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Patent Reader FAQs
How do I view a US patent?
Can I obtain all the patent
documents that the United States Patent and Trademark Office
has?
What types of patents and
patent publications can I view with Patent Reader?
Nothing happens after
I click “Go” – how long do I have to wait?
Can I save the patent?
Can I obtain foreign
patents?
Can I change the orientation
of a patent?
How do I get a second
patent, or quit the program?
Can I print a page of a patent?
Can I zoom in or zoom
out on a patent image?
I can’t find
the saved patents – what went wrong?
How can I assemble
a single file containing all the patent images?
How can I convert the patent
to Adobe PDF format?
How do I view a US patent?
It’s easy. When you run Patent Reader already configured
to let you view US utility patents (for more details on the
types of patents, see What types of patents and patent publications
are available? below).
Here’s how. Enter the patent number into the window,
and press “Go”. That’s all you need to do.
In a few seconds (if you have a DSL connection or a cable
modem) the first page of the patent will appear.
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Can I obtain all the patent
documents that the United States Patent and Trademark Office
has?
Yes. Patent Reader is able to obtain all the US patents and
patent publications supplied by the USPTO. There is no limitation
based on date, size, or type of publication.
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What types of patents and
patent publications can I view with Patent Reader?
The USPTO and Patent Reader make these eight types of documents
available:
1. Utility patents – these are the most common, and
they are what most people think of as “a patent”
2. Patent publications – these documents are versions
of patent applications published approximately 18 months after
a patent application is made. Patent publications might turn
into actual patents, but the USPTO might reject the application
completely, or the inventor might amend the application’s
claims.
3. Design patents – these patents cover the appearance
of a product, for example the tread on a running shoe or the
shape of a thermostat.
4. Plant patents – yes, plants, trees, shrubs etc. may
be patented
5. Reissues & Reexaminations (“Reexams”) -
These patent documents are printed after a patent has been
corrected by an inventor or challenged by someone.
6. Statutory Invention Registrations (“SIR”) –
A SIR places an invention in the public domain. SIRs replace
the obsolete Defensive Publications.
7. Defensive Publications – obsolete – also placed
information in the public domain.
8. Additional Improvement patents – obsolete.
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Nothing happens after I click
“Go” – how long do I have to wait?
Once you press “Go” Patent Reader must go to the
USPTO’s web site and download the first page of the
document you’ve requested. If you have a fast connection
this step will only take 3 or 4 seconds. If you have a dial-up
modem, this step could take a minute or two. Be patient, and
you can use other programs while you’re waiting.
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Can I save the patent?
Yes, but the individual pages are already saved for you. You
can find them in the directory shown at the bottom of the
starting screen.
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Can I obtain foreign patents?
Patent Reader does not read non-US patents. You can obtain
PatPDF from www.patentpapers.com, and that program reads many
non-US patents.
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Can I change the orientation
of a patent?
It’s easy. Simply click the “Rotate R” or
“Rotate L” buttons to rotate to the the right
of the left, respectively. Click “Portrait” to
restore the image to its upright orientation.
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How do I get a second patent, or quit
the program?
Just click the Restore Main Window” to get back to the
main page, and then enter a new patent number, or stop the
program.
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Can I print a page of a
patent?
Just click the printer icon.
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Can I zoom in or zoom out
on a patent image?
Of course! Just click this button to pick a magnification.
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I can’t find the saved patents
– what went wrong?
If you click the “Restore Main Window” before
copying the images saved for you by Patent Reader, these files
will be automatically erased. Simply re-run the program, copy
the files you want to save from the directory shown on the
bottom of the main program window, and then you can use these
files for any other purpose.
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How can I assemble a
single file containing all the patent images?
There are two ways:
1. Import each image in to a word processing program, and
assemble a document having one page per image.
2. Obtain the computer program PatPDF. PatPDF is downloadable
from www.patentpapers.com
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How can I convert the
patent to Adobe PDF format?
Patent Reader does not make PDF files. To make Adoge PDF files
of US and many non-US patents, you should download the program
“PatPDF” from www.patentpapers.com.
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