Viewing Patent Trees

NLPatent now offers users the ability to view patent trees directly within the platform. Whether it’s for patents you already have or ones you find in the results section, the process is simple. Please note that NLPatent uses the DOCDB Simple Patent Family method to determine families.

Viewing Patent Trees for Known Patent Numbers

If you have a selection of patents you'd like to examine, follow these steps:

  1. Start a new search and hit “Skip Query”

  1. Click the “+” button in the top-right corner.

  2. A window prompting you to add prior art will appear. Here, copy and paste the patent number(s) you want to create a tree for.
    • Ensure the jurisdiction code is included (e.g., US, EP).
    • For US patents, remove commas from the patent number. For example, input “US983289067” instead of “US 983,289,067”.

  1. Click "Add". The patent will now appear in the "Saved" tab..


  1. Select the patent to open its preview page.

  1. Go to the "Overview" section.
    1. If you’re on widescreen mode, you may see this as a set of tabs instead of a dropdown menu.
The view if you're in condensed format
The view if you're on widescreen mode
  1. Click "Family Members" to view the patent family list.

  1. Open the Family Tree: Click the "Family Tree" button to generate the tree.

Navigating the Patent Tree

  • Zoom in/out: Use the controls in the bottom-left corner.
  • Fullscreen mode: Expand the view for a clearer display.
  • Download the patent tree: Click the download button in the bottom-left corner. You can save the tree as a PNG or PDF.


Creating Trees from the Results Tab

The same instructions apply to patents found in your search results:

  1. Click the patent of interest.
  2. Go to the "Family Members" section.
  3. Generate the patent tree as described above.
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