Brainstorm Keywords

The first step in the 7-step strategy for an effective patent search is to brainstorm keywords related to the invention.

For example, please consider the drawing below.

 

[Citation: US Patent #7627981]

This drawing illustrates a new type of mouse trap, where a mouse walks up a ramp and onto a rotating cylinder in order to retrieve bait. The mouse then falls off the cylinder and is collected in a container.

When searching for similar patents, what keywords would you use to describe this invention:

What does it do; How does it work; Why is this invention useful?

Begin with the keywords from above: Mouse, Trap, Container, Cylinder, Ramp.

For each of these keywords, consider whether other words describe the same concept. For example:

 

Mouse	Trap	Container	Cylinder	Ramp
mice	capture	bin	axle	ladder
rodent	mousetrap	box	pipe	steps
vermin	mouse trap	bucket	spindle	incline

Table 1: Keywords that describe the invention and synonyms for those keywords

You may have thought of additional terms.

When brainstorming keywords, it is important to consider both plural and singular forms of terms and also alternate spellings of the terms. Notice that the keyword list above includes both "Mouse" and "Mice," and also both "Mousetrap" as one word and "Mouse Trap" as two words.