Accelerate patent examination with Inspec’s precision search
Trusted by patent offices worldwide, Inspec delivers curated, authoritative non‑patent literature (NPL) and advanced search tools that streamline prior art discovery, reduce backlog, and improve patent quality.
Why Patent Offices choose Inspec
Cut examination time, without compromising quality.
Inspec’s expert‑curated indexing, powerful controlled vocabulary, and IPC/CPC mappings enable examiners to pinpoint the most relevant NPL quickly and confidently - supporting novelty, inventive‑step, validity, and opposition work.
Strengthen patent quality and reduce risk.
With deep coverage across engineering, computing, technology, and physics, Inspec helps examiners surface definitive technical disclosures and state‑of‑the‑art reviews to support consistent, defensible decisions.
How Inspec Supports Patent Research
- Locate prior art faster for novelty and validity searches.
- Search using IPC & CPC codes to cluster relevant NPL within familiar patent structures (coverage back to 1969).
- Leverage treatment codes (e.g., Practical, Experimental, New developments (Novelty)) to reach state of the art summaries quickly.
- Discover “sleeping beauties”—overlooked disclosures that can be pivotal in opposition or validity challenges.
- Avoid duplication and reduce litigation risk by identifying earlier work and solutions that didn’t succeed.
- Track emerging trends and identify potential licensing opportunities or expert contributors.
- Gain competitor intelligence via affiliations and author networks.
What makes Inspec different?
Precision Indexing: 10,000+ controlled terms and 3,500+ classification codes for laser‑accurate recall.
IPC/CPC mapping: 15.4M records with IPC codes; CPC mapping added in 2023 and expanded thereafter.
Human‑curated: Domain experts ensure context and accuracy.
Unmatched coverage: 28M+ records across journals, conferences, and preprints; archive back to 1898.
5‑level granularity: Drill down from broad domains to precise technical subfields for “only what matters” results.
Coverage where it counts
Inspec spans electrical/electronic engineering, computing & control, mechanical & production engineering, physics and more, including AI, cybersecurity, communications, industry 4.0, bioengineering, and energy.
In many fields, journal and conference papers surface months before patent applications are published, making Inspec indispensable for earliest disclosure detection.
Integrates with your workflow
Access Inspec via EBSCOhost, Engineering Village (Elsevier), Ovid, ProQuest Dialog, Web of Science (Clarivate), and more, so your teams can start benefiting without new training burdens.
Built for precision: Indexing that understands context
- Disambiguates ambiguous terms (e.g., mercury the element vs. Mercury the planet; 5G vs 5 g).
- Captures core science and technologies even when not explicit in the title/abstract.
- Treatment codes signal whether a paper is theoretical, practical, experimental, as review or a new development with patent novelty—so examiners triage faster.
The result? Higher precision, fewer false positives, faster decisions.
Designed for your stakeholders
CIO & Modernisation Leads
- Reduce backlog and cycle times with reliable NPL discovery
- Integrate via trusted vendor platforms and APIs
Directors of Patent Examination
- Improve examination consistency and quality
- Provide examiners with authoritative, structured NPL
- Strengthen training with transparent, explainable indexing
Influencers (Examiners, Librarians, Workflow and L&D Teams)
- Faster, more accurate searches within familiar IPC/CPC structures
- Alerts for new publications in critical tech areas
- Training‑ready taxonomies and treatment codes to standardise search practice
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Inspec help reduce backlog?
By combining precision indexing, controlled vocabulary, and IPC/CPC mappings, examiners reach highly relevant NPL faster—reducing time spent sifting through noise and accelerating actions without compromising quality.
Does Inspec support AI‑assisted examination?
Yes. Inspec’s human‑curated + AI/ML enhanced approach improves discoverability and precision. It also integrates with leading platforms and can support modernization initiatives that layer AI on top of trusted, structured data.
Can examiners search by IPC/CPC?
Absolutely. Inspec maps to IPC/CPC codes (coverage back to 1969), clustering NPL within familiar patent classification frameworks to streamline search strategies.
What content types are included?
Peer reviewed journals, conference papers, preprints (e.g., arXiv), dissertations, conference posters, videos, books and more, spanning engineering, computing, physics and related disciplines.
How quickly can we get started?
Inspec is available through major vendor platforms already in use at many patent offices. Your teams can begin with minimal onboarding.