TAKEAWAY: The USPTO announced a new Patent Public Search tool to replace existing searching resources and provide a more robust, fully-remote platform for full-text searching of U.S. patents and published patent applications.
The USPTO recently announced a new Patent Public Search tool that provides full-text searching of all U.S. patents and published patent applications, and a new Patent Public Search webpage that includes information to help users transition to the new tool.
The new cloud-based Patent Public Search tool is based on the advanced Patents End-to-End (PE2E) search tool that USPTO Examiners use to identify prior art. The platform combines the capabilities of four existing search tools available to the public that are scheduled to be retired in September 2022:
- Public-Examiner’s Automated Search Tool (PubEAST),
- Public-Web-based Examiner’s Search Tool (PubWEST),
- Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT), and
- Patent Application Full-Text and Image Database (AppFT).
Features of the new searching platform include the following:
- Layouts: Multiple layouts with multiple tools to provide more data at once
- Highlighting: Multi-color highlighting that can be viewed across multiple gadgets and turned on or off
- Tagging: Ability to tag documents into multiple groups that can be renamed and color coordinated
- Notes: Ability to add notes to an image with options to include tags, relevant claims, and highlights
- Quality: Robust full-text searching of U.S. patents and published applications
- Familiar usability: Same searching syntax as PubEAST and PubWEST
Users have previously only had access to legacy search tools PubEAST and PubWEST on-site at a USPTO facility, meaning the headquarters in Alexandria, VA, one of the USPTO’s regional offices, or a Patent and Trademark Resource Center. The Patent Public Search tool provides remote searching availability to all users with internet access.
Please visit the Patent Public Search webpage for additional information.