IPC Class symbol (??)

[pedrocdm]

Dear PatStat Team,
I´m working on IPC symbols given to patent applications. I observed IPC_CLASS_SYMBOL (TLS209_APPLN_IPC) brings more than we can found on publications of some applications and it brings also IPC Symbols of different levels (subgroups and its group and its subsclass).
For example:
For APPLN_ID 421774810 (an EPO application), the IPC_CLASS_SYMBOL (TLS209_APPLN_IPC) contains the following IPC symbol list: C22C 14/00; C22C 19/00; C22F 1/00; C22F 1/10 and C22F.
On the EPO Publications only C22C14/00 and C22C19/00 are found! Why C22F 1/00; C22F 1/10 and C22F are given too?
Besides that, why the C22F subclass and the C22F 1/00 group are given in the same list where one find the C22F 1/10 subgroup ?
Thanks for your help!
Pedro

[Geert Boedt]

Hi Pedro,

IPC class level “S” is old, and should not be used anymore. I assume these codes will be cleaned out with time, so you can simply disregard them.

Differences between what you find in PATSTAT and the printed document can be due to several reasons, but the main reasons are : re-classification of applications, extrapolation of codes at family level and the fact that we group IPC symbols at application level over various publication instances.
The concept of the IPC classifications in PATSTAT is similar to what is used by our examiners. It providers users the best possibility to retrieve all applications related to a certain technological field without the burden of having to take into account the different IPC releases (changed classifications schemes) over time.

PATSTAT Register will show you the IPC classifications codes as printed on the EP documents.

[pedrocdm]

Dear Geert,
thanks for your help!
Regards,
Pedro