May  8th,   2011

Thesauri for ECLA (European patent classifications) and ICO are now available in the following databases:

• INPADOCDB/INPAFAMDB
• GBFULL
• FRFULL
• PCTFULL

The European patent classification codes are searchable in the fields /EPC (ECLA codes) and /ICO (in computer only codes), respectively. See HELP THESAURUS and HELP RCODES for further details. Both thesauri will be updated on a monthly basis.

The thesauri can be used with the EXPAND and SEARCH command in the EPC and ICO fields. The following relationship codes are available:

Relationship
Code           Description ----------     ----------- ALL            All usually required terms (BT, SELF, DEF, NT) AUTO           Automatic relationship (BT, SELF, DEF, NT) BT             Broader terms (BT, SELF) CODE           Classification Code (SELF, CODE) DEF            Definition (SELF, DEF) HIE            Hierarchy terms (all broader and narrower terms)                 (BT, SELF, DEF, NT)KT
               Keyword terms (SELF, KT) MAX            All associated terms NEXT           Next classification within the same class                 (SELF, NEXT) NEXT(n)        Next n classifications within the same class NT             Narrower terms PREV           Previous Code within the same class (SELF, PREV) PREV(n)        Previous n classifications within the same class TI             Complete title including broader terms                 (BT, SELF)