5.2 Facets

Facets are an effective way to narrow down search results within Patent Search. They provide predefined filter options that allow precise refinement of the result list.

The interface includes several fixed facets. Additional facets can be accessed via the + symbol in the input field and added to the query.

Facets in Patent Search are predefined and based on bibliographic data. The following types are available:

1. Country of Application: Filters results by the country of application.
2. Status: Displays the processing status of the intellectual property rights.
3. Applicant/Owner: Lists applicants or owners of intellectual property rights.
4. IPC Main Class: Filters by the main class of the International Patent Classification (IPC).
5. ICM (Class/Subclass): Allows finer selection by class and subclass levels.
6. Technology Domain (TECD): Filters results based on WIPO technology domains.
7. Inventor: Filters by the inventor of a patent.
8. New Family (Week/Month): Shows new patent family publications by week or month.
9. Period of Time (Histogram): Filters documents based on a selected time period.

• Selecting a facet automatically adds a corresponding filter to the input field.
• Facet filters are displayed in grey and only influence the result set, not the ranking.
• Multiple values can be selected within one facet and are combined using a logical OR.

• Filters can also be inverted using the context menu of a facet.
• Reversing a facet excludes all results that contain the selected value.
• This option is particularly useful for technology domains or specific applicants.

• The context menu (…) of a facet offers additional options:
  • Search within the facet (especially useful for large lists).
  • Multi-select of different values to combine filters.

• Facet values are calculated based on the top 1000 hits of a search by default, not the full dataset.
• This ensures that the displayed values reflect the characteristics of the most relevant results.

• Facet filters can be removed either via the X next to the filter in the input field or through the respective context menu.
• Once a filter is removed, the search is automatically re-executed and the result list is updated.

By using facets in a targeted way, search results can be efficiently narrowed down to the most relevant documents, supporting customized search strategies in the best possible way.