Patent checkup

Enter a patent number or paste its claims. Fixed rules turn public data into a checkup score, and each part of the score is explained.

The rules are published, and the same patent always gets the same score. The score reflects structural features found in the public document. It is not a conclusion about the patent’s legal effect.

How the score works

Six dimensions, 100 points in total. A dimension whose information cannot be read is not scored, and the total is scaled to 100 over the dimensions that were scored. The same patent always gets the same score. Rules version 1.

Data comes from the public patent document. A lookup by number reads the public patent page, and pasted claims use only the text you paste.

Scope of protection
30 points
How broadly claim 1 is drafted: fewer and shorter limitations mean a wider scope.
Number of limitations in claim 1
- Under 4 limitations: 20 points
- 4 to under 6 limitations: 16 points
- 6 to under 8 limitations: 12 points
- 8 to under 10 limitations: 8 points
- 10 to under 13 limitations: 4 points
- 13 limitations or more: 0 points
Length of claim 1 (Chinese by characters and English by characters, with different bands)
Chinese claims
- Under 151 characters: 10 points
- 151 to under 251 characters: 7 points
- 251 to under 351 characters: 5 points
- 351 to under 501 characters: 3 points
- 501 characters or more: 1 points
English claims
- Under 501 characters: 10 points
- 501 to under 801 characters: 7 points
- 801 to under 1101 characters: 5 points
- 1101 to under 1501 characters: 3 points
- 1501 characters or more: 1 points
Fallback positions
15 points
How many positions are left to fall back on if claim 1 is challenged: the number of dependent claims, and whether the independent claims cover more than one category such as product and method.
Number of dependent claims
- 0 claims: 0 points
- 1 to under 3 claims: 1 points
- 3 to under 6 claims: 2 points
- 6 to under 10 claims: 4 points
- 10 to under 15 claims: 6 points
- 15 to under 20 claims: 8 points
- 20 claims or more: 10 points
Categories covered by the independent claims (product, method, use)
- Under 2 categories: 1 points
- 2 categories: 4 points
- 3 categories or more: 5 points
This needs the complete, numbered claims to count dependent claims. If only claim 1 is pasted, this part is not scored.
Stability
20 points
Whether the patent was substantively examined before grant: inventions are, utility models are not.
Patent type
- Invention patent (examined on the substance before grant): 20 points
- Utility model (no substantive examination before grant): 6 points
Territorial coverage
15 points
In how many countries or regions the family was filed. Patent rights are territorial, so places where it was not filed are not covered.
Countries or regions in the family
- Under 2 countries or regions: 1 points
- 2 countries or regions: 4 points
- 3 countries or regions: 6 points
- 4 countries or regions: 8 points
- 5 countries or regions: 12 points
- 6 countries or regions: 14 points
- 7 countries or regions or more: 15 points
When no family list is available, whether it was filed abroad
- Filed abroad: 7 points
- Not filed abroad: 1 points
WO (an international application) is not a country and is not counted.
Remaining term
10 points
How many years remain until the expected expiry date.
Whether it has expired or lapsed
- Expired or lapsed: 0 points
Years to the expected expiry
- Under 3 years: 1 points
- 3 to under 6 years: 2 points
- 6 to under 10 years: 4 points
- 10 to under 15 years: 6 points
- 15 years or more: 10 points
A pasted patent has no expected expiry date, so it is worked out from the filing date and the statutory term (20 years for inventions, 10 for utility models), without lapses for unpaid fees or term adjustments.
Technical influence
10 points
How many later patent families cite this family, which shows how much later work builds on it.
Patent families citing this family
- 0 families: 0 points
- 1 to under 5 families: 2 points
- 5 to under 15 families: 4 points
- 15 to under 40 families: 6 points
- 40 to under 100 families: 8 points
- 100 families or more: 10 points
For a patent less than 3 years from its priority date, citations have had no time to build up, so this part is not scored.

Grades

72 and above：Solid
58 to 71：Good
45 to 57：Fair
Below 45：Needs work

A patent that has expired or lapsed no longer gives protection, so its total is held to 40 points or less.

Frequently asked questions

How is the score worked out?: The patent’s public document gives the claims, patent type, family countries, remaining term and citations, and fixed rules published on this page turn them into points. Parts that could not be read are not scored, and the total is scaled over the rest. The same patent always gets the same score.
Does a high score mean the patent is safe to rely on?: No. The score reflects six structural features that can be read from the public document. It is not a conclusion about the patent’s legal effect or whether its scope would be upheld. That depends on the product and the prior art, and a lawyer judges it.
Do I need to pay or sign up?: No. The checkup is free and needs no account. Your details reach the firm only if you choose to have a lawyer look at the patent and send the form.
Are the claims I paste stored?: No. Pasted claims are used only for the calculation. They are not written to logs and are not sent with the contact form.
Why does the China site ask me to paste the claims?: Looking a patent up by number needs a public patent database outside China. The China site does not offer that, and it never sends what you paste abroad.

Attorney advertising. This page describes services of 北京冠和权律师事务所, a law firm licensed in the People’s Republic of China.

Patent checkup

Enter a patent number or paste its claims. Fixed rules turn public data into a checkup score, and each part of the score is explained.

The rules are published, and the same patent always gets the same score. The score reflects structural features found in the public document. It is not a conclusion about the patent’s legal effect.

How the score works

Data comes from the public patent document. A lookup by number reads the public patent page, and pasted claims use only the text you paste.

Scope of protection

30 points

How broadly claim 1 is drafted: fewer and shorter limitations mean a wider scope.

Number of limitations in claim 1

Under 4 limitations: 20 points
4 to under 6 limitations: 16 points
6 to under 8 limitations: 12 points
8 to under 10 limitations: 8 points
10 to under 13 limitations: 4 points
13 limitations or more: 0 points

Length of claim 1 (Chinese by characters and English by characters, with different bands)

Chinese claims

Under 151 characters: 10 points
151 to under 251 characters: 7 points
251 to under 351 characters: 5 points
351 to under 501 characters: 3 points
501 characters or more: 1 points

English claims

Under 501 characters: 10 points
501 to under 801 characters: 7 points
801 to under 1101 characters: 5 points
1101 to under 1501 characters: 3 points
1501 characters or more: 1 points

Fallback positions

15 points

How many positions are left to fall back on if claim 1 is challenged: the number of dependent claims, and whether the independent claims cover more than one category such as product and method.

Number of dependent claims

0 claims: 0 points
1 to under 3 claims: 1 points
3 to under 6 claims: 2 points
6 to under 10 claims: 4 points
10 to under 15 claims: 6 points
15 to under 20 claims: 8 points
20 claims or more: 10 points

Categories covered by the independent claims (product, method, use)

Under 2 categories: 1 points
2 categories: 4 points
3 categories or more: 5 points

This needs the complete, numbered claims to count dependent claims. If only claim 1 is pasted, this part is not scored.

Stability

20 points

Whether the patent was substantively examined before grant: inventions are, utility models are not.

Patent type

Invention patent (examined on the substance before grant): 20 points
Utility model (no substantive examination before grant): 6 points

Territorial coverage

15 points

In how many countries or regions the family was filed. Patent rights are territorial, so places where it was not filed are not covered.

Countries or regions in the family

Under 2 countries or regions: 1 points
2 countries or regions: 4 points
3 countries or regions: 6 points
4 countries or regions: 8 points
5 countries or regions: 12 points
6 countries or regions: 14 points
7 countries or regions or more: 15 points

When no family list is available, whether it was filed abroad

Filed abroad: 7 points
Not filed abroad: 1 points

WO (an international application) is not a country and is not counted.

Remaining term

10 points

How many years remain until the expected expiry date.

Whether it has expired or lapsed

Expired or lapsed: 0 points

Years to the expected expiry

Under 3 years: 1 points
3 to under 6 years: 2 points
6 to under 10 years: 4 points
10 to under 15 years: 6 points
15 years or more: 10 points

A pasted patent has no expected expiry date, so it is worked out from the filing date and the statutory term (20 years for inventions, 10 for utility models), without lapses for unpaid fees or term adjustments.

Technical influence

10 points

How many later patent families cite this family, which shows how much later work builds on it.

Patent families citing this family

0 families: 0 points
1 to under 5 families: 2 points
5 to under 15 families: 4 points
15 to under 40 families: 6 points
40 to under 100 families: 8 points
100 families or more: 10 points

For a patent less than 3 years from its priority date, citations have had no time to build up, so this part is not scored.

Grades

72 and above：Solid

58 to 71：Good

45 to 57：Fair

Below 45：Needs work

A patent that has expired or lapsed no longer gives protection, so its total is held to 40 points or less.

Frequently asked questions

How is the score worked out?

The patent’s public document gives the claims, patent type, family countries, remaining term and citations, and fixed rules published on this page turn them into points. Parts that could not be read are not scored, and the total is scaled over the rest. The same patent always gets the same score.

Does a high score mean the patent is safe to rely on?

No. The score reflects six structural features that can be read from the public document. It is not a conclusion about the patent’s legal effect or whether its scope would be upheld. That depends on the product and the prior art, and a lawyer judges it.

Do I need to pay or sign up?

No. The checkup is free and needs no account. Your details reach the firm only if you choose to have a lawyer look at the patent and send the form.

Are the claims I paste stored?

No. Pasted claims are used only for the calculation. They are not written to logs and are not sent with the contact form.

Why does the China site ask me to paste the claims?

Looking a patent up by number needs a public patent database outside China. The China site does not offer that, and it never sends what you paste abroad.