Last week I published a blog post outlining five things that students should know about using Google Scholar. One of those things is the option to search for U.S. Patent Office filings. 

When you locate a patent filing through Google Scholar you can read the details of the patent application, look at drawings that accompany the application, and see a list of related patent applications. It’s also possible to use Google Scholar to see all of the patent applications made by an individual person. In this new video I demonstrate how to use Google Scholar to find patent applications and find a list of all of the patent applications made by an individual. 

Applications for Education

Using Google Scholar to look at patent applications can be a good way for students to learn about inventions and the process that inventors use to protect their ideas as well as prove that their ideas are different from those of previous inventors. I’d have students pick a patent, read through it, then compare it to one of the related patent applications found in Google Scholar. Then I’d have them explain whether or not they think the products in patent applications are significantly different.