Entering IPC and USPC patent classes
Using the Find Class dialog box to enter IPC and USPC patent classes
The Find Class dialog box is available when entering a patent query.
- In the patent field list, select the desired patent class format:
- Main US Class
- IPC Class
- Additional US Classes
- Additional IPC Classes
A Find Classes link appears at the right of the patent field list.
- Click Find Classes at the right of the patent field list.
- In the Find Class dialog box, do one of the following:
- To search for a patent class by words in the patent class title, select Words in title, type the keywords contained in the title, and then click
(Find). - To search for patent classes by classification code, select Class number below the text box and type the beginning part of the patent class code. Click (Find) to view all patent class codes and titles that begin with the characters that you entered.
- To search for a patent class by words in the patent class title, select Words in title, type the keywords contained in the title, and then click
- Select the appropriate check boxes to choose the patent classes. To clear all selections, click Clear All.
- Click OK.
Entering IPC fields manually
You can narrow your search by manually specifying an International Patent Class (IPC) field, when the Find Class dialog box is not available.
The International Patent Class (IPC) Code is made up of the following subdivisions: Section, Class, Subclass, Group, and Subgroup. For example, C 7 D 487 4, where C is the Section, 7 is the Class, D is the Subclass, 487 is the Group, and 4 is the Subgroup. The following table summarizes the format of each IPC Code part:
| IPC Code part | Comment |
| Section | One letter, A-Z or |
| Class | A number of 1 or 2 digits |
| Subclass | One letter, A-Z or |
| Group | A number, between 1 and 3 digits |
| Subgroup | A number, between 1 and 4 digits |
IPC Syntax
| If you want to select the following | Type, for example | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| All patents within a specific IPC Section | A, to select all patents in section A | One letter, A–Z or a–z |
| All patents within a specific IPC Class. |
A 21, to select all patents in class 21 of section A H 4 or H04, to select all patents in class 4 of section H |
Section and Class designations are separated by a space. If there is no space between them, then the Class must be typed as 2 digits. |
| All patents within a specific IPC Subclass | A 4 C or A04C, to select all patents in Section A, Class 4, Subclass C | Section, Class, and Subclass designations are separated by a space. If there is no space between them, then the Class must be typed as 2 digits. |
| All patents within a specific IPC Group | H 4 L 12 or H04L012, to select all patents in Section H, Class 4, Subclass L, Group 12 | Section, Class, Subclass, and Group are separated by a space. If there is no space between them, then the Class must be typed as 2 digits, and the Group as 3 digits. |
| All patents within a specific IPC Subgroup |
A 21 C 1 2 |
The alphabetic and numeric characters should be separated by a space. The Group and the Subgroup can be separated by either a space or a backslash. If no space (or backslash) is included, then each numerical portion must be typed with its maximum length. |
Entering U.S. patent class fields manually
You can narrow your search by manually specifying a U.S. Patent Class (USPC) field, when the Find Class dialog box is not available.
The USPC code is made up of the following subdivisions: Class, Subclass, and Group. For example, Plt009.17, where Plt is the Class, 009 is the Subclass, and 17 is the Group. The following table summarizes the format of each USPC Code part:
| USPC Subdivision | Comment |
|---|---|
| Class | All letters, all numbers, or one letter followed by up to two numbers. The maximum length of a Class is 3 characters. |
| Subclass | All letters or all numbers, up to 3 characters long. |
| Group | All numbers (up to 3 characters long), or a single letter. |
USPC Syntax
| If you want to select the following | Type the following, for example | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| All patents within a specific Class |
180 Plt 29 D9 D09 002 |
USPC Class can consist of alphabetic characters, numbers, or a combination of the two. |
| All patents within a specific Subclass |
180/218 180 218 D9/302 Plt009 002024 |
Class and Subclass designations are separated by a space or a backslash. Otherwise, both the Class and the Subclass must be 3 characters in length. |
| All patents within a specific Group |
180/218/1 180/218.1 180 218 1 D9/302/R Plt009.17 00202417 |
The Class, Subclass, and Group designations should be separated by a space or a backslash. The Subclass and the Group can be separated by a space, a backslash, or a period. If no space (backslash, or period) is included, then the Class and the Subclass must be have a 3-character length. |