Patent Search Help on SIPO English Web Site

Coverage of the Database

Range of date : From September 1985 onwards

Contents : Bibliographic data with abstracts of Chinese invention patents, and Bibliographic data without abstract of Chinese utility model.

Update : Monthly

Patent Search Help

The database provides two search modes: Quick Search and Expression Search.

§ Expression Search

The Expression Search allows you to make a query using command line search syntax. There are 2 steps to submit a query using the Expression Search.

1. Type your search expression into the Text Entry box marked Expression Search. You can find a list of all searchable fields in the table on the bottom of the page. The Field Names are given on the right of the column and the corresponding Field Codes are listed on the left. Type your search term with the field code, followed by a equal mark “=”. For example, ttl=(gas and (machine or engine)).
   
   
2. Hit the Search button.

• Notes

1. The search is not Case-sensitive. Searching for CAR and searching for car will produce the same results.
   
   
2. When a search query has been entered, the search results and a hit list of the 20 patents per page will be displayed, which is sorted ascending by application number.
   
   
3. You can use parentheses “()” behind the equal mark “=” to draw together your search terms.
   
   
4. You can use Boolean operators “and”, “or”, “not” as needed. When you enter a expression which is consisted by more than two words in the term box, you can use Boolean operators between them, for instance, “abst=(gas and (machine or engine))”. This query would return patents which contain both the terms “gas” and either “machine” or “engine” somewhere in the patent abstract.
   
   
5. The Expression Search allows you to use wildcard characters in search query.
   
   
   The wildcard character “?” represents a single optional character. If you search for car?, you will retrieve words like car, card, care, etc.
   
   
   The wildcard character “%” is placed at the end of the sequence, it will return all words beginning with the sequence. This is known as right truncation. If you search for car%, you will retrieve words like car, card, care, carry, carrying, etc.