Report:Esp@cenet/Search Interface/The Search Forms/Advanced Search

Advanced Search

The Advanced search form has the most sophisticated interface of the various search forms. It provides separate text fields for all the data elements that can be searched via esp@cenet, ten in all. Due to the large number of fields, the interface naturally looks more crowded than other forms, but it greatly increases the available search options. However, one feature is lost: the Advanced form does not offer the combined inventor/applicant search that can be conducted from the Quick Search interface. The “Quick Help” topics still appear on the left side of the screen.

The Advanced Search Form.

The Advanced search form will also change when the EP or WIPO databases are selected (as opposed to when the Worldwide database is selected). When conducting collection-specific searches, both the “title or abstract” field and the ECLA class search field are grayed-out, indicating that those searches are not enabled for those collections. (For more on the content of the EP and WIPO data files, see The EP and WIPO Databases.)

Editor's Note:

A few major limitations of the system’s search features are apparent upon closer examination of the most complex search form offered by esp@cenet. The first is that searching cannot be limited by date range, nor can searches be performed using application or priority dates. Currently, the only way to search by date in esp@cenet is to enter up to four individual publication dates in the "Publication Date" field. However, date range searching may be enabled in a future 2008 enhancement.^[1]

The second major limitation is that although esp@cenet does contain some full text records, searching can only be conducted in the document title and/or abstract. In other words, any full text description or claims sections in the database are only for display, and cannot be searched. However, full text searching may also be enabled by the planned 2008 update.^[1]