EPO - Discussion forums

Posted: **Wed Mar 04, 2020 8:32 pm**

Hi,

This question is similar to the thread below, but in the other direction
how-to-convert-the-publication-number-i ... ormat-7951

If I'm starting with publication number US20090220659A1 (or original US format US 2009/0220659 A1) I need to remove the leading zero after the year if I want to retrieve data from OPS.

That's fine while the number of publications doesn't reach 1M for the year, but it still doesn't feel right to blindly remove that digit. Instead, I was trying to use the number service to convert to DOCDB or EPODOC format. However, the response from the number service still includes the zero. Can the service not be used for this kind of conversion?

<ops:standardization inputFormat="original" outputFormat="docdb">
<ops:input>
<ops:application-reference>
<document-id document-id-type="original">
<country>US</country>
<doc-number>20090220659</doc-number>
<kind>A1</kind>
</document-id>
</ops:application-reference>
</ops:input>
<ops:output>
<ops:application-reference>
<document-id document-id-type="docdb">
<country>US</country>
<doc-number>20090220659</doc-number>
<kind>A1</kind>
</document-id>
</ops:application-reference>
</ops:output>
</ops:standardization>

Thank you!

Posted: **Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:41 am**

Hi,

Please see in OPS documentation how to use numbers service. As you will see you need publication date as well, not only number:

https://ops.epo.org/3.2/rest-services/n ... 0903/docdb

Also note, that ORIGINAL format is meant original as on published document not necessarily the format from electronic file of original database and although most country conversions work really very well there is still issue with conversions of US numbers.

Sometimes its best instead to use Publication or Application/Priority number format tables when you are looking for rules: https://www.epo.org/searching-for-paten ... gular.html

Regards,

Vesna for OPS support

Posted: **Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:43 pm**

Thank you Vesna! I was looking at the right number format tables, but apparently I called the number service for application instead of publication numbers.

Conversion of the US Publication Number does work - the leading zero is stripped in the resposne - even without passing the publication date.

Are the US conversion issues you're referring to more related to grant/patent numbers?

Posted: **Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:06 am**

Actually more to specific years. But I don't have more details, we do get now and then questions about incorrect conversions, this is why I am offering tables for DOCDB format as a fallout option

Regards,
Vesna for OPS support

EPO - Discussion forums

Leading zeros in US Publication Numbers

Leading zeros in US Publication Numbers

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Re: Leading zeros in US Publication Numbers

Re: Leading zeros in US Publication Numbers