4. Home screen

The home screen of INTERGATOR Patent Search provides users with various tools that enable a quick start into frequently used search scenarios.

At the top, five assistants are available:

• Import PN's enables the upload or entry of a list of publication numbers (without publication kind code, e.g. DE123456 without “A1”). This allows several specific documents to be quickly imported into the search and processed further (e.g. saved to a list).
• Novelty search supports the analysis of whether a technical idea has already been published.
• Validity search helps to find relevant documents for preparing or defending against an opposition.
• FTO search (Freedom-to-Operate) enables the assessment of whether existing intellectual property rights could prevent the launch of a product.
• Monitoring search is used for the continuous monitoring of new publications in a specific technology area or related to a competitor.

The assistants serve as a guided entry point into typical search and analysis tasks. Depending on the scenario, they generate suitable search queries, apply relevant filters and support the structured preparation of further result evaluation.

Below this, there are five tiles with personal content:

• Documents shows a list of the ten documents saved by the user. This provides quick access to frequently needed information.
• Searches lists ten saved search queries so that frequently used searches can be reused directly.
• Lists shows collections of documents or results created by the user. This function makes it possible to organize relevant results thematically, for example by project or technology area. The tile is displayed as soon as at least one list exists. The “More” button opens the complete list overview.
• Document history contains the documents viewed most recently within the last 30 days. This tile enables quick access to recently opened content. An extended view is available in the history app.
• Search history temporarily stores the last ten searches performed for 30 days. A complete overview is also available in the history app.

All entries in these areas allow the respective searches or documents to be opened immediately. This makes it possible to quickly continue a search that has already been started, reopen a relevant document or reuse a saved search strategy.

The central search field on the home screen is initially displayed in a minimized form to provide a clear and uncluttered user interface.

As soon as the user enters input, the search app opens automatically. Here, the search field is displayed in an enlarged form so that the focus is entirely on the search. This dynamic adjustment of the search field improves usability by providing more space for entering and displaying search terms when needed.