USPTO Patent Search - Search United States Patents
Search US patents from the USPTO Open Data Portal.
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USPTO Patent Search — US Patent Database
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the world's largest patent office by issued patents. Search 15+ million US patents with full-text access, CPC classification filtering, and AI-powered semantic search — completely free.
15M+
Patents indexed
600K+
New applications per year
20yr
Utility patent term
180K+
Patents granted annually
About the USPTO Patent Database
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) grants patents, registers trademarks, and advises the US government on intellectual property policy. Founded in 1790, the USPTO has issued over 11 million utility patents and maintains one of the world's most comprehensive patent databases.
PatentAssist.ai connects to the USPTO Open Data Portal (ODP) API, providing real-time access to the full text of patent applications and granted patents — including claims, descriptions, abstracts, and inventor records.
- Full text: title, abstract, claims, description, drawings
- CPC classification, application type, and status filters
- Inventor and assignee (applicant) search
- Filing date and publication date range filters
US Patent Number Formats
The number format tells you the patent type and its status at a glance.
Granted utility patent
US11,234,567 B2
B1 = first publication of grant · B2 = granted after publication as application
Published application (pre-grant)
US2023/0123456 A1
YYYY = publication year · A1 = first publication
Design patent / Plant patent
USD123,456 S | USPP12,345 P3
D prefix = design · PP prefix = plant patent
Types of US Patents
Utility Patent
Protects how an invention works, is used, or is composed. Covers machines, processes, manufactures, and compositions of matter.
- • Term: 20 years from filing
- • Requires maintenance fees
- • ~90% of all US patents
- • Includes software, biotech, mechanical
Design Patent
Protects the ornamental appearance (visual design) of a functional article. No maintenance fees required.
- • Term: 15 years from grant (post-2015)
- • Single claim covering the appearance
- • Fast prosecution (12–18 months)
- • Common in consumer electronics, fashion
Plant Patent
Protects asexually reproduced distinct and new varieties of plants, excluding tuber-propagated plants and plants found in an uncultivated state.
- • Term: 20 years from filing
- • Covers roses, fruit trees, ornamentals
- • ~1,500 new filings per year
- • Relatively rare — niche agricultural use
CPC Classification Quick Reference
The Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) organises US patents into sections, classes, and subgroups. Use the CPC filter to search an entire technology domain.
Human Necessities
A61K — Pharma
Operations & Transport
B60 — Vehicles
Chemistry
C07 — Organic chem.
Textiles & Paper
D01 — Fibres
Fixed Constructions
E04 — Buildings
Mechanical Eng.
F04 — Pumps
Physics
G06 — Computing
Electricity
H04L — Comms.
Emerging Tech.
Y02 — Climate tech.
Frequently Asked Questions
USPTO patent search, US patent law, and how to use the US patent database.
What is the format of a US patent number?
Granted utility patents: US11,234,567 B2. Published applications: US2023/0123456 A1. Design patents: USD123,456 S. Enter any format directly in the search box to locate
a specific patent.
What is the difference between a utility and design
patent?
A utility patent protects how an invention works (function) and lasts 20 years. A design patent protects ornamental appearance (look) and lasts 15 years from grant. Most technology, software, chemical, and mechanical inventions use utility patents. Consumer product aesthetics — phone shapes, bottle designs — often use design patents.
What is CPC classification and how do I use it?
CPC (Cooperative Patent Classification) is a
hierarchical system jointly developed by USPTO and EPO.
Enter a code like H04L 9 (data security) or A61K 31 (organic medicinal preparations) in the CPC filter to find
all US patents in that technical domain. This is the most
reliable method for comprehensive landscape analysis.
What is a provisional patent application?
A provisional application establishes a US priority date for 12 months at low cost. It is never published and cannot become a patent on its own — a non-provisional must be filed within 12 months. Provisionals are not searchable in patent databases; only non-provisional applications and granted patents appear in search results.
How long does a US patent last?
Utility patents: 20 years from earliest effective filing date, with maintenance fees at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years post-grant. Design patents: 15 years from grant. Patents that lapse for non-payment of maintenance fees enter the public domain and can no longer be enforced, but they still constitute prior art.
What does AIA vs. pre-AIA mean for patent search?
The America Invents Act (AIA, 2011) switched the US to a first-inventor-to-file system. For applications filed after March 16, 2013, any prior art that predates the filing date (except the inventor's own disclosures within 12 months) can be used as prior art. Pre-AIA applications follow different prior art rules. For FTO analysis, note whether a patent was filed before or after this date.
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