Entering date fields

You can focus your search by specifying dates as a part of your query, such as the Publication Date, Application Date, PCT Publication Date, or the PCT Application Date patent fields.

Entering date fields by using the calendar

When you choose to enter a date field, such as a Publication Date or an Application Date, a Calendar link appears at the right of the patent field list.

  1. Click Calendar to open a graphical year selector.

  2. Specify the date range by dragging the left slider to the start year and the right slider to the end year.
  3. To select the month and the date, click the slider. Then click the desired day.
  4. Click OK.

Entering date fields manually

Date formats correspond to your locale, or the settings in your operating system and browser that not only specifies your language preferences, but also specifies your region. Enter the date format that corresponds to your locale (region setting). The following are examples of date formats that correspond to certain regional settings (date formats are not limited to these examples):

  • Example One: If your locale is set to United States in your operating system and browser, then you can focus results by using an American date format: mm/dd/yyyy (03/21/2003).
  • Example Two: If your locale is set to Germany in your operating system and browser, then you can focus results by using a European date format: dd.mm.yyyy (21.03.2003) 

Click a link to view date format:

  • Day and month

    Day Format Examples (day is Bold) Month Format Examples (month is Bold)

    2/15/2002

    02/5/2002

    1.12.1999

    01.12.1999

    31.12.2003

    2/15/2002

    12/1/1999

    12/01/1999

    8.5.1975

    08.05.1975

    31.12.2002

    December 2012

    2/2012

  • Year

    Year Format Examples (year is in Bold)
    The four-digit format is required.

    2/15/2002

    8.5.1975

  • Date

    Date Formats (not a date range) Comment Example
    Day.Month.Year A European date format. The day is specified first, then the month, and finally the year. All date components are separated by a period. 15.02.2002
    Month/Day/Year An American date format. The month is specified first, then the day, and finally the year. All date components are separated by a backslash. 2/15/2002

  • Date range

    In the table, all items enclosed in square brackets "[ ]" are optional.

    Date Range Formats Comment Example

    Month.Year

    or

    Month/ Year

    		 Specified a date range that spans an entire month, from the first to the last day of the month.

    Typing 5.1975 indicates a date range of May 1, 1975 to May 31, 1975

    Typing 12/1999 indicates a date range of December 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999
    Year Specifies a full year, from the first day of the year to the last day of the year. Typing 1999 indicates a date range of January 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999.

    Date1 – Date2

    Date1 –> Date2

    		 A beginning and an end date specify the date range.

    Typing 1975–1999 indicates a date range of January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1999.

    Typing 1996–>2001 indicates a date range of January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2001.
    < Date Specifies a date range from the first date when the information is available, to some end date.

    Typing <1999 indicates a date range from January 1, 1975, if this is the first date from which information is available, to December 31, 1999.

    Typing <02/15/2002 indicates a date range from January 1, 1975, if this is the first date from which information is available, to February 15, 2002.
    > Date Specifies a date range from a given initial date to the current (today's) date.

    Typing >1996 indicates a date range from January 1, 1996 to today's date.

    Typing >May 8, 1975 indicates a date range from May 8, 1975 to today's date.

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