USAFA Library Guides: Patents: Finding Patents

Subscription Patent Databases

Engineering Village This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive engineering platform curated for engineers, from peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings to standards, reliable data to learn from the findings of leading engineers worldwide, and patents.

Espacenet
Free access to over 90 million patents worldwide from the 19th century to today. Uses International Patent Classification (IPC) and Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). Espacenet links to the patent classification of over 90 countries including European Patent Orangisation (EPO), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Japan Patent Office (JPO), Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China.
Google Patents
Google Patents covers the entire collection of granted patents and published patent applications from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Patent Office (EPO). US patent documents date back to 1790, EPO to 1978. Google Patents uses the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC).

European Patent Organisation (EPO) Patent Information Tools
Use these information sheets and tutorials to learn more about how to use the EPO tools and search for patents.
About Google Patents
Use this resource page to learn more about searching Google Patents.
Espancenet Pocket Guide
Quick guide to search functionality of Espacenet

USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Office
The most authoritative source for U.S. patents and patent applications. This website provides information including applying for and searching for patents.
USPTO Patent Public Search Basic
This link goes directly to the USPTO search page.
USPTO Patent Classification Search
This search allows you to search by classification instead of by keyword.
WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
WIPO includes a directory of intellectual property offices around the world plus news and resources.
Japan Patent Office
Patent Lens
The site provides an easy to search interface for international patents including US, Europe, and Australia.