Glossary of Search Terms
A | B | C | D | E | F
| G | H | I | J | K | L | M
N
| O | P | Q | R | S | T
| U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Additional Indexes include all other searchable fields in the database, for example, the patent assignee field, the patent number field, and the class code field.
The Basic Index is the index of subject words in a database, such as those in the title, abstract, or text of a patent.
The BEGIN command allows us to access a database. Each database has a file number. To access a specific database, we enter the command BEGIN (abbreviated B) followed by the file number of the database to be searched. Databases and their file numbers are listed at http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/. Dialog databases can also be searched as a group of up to 60 databases. Each BEGIN command we enter clears all sets we have created.
Bibliographic citation includes the title, inventor, date of publication, and patent assignee. The amount of information may vary according to the database.
CLAIMS®/U.S. Patents Abstracts (File 340) provides access to utility patents listed in the general, chemical (1950 to date), electrical, and mechanical (1963 to date) sections of the Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Design and plant patents are also included from 1976 forward.
Classic Dialog provides the fastest and most powerful way to search for information. The powerful, yet flexible, Dialog search systems allow instant retrieval of exactly the information you need in a text-based format.
Classification Codes are classes and subclasses assigned to patents to categorize the inventions into broad areas of technology.
The CURRENT command allows us to restrict a search to the most recent records in a file. It is appended to the BEGIN command: BEGIN 9 CURRENT. We can restrict to records added during the most current calendar year and the previous year, or to the current year and a specified number of years, up to five:
CURRENT restricts to current year plus one back year
CURRENT1 restricts to current year plus one back year
CURRENT2 restricts to current year plus two back years
CURRENT3 restricts to current year plus three back years
CURRENT4 restricts to current year plus four back years
CURRENT5 restricts to current year plus five back years
A database is a collection of related information stored electronically. The database includes the documents, or records, plus its associated indexes.
Subject descriptors, or subject headings, are terms that express the main topics found in an article. Descriptors are usually assigned by a person who reads the article. Searching on descriptor terms helps eliminate records that may have the search terms, but are not really about the topic.
DialogWeb provides easy access to the full content (over 450 databases), power, and precision of Dialog through a Web browser. There are two search modes available in DialogWeb: (1) Guided Search, and (2) Command Search. The online courses use the Command Search interface and Dialog commands. If you are also interested in trying the Guided Search, review the DialogWeb Guided Search Tutorial.
Special features of DialogWeb include:
- A flexible and easy-to-use Guided Search mode that does not require knowledge of the Dialog command language
- databases selection tools to help pinpoint the right database for a search
- Integrated database descriptions, pricing information, and other search assistance
- Search results available in HTML or text formats
- A choice of displaying or printing records or sending search results via email, fax, or postal delivery
DIALINDEX is a master index to most of the Dialog databases. In DIALINDEX we can compare the number of records retrieved from a group of databases. DIALINDEX is particularly useful when we do not know which databases to search, when the topic is not well-known, or when we want to do a comprehensive search and cover everything on a topic.
Fast-publishing countries publish applications within 18 months
of the application date, before they issue the patent. Germany, for
example, is a fast-publishing country. The U.S. is currently a fast
publishing country.
Slow-publishing countries, on the other hand, do not publish any
information about the patent until it is granted.
A field is a distinct part or section of a record. Typical fields in patent files include patent number, inventor (author), application number, and patent issue date. Check the Bluesheet since fields vary according to the database.
Formats determine the amount of information displayed for each record. The basic format options are: 6, 8, 3, 9, and K.
A KIND code identifies the status of a patent in certain countries. Use the HELP KIND NNN (e.g., help kind 351) to obtain a current list of the country and kind codes for the countries covered in the databases that assign KIND codes (Files 351,345)
Logical operators define the logical relationships among the terms being searched. Three kinds of logical relationships are defined on Dialog: OR, AND, and NOT. Logical operators are also known as Boolean operators.
The LOGOFF command ends our search activities for a given session. We may also use several shorter words to disconnect, including BYE, LOG, OFF, QUIT, or STOP. When we enter LOGOFF, Dialog displays estimated costs for the search session, then disconnects us from the Dialog system. When we logoff, all of the sets created are erased.
Major U.S. Newspapers provides information from newspapers with major circulation throughout the United States. Newspapers included in this category are The New York Times (File 471), the Washington Post (File 146), The Los Angeles Times (File 630), The Chicago Tribune (File 632), The Philadelphia Inquirer (File 633), and The Boston Globe (File 631), to name a few.
OneSearch allows us to conduct a full search of a collection of related databases (up to 60), browse the indexes, or display records. We can search using OneSearch categories or mix OneSearch categories and file numbers (e.g., b businessnews, 471).
Prior Art is what was previously known in a given area of technology that led to the development of the invention.
Priority Application - When an inventor applies for a patent in several countries, the first application (the one with the earliest date, regardless of the country in which it was filed), is the priority application. The date of the first application can be claimed as a priority only if subsequent applications are filed within one year of that application.
Promt® (File 16) is a multi-industry database that provides broad international coverage of companies, products, markets, and applied technologies for virtually all manufacturing and service industries. It contains publications from trade journals, local newspapers, regional business publications, national and international business newspapers, trade and business newsletters, research studies, investment analysts' reports, news releases, and corporate annual reports.
Proximity connectors specify the relative nearness or adjacency of search terms. They are used in two-word or multiple-word phrases or phrases that have punctuation or stop words. Proximity connectors on Dialog include (w), (n), (#w), (#n), and (s).
A record is a generic term for the discrete items in a database. Depending on the database, a record may be a news article, company profile, patent, numeric data, or other type of document. In a full-text database like U.S. Patents Fulltext, a typical record will be an entire patent.
The SELECT command, abbreviated S, retrieves records containing the specified search terms and stores them in a numbered set. S1 is the Set number that Dialog assigns to the first set of records retrieved. The number of records in the database containing the search terms appears under the column Items.
Stop words are nine non-searchable words on the Dialog system. They include: AN, AND, BY, FOR, FROM, OF, THE, TO, WITH. These words should not be included in a subject search.
Trade & Industry Database™ (File 148) provides broad international coverage of companies, industries, products, and markets, featuring specialized coverage of management practices, financial earnings, economic climate, industry overviews, and executive changes.
U.S. Patents Fulltext (Files 654,652) provides access to the complete text of over 1.8 million patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 1974. Partial coverage of selected technologies is included from 1971 through 1973. File 652 now contains patent information from 1971 to 1975. Use file 654 for patents from 1976 to present. The database contains all granted U.S. utility patents, defensive publications, and design and plant patents. Post-issuance legal status information is supplied for patents that have been reassigned, reexamined, reinstated after late payment of the maintenance fee, expired prior to the normal 17-year period, or granted an extension in term. Drawings are not included.
