Skip to main content Skip to footer
HomeHome
 
  • Homepage
  • Searching for patents

    Patent knowledge

    Access our patent databases and search tools.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
      • European Publication Server
      • Searching Asian documents: patent search and monitoring services
      • EP full-text search
      • Bibliographic coverage in Espacenet and OPS
      • Full-text coverage in Espacenet and OPS
    • Legal information
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
      • European Patent Bulletin
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Searching Asian documents
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
      • Patent insight reports
    • Data
      • Overview
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
      • Web services
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
    • Helpful resources
      • Overview
      • First time here?
      • Asian patent information
      • Patent information centres
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge

    UP search

    Learn about the Unitary Patent in patent knowledge products and services

  • Applying for a patent

    Applying for a patent

    Practical information on filing and grant procedures.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • European route
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Request for extension/validation
    • International route (PCT)
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide – PCT procedure at the EPO
      • EPO decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • MyEPO services
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
      • Get access
      • Find a professional representative
      • File with us
      • Interact on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
      • Tutorials
    • Forms
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Fees
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
      • International fees (PCT)
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
      • Fee payment and refunds
      • Warning

    UP

    Unitary Patent

  • Law & practice

    Law & practice

    European patent law, the Official Journal and other legal texts.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
      • Official Journal
      • EPC Guidelines
      • PCT-EPO Guidelines
      • Guidelines revision cycle
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
      • Unitary patent system
      • National law relating to the UP
    • Court practices
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives

    legal text

    Legal texts

  • News & events

    News & events

    Our latest news, podcasts and events, including the European Inventor Award.

    Go to overview 

     

    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Overview
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the finalists
      • Nominations
      • Watch the 2022 ceremony
    • Press centre
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • Innovation and patenting in focus
      • Overview
      • Firefighting technologies
      • Green tech in focus
      • CodeFest on Green Plastics
      • Clean energy technologies
      • IP and youth
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Fighting coronavirus
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
      • The future of medicine
      • Materials science
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
      • Patent classification
      • Digital technologies
      • The future of manufacturing
      • Books by EPO experts
    • "Talk innovation" podcast

    Podcast

    Listen to our podcast

  • Learning

    Learning

    The e-Academy – the point of access to your learning

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • European Patent Academy
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning paths
    • Professional hub
      • Overview
      • EQE - European qualifying examination
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by area by profile
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
      • EQE candidates
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
      • National offices and IP authorities
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and technology transfer centres (TTOs)

    European Patent Academy

    Boost your IP knowledge with (e-)training from the European Patent Academy

  • About us

    About us

    Find out more about our work, values, history and vision

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Overview
      • A glimpse of the planned activities
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Governance
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
    • Principles & strategy
      • Overview
      • Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy
      • Public consultation on the EPO's Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
    • Leadership & management
      • Overview
      • President António Campinos
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Social responsibility
      • Overview
      • Environment and sustainability
      • Art collection
    • Services & activities
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Procurement
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • About eTendering and electronic signatures
      • Procurement portal
      • Invoicing
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Transparency portal
      • Overview
      • General
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s

    about us

    Patent Index 2022

 
en de fr
  • Language selection
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
Main navigation
  • Homepage
  • New to patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • What's your big idea?
    • Are you ready?
    • What to expect
    • How to apply for a patent
    • Your business and patents
    • Is it patentable?
    • Are you first?
    • Why do we have patents?
    • Patent quiz
    • Unitary patent video
  • Searching for patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • National patent office databases
        • Global Patent Index (GPI)
        • Release notes
      • European Publication Server
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Cross-reference index for Euro-PCT applications
        • EP authority file
        • Help
      • Searching Asian documents
      • EP full-text search
      • Bibliographic coverage in Espacenet and OPS
      • Full-text coverage in Espacenet
    • Legal information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes archive
        • Register documentation
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Deep link data coverage
          • Federated Register
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • BG - Federated Register Service
            • GB - Federated Register Service
            • NL - Federated Register Service
            • MK - Federated Register Service
            • ES - Federated Register Service
            • GR - Federated Register Service
            • SK - Federated Register Service
            • FR - Federated Register Service
            • MT - Federated Register Service
          • Register events
      • European Patent Bulletin
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Download Bulletin
        • EP Bulletin search
        • Help
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Searching Asian documents
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Patent insight reports
    • Data
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Manuals
        • Sequence listings
        • National full-text data
        • European Patent Register data
        • EPO worldwide bibliographic data (DOCDB)
        • EP full-text data
        • EPO worldwide legal event data (INPADOC)
        • EP bibliographic data (EBD)
          • Go back
          • EBD files (weekly download) - free of charge
            • Go back
            • Secure EBD ST.36 files (weekly download) - for national patent offices only
        • Boards of Appeal decisions
        • EP full-text data for text analytics
      • Web services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • European Publication Server
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
        • Go back
        • Weekly updates
        • Updated regularly
    • Helpful resources
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • First time here? Patent information explained.
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Basic definitions
        • Patent classification
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
        • Patent families
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • DOCDB simple patent family
          • INPADOC extended patent family
        • Legal event data
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • INPADOC classification scheme
      • Asian patent information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • China (CN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Chinese Taipei (TW)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • India (IN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
        • Japan (JP)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Korea (KR)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Russian Federation (RU)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Numbering system
          • Searching in databases
        • Useful links
      • Patent information centres (PATLIB)
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
  • Applying for a patent
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
        • Go back
        • Oral proceedings calendar
          • Go back
          • Calendar
          • Public access to appeal proceedings
          • Public access to opposition proceedings
          • Technical guidelines
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Unitary Patent
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Legal framework
          • Unitary Patent Guide
          • Main features
          • Applying for a Unitary Patent
          • Cost of a Unitary Patent
          • Translation and compensation
          • Start date
        • Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Extension/validation request
    • International route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide
      • Entry into the European phase
      • Decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
        • Go back
        • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme outline
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • MyEPO services
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Online Filing 2.0 pilot
        • MyEPO Portfolio - pilot phase
        • Online Filing 2.0 pilot continuation
        • Exchange data with us using an API
      • Get access
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Installation and activation
      • Find a professional representative
      • File with us
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • What if our online filing services are down?
        • Release notes
      • Interact on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
      • Tutorials
    • Fees
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • International fees (PCT)
        • Go back
        • Reduction in fees
        • Fees for international applications
        • Decisions and notices
        • Overview
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • Fee payment and refunds
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Payment methods
        • Getting started
        • FAQs and other documentation
        • Technical information for batch payments
        • Decisions and notices
        • Release notes
      • Warning
    • Forms
      • Go back
      • Request for examination
  • Law & practice
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Documentation on the EPC revision 2000
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Diplomatic Conference for the revision of the EPC
            • Travaux préparatoires
            • New text
            • Transitional provisions
            • Implementing regulations to the EPC 2000
            • Rules relating to Fees
            • Ratifications and accessions
          • Travaux Préparatoires EPC 1973
      • Official Journal
      • EPC Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Guidelines revision cycle
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Unitary Patent system
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent 
    • Court practices
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
  • News & events
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the finalists
      • Nominations
      • Watch the 2023 ceremony
      • European Inventor Network
        • Go back
        • Activities granted in 2023
    • Press centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • European Patent Office
        • Q&A on patents related to coronavirus
        • Q&A on plant patents
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • In focus
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Firefighting technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Detection and prevention of fires
        • Fire extinguishing
        • Protective equipment
        • Post-fire restoration
      • Green tech in focus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About green tech
        • Renewable energies
        • Energy transition technologies
        • Building a greener future
      • CodeFest on Green Plastics
      • Clean energy technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Renewable energy
        • Carbon-intensive industries
        • Energy storage and other enabling technologies
      • IP and youth
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Fighting coronavirus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Vaccines and therapeutics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Vaccines
          • Overview of candidate therapies for COVID-19
          • Candidate antiviral and symptomatic therapeutics
          • Nucleic acids and antibodies to fight coronavirus
        • Diagnostics and analytics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Protein and nucleic acid assays
          • Analytical protocols
        • Informatics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Bioinformatics
          • Healthcare informatics
        • Technologies for the new normal
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Devices, materials and equipment
          • Procedures, actions and activities
          • Digital technologies
        • Inventors against coronavirus
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patents and space technologies
      • Healthcare
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Medical technologies and cancer
        • Personalised medicine
      • Materials science
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Red, white or green
        • The role of the EPO
        • What is patentable?
        • Biotech inventors
      • Classification
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
        • Climate change mitigation technologies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • External partners
          • Updates on Y02 and Y04S
      • Digital technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About ICT
        • Hardware and software
        • Patents and standards
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Fourth Industrial Revolution
      • Additive manufacturing
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About AM
        • AM innovation
      • Books by EPO experts
    • Podcast
  • Learning
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European Patent Academy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning Paths
    • Professional hub
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • EQE - European Qualifying Examination
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
        • Candidates successful in the European qualifying examination
        • Compendium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Pre-examination
          • Paper A
          • Paper B
          • Paper C
          • Paper D
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent enforcement in Europe
        • Patent litigation in Europe
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation case studies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • SME case studies
          • Technology transfer case studies
          • High-growth technology case studies
        • Inventors' handbook
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Introduction
          • Disclosure and confidentiality
          • Novelty and prior art
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Is the idea ‘obvious’?
            • Prior art searching
            • Professional patent searching
            • Simple Espacenet searching
            • What is prior art?
            • Why is novelty important?
          • Competition and market potential
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Research guidelines
          • Assessing the risk ahead
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Exploitation routes
            • Significant commercial potential
            • Significant novelty
            • What about you?
            • What if your idea is not novel but does have commercial potential?
          • Proving the invention
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Help with design or redesign
            • Prototype strategy
          • Protecting your idea
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Forms of IPR
            • Patenting strategy
            • The patenting process
          • Building a team and seeking funding
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Building a team
            • Sources of funding
            • Sources of help for invention
          • Business planning
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Constructing a business plan
            • Keep it short!
          • Finding and approaching companies
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • First contact
            • Meetings
          • Dealing with companies
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Advance or guaranteed payment
            • Companies and your prototype
            • Full agreement – and beyond
            • Negotiating a licensing agreement
            • Reaching agreement
            • Royalties
        • Best of search matters
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Tools and databases
          • EPO procedures and initiatives
          • Search strategies
          • Challenges and specific topics
        • Support for high-growth technology businesses
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • For IP professionals
          • For business decision-makers
          • For stakeholders of the innovation ecosystem
        • IP clinics
      • EQE Candidates
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Coffee-break questions
        • Daily D questions
        • European qualifying examination - Guide for preparation
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compulsory licensing in Europe
        • The jurisdiction of European courts in patent disputes
      • National offices and IP authorities
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Learning material for examiners of national officers
        • Learning material for formalities officers and paralegals
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and TTOs
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • For students
          • For universities
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • IP education resources
            • University memberships
          • Our young professionals
          • Professional development plan
        • IP Teaching Kit
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Download modules
        • Intellectual property course design manual
  • About us
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Member states by date of accession
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Governance
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • 2022
        • 2021
        • 2020
        • 2019
        • 2018
        • 2017
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Composition
        • Representatives
        • Rules of Procedure
        • Board of Auditors
        • Secretariat
        • Council bodies
    • Principles & strategy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Mission, vision, values & corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
      • Data protection & privacy notice
    • Leadership & management
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the President
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Procurement
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • About eTendering
      • Procurement portal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • e-Signing contracts
      • Invoicing
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Services & activities
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Foundations
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • European Patent Convention
          • Guidelines for examination
          • Our staff
        • Enabling quality
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Prior art
          • Classification
          • Tools
          • Processes
        • Products & services
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
          • Continuous improvement
        • Quality through networking
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • User engagement
          • Co-operation
          • User satisfaction survey
          • Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels
        • Patent Quality Charter
        • Statistics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
      • Consulting our users
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Objectives
          • SACEPO and its working parties
          • Meetings
          • Single Access Portal – SACEPO Area
      • Our user service charter
      • European and international co-operation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Co-operation with member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
        • Bilateral co-operation with non-member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Validation system
          • Reinforced Partnership programme
        • Multilateral international co-operation with IP offices and organisations
        • Co-operation with international organisations outside the IP system
      • European Patent Academy
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Partners
      • Chief Economist
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Economic studies
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Statistics and trends
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • Social responsibility
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Environment
      • Art collection
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • The collection
        • Let's talk about art
        • Artists
        • Media library
        • What's on
        • Publications
        • Contact
    • History
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Transparency portal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • General
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Annual Review 2022
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
  • Boards of Appeal
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Decisions of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Recent decisions
      • Selected decisions
    • Procedure
    • Annual reports
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Organisation
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • President of the Boards of Appeal
      • Enlarged Board of Appeal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Pending referrals (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Decisions sorted by number (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Pending petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
        • Decisions on petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
      • Technical Boards of Appeal
      • Legal Board of Appeal
      • Disciplinary Board of Appeal
      • Presidium
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Composition of the Presidium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Archive
    • Code of Conduct
    • Business distribution scheme
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technical boards of appeal by IPC in 2023
      • Archive
    • Annual list of cases
    • Communications
    • Publications
    • Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Archive
    • Case Law from the Contracting States to the EPC
    • Oral proceedings
  • Service & support
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • FAQ
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
    • Ordering
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Terms and conditions
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent information products
        • Bulk data sets
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • Fair use charter
    • Procedural communications
    • Useful links
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent offices of member states
      • Other patent offices
      • Legal resources
      • Directories of patent attorneys
      • Patent databases, registers and gazettes
      • Disclaimer
    • Contact us
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Filing options
      • Locations
      • Specific contact
      • Surveys
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Search services
        • Examination services, final actions and publication
        • Opposition services
        • Patent filings
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Detailed methodology
          • Archive
        • Online Services
        • Patent information
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Innovation process survey
        • Customer services
        • Filing services
        • Website
        • Survey on electronic invoicing
        • Companies innovating in clean and sustainable technologies
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Forums
    • Glossary
Board of Appeals
Decisions

Recent decisions

Overview
  • 2023 decisions
  • 2022 decisions
  • 2021 decisions
https://www.epo.org/en/node/t060360eu1
  1. Home
  2. T 0360/06 06-05-2010
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

T 0360/06 06-05-2010

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2010:T036006.20100506
Date of decision
06 May 2010
Case number
T 0360/06
Petition for review of
-
Application number
98903261.0
IPC class
H04N 5/14
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
NO DISTRIBUTION (D)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 30.72 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Video signal analysis and storage

Applicant name
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Opponent name
-
Board
3.5.04
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention R 103(1)
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 15(3)
European Patent Convention Art 54(1) 1973
European Patent Convention R 71(2) 1973
Keywords
Novelty (no)
Catchword
-
Cited decisions
J 0011/80
J 0011/87
Citing decisions
-

I. This is an appeal by the applicant against the decision by the examining division refusing European patent application No. 98 903 261.0.

II. The claims forming the basis of the appealed decision comprised two independent claims, claim 1 reading as follows.

"Video scene change detection apparatus comprising: an input for a video signal with accompanying audio soundtrack (Avin), and means for detecting scene changes in the video signal received via said input, said means being adapted to receive said audio soundtrack and to determine an audio signal level associated with the audio soundtrack, and further comprising first storage means (22) adapted to maintain a record of the last determined audio signal level, and comparator means (24) adapted to compare determined audio signal levels, characterised in that the means for detecting scene changes further comprises a filtering arrangement (20) adapted to filter said received audio soundtrack to periodically determine a background audio signal level (A1) as the said determined audio signal level, wherein said first storage means (22) is adapted to maintain a record of the last determined background audio signal level, and wherein said comparator means (24) is adapted to flag a scene change when the current determined background audio signal level (A2) differs from the stored (22) last background audio signal level (A1) by more than a predetermined amount."

III. According to the reasons for the appealed decision, the meaning of the term "background audio signal level", used inter alia in claim 1, was broad and subjective. The "signal level" as claimed might relate to a level of a single audio signal or to the level of an ensemble of audio signals, an objective criterion for a signal being background or foreground not being provided. Nevertheless the term was sufficiently clear, but its broad scope was to be borne in mind when considering inter alia novelty. The examining division also found that the subject-matter of claim 1 lacked novelty, Article 54 EPC 1973, in view of the disclosure of the following document:

D1: JP 61034764 A.

D1 disclosed an input, first storage means (2), a filtering arrangement (3) and comparator means (5) as claimed. D1 stated that the current state of the audio signal was calculated by averaging over 5 seconds. The nature of averaging implied suppression of high frequency components, and thus functional block 3 effectively constituted a low pass filter. The present application disclosed a background detection involving its "underlying amplitude" parameter, but the objective derivation of said parameter was mere speculation, since the application was silent about the way in which the "underlying amplitude" of the background audio signal was determined. Calculation of averages in the particular example of figure 1 of the present application would result in horizontal levels in approximation to the levels A1 and A2 of figure 1. This approximation might have its limitations, but provided an estimate of "underlying amplitude" and thus "audio background".

IV. In a notice of appeal and a subsequently filed statement of grounds of appeal the appellant requested that the decision be set aside and that a patent be granted on the basis of sets of claims filed as a main and first and second auxiliary requests (in this order) with the statement of grounds of appeal. The appellant also requested an opportunity to amend the description in conformity with any allowed request at a later date.

V. The claims according to the main request comprise two independent claims, claim 1 reading as follows.

"Video scene change detection apparatus comprising: an input for a video signal with accompanying audio soundtrack (Avin), and means for detecting scene changes in the video signal received via said input, said means being adapted to receive said audio soundtrack and to determine an audio signal level associated with the audio soundtrack, and further comprising first storage means (22) adapted to maintain a record of the last determined audio signal level, and comparator means (24) adapted to compare determined audio signal levels, wherein the means for detecting scene changes further comprises a filtering arrangement (20) adapted to filter said received audio soundtrack to periodically determine a background audio signal level (A1) as the said determined audio signal level, and wherein said first storage means (22) is adapted to maintain a record of the last determined background audio signal level, and wherein said comparator means (24) is adapted to flag a scene change when the current determined background audio signal level (A2) differs from the stored (22) last background audio signal level (A1) by more than a predetermined amount."

VI. The claims according to the first auxiliary request comprise two independent claims, claim 1 reading as follows.

"Video scene change detection apparatus comprising: an input for a video signal with accompanying audio soundtrack (Avin), and means for detecting scene changes in the video signal received via said input, said means being adapted to receive said audio soundtrack and to determine an audio signal level associated with the audio soundtrack, and further comprising first storage means (22) adapted to maintain a record of the last determined audio signal level, and comparator means (24) adapted to compare determined audio signal levels, wherein the means for detecting scene changes further comprises a filtering arrangement (20) adapted to filter said received audio soundtrack to periodically determine a background audio signal level (A1) comprising an underlying audio amplitude of said audio soundtrack, wherein said first storage means (22) is adapted to maintain a record of the last determined background audio signal level, and wherein said comparator means (24) is adapted to flag a scene change when the current determined background audio signal level (A2) differs from the stored (22) last background audio signal level (A1) by more than a predetermined amount."

VII. The claims according to the second auxiliary request comprise two independent claims, claim 1 reading as follows.

"Video scene change detection apparatus comprising: an input for a video signal with accompanying audio soundtrack (Avin), and means for detecting scene changes in the video signal received via said input, said means being adapted to receive said audio soundtrack and to determine an audio signal level associated with the audio soundtrack, and further comprising first storage means (22) adapted to maintain a record of the last determined audio signal level, and comparator means (24) adapted to compare determined audio signal levels, wherein the means for detecting scene changes further comprises a filtering arrangement (20) adapted to filter said received audio soundtrack to periodically determine a background audio signal level comprising an underlying audio amplitude corresponding to a local minimum in the level of said audio soundtrack, wherein said first storage means (22) is adapted to maintain a record of the last determined background audio signal level, and wherein said comparator means (24) is adapted to flag a scene change when the current determined background audio signal level (A2) differs from the stored (22) last background audio signal level (A1) by more than a predetermined amount."

VIII. In the statement of grounds of appeal the appellant argued essentially that background audio levels were good indicators of scene changes in an A/V stream. The concept of background audio was well known to those skilled in the art of sound encoding, decoding and reproduction. For example, when one was seated in one's office, and stopped speaking, the background noise became apparent. In an office environment the background audio comprised such elements as the whine of a computer on the desk, air conditioning or heating system sound, and perhaps noise from the road outside if a window was open. In a scene from a movie or film, the background noise was that present in the ambient environment when the main content such as dialogue, etc was absent. Hence an engineer could measure a background audio level in the absence of speech or dialogue, preferably during "quiet" periods in an environment or in a recording of an environment. The invention as claimed comprised the features of filtering a received audio sound track to periodically determine a background audio signal level, and comparing this background level with a stored background level in order to flag a scene change. The appellant also argued that the claimed subject-matter of all requests was novel and inventive. D1 did not disclose the measuring of a background audio level but compared overall audio signal levels. The filtering arrangement of the present application relied on a purposeful selection and was not the same as averaging.

IX. In a letter dated 18 September 2009 the appellant stated that "I hereby withdraw the EP Patent Applications indicated in the attached list, on the condition that any fee is refunded. It is understood that if no refund is possible, the application is not withdrawn." The attached list indicated the present application.

X. The board issued a summons to oral proceedings accompanied by an annex according to Article 15(1) RPBA (see OJ EPO 2007, 536) setting out the board's preliminary opinion on the appeal. The board questioned whether the conditional withdrawal of the application was clear or even possible, the conditions under Rule 103(1) EPC for reimbursement of the appeal fee not being fulfilled. The board also raised clarity objections, Article 84 EPC 1973, against the independent claims according to the main and first and second auxiliary requests and questioned whether the independent claims according to the second auxiliary request satisfied Article 123(2) EPC regarding added subject-matter. Furthermore the board questioned whether the subject-matter of the independent claims according to the main and first and second auxiliary requests was novel having regard to D1, Article 54(1) EPC 1973.

XI. In a letter dated 5 February 2010 in reply to the summons the appellant stated that he would not be represented at the oral proceedings and requested "a decision on the file as it stands". The appellant did not provide any arguments regarding the substance of the case.

XII. Oral proceedings were held on 6 May 2010 in the absence of the appellant, as announced in advance, in application of Article 15(3) RPBA and Rule 71(2) EPC 1973.

XIII. At the end of the oral proceedings the board announced its decision.

1. Admissibility of the appeal

The appeal is admissible.

2. The conditional withdrawal of the application

In the letter dated 18 September 2009 the appellant withdrew the application "on the condition that any fee is refunded", emphasizing that if no refund was possible, the application was not withdrawn.

The wording of the condition "that any fee is refunded" is ambiguous, since it is not clear which fees are to be refunded. For example, the question arises whether the appellant is referring to all fees paid for the present application. Moreover it is questionable whether such a conditional withdrawal is acceptable at all (see, for example, decisions J 11/80, OJ EPO 1981, 141 and J 11/87, OJ EPO 1988, 367). In any case, the board finds that the conditions of Rule 103(1) EPC for reimbursement of the appeal fee are not fulfilled.

Consequently the board finds that the appellant's declaration of conditional withdrawal has no legal effect.

3. The invention

According to page 1, lines 4 to 21, of the (amended) description, the invention concerns the automatic detection of scene changes in an audio plus video data stream based on the audio information. A scene change is accompanied by a change of context of the displayed material. For example, a scene may show two actors talking, with repeated shot changes between two cameras focused on the respective actors' faces and perhaps one or more additional cameras giving wider or different angled shots. A scene change only occurs when there is a change in the action location or time. In essence, the invention relies on changes in "background audio levels" to detect such scene changes; see page 5a, lines 8 to 11, of the description. In the light of page 6, lines 1 to 6, of the description, the background audio level is the minimum signal amplitude, shown as "A1" and "A2" in figure 1, a filtering stage periodically sampling the amplitude of the audio waveform and, at regular intervals, outputting a derived value for the background audio amplitude level; see page 7, lines 9 to 13, of the description.

The board construes claim 1 of the main and first and second auxiliary requests so that they make technical sense and are not inconsistent with the description, namely an underlying audio signal level which is supposed to vary with scene changes and upon which peaks will be superimposed (e.g. actors speaking; see page 6, lines 1 to 6). Filtering the audio signal for the purpose of detecting scene changes based on the underlying audio signal level may therefore be based on detecting individual sampled minimum levels (see, for example, page 7, lines 9 to 21) and on detecting a minimum level (such as A1 and A2 in figure 1) by monitoring the overall audio signal level and determining an average over predetermined periods of time. It follows from figure 1 that detecting the average overall audio signal level would show a different value before and after time tAD, the moment at which a transition between minimum levels A1 and A2 occurs, and would thus also be suitable for the stated purpose.

4. Novelty, Article 54(1) EPC 1973

4.1 The main request

The subject-matter of claim 1 is essentially the same as that set out in claim 1 upon which the appealed decision is based.

In the light of its English abstract, D1 relates to means for avoiding recording commercials when recording a video signal based on the average level of the audio signal. The board finds that the transition at the start or the end of a commercial constitutes a scene change (flagged by comparator 5; see figure of abstract). The board also finds that the averaging and weighting circuits (2,4) known from D1 can be read onto the storage means set out in claim 1, since they are suitable for maintaining a record of the last background audio signal level as set out above at point 3. In the board's view, the averaging referred to in D1 implies storage. Likewise the 5 second averaging circuit 3 of D1 can be read onto the filtering arrangement set out in claim 1.

In terms of claim 1, D1 consequently discloses a video scene change detection apparatus comprising: an input for a video signal with accompanying audio soundtrack, and means (1-5) for detecting scene changes in the video signal received via said input, said means being adapted to receive said audio soundtrack and to determine an audio signal level associated with the audio soundtrack, and further comprising first storage means (2,4) adapted to maintain a record of the last determined audio signal level, and comparator means (5) adapted to compare determined audio signal levels, wherein the means for detecting scene changes further comprises a filtering arrangement (3) adapted to filter said received audio soundtrack to periodically determine a background audio signal level as the said determined audio signal level, and wherein said first storage means (2,4) is adapted to maintain a record of the last determined background audio signal level, and wherein said comparator means (5) is adapted to flag a scene change when the current determined background audio signal level differs from the stored last background audio signal level by more than a predetermined amount (see penultimate sentence of abstract).

The appellant has argued that the claimed filtering does not cover the averaging known from D1. However, since averaging an audio signal in general may be considered as a kind of filtering amplitude values which reduces the influence of peaks (or high frequency components, and can be achieved by a low pass filter, as correctly stated in the decision under appeal), the board finds that the averaging known from D1 is an instance of the claimed filtering.

Consequently the board sees no reason to deviate from the position taken in the appealed decision regarding the then claim 1 and comes to the conclusion that the subject-matter of claim 1 of the present main request lacks novelty, Article 54(1) EPC 1973, in view of D1.

4.2 The first and second auxiliary requests

The expressions added to claim 1 according to these requests, namely "comprising an underlying audio amplitude of said audio soundtrack" and "comprising an underlying audio amplitude corresponding to a local minimum in the level of said audio soundtrack", respectively, merely set out explicitly features which are implicit in any audio signal of the kind referred to in claim 1 but which do not limit the features of the apparatus, in particular the filtering arrangement.

It follows that the subject-matter of claim 1 according to the first and second auxiliary requests lacks novelty, Article 54(1) EPC 1973, in view of D1 for the same reasons as set out above in connection with the main request.

5. Conclusion

None of the appellant's main and first and second auxiliary requests is allowable. Consequently the appellant's request concerning the amendment of the description does not come into play. It also follows that the appealed decision cannot be set aside.

Order

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The appeal is dismissed.

Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • FAQ
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Ordering
    • Glossary
Footer - More links
  • Jobs & careers
  • Press centre
  • Single Access Portal
  • Procurement
  • Boards of Appeal
SoMe facebook 0
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
SoMe instagram
EuropeanPatentOffice
SoMe linkedIn
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
EPO Procurement
SoMe twitter
EPOorg
EPOjobs
SoMe youtube
TheEPO
Footer
  • Legal notice
  • Terms of use
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Accessibility