Ask NLPatent

Ask NLPatent enables users to offer a conversational way to explore patents in more details.  This feature allows you to ask direct, natural-language questions about the contents of a specific patent, making it easier to extract meaningful insight in a fraction of the time.

Accessing Ask NLPatent

How to Access Individual Ask NLPatent

The individual Ask NLPatent can be found by clicking into a patent and then going to the tab "Ask NLPatent".

Bulk Ask NLPatent

Users can also ask a question across multiple search results at the same time by clicking the "Ask NLPatent" button to the right of the Refine button.

After clicking the button, you'll be brought to the pop-up where you will be allowed to input the question you'd like to use. This question will then be asked across each individual patent, so it should be phrased with a singular patent in mind, e.g. "Does this patent mention..." instead of "Which of these patents mention...". Once you're content with the question, click the Ask NLPatent button, and it will generate the answer.

After asking the question, the AI will think a bit, and then the answer will pop-up right below each patent in the search results.

If you'd like to modify the question to ask, simply click the pencil icon beside ask NLPatent.

Here, you can change the question that you'd like to ask. Similarly, if you'd like to delete the answer of a previous question, that can also be done as well by using the "Clear Question" button.

Tip: Any of the questions you have asked previously can be found in the "Ask NLPatent" section for each patent.

General Prompt Tips

Understanding how Ask NLPatent works is crucial to writing good prompts.

Minor Notes:

• Scope of analysis: Answers are based on the English specification text and Bibliographic Information of a patent. AskNLPatent cannot interpret figures.

• Patent-specific answers: Questions are always in reference to a specific patent. You can compare patents, but only if you reference a patent number or bring in text from another result into the chat.
• No dataset-wide summaries: AskNLPatent does not provide aggregate statistics/responses across collections of patents.

• Prompts are independent of the Search Query:  Responses are not influenced by the original search query or any refinements. In other words, the answer does not depend on the natural language query, document number, or keyword query.
• Avoid scoring prompts: Large language models are not mathematical engines.

• Use “Table” instead of “chart”: The word “chart” may generate a flowchart. If you want a table of results, use "Table".

Tips for Writing Prompts

1. Be Specific

Broad prompts lead to vague results. Focus on a feature, process, or claim(s)

2. Guide the Output Format

Guide AskNLPatent by specifying the output format.

3. Guide the Style of the Answer

Set clear expectations for how AskNLPatent should respond.

4. Experiment and Refine

Start with a simple version of your question, then adjust until you get the level of detail you need.

Prompt Library

Once you’re familiar with how to write prompts, here are example prompts you can use directly or adapt:

Prompts for Prosecution

Does this patent mention:
a) key feature A
b) key feature B
c) key feature C
Where are these features mentioned?

What processes are covered in this patent? Explain the processes described in a
flowchart.

If features X, Y, Z are mentioned, generate a table showing me which passages contain these features.

Does this patent address the following problem in a specific way?
Problem: …
Solution Approach: …
Answer with Yes or No, followed by a short reason.

Identify the key novel features of this patent as bullet points.

List the features that are not covered by claim 1. For each feature, explain why it falls outside the claim language and include an exact quotation.

In a single sentence, characterize the breadth of claim 1 — narrow, moderate, or broad — and explain why.

Invalidity Prompts

Based on claims X, Y, and Z of Patent #, how similar is this patent to Patent #?

What features are in this patent? Show overlap with claims X, Y, Z of Patent # and indicate where they are mentioned.

Generate a comparison chart between this patent and Patent X. Could this patent be used to invalidate X? If so, why?

Office Action Prompts

Does this patent mention [insert concept]? If so, where is that mentioned in the patent?

Freedom-To-Operate Prompts

Do the claims of this patent feature: 
1) Feature A
2) Feature B
3) Feature C

If so, based on the legal status of this patent and the listed features, does this patent poses an Freedom-to-operate risk? 

Other Useful Prompts

Is feature X mentioned in this patent? Answer Yes or No.

What does [term] mean in the context of this patent?

Compare this patent to Patent A and Patent B. Create a Table comparing them side by side.

Compare Family Member A to Family Member B. What are the key differences?

Is component X mentioned in the mixture? If so, what concentration or range is described, and where is it mentioned?

Limitations

• AskNLPatent analyzes only the English text  of the specification. It cannot interpret figures, claims in other languages.
• AskNLPatent helps you navigate patent text, but it does not provide legal advice. For legal analysis or opinions, please consult a qualified attorney.
• Users can ask up to 400 questions per day, (for bulk ask, this means that if you have 400 results, and ask 1 question to all of the patents, you will not be able to ask any more question, unless you reach out to support@nlpatent.com)