Patents are legal documents granted by governments to inventors, giving them exclusive rights to their inventions for a set period of time. Patent databases contain detailed information about technological innovations, including designs, processes, and chemical compositions. Researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and legal professionals use patent information to track innovation trends, verify the originality of inventions, and avoid intellectual property conflicts. This guide provides access to reliable patent search tools and databases to support UIUC students, faculty, and researchers engaged in patent discovery, analysis, and commercialization.
Patent Searches
Engineering Village
Search U.S. and/or European patents within a broad engineering research context.
USPTO Patent Search Tools
Access the latest patent research platforms from the United States Patent and Trademark Office:
- Patent Public Search – Comprehensive search of full-text U.S. patents and applications using modern filters and document tools.
- USPTO Patent Center – Used to view and track patent application status and documents.
Espacenet – European Patent Office
Explore over 70 million patents worldwide, including full-text European patents.
The Lens – Structured Patent Search
Search and analyze global patents using structured fields like inventor, assignee, and classification. Covers over 115 million records from 95+ jurisdictions.
World Intellectual Property Organization (PATENTSCOPE)
Search more than 10 million patent documents, including international (Patent Cooperation Treaty) applications.
Google Patent Search
- Often incomplete but with thumbnail previews.
- Best used as a supplementary tool.
InnovationQ Plus
Advanced semantic search across 92 million+ full-text patents and IEEE non-patent literature.
- Access limited to users on the Illinois campus network or those connected via the campus VPN.
Derwent Innovations Index
Derwent Innovations Index covers over 14.3 million basic inventions from 40 worldwide patent-issuing authorities.
- Access limited to users on the Illinois campus network or those connected via the campus VPN.
Article Databases with Patent Content
These scholarly databases include chemical, legal, or technical patents as part of their broader collections.
SciFinder
Chemical patents are included in the online version of Chemical Abstracts.
To create your own SciFinder username and password:
- Must be a current UIUC student, faculty, staff, or research affiliate.
- Go to SciFinder Registration.
- Use your @illinois.edu email to create an account.
- After you submit the form, you will receive an email message with instructions for completing the registration process.
Lexis Nexis Academic Universe
- Search U.S., European, and Japanese patents.
- Click “US Legal” then “Patents” to search.
Food Science & Technology Abstracts
- Find patents related to food technology.
- Access limited to users on the Illinois campus network or those connected via the campus VPN.
Additional Resources
- UIUC Office of Technology Management – Supports campus innovation and invention disclosures.
- USPTO List of Web Resources – Curated patent links from the U.S. Patent Office.
- WIPO List of National Office Databases – Country-by-country list of searchable databases.