Outline of FI/F-term - Japan Patent Office

1 1 Outline of FI/F-termDec. 2013 Japan Patent OFFICE2 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-termSearching with FI/F-termAnnually about 350,000 Patent applications in Japan (not including PCT applications)Totally about 20,000,000 documentsAbout 75% of domestic applications have nopatent familiesHuge amount of prior art!Why FI/F-term ?050000100000150000200000250000 3000003500004000004500001974197719801981 1982198319841985198619871988198919901991 1992199319941995199619971998199920002001 2002200320042005200620072008200920102011 2012341977:Strasbourg Agreement entered in force in Japan1978: IPC officially introduced at JPO growing numbers of Patent documents JPO examiners subdivide files (using alphabetic letters A - Z) start of "File Index" (FI) classification1984: "paperless Office " project computerised search system new search indexes: File Forming terms (F- terms ) to improve search efficiencyWhy FI/F-term ?

2 5 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-termSearching with FI/F-termSystemGovernanceNumber of EntriesDocumentationcoverageIPCIPC/CE (Committee of Experts); supervised by WIPO70K- almost all Patent docs published worldwideFI/F-termJPO190K/ 380K- JP docsCPCEPO/USPTO250K(main trunk / 2000 series = 160K/ 80K)- the subset of "min-PCT" documentation in one of the three EPO languages- Patent docs classified by CPCNOO verview of Patent classification systems67 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-term8 Subdivision of IPC Consists of IPC groups & IPC-based subdivisionsLargely based on the latest version of IPC, but some are based on old version, IPC4 Uses a dot hierarchy like IPCC overs all the fields of IPC(A section to H section)Similar to CPC main trunk (160,000 entries)Biannual revision Backlog reclassification[Features]IPC 70,000 entriesFI (File Index)190,000 entriesWhat is FI?

3 FI - notationexample of FI subdivisions for G06F9/00 IPC symbol ex) G06F 9/00 IPC symbol + extension symbolex) G06F 9/00, 320 IPC symbol + extension symbol + file discrimination symbol ex) G06F 9/00, 320 AIPC symbol + file discrimination symbolex) B60G 17/015 A(source: )910FI Symbol (Extension symbol)Further subdivisions of IPC subgroups Indication with 3-digit numbersHierarchical dots followed by IPC symbolsExample:A01D HARVESTING; MOWING34/ 00 Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvest34/ 24 Lifting devices for the cutter-bar101 Co-operating of the machine103 Actuating by sensing fields or stumps 104 Mechanism for preventing hunting11FI Symbol (File Discrimination Symbol)Further subdivisions under IPC subgroups or extension symbolsIndication with a letter from A to Z Creation of symbol Z (others) is necessaryNo dot means 1 dot below IPC subgroups et number means a hierarchical level within file discrimination symbolsExampleA01C PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING1/ 00 Apparatus, or methods of for adjusting growthB Chemical treatmentZOthersIPC:70,000FI:190,000 Section ASection B01A01B Section H01A01 BMain groupSub group1/001/00 ABCZ1/021011021/041/06 ABZ1/082/002/02AB301A301BZ2/04 ABCZ2/06 ABZ1/021/041/061/082/002/022/042/0612FI - section to groups13 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?

4 Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-term14 Development of complex or combined technologiesIncreasing numberof Patent documents Limits of subdivision of IPC (FI) Inadequate segmentation Subdivision of single viewpointInvention of F-term as computer-based multi aspect search indexes Limits of subdivision of IPC (FI)--> FI is subdivided from only the viewpoint of IPCNeed for efficient search What is F-term?15 View point 1 AA01, AA02, ..F- terms (Multi-dimensional viewpoints)View point 2 BB01, BB02, ..View point 3 CC01, CC02, ..70,000 entriesIPC 190,000 entriesFIThemeRelationship between IPC and FI/F-term380,000 entries16 View point 1 AA01, AA02, ..F- terms (Multi-dimensional viewpoints)View point 2 BB01, BB02, ..View point 3 CC01, CC02, ..What is F-term?Indications comprised of 2 letters selected from A to Z (called Viewpoint ) and 2 numerals selected from 00 to 99 Around 380,000 entries (total of all themes)Similar to CPC 2000 series (80,000 entries)Revised annuallyBacklog reclassification17A certain technical area (Total 2,600 Themes)Around 1,800 themes out of 2,600 have F-termsA theme has a certain FI coverageA theme consists of a theme code and a subject of the theme corresponding the FI coverageA theme code is expressed as 5-digits consisting of alphanumeric charactersExample:Theme code: 3E003FI coverage: B65B 5/00-5/12 Subject of the theme: Container packaging and wrapping operationConcept of theme F- terms - notationExample: 3E067 AB01theme code:represents a technical fieldview point:analyses the theme (material, purpose,operation, manufacturing, etc.)

5 Figure:subdivides the viewpointfigureview pointtheme code18F- terms - notationExample: 3E067 AB01 . A theme code:represents a technical fieldview point:analyses the theme (material, purpose,operation, manufacturing, etc.)figure:subdivides the viewpointadditional code: subdivides each term codefigureview pointtheme codeadditional code19F- terms - notationExample:3E067 AB012= Residual technology (2B, 2C, 2D,..)3= Mechanics (3B, 3C, 3D, 3E,..)4= Chemistry (4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, )5= Electricity (5B, 5C, 5D, 5E,..)theme codeview pointfigure2021 ThemeFIF-termTheme 1(F-term theme)Theme 2(FI theme)Theme 3(F-term theme)1/00 ABCZ1/021011021/041/06 ABZ1/082/002/02AB301A301BZ2/04 ABCZ2/06 ABCZ1/00A 1/08AA00AA01AA02AA03AA04BB00BB01BB02CC00 CC01CC02CC03DD00DD01DD02DD032/04 AAA00AA01AA02AA03BB00BB01BB02CC00CC01CC0 2CC03CC04 2/04B2/04C Relationship between FI, theme and F-term22 Theme CodeViewpointSubject of themeFI CoverageExample of F-term listF-term descriptions partly available in English since 2005currently approx.

6 700 themes coveredF-term descriptionexample of F-term description in English(source: )2324 Advantage of multiple technical viewpointsViewpoint AA ComponentsViewpoint BA Functions and UsesViewpoint CA StructuresEx. Search for granular calciumoxide ceramics with low heat expansion 25AA componentsAA04 Calcium oxides4G031AA04Ex. Search for granular calciumoxide ceramics with low heat expansion Advantage of multiple technical viewpoints26BA24 Low heat expansionAA componentsBA Functionsand UsesAA04 and BA244G031Ex. Search for granular calciumoxide ceramics with low heat expansion Advantage of multiple technical viewpoints27AA componentsBA Functionsand UsesRefine the search effectively!AA04 and BA24and CA054G031CA05 GranularityEx. Search for granular calciumoxide ceramics with low heat expansion Advantage of multiple technical viewpoints28 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-termSearching with FI/F-term29 Revision of FI/F-termIPCFIF-termRevisionAnnual BiannualAnnualReclassificationYesYesYes* * Basically, all the documents are reclassified, but in some themes, only the documents published after a specific year are reclassified ( themes where a new technology was developed in a specific year).

7 Inverter devices (H02M7/)T024 Hybrid Vehicles (B60K6/)T010 Gearing (F16H57/)T063 Non-woven fabrics (D04H)F003 Incorporation of the existing FI into the IPC31 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-termSearching with FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termsFI classes on Japanese first pages (KOKAI) since 199232 Finding FI/F-termstheme codefull list of term codesF- terms on Japanese first pages (KOKAI) since 200033 Finding FI/F- terms (source: )Full list of term codesFI classestheme codesLegal status in Japanese3435 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-termSearching with FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-term Where? Patent Map Guidance in IPDL (Industrial Property Digital Library)(English) (Japanese) parallel viewer in JPO website(English normal) (English concordance) (Japanese normal) (Japanese concordance) Map scheme parallel viewer (normal) and CPC groups having the same IPC symbol appear in scheme and input symbolIPC-FI-CPC scheme parallel viewer (concordance)Select scheme and input and CPC groups having concordance to the same IPC group appear in FI/F-term How?

8 IPC -> FI -> F-term concordanceStep 1: Identifying IPCStep 2: Identifying FI from IPCStep 3: Identifying F-term (theme code) from FI 4041 IdentifyingIPCWIPO website (IPCPUB) #refresh=pageH04M1/02: Constructional features of telephone sets Identifying IPC with keywords42 IdentifyingFI from IPCP atent Map : Constructional features of telephone sets 43 IPC to FI concordanceIdentifyingFI from IPCP atent Map to F-term (theme code) concordanceIdentifyingF-term from FIPatent Map relevant F- terms on this list Patent Map GuidanceIdentifyingF- IPC and input symbolFIIPCI dentifyingFI from IPC and F-term from FIIPC-FI-CPC scheme parallel viewer (concordance) H04M1/02: Constructional features of telephone sets Select IPC and FIFI to F-term (theme code) - additional codesclick on viewpoint hyperlink to see additional codes47 - additional codesclick on theme code to display additional codes48 FI schemeNote: some FI schemes are not translated (refer to the Japanese version of FI schemes instead)English translations of recently revised FI may be FI schemeTIP: copy&paste URL of FI scheme into translation engine!

9 Japanese FI scheme of H04 FI schemeTIP: copy&paste URL of FI scheme into translation engine! Japanese FI scheme of H04W51 Untranslated F-term listNote: some F-term lists are not translated (refer to the Japanese version of F-term list instead)English translations of recently revised F-term may be F-term listTIP: copy&paste URL of F-term list into translation engine!information on latest revision of this F-term list for theme 3K2435354 ContentWhy FI/F-term ?Overview of Patent classification systemsWhat is FI?What is F-term?Revision of FI/F-termFinding FI/F-termIdentifying FI/F-termSearching with FI/F-term55[Example]Automobile collision avoidance radar with fixedantenna when curvingIPC:G01S 13/93 Radar or analogous systems, designed for anti-collision purposesFI:Theme: F-term :Identifying relevant FI/F- terms [example]???56 Click herePatent Map GuidanceURL: (Industrial Property Digital Library)Identifying relevant FI/F- terms [example]Identifying relevant FI/F- terms [example] :Radar or analogous systems, designed for anti-collision purposesPatent Map Guidance57 Identifying relevant FI/F- terms [example]G01S13/93 of IPC has 3 FI subdivisions58 Identifying relevant FI/F- terms [example]The relevant FI:G01S13/93@ZThe relevant F-term theme code: 5J0705960 Theme:5J070 (Radar systems and details thereof)F-term:AD00 Antennas and polarized waves AD13.

10 Fixed AntennaBF00 Collision prevention BF19 . Curved roadwayAA00 RADARSYSTEMS INGENERALAD00 AD13 ANTENNASANDPOLARIZEDWAVES. FixedAntennaBF00 BF19 COLLISIONPREVENTION. Curvedroadway5J070G01S7/00-7/42;13/00-13 /95AA ADBFR adar systems and details thereofAdvantage of FI/F-term searchTheme CodeSubject of themeFI CoverageView-points61[Example] Automobile collision avoidance radar with fixed antenna when curvingG01S 13/93@Z Anti-collision systems for automobile BF19 Curved roadwayAD13 Fixed AntennaAdvantage of FI/F-term searchG01S 13/93@ZAD13BF1962 Click hereFI/F-term searchURL: (Industrial Property Digital Library) FI/F-term search via IPDLD etails are on Click on List Publication DatePatentTheme: 5J070G01S13/93@Z*AD13*BF19 Boolean Operators:+ (OR)* (AND)- (NOT) FI/F-term search via IPDL63 list of publication numbersFI/F-term search via IPDL64FI/F-term search via IPDL6566 Search query G01S13/93@Z and AD13 and BF19G01S 13/93@Z Anti-collision systems for automobile BF19 Curved roadwayAD13 Fixed AntennaF-termFIAdvantage of FI/F-term search67 Thank you !