ecommerce-patent-family-explorer

name	ecommerce.patent-family-explorer
version	1.0.0
description	Explore patent family members and country coverage for a known patent/publication. Triggers: patent family, international coverage, where valid, applies in US/EU/UK, PCT. Use for family/territory mapping, not claims or legal status.
allowed-tools	["Bash","Read","Write"]
metadata	{"requires":{"apis":["nexscope"]}}

IMPORTANT — Working Directory: All scripts in this skill MUST be executed with the working directory set to the absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md file (the skill root directory). Always cd into this directory before running any command. Do NOT use relative paths or shell shortcuts like ~ in paths, as they may not be resolved by the execution environment.

Patent Family Explorer v1.0.0

Core Question

Where does this patent family exist, and what countries or related filings matter?

Are there family patents in other countries?

Explore patent families across multiple countries.

Clarify or Infer Before Querying

• If patent ID/publication number is missing, ask for it first.
• Clarify target countries/regions when the user asks where it applies.
• Do not answer legal-status or claim-scope questions unless also using the relevant skill.

Differs From / Not Applicable

• Use patent-claim-analyzer for claim scope.
• Use patent-legal-status for current validity and legal events.
• Use patent-report-generator for full clearance reporting.
• Use this skill for family members, PCT/INPADOC coverage, and territory mapping.

Workflow

1. Confirm patent/publication ID and target regions.
2. Fetch family members and country coverage.
3. Group by simple family/INPADOC/authority where available.
4. Return territory coverage, priority links, and follow-up status checks.

Usage

# Basic family search
python3 scripts/patent_family_explorer.py '{"patentNumber": "US10000001B2"}'

# Multiple patents
python3 scripts/patent_family_explorer.py '{"patentNumber": "US10000001B2,EP3000001A1"}'

# With charts
python3 scripts/patent_family_explorer.py '{"patentNumber": "..."}' --chart /tmp/charts

⚠️ MANDATORY: Charts & Display Rules

1. Generate charts by default for full analytical reports — use --chart with an output directory unless the user asks for a quick text-only result or chart data is unavailable.
2. Send generated charts to the user — when charts are created, share all chart PNGs immediately.
3. All chart styling is driven by ecommerce_chart_helpers.py which reads from chart_style.json (derived from references/display-rules.md). Do NOT hardcode colors in scripts.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
patentNumber	string	Yes*	Publication number(s), comma-separated
patentId	string	Yes*	Patent ID(s), comma-separated

*One of patentNumber or patentId is required.

Family Types

Simple Family

Patents sharing the exact same priority claims.

• Most restrictive definition
• Direct equivalents across countries

INPADOC Family

Patents sharing at least one priority claim.

• Broader than Simple Family
• Includes related applications

PatSnap Family

Patents with related technical content (AI-determined).

• Broadest definition
• Includes continuations, divisionals, etc.

Output Structure

The output will be a structured markdown report, following this format:

Patent Family Exploration Report: [Patent Number]

---

1. Executive Summary

• Analyzed Patent Number: [patent_number]
• Data Source: Zhihuiya - International Patent Database
• Countries Covered by Patent Family: [family_overview.countries_covered]
• Geographic Risk Assessment: [geographic_risk.coverage_level]
• Core Insight: Understanding the geographic scope of patent protection helps assess market entry risks and intellectual property strategies.

2. Patent Family Size Comparison

• Patent Family Size Under Different Definitions:

Family Type	Size
Simple Family	[family_overview.simple_family_size]
INPADOC Family	[family_overview.inpadoc_family_size]
PatSnap Family	[family_overview.patsnap_family_size]

3. Geographic Coverage & Risk Assessment

• Covered Countries: [family_overview.countries_covered]
• Number of Protected Regions: [geographic_risk.protected_regions]
• Major Markets Covered: [geographic_risk.major_markets_covered]
• Potentially Safe Markets: [geographic_risk.safe_markets]
• Geographic Risk Level: [geographic_risk.coverage_level]
• Risk Interpretation: [geographic_risk.meaning]

4. Patent Family Members Details

• List of Patent Family Members (Showing Top 10):

Patent Number	Country	Family Type (Simple/INPADOC/PatSnap)
[family_members[0].patent_number]	[family_members[0].country]	[family_members[0].family_type]
...	...	...
(Listing more family members if available)

5. Attached Visualizations

• World Map (Countries with protection) (1_world_map.png)
• Family Comparison (Simple vs INPADOC vs PatSnap) (2_family_types.png)
• Cross-Country Filing Timeline (3_timeline.png)

Geographic Risk Assessment

Coverage	Risk Level	Meaning
🔴 US + CN + EU	HIGH	Major markets protected
🟠 US + CN or US + EU	MEDIUM	Key markets protected
🟡 US only	LOW	Limited protection
🟢 No major markets	MINIMAL	May be safe to sell

Major Markets

Region	Code	Importance
🇺🇸 United States	US	#1 e-commerce market
🇨🇳 China	CN	#1 manufacturing
🇪🇺 European Union	EP/DE/FR/GB	Major consumer market
🇯🇵 Japan	JP	High-value market
🇰🇷 Korea	KR	Tech-savvy market
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	GB	Post-Brexit separate

Use Cases

1. Before Sourcing

Check if a competitor's US patent has a CN equivalent that could block your manufacturing in China.

2. Market Entry

Before entering a new market, check if patents protecting competitor products exist in that country.

3. Licensing Decisions

Understand the full geographic scope of a patent you want to license.

4. Invalidation Strategy

Find family members that might be easier to invalidate than the original patent.

Charts Generated

Chart	Description	File
World Map	Countries with protection	1_world_map.png
Family Comparison	Simple vs INPADOC vs PatSnap	2_family_types.png
Timeline	Filing dates across countries	3_timeline.png

Limitations

• Only shows patents in the Zhihuiya database
• Some recent filings may not be linked yet
• PCT applications may show as separate entries
• Family definitions vary by source

Data Sources

Source	Endpoint	Data
Zhihuiya	/api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/patentFamily	Patent family members (Simple, INPADOC, PatSnap)
Zhihuiya	/api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/legalStatus	Legal status of each family member

Coverage: 170M+ patents from 150+ countries. Regular sync with patent offices.

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
NEXSCOPE_PROXY_BASE	Yes	NexScope proxy base URL
NEXSCOPE_API_KEY	Yes	NexScope proxy API key

References

• WIPO Patent Families: https://www.wipo.int