What is it?
A state-of-the-art search is a broad and exhaustive study of all relevant patents, scientific publications, conference proceedings, and industrial reports in a specific technology domain. It is essential for:
✅ Research & Development – Identifying the latest technological advancements
✅ Product Development – Understanding market trends and avoiding redundant efforts
✅ Competitive Intelligence – Tracking competitors’ R&D activities
✅ Patent Strategy & Licensing – Discovering gaps and opportunities for new inventions
Unlike a patentability search (which focuses on novelty for a single invention), a SOTA search covers an entire technology field, providing a macro-level understanding of global innovation.
How Invocons Conducts State-of-the-Art Searches
1️. Identifying the Scope
🔹 Define the technological domain and key focus areas
🔹 Understand client-specific R&D objectives and business needs
2️. Comprehensive Data Mining
Invocons leverages advanced search strategies across multiple data sources:
📌 Patent Databases
- USPTO, EPO, WIPO, JPO, CNIPA, and 100+ national patent offices
- Semantic searches for concept-based results
- Boolean and citation-based searches for deep patent insights
📌 Non-Patent Literature (NPL) Sources
- Scientific journals (IEEE, Elsevier, Springer, Nature, etc.)
- Research papers, white papers, and PhD theses
- Conference proceedings and technical standards
- Industry blogs and regulatory reports
📌 Competitor Intelligence
- Analysis of top assignees & inventors in the domain
- Patent filing trends to forecast emerging technologies
- Delivering Actionable Insights
Invocons provides:
✔ Detailed Reports – A comprehensive study with structured data, analytics, and key findings
✔ Trend Mapping & Forecasting – Graphical insights into technology maturity, investment trends, and key players
✔ White Space Identification – Areas with low patent activity, highlighting opportunities for new inventions
✔ Strategic Recommendations – Guidance on patent filing, licensing, R&D investment, and innovation roadmaps