December  1st,   2010

To provide more precise patent publication number crossovers, STN has introduced the PNK (Patent Number/Kind Code) field for use when transferring patent publication numbers between databases. PNK field crossovers can be used to transfer publication numbers of published applications and granted patents. A new PNK.B (Patent Number/Kind Code of the Basic Patent) field also has been implemented in CASM/CAplusSM and is expected to be implemented soon in the Derwent World Patents Index (DWPISM) and in the INPAFAMDB/INPADOCDB family of databases.

PNK has also been added to these databases:

• EPFULL
• FRFULL
• GBFULL
• IFIPAT/IFICDB/IFIUDB
• IMSPATENTS
• PATDPAFULL
• PCTFULL
• TOXCENTER
• TULSA/TULSA2
• USPATFULL/USPAT2/USPATOLD

PNK is available for SEARCH, DISPLAY, SELECT, and ANALYZE. (In the DWPI and INPADOCDB/INPAFAMDB databases, however, PNK displays will be the same as PN displays.)

The PNK field is necessary because some patent-granting authorities use the same numbering schemes for both patent applications and granted patents, or for both patents and utility models. This causes searching difficulties for customers crossing over patent publication numbers, particularly when Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese patents were involved.

When you need to transfer patent publication numbers from one database to another, the PNK field will enable you to transfer them precisely. Just use TRANSFER PNK rather than TRANSFER PN to achieve better quality results. 

Example

When you transfer Chinese granted patent number CN 1222622 on biotechnology from HCAplus to DWPI without its kind code C, you will retrieve a Chinese application with the same number, but with a totally irrelevant subject--door locks.

But when you transfer using the new PNK field that includes the kind code, you will maintain precision in your retrievals.