uspto-database

# USPTO Database ## Overview USPTO provides specialized APIs for patent and trademark data. Search patents by keywords/inventors/assignees, retrieve examination history via PEDS, track assignments, analyze citations and office actions, access TSDR for trademarks, for IP analysis and prior art searches. ## When to Use This Skill This skill should be used when: - **Patent Search**: Finding patents by keywords, inventors, assignees, classifications, or dates - **Patent Details**: Retrieving full patent data including claims, abstracts, citations - **Trademark Search**: Looking up trademarks by serial or registration number - **Trademark Status**: Checking trademark status, ownership, and prosecution history - **Examination History**: Accessing patent prosecution data from PEDS (Patent Examination Data System) - **Office Actions**: Retrieving office action text, citations, and rejections - **Assignments**: Tracking patent/trademark ownership transfers - **Citations**: Analyzing patent citations (forward and backward) - **Litigation**: Accessing patent litigation records - **Portfolio Analysis**: Analyzing patent/trademark portfolios for companies or inventors ## USPTO API Ecosystem The USPTO provides multiple specialized APIs for different data needs: ### Core APIs 1. **PatentSearch API** - Modern ElasticSearch-based patent search (replaced legacy PatentsView in May 2025) - Search patents by keywords, inventors, assignees, classifications, dates - Access to patent data through June 30, 2025 - 45 requests/minute rate limit - **Base URL**: `https://search.patentsview.org/api/v1/` 2. **PEDS (Patent Examination Data System)** - Patent examination history - Application status and transaction history from 1981-present - Office action dates and examination events - Use `uspto-opendata-python` Python library - **Replaced**: PAIR Bulk Data (PBD) - decommissioned 3. **TSDR (Trademark Status & Document Retrieval)** - Trademark data - Trademark status, ownership, prosecution history - Search by serial or registration number - **Base URL**: `https://tsdrapi.uspto.gov/ts/cd/` ### Additional APIs 4. **Patent Assignment Search** - Ownership records and transfers 5. **Trademark Assignment Search** - Trademark ownership changes 6. **Enriched Citation API** - Patent citation analysis 7. **Office Action Text Retrieval** - Full text of office actions 8. **Office Action Citations** - Citations from office actions 9. **Office Action Rejection** - Rejection reasons and types 10. **PTAB API** - Patent Trial and Appeal Board proceedings 11. **Patent Litigation Cases** - Federal district court litigation data 12. **Cancer Moonshot Data Set** - Cancer-related patents ## Quick Start ### API Key Registration All USPTO APIs require an API key. Register at: **https://account.uspto.gov/api-manager/** Set the API key as an environment variable: ```bash export USPTO_API_KEY="your_api_key_here" ``` ### Helper Scripts This skill includes Python scripts for common operations: - **`scripts/patent_search.py`** - PatentSearch API client for searching patents - **`scripts/peds_client.py`** - PEDS client for examination history - **`scripts/trademark_client.py`** - TSDR client for trademark data ## Task 1: Searching Patents ### Using the PatentSearch API The PatentSearch API uses a JSON query language with various operators for flexible searching. #### Basic Patent Search Examples **Search by keywords in abstract:** ```python from scripts.patent_search import PatentSearchClient client = PatentSearchClient() # Search for machine learning patents results = client.search_patents({ "patent_abstract": {"_text_all": ["machine", "learning"]} }) for patent in results['patents']: print(f"{patent['patent_number']}: {patent['patent_title']}") ``` **Search by inventor:** ```python results = client.search_by_inventor("John Smith") ``` **Search by assignee/company:** ```python results = client.search_by_assignee("Google") ``` **Search by date range:** ```python results = client.search_by_date_range("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31") ``` **Search by CPC classification:** ```python results = client.search_by_classification("H04N") # Video/image tech ``` #### Advanced Patent Search Combine multiple criteria with logical operators: ```python results = client.advanced_search( keywords=["artificial", "intelligence"], assignee="Microsoft", start_date="2023-01-01", end_date="2024-12-31", cpc_codes=["G06N", "G06F"] # AI and computing classifications ) ``` #### Direct API Usage For complex queries, use the API directly: ```python import requests url = "https://search.patentsview.org/api/v1/patent" headers = { "X-Api-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "Content-Type": "application/json" } query = { "q": { "_and": [ {"patent_date": {"_gte": "2024-01-01"}}, {"assignee_organization": {"_text_any": ["Google", "Alphabet"]}}, {"cpc_subclass_id": ["G06N", "H04N"]} ] }, "f": ["patent_number", "patent_title", "patent_date", "inventor_name"], "s": [{"patent_date": "desc"}], "o": {"per_page": 100, "page": 1} } response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=query) results = response.json() ``` ### Query Operators - **Equality**: `{"field": "value"}` or `{"field": {"_eq": "value"}}` - **Comparison**: `_gt`, `_gte`, `_lt`, `_lte`, `_neq` - **Text search**: `_text_all`, `_text_any`, `_text_phrase` - **String matching**: `_begins`, `_contains` - **Logical**: `_and`, `_or`, `_not` **Best Practice**: Use `_text_*` operators for text fields (more performant than `_contains` or `_begins`) ### Available Patent Endpoints - `/patent` - Granted patents - `/publication` - Pregrant publications - `/inventor` - Inventor information - `/assignee` - Assignee information - `/cpc_subclass`, `/cpc_at_issue` - CPC classifications - `/uspc` - US Patent Classification - `/ipc` - International Patent Classification - `/claims`, `/brief_summary_text`, `/detail_description_text` - Text data (beta) ### Reference Documentation See `references/patentsearch_api.md` for complete PatentSearch API documentation including: - All available endpoints - Complete field reference - Query syntax and examples - Response formats - Rate limits and best practices ## Task 2: Retrieving Patent Examination Data ### Using PEDS (Patent Examination Data System) PEDS provides comprehensive prosecution history including transaction events, status changes, and examination timeline. #### Installation ```bash uv pip install uspto-opendata-python ``` #### Basic PEDS Usage **Get application data:** ```python from scripts.peds_client import PEDSHelper helper = PEDSHelper() # By application number app_data = helper.get_application("16123456") print(f"Title: {app_data['title']}") print(f"Status: {app_data['app_status']}") # By patent number patent_data = helper.get_patent("11234567") ``` **Get transaction history:** ```python transactions = helper.get_transaction_history("16123456") for trans in transactions: print(f"{trans['date']}: {trans['code']} - {trans['description']}") ``` **Get office actions:** ```python office_actions = helper.get_office_actions("16123456") for oa in office_actions: if oa['code'] == 'CTNF': print(f"Non-final rejection: {oa['date']}") elif oa['code'] == 'CTFR': print(f"Final rejection: {oa['date']}") elif oa['code'] == 'NOA': print(f"Notice of allowance: {oa['date']}") ``` **Get status summary:** ```python summary = helper.get_status_summary("16123456") print(f"Current status: {summary['current_status']}") print(f"Filing date: {summary['filing_date']}") print(f"Pendency: {summary['pendency_days']} days") if summary['is_patented']: print(f"Patent number: {summary['patent_number']}") print(f"Issue date: {summary['issue_date']}") ``` #### Prosecution Analysis Analyze prosecution patterns: ```python analysis = helper.analyze_prosecution("16123456") print(f"Total office actions: {analysis['total_office_actions']}") print(f"Non-final rejections: {analysis['non_final_rejections']}") print(f"Final rejections: {analysis['final_rejections']}") print(f"Allowed: {analysis['allowance']}") print(f"Responses filed: {analysis['responses']}") ``` ### Common Transaction Codes - **CTNF** - Non-final rejection mailed - **CTFR** - Final rejection mailed - **NOA** - Notice of allowance mailed - **WRIT** - Response filed - **ISS.FEE** - Issue fee payment - **ABND** - Application abandoned - **AOPF** - Office action mailed ### Reference Documentation See `references/peds_api.md` for complete PEDS documentation including: - All available data fields - Transaction code reference - Python library usage - Portfolio analysis examples ## Task 3: Searching and Monitoring Trademarks ### Using TSDR (Trademark Status & Document Retrieval) Access trademark status, ownership, and prosecution history. #### Basic Trademark Usage **Get trademark by serial number:** ```python from scripts.trademark_client import TrademarkClient client = TrademarkClient() # By serial number tm_data = client.get_trademark_by_serial("87654321") # By registration number tm_data = client.get_trademark_by_registration("5678901") ``` **Get trademark status:** ```python status = client.get_trademark_status("87654321") print(f"Mark: {status['mark_text']}") print(f"Status: {status['status']}") print(f"Filing date: {status['filing_date']}") if status['is_registered']: print(f"Registration #: {status['registration_number']}") print(f"Registration date: {status['registration_date']}") ``` **Check trademark health:** ```python health = client.check_trademark_health("87654321") print(f"Mark: {health['mark']}") print(f"Status: {health['status']}") for alert in health['alerts']: print(alert) if health['needs_attention']: print("⚠️ This mark needs attention!") ``` #### Trademark Portfolio Monitoring Monitor multiple trademarks: ```python def monitor_portfolio(serial_numbers, api_key): """Monitor trademark portfolio health.""" client = TrademarkClient(api_key) results = { 'active': [], 'pending': [], 'problems': [] } for sn in serial_numbers: health = client.check_trademark_health(sn) if 'REGISTERED' in health['status']: results['active'].append(health) elif 'PENDING' in health['status'] or 'PUBLISHED' in health['status']: results['pending'].append(health) elif health['needs_attention']: