Prior art searching demands systematic analysis of millions of documents across multiple databases, languages, and jurisdictions. A typical comprehensive search evaluates 50-100 potentially relevant documents, each containing detailed technical disclosures that must be mapped to specific claim elements. The challenge is magnified when searching non-patent literature, which lacks the structured format of patent documents but often contains critical technical disclosures.

The fundamental challenge lies in balancing search breadth and precision while managing the cognitive load of analyzing complex technical relationships across large document sets.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including AI-assisted claim element mapping, iterative classification-based refinement, concept-driven triage approaches, and automated search string optimization. These and other approaches focus on improving search accuracy while reducing the time required to identify and analyze relevant prior art.

1. The principles, methods and algorithms for bibliographic search intelligence system design

aa boryaev - State Public Scientific-Technical Library, 2025

2. Patent Portfolio Management System with Claim Mapping, Concept Organization, and Similarity Indexing Tools

BLACK HILLS IP HOLDINGS LLC, 2025

Patent management system with tools to help analyze, organize, and search patent portfolios. The system allows quick and relevant patent analysis using features like claim mapping, concept organization, similarity indexing, and expanded search results. It provides tools to efficiently manage and analyze patent portfolios by leveraging automated techniques like mining, mapping, and indexing to extract insights from patent claims and texts. The system also enables expanded search results, concept organization, and claim mapping to help with quick and relevant patent analysis.

3. Multi-Dimensional Index Sharding System Using Record Type, Year, and Surname with Greedy Balancing Algorithm

ANCESTRY.COM OPERATIONS INC, 2025

Efficiently searching large databases by sharding the index using multiple dimensions to reduce search times and costs. The sharding is done on three dimensions: record type, year, and name. Instead of randomly distributing records across shards, they are organized by surname within each shard. This allows searches for specific names to only query a subset of shards, instead of all of them like in random sharding. The optimization is based on a greedy algorithm to balance shard allocation between dimensions.

4. Intelligent Semantic Search for Academic Journals Using AI and NLP Techniques

shireen fathi malo - Lectito Journals, 2025

The exponential growth of academic literature has rendered traditional keyword-based search engines increasingly inadequate for scholars seeking contextually relevant research. This study presents the design and implementation an intelligent semantic engine tailored journals, integrating state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. proposed system leverages sentence transformer models (all-mpnet-base-v2) embeddings, enabling vector-based similarity searches, alongside spaCy tokenization entity recognition to enhance syntactic understanding. An ontology-based matching mechanism further aligns user queries with domain-specific research topics, while fuzzy regular expressions improve error tolerance numeric filtering (e.g., CiteScore, Impact Factor). architecture combines these NLP layers Elasticsearch's hybrid capabilities process rank peer-reviewed journal metadata sourced from Scopus DOAJ. A modular FastAPI-based backend ensures scalability responsiveness, a lightweight frontend interface facilitates interactive input. contributes novel ... Read More

5. Artificial Intelligence System for Semantic and Relationship Analysis of Patent Documents with Automated Metadata Consolidation and Visualization

IP.COM I LLC, 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) system for analyzing patent documents to provide insights into technology development trends, competitive intelligence, and patent analysis. The system uses AI techniques like semantic analysis and relationship analysis to automatically identify the most critical patents and documents in a collection, determine what they reveal, and provide summaries and visualizations. It consolidates metadata like citations, litigation, and expiration dates to provide statistics like citation indices and influence factors. The AI also generates alerts, flags, and indicators based on patent quality, relevance, and expiration. The system aims to automate tasks like competitive analysis, prior art search, patentability assessment, and freedom to operate analysis using AI instead of manual review.

US2025124055A1-patent-drawing

6. Legal Research System with AI-Driven Natural Language Query Processing and Document Relevance Analysis

THOMSON REUTERS ENTERPRISE CENTRE GMBH, 2025

AI-assisted legal research system that enables more effective and efficient legal research by using AI techniques like large language models (LLMs) to generate summaries and analyze legal documents based on user inputs. The system receives natural language search queries instead of keywords and synthesizes responses using LLMs. It also ranks and quantifies relevance of documents to the query. This provides more accurate and conversational search results compared to traditional keyword-based search engines.

7. AI-Based System for Analyzing Claim Characteristics and Flagging Potential Issues Using Comparative Analysis

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP, 2025

Cognitively identifying potential issues with claims using AI to analyze claim characteristics and compare them to similar claims to determine if an alert is warranted. The AI model identifies similarities and differences between a new claim and past claims to flag potential issues. If the new claim has similar characteristics to ones with issues, it generates an alert notification to the user.

8. Intellectual Property Portfolio Analysis Platform with Similarity Identification and Technical Aspect Clustering

MOAT METRICS INC, 2025

A platform for analyzing intellectual property portfolios of entities by identifying similarities between portfolios and clustering IP assets based on technical aspects. The platform allows users to seed searches based on technical fields, competitor portfolios, etc. to find IP assets similar to their own. It then clusters the assets at varying levels of granularity and generates visual representations of the clusters. This helps users efficiently analyze and compare portfolios, identify gaps and saturation, and assess exposure.

9. Document Search and Analysis System with Search Engine-Based Indexing and Complex Query Interface

PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC, 2025

Searching and analyzing extremely large numbers of documents efficiently, with tools for complex query building, visualization, and publishing results. The system uses a search engine to index all fields of the documents instead of a database for faster searching. The system organizes documents into collections based on format, and allows querying across collections. The interface allows building complex queries, viewing results, flagging, and directly accessing documents. It also generates visualizations and lets sharing/publishing results. This scales for millions of documents by using a search engine instead of a database.

US12271432B2-patent-drawing

10. System for Automated Patent Claim Analysis Using Stemming and Normalization Techniques

MOAT METRICS INC, 2025

Automated analysis of patent claims to help evaluate relative breadth, identify corresponding products, and find related patents. The system analyzes claims using techniques like stemming and normalization to extract features like unique word counts. It generates claim profiles based on these features and compares them to determine relative breadth. It also searches for products and related patents based on identified elements in the claims.

US12271691B2-patent-drawing

11. PAI-NET: Retrieval-Augmented Generation Patent Network Using Prior Art Information

kyung yul lee, juho bai - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2025

Similar patent document retrieval is an essential task that reduces the scope of claimants searches, and numerous studies have attempted to provide automated search services. Recently, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) based on generative language models has emerged as excellent method for accessing utilizing knowledge environments. RAG-based services offer enhanced ranking performance AI by providing similar queries. However, achieving optimal similarity-based in remains a challenging task, methods similarity do not adequately address characteristics documents. Unlike general retrieval, documents must take into account prior art relationships. To this issue, we propose PAI-NET, deep neural network computing similarities incorporating expert We demonstrate our proposed outperforms current state-of-the-art classification tasks through semantic distance evaluation USPD KPRIS datasets. PAI-NET presents candidates, demonstrating superior improvement 15% over methods.

12. Document Comparison System with Grouping and Shared Difference Highlighting Mechanism

EVERLAW INC, 2025

Efficiently comparing and viewing differences in large sets of documents to speed up document review processes. The method involves identifying shared text with variations across multiple documents, sorting documents into groups based on those variations, and generating a single "shared difference" document that highlights areas of variation between sections of shared text. This allows quickly comparing and navigating through many documents at once instead of reading them one by one.

13. Information Retrieval System Utilizing Voronoi Cell-Based Vector Embedding Indices for Efficient Query Processing

Intuit, Inc., 2025

Large language model (LLM)-based information retrieval for large datasets using indices to improve query response times and scalability. The method involves creating an index of the input text files containing vector embeddings of the text in voronoi cells. When a query comes in, the query embedding is compared to the vectors in the voronoi cell with the closest match to generate a response without needing to search the full text. This allows using a subset of embeddings for querying instead of the entire text. The indices can also be merged and partitioned to further reduce the search space.

US20250086215A1-patent-drawing

14. Overlay Graph-Based Method for Cross-Ontology Knowledge Graph Search

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, 2025

Searching across multiple ontologic knowledge graphs using an overlay graph to improve efficiency and accuracy. The method involves generating overlay graphs that map entities and relations from multiple source graphs. When a search request comes in, an appropriate overlay graph is selected based on the entity and relation. The search is then executed on the overlay graph, which translates the request into queries for the source graphs. Results are received from the sources and used to respond to the search.

15. Dynamic Search Space Partitioning with Asynchronous Secondary Query Execution

PRODIGO SOLUTIONS INC, 2025

Dynamic indexing and searching technique to improve search efficiency and reduce search times. The search space is split into a primary subset and a secondary subset. When a query is received, only the primary subset is initially searched. If the results are insufficient, a supplemental search is performed on the secondary subset using the same query. This asynchronous secondary search occurs after the primary search and presents additional results. Items from the secondary search can also be moved to the primary subset for future queries. This reduces search times by prioritizing the most relevant subset for initial searches.

US12242553B1-patent-drawing

16. Patent Document Retrieval Method Utilizing Machine Learning for Claim Element Parsing and Synonym Identification

Dizpersion Corporation, 2024

Method for searching for relevant patent documents using machine learning and AI techniques to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of patent searching. The method involves parsing claim elements, selecting keywords, identifying synonyms, forming search strings, ranking documents, determining citations, and mapping elements. This allows targeted searching of databases using user-defined elements instead of keywords, improving recall and reducing false positives compared to keyword-based searching.

17. Patent Document Retrieval System Utilizing Metadata and Semantic Conversion with Multi-Method Filtering

BEIJING KINGSOFT CLOUD NETWORK TECH CO LTD, BEIJING KINGSOFT CLOUD NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024

Patent document retrieval method that uses metadata and semantic conversion to improve efficiency and accuracy compared to keyword search. The method involves selecting a retrieval method: 1) similarity search using metadata fields like invention title, patent type, etc., 2) keyword search in metadata, or 3) semantic search using a summary field. For method 1, similarity to metadata fields filters doc IDs. For method 2, keywords filter doc IDs from metadata. For method 3, semantic similarity to summary field filters top 5 doc IDs.

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18. Patent Management System with Claim Scope Determination and Prior Art Analysis Using Mapping, Mining, and Analytics Techniques

Black Hills IP Holdings, LLC, 2024

Patent management system that provides tools to help in decision making at each stage of the patenting process. The system allows quick claim scope determination, prior art analysis, portfolio management, and other tasks. It uses mapping, mining, and analytics techniques to organize, search, and visualize patent concepts. The system also provides features like expanded search results, claim similarity indexing, and highlighting key terms across claims. It aims to enable efficient patent research, comparison, and analysis.

19. Iterative Patent Search Method Using User-Guided Classification and Keyword Refinement

KKLAB TECH PTE LTD, KKLAB TECHNOLOGIES PTE LTD, 2023

Assisting patent retrieval using user selection instructions to iteratively refine and expand search criteria. The method involves selecting a patent document, extracting classification data and keywords, generating new search conditions based on the selected patent's classification and keywords, then searching for more documents matching those conditions. This iterative refinement allows refining and expanding the search beyond the initial search criteria.

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20. Hybrid AI System for Patent Claims Analysis with Machine Learning-Driven Embedding and User-Guided Search Mechanisms

DAYSTROM INFORMATION SYSTEMS, LLC, 2023

A hybrid AI system for patent claims analysis that combines machine learning and user input to accurately search and analyze patent documents. The system allows users to initiate searches based on reference documents, narrow the search focus, and select sections. It uses ML to transform the document and claims into embeddings representing their meaning. Element-by-element searches find matches based on these embeddings. Confidence scores rank the results. The system provides feedback to improve future searches.

21. System for Semi-Automatic Patent Claims Analysis Using Preconditioning and Claim Construction Rules with AI-Based Ranking

22. Iterative Patent Search Method Using Classification Code and Tag-Based Criteria Extraction

23. Iterative Patent Search System with Keyword Extraction and Criteria Refinement

24. Method for Generating Search Strings from Content Analysis of Seed Documents

25. System for Automatic Generation of Patent Application Templates via Prior Art Parsing and Sectional Filtering

The prior art-finding process can be greatly improved by combining these developments with human skills and efficient search techniques. Inventors and patent experts can more successfully navigate the patenting process and improve their chances of getting a patent for their ideas by using these resources.

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