On many patent publication numbers, you'll find letters and numbers at the end of the string. These number/letter combinations signify where the patent document fits in the overall process; if it's a new application, second version, or so on. Have a look at this handy table to see the meaning of each code:
| Country/Area | Number Constitution | Sample | Type Code and Description | ||
| CN | Application Number | CN[2 digits year] [1 digit type number] [5 digits serial number] (1985-1988) CN[2 digits year] [1 digit type number] [5 digits serial number]. [Check digit] (1989-2003.9.30) CN[4 digits year] [1 digit type number] [5 digits serial number]. [Check digit] (from 2003.10.01) |
CN85101417 CN92112602.6 CN201210343937.X |
Type Code: 1. Invention patent application; 2. Utility model patent application; 8. PCT invention patent applications entering the national phase of China; 9. PCT utility model patent applications entering the national phase of China. The check digit after "." can be 1 digit (0-9) or letter x. |
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| Publication Number | Patent Application | CN[2 digits year] [1 digit type number] [5 digits serial number] [Identification code] (1985-1988) CN[1 digit type number] [6 digits serial number] [Identification code] (1989 ~ 2007.7.11) CN[1 digit type number][8 digit serial number] [Identification code] (from 2007.7.18) |
CN85100619A CN1616062A CN101016492A |
Type Code: 1: Patent; 2: Utility; 3: Design Identification code (1985-1992): A: Invention disclosure B: Invention approval U: Utility Model announcement S: Design announcement Identification code (1993-2010.3): A: Invention disclosure B: National defense decryption invention authorization (2005.4-2010.3) C: Invention authorization Y: Utility model announcement Identification code (from 2010.4): A: Invention disclosure B: Invention authorization U: Utility model announcement
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| Granted Patent | CN[2 digits year] [1 digit type number] [5 digits serial number] [Identification code] (1985-1988) CN[1 digit type number] [6 digit serial number] [Identification code] (1989-2007.8.22) CN[1 digit type number][8-digit serial number] [Identification code] (from 2007.8.29) CN[1 digit type number] [6 digit serial number] [Identification code] (since April 2020) |
CN85106565B CN1024566C CN104030289B CN1840465B |
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| Utility | CN[2 digits year] [1 digit type number] [5 digits serial number] [Identification code] (1985-1988) CN[1 digit type number] [6 digit serial number] [Identification code] (1989-2007.08.22) CN[1 digit type number][8 digit serial number] [Identification code] (from 2007.08.29) |
CN85200431U CN2126523Y CN202100332U |
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| EP | Application Number | EP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number] | EP2002016590 | ||
| Publication Number | EP[7 digit serial number][Identification code] | EP2161283A1 | A1: Patent Application (With search report) A2: Patent Application (Without search report) A3: European Patent Application Search Report A4: Publ. of suppl. search report A8: Modified first page A9: Modified complete specification B1: Patent B2: Patent after modification B3: After limitation procedure B8: Modified first page granted patent B9: Corrected complete granted patent
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| WO | Application Number | Patent Application | PCT/[country code][4 digit year]/[6 digit serial number] | PCT/US2001/008052 | |
| Publication Number | Patent Application | WO[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] | WO2012034414A1 | A1: International application published with international search report A2: International application published without international search report A3: Later publication of ISR with revised front page A4: Later publication of amended claims and/or statement B1: Amended claims A8: Modified first page A9: International application or ISR republished with corrections, alterations or supplements |
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| US | Application Number | US[4 digit year][6 digit serial number] (1969.12.31 and before) US[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] (1992.12.31 and before) US[2 digit type number]/[6 digit serial number] |
US1954473997 US1991793706D US29/229488 |
Type number: 01~28: Invention and plant patent application 60: Provisional application 90: Unilateral re-examination request 95: Both parties review the request
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| Publication Number | US[4 digit serial number][7 digit serial number][Identification code] US[2 digit type number][6 digit serial number][Identification code] US[Type Number][Serial Number][Identification code] |
US20150003831A1 US60551649P0 USR48037 |
Type number: 60/61/62: Provisional application D: Appearance patent granted patent right after examination PP: Plant patents granted patent rights after substantive examination R: Re-announce the patent T: Defensive announcement H: Legally registered invention (SIR)
Identification code: A1: First published patent application A2: Republished patent application A9: Corrected patent application P1: First published plant patent application |
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| JP | Application Number | JP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number] JP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] |
JP2014222770 JP2015004568U |
U: Utility model |
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| Utility
JP[serial number][Identification code] JP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] JP[7 digit serial number][Identification code] JP16708Z JP1992097468U JP3183445U |
Patent Application | JP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] JPWO[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] |
JP2017059214A JPWO2014020898A1 |
A: Published unexamined patent application (or based on international application) B1: Published granted patent B2: Published examined patent application (Second level) U: Published unexamined utility model application (or based on international application) Y1: Published examined utility model application Y2: Published utility model registration (Second level) |
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| Granted Patent | JP[serial number][Identification code] JP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] JP[7 digit serial number][Identification code] |
JP5872023B2 JP1982049253B1 JP4892210B2 |
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| Utility | JP[serial number][Identification code] JP[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] JP[7 digit serial number][Identification code] |
JP16708Z JP1992097468U JP3183445U |
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| KR | Application Number | KR[2 digit type number][4 digit year][7 digit serial number] |
KR1020130018414 | Type number: 10: Invention application 20: Utility Model 30: Appearance design
Identification code: A: Official gazette of the unexamined patents B1: Patent specification U: Official gazette of the unexamined utility models Y1: Utility model specification |
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| Publication Number | KR[2 digit type number][4 digit year][7 digit serial number][Identification code] KR[2 digit type number][7 digit serial number][Identification code] |
KR1020140080586A KR200478756Y1 |
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| DE | Application Number | DE[2 digit year][5 digit serial code][KD] (1994 and before) DE[1 digit type number][2 digit year][5 digits serial number] (1995-2003) DE[2 digit type number][4 digit year][6 digit serial number] (since 2004) DE[2 digit year][5 digit serial number] DE[2 digit year][6 digit serial number] (1968-1994 DE Translation Data) DE[2 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] DE[4-7 digit serial number][Identification code] DE[1 digit type number][7 digit serial number][Identification code] DE[2 digit type number][6 digit serial number][Identification code] |
DE9312868U DEM9308882 DE202016003962 DE2059726 DE83107097 DE20307340U DE0000002U DES0116952 DEST002616 |
1 digit type number: 1: National patent application, PCT application national phase and SPC application 2: Utility model application, integrated circuit supplementary design M: Industrial design (before 1997) 5: German application approved by EPO (applications submitted to EPO since 1989) 6: English or French application approved by EPO (applications submitted by EPO since 1989)
2 digit type number: 10: German patent application 11: PCT patent application enters the national phase 12: Supplementary protection certificate application 20: Utility model application 21: Utility models originating from PCT applications 50: Patent approved by EPO, applied in German 60: Patent approved by EPO, filed in English or German |
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Utility DE[7-8 digit serial number][Identification code] DE[2 digit type number (20/21/22)][4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] DE9490479U1 DE202010005543U1 |
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| GB | Application Number | GB[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] GB[7 digit serial number] |
GB2019019218 GB0036540 GB2073505 |
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| Publication Number | Patent Application | GB[4-9 digit serial number][Identification code] GB[2 digit year][5 digit serial number][Identification code] |
GB2534953A8 GB9930834D0 |
A: Application published B: Patent granted A8: Corrected first page published application A9: Corrected complete specification published application B8: Corrected first page patent specification C: Amended or corrected patent specification |
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| Granted Patent | GB[4-9 digit serial number][Identification code] GB[4 digit year][5 digit serial number][Identification code] |
GB2169498B GB188606773A |
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| FR | Application Number | Patent Application/Utility | FR[(5-9) bit serial number] (before 1969) FR[4 digit year][6 digit serial number] (1969 and after) |
FR69043922 FR2014056968 |
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| Patent Application | FR[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][T] FR[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][C] (after 19781010) |
FR2002752500T | T: Translation of European patent applications C: Supplementary Protection Certificate |
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| Publication Number | Patent/Utility | FR[1-8 digit serial number][Identification code] | FR3088823A1 | A: Invention patent specification as the first publication A1: The publication text of the invention patent application is the first publication A2: Supplement the publication text of the invention patent application as the first publication A3: Utility model patent application text as the first publication A4: Supplement the text of the utility model patent application as the first publication A5: Invention patent (first and only publication) A6: Supplementary invention patent (first and only publication) A7: Utility model patent (first and only publication) A8: Supplementary utility model patent (first and only publication) B1: Invention patent (second publication after examination) B2: Supplementary invention patent (second publication after examination) B3: Utility model patent (second publication after examination) B4: Supplement of utility model patents (second publication after examination) |
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| RU | Application Number | Patent Application | RU[4 digit year][6 digit serial number] SU[7 digit serial number] |
RU1997107338 SU4734658 |
U: Utility |
| Utility | RU[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] SU[7 digit serial number][Identification code] |
RU2017113061U SU5067907U |
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| Publication Number | Patent Application | RU[1-7 digit serial number][Identification code] RU[2 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] (1999 and before) RU[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] (2000 and later) |
RU1089919A RU97102108A RU2014117297A |
A: Application for invention A8: Modified first page application for invention A9: Reprinted application for invention C: Patent C1: Patent for invention C2: Patent for invention (second publication) C8: Modified first page granted patent C9: Reprinted granted patent U1: Certificate for utility model U8: Modified first page utility model U9: Reprinted utility model |
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| Granted Patent | RU[1-7 digit serial number][Identification code] | RU2597078C9 | |||
| Utility | RU[1-7 digit serial number][Identification code] | RU122599U1 | |||
| CH | Application Number | Patent Application | CH[4 digit year][6 digit serial number] CH[4 digit year][6 digit serial number][Identification code] |
CH2013002055 CH2001917289T |
T: Translation of European patent applications |
| Publication Number | Patent Application | CH[1-5 digit serial number][2 digit year][Identification code] CH[6 digit serial number][Identification code] CH[7 digit serial number][Identification code] |
CH690667A4 CH715306A8 CH1010767D |
A1: Patent application with search report A2: Patent application without search report A3: Separate search report with first page of patent application A8: Rectified first page of A document A9: Rectified A document B1: Assigned patent B2: Modified patent B8: Rectified first page of B document B9: Rectified B document C1: Partial withdrawal of Swiss patent C2: Partial annulment of Swiss patent C3: Second partial withdrawal of Swiss patent C9: Rectified C document |
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| Granted Patent | CH[1-6 digit serial number][Identification code] CH[6 digit serial number][Identification code] CH[7 digit serial number][Identification code] |
CH8338A CH87385A CH697580B1 CH0402152H1 |