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
      • File with us
      • Interact on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Find a professional representative
    • 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
      • Guidelines
      • 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
      • Official celebrations
      • Member states’ video statements
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Governance
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
      • 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
      • Quality
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Overview
      • About the Observatory
      • Our activities
      • Our topics
      • Our partners and networks
      • Digital library
      • Data desk
    • 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
          • 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 web service
      • 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
      • 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
    • 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
    • Find a professional representative
  • 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
      • Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • EPC Guidelines
        • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Guidelines revision cycle
        • Consultation results
        • Summary of user responses
        • Archive
      • 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
      • 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
        • Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF)
        • 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
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • 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
      • Official celebrations
      • Overview
      • Member states’ video statements
        • Go back
        • Albania
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Iceland
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Liechtenstein
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Monaco
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • San Marino
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Türkiye
        • United Kingdom
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • 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
        • 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
      • 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
        • Culture Space A&T 5-10
          • Go back
          • Catalyst lab & Deep vision
            • Go back
            • aqua_forensic
            • LIMINAL
            • MaterialLab
            • Perfect Sleep
            • Proof of Work
            • TerraPort
            • Unfinished Sculpture - Captives #1
            • Deep vision – immersive exhibition
          • The European Patent Journey
          • Sustaining life. Art in the climate emergency
          • Next generation statements
          • Open storage
          • Cosmic bar
        • Lange Nacht 2023
    • 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
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the Observatory
      • Our activities
      • Our topics
      • Our partners and networks
      • Digital library
      • Data desk
  • 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
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Forums
    • Glossary
    • RSS feeds
Board of Appeals
Decisions

Recent decisions

Overview
  • 2023 decisions
  • 2022 decisions
  • 2021 decisions
https://www.epo.org/en/node/t160576eu1
  1. Home
  2. T 0576/16 15-06-2018
Facebook X Linkedin Email

T 0576/16 15-06-2018

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2018:T057616.20180615
Date of decision
15 June 2018
Case number
T 0576/16
Petition for review of
-
Application number
09785670.2
IPC class
F24J 2/52
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
NO DISTRIBUTION (D)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 318.95 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Supporting frame for constructing a building including a thermal panel and a photovoltaic panel

Applicant name
Bankart, Richard David
Opponent name
-
Board
3.2.03
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 123(2)
European Patent Convention Art 84
European Patent Convention Art 56
Keywords

Claims - clarity (yes)

Amendments - allowable (yes)

Inventive step - (yes)

Catchword
-
Cited decisions
-
Citing decisions
-

I. European patent application No. 09 785 670.2 (in the following: "the application") relates to a method and device for constructing a building, in particular one that simultaneously provides weather protection, insulation and solar energy capture.

II. The examining division refused the application because

- claim 1 of the main request before it comprised added subject-matter (Article 123(2) EPC), lacked clarity (Article 84 EPC) and lacked inventive step (Article 56 EPC);

- claim 1 of the first auxiliary request before it lacked inventive step (Article 56 EPC); and

- the applicant had not approved the text for grant proposed by the examining division, based on the second auxiliary request before it.

III. This decision was appealed by the applicant (in the following "the appellant").

IV. With the summons to oral proceedings, the Board sent a communication pursuant to Article 15(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA) indicating its preliminary opinion of the case.

V. Oral proceedings before the Board were held on 15 June 2018.

VI. Final request

The appellant requested that the decision under appeal be set aside and a patent be granted on the basis of the set of amended claims filed during the oral proceedings.

VII. Claims of the appellant's request

Independent claim 1 is directed to the following subject-matter (the feature numbering is introduced by the Board for ease of reference):

a) A power generation member adapted to be attached to

a framework to form a wall or roof of a building,

the power generation member being a self-

supporting structural unit (10)

b) comprising a first, a second and a third layers,

wherein the first layer is a support member (18) to

which the second and third layers are attached,

c) the support member comprising insulating material

(30) laid within a structure (32, 34) formed from a

supporting material made of wood, or metal, or

concrete or plastic, or glass reinforced plastic,

d) wherein the second layer comprises a photovoltaic

device (12) bonded to a thermal collector (14), and

e) wherein the third layer is positioned in a

different plane from the second layer and

substantially parallel with it, the third layer

being -

f) - either a thermal collector of high thermal

conductivity situated between the first and

second layers, to allow rapid conduction of heat

to the transmission fluid held in the pipe of the

thermal collector in use, so maximising

absorption of heat from the second layer,

g) - or a substantially transparent thermal collector

secured over the second layer, with fluid passing

through the thermal collector in use to absorb

heat from the second layer.

Dependent claims 2 to 9 define preferred embodiments of the power generation member of claim 1.

VIII. Prior art

The decision under appeal refers to the following prior art documents:

D1: WO 2008/037016 A1

D3: WO 03/085329 A1

D5: US 5,968,287 A

D20: S. Riffel, "iRoof® / iWall® - Strom, Wärme und

Kühlung mit intelligenten Fertigteilen aus Beton -

das Konzept", Congress documentation on the 47th

Ulm Concrete and Precast Concrete Congress, BFT

(Betonwerk + Fertigteil-Technik), 2/2005, pages 50

and 51

IX. The arguments of the appellant, insofar as relevant for the present decision, can be summarised as follows:

(a) Article 123(2) EPC

The current claims correspond essentially to claims 1, 2 to 6, 9 and 10 of the main request filed with the statement of grounds of appeal dated 25 March 2016, whereby amendments have been carried out to overcome the objections under Article 123(2) and 84 EPC as set out in the Board's communication pursuant to Article 15(1) RBPA. Amended claim 1 corresponds essentially to a combination of claim 11 as originally filed with the teaching on page 2, line 9 to page 3, line 11 of the description as originally filed. Support for feature c) of claim 1 can be found on page 5, lines 15 to 17 of the description as originally filed. Feature d) is supported by the teaching on page 7, line 19 and page 12, lines 28 to 31 of the description as originally filed. Support for feature f) can be found on page 3, lines 13 to 33 of the description as originally filed.

(b) Inventive step

The examining division erred in deciding that the subject-matter of claim 1 lacked an inventive step over D20. This document discloses how to construct a whole building from precast concrete elements. The building roof comprises, from bottom to top, a supporting concrete layer, an intermediate pressure-resistant thermal insulation layer and a floating precast concrete tile with integrated photovoltaic cells and absorber pipes. The tile is manufactured off-site, transported to the site and then placed on the insulating layer of the building. There is no teaching of the roof system being manufactured as complete integrated structural unit as required in claim 1. D20 also fails to disclose the provision of a further thermal collector, as required by features f) and g).

1. Admissibility of appellant's request

1.1 The appellant filed the current main request after oral proceedings had been arranged, in replacement of the main request filed with the statement of grounds of appeal.

1.2 The Board exercised its discretion to admit this new request into the proceedings for the following reasons (Article 13(1) RPBA):

1.3 Claim 1 of the current request differs from that of the main request filed with the statement of grounds of appeal - apart from minor editorial amendments - in that it is directed to a power generation member adapted to be attached to a framework to form a wall or roof of a building, and is a self-supporting structural unit comprising three layers as defined in claim 1, rather than a self-supporting structural unit with two power generation members, as was defined in the main request filed with the grounds of appeal.

1.4 These amendments are in response to objections under Articles 123(2) and 84 EPC which were raised for the first time in the Board's communication pursuant to Article 15(1) RPBA.

1.5 They clearly overcome all outstanding objections without introducing any new issues.

2. Amendments

2.1 Claim 1 differs from claim 11 as originally filed in that features a) to g) have been incorporated in it.

2.2 These amendments are supported by the information in the application documents as originally filed. Support for features a), b), e), f) and g) can be found on page 2, line 9 to page 3, line 33 of the description as originally filed. Feature c) is based on page 5, lines 15 to 17 of the description as originally filed. Support for feature d) can be found on page 7, line 19 and page 12, lines 28 to 31 of the description as originally filed. In conclusion, the amendments meet the requirements of Article 123(2) EPC.

2.3 In the decision under appeal, the examining division objected that the feature of claim 1 "or the self supporting structural unit simply fastened in place at the construction site to form a wall or roof" constituted added subject-matter (see points 22.2.2 to 22.2.4 of the reasons). Amended claim 1 does not comprise this feature and therefore overcomes this objection.

3. Article 84 EPC

3.1 The amended claims are clear and concise and supported by the description (Article 84 EPC).

3.2 In the decision under appeal, the examining division objected that the functional statement "simply fastened in place" rendered claim 1 unclear (see point 22.2.5 of the reasons). Amended claim 1 does not comprise this statement and therefore overcomes this objection. The clarity objection raised by the examining division obiter dictum (see point 25.2 of the reasons), regarding the arrangement of two power generation members, has also been overcome since the present claim 1 is directed to a single power generation member.

4. Inventive step

4.1 In the decision under appeal, the examining division held essentially that the subject-matter of claim 1 lacked an inventive step in light of D20 because it disclosed a self-supporting structural unit having all the features recited in the claim, except for the feature that the pipes of the thermal collector are made of metal, and this feature was an obvious modification for the skilled person (see points 22.2.6 to 22.2.8 of the reasons).

4.2 In support of its opinion the examining division referred to a number of passages of D20, namely figures 1, 2, and 13, the abstract, paragraph 1, page 4, column 1, paragraph 6, page 4, column 2, point 4 and page 6, column 2, paragraph 1.

4.3 The cited passages cannot be found in article D20, which comprises only two pages and two figures, apart from a photograph of the author. In fact, it is apparent that the examining division did not rely on document D20, but rather on the following document, which the examining division introduced in the proceedings, along with D20, with the communication dated 12 July 2012:

D20a: S. Riffel, "iRoof® / iWall® - Strom, Wärme,

Kühlung und hohe Wohnqualität mit dem

intelligenten und multifunktionalen

Fertigteilsystem aus Beton", 11 pages

4.4 However, D20a does not bear a date and the Board has doubts as to whether it was actually publicly available before the priority date of the application (19 September 2008). It cannot be inferred from the file that the examining division has shown when D20a was in the public domain.

4.5 The Board itself has tried searching the Internet for D20a and found the following document on the site www.ksp.kit.edu:

D20b: S. Riffel, "iRoof® / iWall® - Strom, Wärme und

Kühlung mit intelligenten Fertigteilen aus

Beton", 3rd Symposium Baustoffe und

Bauwerkserhaltung Universität Karlsruhe,

Universitätsverlag Karlsruhe, 2006, front page,

bibliographic data and pages 79 to 89

4.6 The content of D20b corresponds to that of D20a, apart from the title, and is highly relevant for reviewing the decision under appeal along with deciding on the patentability of the claimed invention. It clearly belongs to the state of the art according to Article 54(2) EPC. Therefore D20b is introduced into the appeal proceedings (Article 114(2) EPC).

4.7 In light of the content of D20b, the Board shares the appellant's view that the subject-matter of claim 1 has an inventive step.

4.8 D20b discloses a building roof system comprising three thermally separated, decoupled layers (page 81, point 4 and figure 2), namely a lower supporting layer of concrete ("einer allein tragenden Betonunterschale"), an intermediate pressure-resistant thermal insulation layer ("einer druckfesten Wärmedämmschicht") and an upper floating concrete layer with integrated photovoltaic cells and absorber pipes ("einer ,,schwimmenden" Betonoberschale als Massivabsorber mit integrierten Photovoltaikmodulen"). In the preferred embodiment shown in figure 3, the roof system comprises (page 82, point 4.2.1):

- a 20 cm thick floating slab of reinforced concrete with integrated photovoltaic cells and absorber pipes;

- a 20 cm thick pressure-resistant insulating layer of EPS 035; and

- a 14 cm thick supporting slab of self-compacting concrete.

4.9 D20b teaches that the floating slab with integrated photovoltaic cells and absorber pipes is precast as a large roof tile in a manufacturing plant, transported to the construction site (figure 4) and then laid loosely on the insulating layer on site. The bottom edge of the floating slab is secured against sliding only by means of two anchors fixed on the supporting concrete slab (page 82, point 4.1 and figure 3; page 83, point 4.2.4 and figure 7).

4.10 The roofing system as disclosed in D20b does not form a power generation member in the sense of claim 1, which clearly is an integrated structural unit adapted to be attached to a framework to form a wall or roof of a building (feature a)).

4.11 In addition, whilst the supporting concrete slab can be seen as a first layer in the sense of claim 1, D20b fails to disclose feature d) of claim 1 that it includes "insulating material laid within a structure formed from a supporting material made of wood, or metal, or concrete or plastic or glass reinforced plastic". In fact, it can be derived from figure 7 of D20b that the insulating material was loosely laid on the supporting concrete layer.

4.12 Finally, the floating precast slab with photovoltaic cells and absorber pipes cast in concrete can be seen as a second layer in the sense of feature d), but D20b does not disclose the provision of a third layer in the form of a further thermal collector, positioned between the floating and supporting slabs (feature f)) or over the floating slab (feature g)).

4.13 The Board concludes that the claimed subject-matter of claim 1 differs from the roofing system disclosed in D20b at least by features a), c), f) and g).

4.14 Among the prior art documents cited by the examining division in the examination proceedings, D1 forms a more realistic and more promising starting point than D20b for the assessment of inventive step.

4.15 D1 discloses, in the terms of claim 1, a self-supporting structural unit adapted to be attached to roof battens to form a building roof (claim 4 of D1) and including (page 15, lines 21 to 28): a first layer being a support member formed from a supporting material made of plastic (polycarbonate body including back 61 and side wall portions 62); a second layer comprising a photovoltaic device (PV cell 65 in figure 4) which is close-thermal bonded to a thermal collector (thermal absorber 64); a third layer being a substantially transparent member (front face portion 63) secured over the second layer.

4.16 D1 does not disclose that insulating material is laid within the support member (see feature c)), nor that a third layer in the form of a further thermal collector is positioned between the first and second layers (feature f)) or over the second layer (feature g)).

4.17 Thus, the unit defined in claim 1 differs from that disclosed in D1 by feature c) and feature f) or g).

4.18 These distinguishing features have the effect that heat from the photovoltaic device can be more efficiently absorbed than in D1. Hence, starting from D1, the objective technical problem to be solved can be formulated as how to enhance heat absorption efficiency.

4.19 The claimed solution to this problem is not part of the common general knowledge of the skilled person and is neither disclosed nor suggested in the cited prior art documents.

4.20 D2 discloses a photovoltaic roofing tile comprising a rigid transparent front layer, an electrically conductive foil back layer, and a plurality of solar cells therebetween. D3 concerns a roof panel constructed from extruded translucent thermoplastic sheeting for heating a dark, heat absorbing fluid by solar radiation. D5 discloses interlockable roof or wall panels having photovoltaic generator devices supported thereupon. D10 is concerned with a photovoltaic tile adapted for installation on a rooftop.

4.21 In conclusion, with regard to the prior art cited by the examining division, the subject-matter of claim 1 involves an inventive step in the sense of Article 56 EPC.

5. The Board notes that the combination of features a), b), c), d), e) and f) of claim 1 corresponds essentially to the subject-matter of the auxiliary request that has been found allowable by the examining division in the decision under appeal (see point 22.5 of the reasons).

6. The description has been brought into conformity with the amended claims.

Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the examining division with the order to grant a patent in the following version:

- claims 1 to 9 filed in the oral proceedings before the Board;

- description pages 1 to 12 filed in the oral proceedings before the Board;

- figures 1 to 14 of the application as originally filed.

Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • FAQ
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Forums
    • 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