6.8.1 Search activity - Searching for patents relating to a particular technology

A fuel cell converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. With energy and environmental issues at the centre of many discussions, fuel cell technology is seen as a possible alternative to oil dependency in areas such as power generation and pollution free transport. Welsh physicist Sir William Grove invented the first fuel cell in 1839 and since then the technology has changed drastically.

Based on international patent applications published between 2010 and 2016, can you identify

(a) the main companies involved with research in fuel cell technology

(b) the key inventors

(c) if the research in this area has changed over the years

Step Description of step

Model answer

1 What clues do you have?

The invention relates to fuel cells We are interested in PCT applications published between

2011 and 2016

2 What resources do you have?

Patentscope database and IPC search page Can do a name search and can also refine the search by

identifying appropriate IPC symbols

3 In the IPC search page, search for fuel cells to find relevant IPC symbols

Select http://web2.wipo.int/classifications/ipc/legacyipcpub6#refresh=page

Click on ‘Terms’, enter ‘fuel cells’, look at suggested symbols, select ‘H01M8/00’

4 Search for the given publication date range

In Patentscope, select Advanced search and enter:DP:[01.01.2011 TO 31.01.2016] AND IC:H01M8/00 - and specify PCT as the ‘Office’

the IPC symbol; and for PCT documents

..

..

There are over 4800 hits5 Analyse the

results in terms of main inventors,

Click on ‘Analysis’

companies, and trends

This gives lists of the Main Applicants, the Main inventors, the numbers of documents published year by year etc.

We can see that the the main companies involved with research in fuel cell technology are Nissan and Toyota and the key inventors are Hiroshi Tatsui and Kim Astrom, closely followed by several others.

We can also see that research peaked in 2014 and has fallen off since then.

6 Show these results graphically

These results can be presented in different ways using the Options bar, eg select ‘Graph’ and ‘Pie’ and ‘Main Applicants’:

 7 Choose another display option

Select ‘Graph’ and ‘Bar’ and ‘Main Applicants’:

Select ‘Graph’ and ‘Bar’ and ‘Publication Date’: