there are any prior art documents that may lead to the denial of novelty, inventive step, etc., before filing a patent application or requesting examination, and to obtain information to determine whether or not the invention is patentable. Ideally, all past patent literature and non-patent literature from around the world should be the subject of the search, but this is not realistic. In general, the scope and period of the search are limited depending on whether the level of the invention is very recent cutting-edge technology, and also based on budgets and deadlines, etc., to conduct an efficient search.

This is a search to check whether there are any patents or utility models that may be obstacles when research and development is in the final stages and the product is brought to market. If any other company's rights that may be infringing are found, it is necessary to avoid infringing the rights in advance by changing the design, etc. In addition, the literature extracted in the search can be used as reference material to actively promote better technological development in the future.
The scope of the investigation often covers currently valid patents and utility models, as well as patents and utility model documents that are currently published or under review and may be granted in the future. However, depending on budgets and deadlines, the investigation may only cover currently valid patents or may also include patents whose rights have expired.
An infringement search may also be called an infringement prevention search, a feasibility search, an FTO (Freedom to operate) search, a conflict search, or a clearance search.

This is a search to find literature that could prevent (or invalidate) the patenting of a problematic invention if you have received a warning from a patent owner about patent infringement, or if a competitor's patent application has been made public and you want to prevent the patenting.

An "Invalidity Search" is a survey to collect materials to invalidate patent rights or utility model rights. The collected materials are mainly used to assert the invalidity of rights in invalidation trials or litigation. This survey may also be conducted by rights holders to check whether there are any grounds for invalidation of their own patents before exercising their rights.

The "information submission search" is a survey to collect materials to prevent the granting of rights to applications before the granting of rights. The collected materials can be mainly used as attachments when providing information to the Japan Patent Office. "Information submission" is a system in which materials for examination are provided to the Japan Patent Office through the submission of publications, etc. and attachments.

Increasingly, the target literature is not only patent literature but also non-patent literature, and the target countries are both domestic and international.

This is a search that is conducted periodically using a fixed search formula (applicant, inventor, classification, etc.) and reports the results. It is also called a "periodic search" or "surveillance search." While the searches (1) to (6) are conducted by going back and searching all previously published documents, this search is different in that it periodically extracts newly issued publications.
Generally, "SDI" refers to an automatic delivery service of extracted documents by machine search, but our company also includes a service in which expert researchers screen and extract publications. By having researchers actually look over the extracted documents by screening, it is possible to remove noise, and it is also possible to prevent missed extractions by eliminating the need to use many keywords to narrow down the number of hits when classification alone would result in too many hits. This allows us to report documents that are more accurate than extraction work done by machines alone, reducing the burden on our customers.
We can handle both domestic and international orders.

Even in the research and development stage, when searching for invalid documents, the existence of non-patent literature can play an important role. However, there are various types of literature, such as research papers and magazines, and unlike patent literature, there is no organized system.
Even for rare documents that are difficult to obtain, we visit the National Diet Library, university libraries, prefectural or city libraries, academic societies, organizations, etc. to obtain copies. In the case of overseas documents, we obtain them through local agents.

The complete set of documents from patent application to final disposition is commonly referred to as the "file wrapper."
By requesting a copy of the file wrapper and examining its contents in detail, you can understand how the applicant has responded to notices and orders from the patent office. In the One Portal Dossier (OPD) of the Japan Patent Office database "J-PlatPat," you can check much of the information related to examinations not only in Japan but also in the five major patent offices of the US, EP, KR, and WO. We can access commercial databases and databases of patent offices of other countries to obtain documents for countries other than Japan, but some countries may not be included. In that case, you can obtain them through overseas agents or research companies. However, depending on the country, it may take a considerable amount of time to obtain the product. 

This is a survey to grasp the progress of a patent application or a registered patent, such as information on progress after filing, such as whether or not an examination request has been made, whether or not registration and annuities have been paid, and whether or not an appeal against a rejection decision or an invalidation trial has been requested.
As with (10) above, these documents can be obtained from One Portal Dossier (OPD), commercial databases, databases of national patent offices, or through overseas agents or research companies.

Regularly monitor application progress information (bibliographical items) that may be an obstacle to implementation.
For example, "Has a request for examination been filed?" or "Has a notice of rejection been issued?"
The purpose is to enable timely action to be taken on the affected applications.

The same invention may be applied for in multiple countries through PCT applications or by claiming Paris priority. Patents in each country are applied for in accordance with the laws and examination standards of that country, and amendments are often made, so the scope of all patent claims does not necessarily match. However, these patents are in a corresponding relationship with each other.

Possible investigation purposes may include, for example:

Before bringing a new product to market, a patent application is filed for the product from a technical perspective, such as its function, but if you want to protect the design itself, you file a design registration application. A legal amendment in 2006 extended the duration of design rights from 15 years to 20 years from the date of registration, making design rights more protective.

The publicly available materials for designs used to determine requirements such as novelty include not only past design gazettes, but also drawings from patent and utility model gazettes, as well as non-patent literature such as magazines, newspapers and catalogues, and information on the Internet.

The items we have surveyed include stationery, furniture, medical equipment, mobile phones, sports equipment, toys, and more.

Databases available for use include JP-NET for domestic use, CNIPR (CN) and SRPARTNER (US, CN, IN, TH) for overseas use, and databases of the patent offices of each country for which you are searching.