Key Words Searches

A patent search first starts with a good understanding of an invention. One must clearly grasp the innovative characteristics of an invention. This step is capital towards the selection of the keywords that will be used to start a patent search.

English is the main language of patents. Keywords are thus preferably expressed in English for a preliminary search on the Google Patents web site, for example. Keywords are used in diverse combinations in order to pinpoint and especially to reduce the number of patents that may relate to an invention.

The goal is to find one or a few key patents that are the most similar to an invention. If needed, use synonyms or more technical expressions. Once these key patents are identified, the patent search can really start using notably the American Patent Office web site.