Quick help

Quickhelp questions

Quickhelp answers

Can I subscribe to an RSS feed of the result list?

Yes. Click on the RSS icon to add the URL of the result list as a feed to the RSS client installed on your machine. Each click creates a new RSS feed.

What does the RSS reader do with the result list?

The RSS reader regularly checks the subscribed feed (URL), downloads any updates that it finds and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.

Can I export my result list?

Yes. You can export it to another application as a CSV or XLS file. Simply click on "Export" in the toolbar.

What happens if I click on "Download covers"?

If you select patent documents by activating the checkbox next to the title, you can download the first pages of the documents in a single PDF file by selecting "Download covers". If you select all the documents in the list (by activating the "Select all" checkbox), you can download a maximum of 15 documents in the extended view format, or 30 in the compact view format, in a single PDF file.

Why is the number of results sometimes only approximate?

It is not always possible to know immediately following a search exactly how many results will be displayed. In such cases, an approximate number is given, which is generally slightly higher than the actual number of results. This approximate number might change as you go through the results pages, as we only display one patent document per family (i.e. duplicates are eliminated).

Why is the list limited to 500 results?

The number of results that you can access has been deliberately limited to 500. If your search finds more than this, it will not be possible to access any of the results beyond the 500 limit. We recommend refining your search to reduce the number of results.

Can I deactivate the highlighting?

Yes. You can activate or deactivate the highlighting by selecting or deselecting the relevant box under the Settings tab.

Why is it that certain documents are sometimes not displayed in the result list?

This is due to the fact that, in order to eliminate duplicates, we only show one document per patent family, and the document that is not shown is probably a duplicate ("equivalent"). By clicking on the title of a document, you will be able to view the bibliographic data as well as the "Also published as" section where all duplicates are listed.

Can I sort the result list?

If the number of hits is less than 500, you can sort the result list in ascending or descending order by "Upload Date", "Priority Date", "Inventor", "Applicant" or "CPC".

What happens if I click on the star icon?

Clicking on the star icon adds the selected document to your "My patents list". The star appears in red as soon as the document is in the list. You can store up to 100 documents in this list. The list expires after one year of non-use. This period resets automatically each time you modify the list.

What are XP documents?

XP documents are non-patent literature documents which have been classified and/or cited in a search report produced by the EPO.

Can I save my query?

Yes. You can activate or deactivate the query history by selecting or deselecting the relevant box under the Settings tab.