OPTICAL: SYSTEMS AND ELEMENTS

Classification 359/107.000 - 108.000 >> view this class definition

U. S. PATENT RESOURCES

As general guidance, a complete search of U. S. patents in this art area will include the following:

1. A classified search of the original classification class and subclass for the subject matter and the other highly relevant art areas in the US patent documents
2. A text search of the US patent documents; patents, PG PUB, and OCR databases:
• Broad text search for the general inventive concept(s), not limited by classification
• Narrow text search for the specific claimed invention
• Boolean text search employing the relevant inventive terms

The resources listed below are internal USPTO search tools. However, the information that they cover is available either commercially, on the USPTO web site, or in the Public Search Facility on the USPTO Headquarters campus and the Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries.

EAST/WEST

EAST Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1971 - present

WEST Coverage: 1971 - present, Full Text: 1971 - present

Full text patent and inventor searching.

This resource can be used for class/subclass, text, inventor, and assignee searching. Queries may include classification parameters combined with other terms. Depending on the specific subjects covered in the patent application, the search may include related US subclasses within and outside of Class 359. See the Class Definition. This resource frequently provides highly relevant information from US patents.

BRS Search/USOCR Database

EAST Coverage: 1920 - 1970, Full Text: 1920 - 1970

WEST Coverage: 1920 - 1970, Full Text: 1920 - 1970

Full text of U.S. patent grants.

This resource can be used for class/subclass, text, inventor, and assignee searching. Queries may include classification parameters combined with other terms. Depending on the specific subjects covered in the patent application, the search may include related US subclasses within and outside of Class 359. See the Class Definition. This resource provides relevant information from older US patents when it is appropriate to search pre-1971 art using search terms in addition to classification.

PGPUBS

EAST Coverage: 2001 - present, Full Text: 2001 - present

WEST Coverage: 2001 - present, Full Text: 2001 - present

U.S. published applications.

This resource can be used for class/subclass, text, inventor, and assignee searching. Queries may include classification parameters combined with other terms. Depending on the specific subjects covered in the patent application, the search may include related US subclasses within and outside of Class 359. See the Class Definition. This resource frequently provides highly relevant information from published US applications.

FOREIGN PATENT RESOURCES

Searched separately from the U.S. Patent Search. These databases consist of abstract documents. Text searching abstracts requires the use of different search logic e.g. the use of broad Boolean and/or operators instead of narrow proximity operators.

Derwent World Patents Index and the contents of the EPO Abstracts and JPO Abstracts are available commercially.

Derwent World Patents Index, Classification and Text Search

EAST Coverage: 1963 - present, Full Text: - N/A

WEST Coverage: 1963 - present, Full Text: - N/A

English abstracts database of patent documents from more than 40 patent-issuing authorities.

DWPI can be used for text, IPC, Derwent Manual Code, and assignee/inventor searching. This resource may provide information on foreign patents and published applications.

EPO Abstracts, Text and Classification Search

EAST Coverage: 1978 - present, Full Text: - N/A

WEST Coverage: 1978 - present, Full Text: - N/A

English abstracts database of patents and published applications from EPO, WO/PCT, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Switzerland. USPC searching is limited to documents added to the database from 1978 to September 30, 1995.

This database can be used for text, IPC, ECLA, USPC, and assignee/inventor searching. Queries may include classification parameters combined with other terms to be searched. This resource provides relevant information on foreign patents and published applications.

EPO esp@cenet

esp@cenet Coverage: 1920 - present, Full Text: 1920 - present

National patent information from all member states of the EPO as well as bibliographic data from patents worldwide.

Provides PDF images for the full text of patents from a number of countries. Has text search capabilities in the title and abstract fields as well as retrieval by IPC and ECLA classification numbers. This resource may provide information on foreign patents and published applications and patents.

JPO Abstracts, Text and Classification Search

EAST Coverage: 1976 - present, Full Text: - N/A

WEST Coverage: 1976 - present, Full Text: - N/A

English abstracts database of Japanese published unexamined applications. USPC searching is limited to documents added to the database from 1978 to September 30, 1995.

This database can be used for text, IPC, and assignee/inventor searching. Queries may include classification parameters combined with other terms to be searched. This resource provides relevant information on JP published unexamined applications.

JPO Industrial Property Digital Library

NCIPI Coverage: 1976 - present, Full Text: 1976 - present

Japanese patent information.

This database can be used for text, IPC, and assignee/inventor searching. Queries may include classification parameters combined with other terms to be searched. This resource provides relevant information on JP published unexamined applications.

NON-PATENT LITERATURE RESOURCES

The resources listed are those that USPTO staff have found consistently yield the most relevant search results. Commercial databases available through a single vendor can generally be searched simultaneously, although it is preferable to search full text and bibliographic databases in separate groupings. In addition to the use of subscription databases and public Internet sites, it is recommended that books, manuals, standards and specifications be considered in the search for prior art.

CAplus

STN Coverage: 1907 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Chemistry bibliographic database.

This resource can be used for text, inventor/assignee, IPC, USPC, JP FTERM, ECLA, and CAS Registry Number searching, and, in conjunction with the CAS Registry file, for chemical structure searching. This resource may provide information on literature involving this art.

DIALINDEX

Dialog Coverage: - Current, Full Text: - Current

Master index to DIALOG databases.

This database can be text-searched to determine which databases contain references to technology being searched. Databases with the most references are selected for a more detailed search. This resource may provide information on relevant Dialog databases to search.

IEEE Xplore

IEEE Coverage: 1952 - present, Full Text: 1988 - present

Full text access to technical literature in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics.

This resource may provide information on literature involving this art.

Inspec (The Database for Physics, Electronics and Computing)

Dialog Coverage: 1898 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Dialog DataStar Coverage: 1969 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Questel Orbit Coverage: 1969 - present, Full Text: - N/A

STN Coverage: 1969 - present, Full Text: - N/A

Inspec (The Database for Physics, Electronics and Computing) corresponds to the three Science Abstracts print publications: Physics Abstracts, Electrical and Electronics Abstracts, and Computer and Control Abstracts.

This resource may provide information on literature involving this art.

JICST-EPlus - Japanese Science & Technology

Dialog Coverage: 1985 - present, Full Text: - N/A

STN Coverage: 1985 - present, Full Text: - N/A

English citations and abstracts covering the literature published in Japan on all fields of science, technology, and medicine.

This resource may provide information on the Japanese technical literature in this art.

Optics InfoBase

Optics InfoBase Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Web-based repository of optics research.

This resource may provide information on literature involving this art.

SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

SPIE Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Society for the exchange, collection and dissemination of knowledge in optics, photonics and imaging.

This resource may provide information on literature involving this art.

STNindex

STN Coverage: - Current, Full Text: - Current

Master index to STN databases.

This database can be text-searched to determine which databases contain references to technology being searched. Databases with the most references are selected for a more detailed search. This resource may provide information on relevant STN databases to search.

Applied photographic optics : lenses and optical systems for photography, film, video, and electronic imaging

STIC online catalog Coverage: - , Full Text: 2nd ed. - 1994

Ray, S.

This book may provide information involving the principles and state of this art.

Encyclopedia of optical engineering

STIC online catalog Coverage: - , Full Text: - 2003

Driggers, R.

This encyclopedia may provide information involving the principles and state of this art.

Optics

STIC online catalog Coverage: - , Full Text: 4th ed. - 2002

Hecht, E.

This book may provide information involving the principles and state of this art.

INTERNET SEARCH TOOLS

An Internet search should be considered when a search of the resources listed above fails to locate relevant prior art. A preliminary Internet search may be performed to obtain an overview of the technology, and to identify additional search terms and related product information.

Google TM

Google Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Internet search engine.

This resource may provide information on broad topics, specific companies, devices, individuals, products, materials, and properties.

Scirus

Elsevier Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Science-specific search engine.

This resource may provide information on broad topics, specific companies, devices, individuals, products, materials, and properties.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. Coverage: - N/A, Full Text: - N/A

Internet search engine.

This resource may provide information on broad topics, specific companies, devices, individuals, products, materials, and properties.

Public Comments on the Search Templates

Public comments on the search templates are invited. Comments should address the points enumerated in the Criteria for Evaluating Recommended Search Resources. Comments can be submitted via the Search Template Project e-mail link on each template page or by mail addressed to:

Mail Stop Patents Search Template Comments
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Electronic submission is preferred. The Office will respond to comments in writing.