Using Corporate Tree		 Updated: Apr 18, 2007


What Corporate Tree is:
Corporate Tree is a tool to help you find US patents and applications by Assignee name.

Corporate Tree does not include reassignment data. If a patent has been reassigned, Corporate Tree will not list the reassigned patent under the name of the new assignee. A reassigned patent continues to be listed under the name of the original assignee.

Corporate Tree has two separate and distinct features: Original Assignee and Hierarchy.

Corporate Tree's Original Assignee function helps you discover US patent records that belong to the Assignee you are investigating, but have been filed under different variations of the Assignee name. Without Corporate Tree, you would need to perform a separate search for each variation of the name.

The Corporate Tree Hierarchy function shows you how an Assignee name fits into a corporate hierarchy that takes into account mergers and acquisitions — and then lets you search for patents by selecting Assignee names from the corporate hierarchy. This means you can find patents filed by companies that no longer exist as legal entities and whose patents have been reassigned to the "new owners."

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Where to access Corporate Tree:
You can access Corporate Tree from three places:
  1. On the Advanced search form, the Corporate Tree button is in the Text Fields section, next to the Assignee text entry box (shown following).
Graphic showing access to Corproate Tree on the Advanced form
  1. On the Boolean search form, the Corporate Tree button displays when you choose Assignee from any of the drop-down boxes when creating your search string (shown following).
Graphic showing access to Corproate Tree on the Boolean form

  1. On the Delphion Integrated View, links to Corporate Tree hierarchy data display in the Assignee area (shown following) when Corporate Tree hierarchy data is available for that Assignee.
Graphic showing access to Corporate Tree from the Delphion Integrated View

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Corporate Tree is for US, EP and PCT collections:
Corporate Tree's Original Assignee feature is valid for US Granted and US Applications collections only. The Hierarchy feature is valid for the US Granted, EP Applications, EP Granted and PCT Applications collections.

The Original Assignee feature lets you select from lists of Assignee names and then, with a single click, automatically put those Assignee names on your search form. Before you search, however, make certain that you have selected only US Granted or US Applications (or both) for your search if you used the Original Assignee feature. If you used the Hierarchy feature, make certain that you have selected only US Granted, EP Applications, EP Granted or PCT Applications for your search.

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Corporate Tree's Original Assignee contains USPTO data:
The Original Assignee feature contains data supplied by the USPTO.

When US applications and patents are filed, the USPTO checks to see if there are other patents filed by the same Assignee. Multiple filings by the same Assignee are linked by a numeric code the USPTO appends to the filing. The addition of this code compensates for variations (and misspellings) in Assignee names. These codes can be searched separately in the Assignee field on Delphion Research.

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Corporate Tree's Hierarchy contains data on 2500 patent holders:
The Hierarchy feature includes data on 2500 of the top patent holders. The data in the Hierarchy feature is provided by 1790 Analytics. 1790 Analytics compiles its data from a variety of sources and provides monthly updates.

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How Premier subscribers pay for Corporate Tree:
Premier subscribers will be prompted to purchase a $15 one-day (24-hour) pass for Corporate Tree the first time the Corporate Tree button is clicked from the Advanced or Boolean search forms, or the first time an Assignee code is clicked from an Integrated View.

Once the one-day pass purchase is confirmed, you will have unlimited access for 24 hours — no matter which method you use to access the feature. At the end of that time, if you attempt to use the feature, you will be prompted to purchase another one-day pass.

Delphion Unlimited subscribers have unlimited access to Corporate Tree, if you are a Premier subscriber, consider upgrading to Unlimited now. Delphion Basic users must upgrade to Premier or Unlimited to use Corporate Tree.

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How to use Corporate Tree from the Advanced or Boolean search pages:
  1. From the Advanced or Boolean search page, click the Corporate Tree button. The Corporate Tree popup displays (shown following).

    Note: The top portion of the interface is the same for both the Original Assignee and Hierarchy features. The bottom portion changes according to your choice of feature.

Graphic showing Corporate Tree interface

  1. In the Company name or code text box, enter the company name or code you want to search for.
  2. Click Original Assignee to see USPTO normalized Assignee name entries.
  3. Original Assignee displays in the lower portion of the screen.
Original Assignee
Graphic showing Original search results

Hierarchy data
Graphic showing Hierarchy search results

  1. Use the Expand All and Collapse All links to control overall display.
  2. Use the + (plus sign) and — (minus sign) buttons to expand or collapse individual entries in the display.
  3. Check boxes to select Assignee names to include in your search.

    Note: Check a higher-level name to automatically select all underlying names. Un-check individual names to remove them from your search.

  4. Click Save to move these Assignee name selections to your search form.
  5. The Corporate Tree popup closes.
  6. The Assignee names you selected are now in the Assignee name field on your search form.

    Note: The information populated into the Assignee field on your Advanced or Boolean search form could be just the Assignee name you selected, or it could include a numeric Assignee code or other search instructions.
Graphic of populated Assignee name field on search form
  1. If you used the Original Assignee feature, make sure that only US collections are selected in the collection selection boxes on your search form. If you used the Hierarchy feature, make sure that only the US Granted, EP Applications, EP Granted or PCT Applications collection is selected.
  2. Select or enter any other parameters appropriate for your search.
  3. Click Search.
  4. Your Result Set displays.
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How to use Corporate Tree from the Delphion Integrated View:
  1. When available, Corporate Tree hierarchy data displays on the Integrated View in the Assignee area. The Corporate Tree symbol and label are followed by the full name of — and an alphabetical Assignee code for — each Assignee for whom there is hierarchy data.

    If Corporate Tree hierarchy data is not available for an Assignee on the Integrated View, the Corporate Tree symbol and label, and other information, does not display.

    Click the hyperlinked alphabetical Assignee code for the Assignee for which you want to see hierarchy information. The Corporate Tree popup displays with the company name populated and the Hierarchy button highlighted (shown following).
Grpahic showing Corporate Tree Opening from the delphion Integrated View
  1. Use the Expand All and Collapse All links to control overall display.
  2. Use the + (plus sign) and - (minus sign) buttons to expand or collapse individual entries in the display.
  3. Check boxes to select Assignee names to include in your search.

     Note: Check a higher-level name to automatically select all underlying names. Un-check individual names to remove them from your search.

  4. Click Save to move these Assignee name selections to your search form.
  5. The Corporate Tree popup closes.
  6. The Boolean search page displays showing the Assignee names (or the Assignee codes for those names) you selected.

     Note: The information populated into the Assignee field on your Boolean search form could be just the Assignee name you selected, or it could include a numeric Assignee code or other search instructions.
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Search tips:
  1. The Original Assignee feature of Corporate Tree will reveal patents that may have been filed under misspelled Assignee names as long as those patents have been, either by the USPTO or by 1790 Analytics, associated with other patents with the correct Assignee name.
  2. Corporate Tree is not an intuitive search that understands or forgives misspellings. Your search will be conducted on the entries you make.
  3. Corporate Tree searching is not case sensitive.
  4. Common terms such as technology and incorporated used without any additional terms are rejected because they would return huge and probably useless Result Sets.
  5. Stemming is not performed on your search term. A search for "LaRoch" will not find "LaRoche."
  6. Wildcards can be used:
    • ? The question mark wildcard represents one character. Use one or more question marks to stand for a specific number of characters in your search term. The question mark can be used within a word.
    • * The asterisk wildcard represents zero or an unlimited number of characters. The asterisk can also be used within a word.
  7. Punctuation may or may not make a difference, depending on how the Assignee name was originally filed and classified.
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