Web Searching Tips

This site provides tips on using search engines better, along with some fun facts such as what people search for on search engines. Some of the following features are listed below:

Explains how to use simple commands to improve the results you get from search engines.

• A summary of how to do advanced searches with the major search engines, including field searching.
• A summary of how to do advanced searches with the major search engines, including phrase searching.
• A one page summary of major search commands and operators at various search engines, plus a comparison of special search features.
• Search Links is a collection of search engines, ranging from the major global search engines to those designed for kids
• Links to tutorials, guides, articles and resources to help you use search engines better
• Covers search toolbars, companions and utilities that let you access search engines, meta search utilities and other programs to help with searching.
• Explains how to use Boolean commands and operators on the major search engines.

Source

Direct Document (patent) Access without Searching from USPTO & EP Espace

To Full-Page Images: Direct access to the full-page image database is now permitted without first conducting a search on the full-text database. Such access is now possible by using a URL of the form:

http://patimg1.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=0nnnnnnn&idkey=NONE

or

http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=0nnnnnnn&idkey=NONE

where “nnnnnnn” is the seven-digit patent number (right-justified with leading zeroes). The first URL, to patimg1.uspto.gov, is used if the patent number’s last two (low-order) digits are in the range 00 to 49; the second URL, to patimg2.uspto.gov, is used if the patent number’s last two digits are in the range 50 to 99.
For example, “http://patimg1.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=01234501&idkey=NONE” would retrieve patent number 1,234,501;

“http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=01234567&idkey=NONE” would retrieve patent number 1,234,567.
When a patent image is retrieved by this method, clicking on the link showing an up-arrow “Full-Text” will no longer take the user to the full text page.

To the Full-Text of a Particular Patent: A special shortened URL format:

http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5123456

where the patent number “5123456” may be replaced by any valid patent number within the database, has been established to enable users to more easily construct a URL for bookmarking or linking to the full-text of a single granted patent.

EP Espace: The shortened URL format:

http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=EP0966924

The URL will retreive the the patent number EP0966924. This patent number can be replaced by any valid patent/publication number.