This template identifies a patent or patent application and links to the patents entry in the esp@cenet database, and also provides some additional information about the cited patent. Suggested uses are within a pair of <ref></ref> tags or as part of a (patent) bibliography at the end of the page.

General patent template for citing patents or patent applications from any country is drawn from the esp@cenet database. This database is more useful than the USPTO database since it highlights related patents/applications in other countries as well as providing current status information.

Usage edit

Copy the below into a page to reference a patent:

{{cite patent
 | country = 
 | number = 
 | status = 
 | title = 
 | pubdate = 
 | gdate = 
 | fdate = 
 | pridate = 
 | inventor =
 | invent1 = 
 | invent2 = 
 | assign1 = 
 | assign2 = 
 | class = 
}}

Parameters edit

The fields should be filled in with the following information:

{{cite patent
 | country = two letter country code
 | number = patent or patent application publication number
 | status = application/patent
 | title = title
 | pubdate = YYYY-MM-DD
 | gdate = YYYY-MM-DD
 | fdate = YYYY-MM-DD
 | pridate = YYYY-MM-DD
 | inventor = list of inventors (free format)
 | invent1 = first inventor name
 | invent2 = second inventor name
 | assign1 = first assignee name
 | assign2 = second assignee name
 | class = ECLA classification
}}

Explanation of fields:

  1. The country must be the two letter country code, eg "US" or "WO" (for international patent applications)
  2. Do not put commas in patent number
  3. Applications must be identified by publication number
  4. Add " | title = title " to display the title. Required
  5. Add " | status = application " if the citation is a pending application. Preferably include " | status = patent " if a granted patent.
  6. Add " | assign1 = assignee " to display the assignee. Increase the numeral for subsequent assignees. Template currently handles two assignees.
  7. Add " | inventor = inventor list to provide the inventor names. Displayed by the template but not used to generate meta data.
  8. Add " | invent1 = inventor last name, inventor first name " to provide the inventor name. Not displayed by the template, but used to generate meta data and may prove useful in future. Increase the numeral for subsequent inventors.
  9. Add " | pubdate = YYYY-MM-DD " to provide the publication date of an application. This is only displayed if "status=application" is included. For granted patents, use gdate. Required if "status=application".
  10. Add " | gdate = YYYY-MM-DD " to provide the date of grant of a patent. Is displayed unless "status=application" is included. Preferentially include "status=patent" to confirm that the patent is granted, but this is not required. Required unless "status=application".
  11. Add " | pridate = YYYY-MM-DD " to provide the (earliest) priority date. Not displayed, but could be useful to include for future reference. Including multiple priorities unnecessarily complicated.
  12. Add " | fdate = YYYY-MM-DD " to provide the filing date. Not displayed, but used to generate meta data and may prove useful in future.
  13. Add " |class=ECLA classification " to provide the ECLA classification. Not displayed, but could be useful to include for future reference. Might be possible to automatically link to the relevant classification in future, but urls are complex.

Details edit

The "country" parameter must be a two letter country code without periods (e.g. US or EP, not U.S. or USA or E.P.)

The number parameter must be the patent number or patent application publication number without any intervening commas (e.g. 2135432, not 2,135,432). You may need to experiment with the precise form for published US patent applications or PCT applications, which are slightly unusual. Help for getting the right number format can be found here.

Add "|status=applicaton" (without quotes) if you are citing a patent application rather than a patent. Patent applications must be referred to by publication number, not application number.

One (or both) of the publication date or the grant date must be included, as must the title.

Examples edit

To cite WIPO (aka PCT) patent application WO 2005/083605 A1, use:

{{cite patent
 |country=WO
 |number=2005083605
 |status= application
 |title=Insurance fee calculation device, insurance fee calculation program,
insurance fee calculation method, and insurance fee calculation system
 |pubdate=2005-09-09
 |fdate=2005-02-24
 |pridate=2004-02-26
 |invent1= Kozakai Toshihiko
 |assign1= Aioi Insurance Co Ltd
}}


Results in: "Insurance fee calculation device, insurance fee calculation program, insurance fee calculation method, and insurance fee calculation system" WO patent application 2005083605, published 2005-09-09, assigned to Aioi Insurance Co Ltd

To cite US patent 7,143,445, use:

{{cite patent |country=US |number=7143445 |status=patent}}

Results in: US patent 7143445

To cite US patent 7,143,445, published 2006-11-28, use:

{{cite patent |country=US |number=7143445 |gdate=2006-11-28}}

Results in: US patent 7143445, issued 2006-11-28

To cite US patent application 2006265789 use:

{{cite patent |country=US |number=2006265789 |status=application}}

Results in: US patent application 2006265789

To cite European patent application 1727416, use:

{{cite patent |country=EP |number=1727416 |status=application}}

Results in: EP patent application 1727416