Lead Generation

This video walks through a lead generation workflow in Patsnap. You'll learn how to build a field search around your technology terms, then refine results down to recent, active filings in your target regions. By the end, you'll be able to use the assignee filter as a ranked list of potential leads.

• 1. Start with a technology concept and gather search terms [0:11]
  • Begin by deciding what technology area you want to explore for leads.
  • This could be a product category, a technical feature, or a concept tied to a market you want to target.
  • Identify relevant keywords from:
    • patent documents you already know are relevant, or
    • a semantic search around the concept.
  • The goal is to build a set of terms that capture the technology and its variations.
• 2. Build a field search using those terms [1:14]
  • Open a field search and add the terms you identified.
  • Use a search structure such as title / abstract / claims, depending on what is most useful for your use case.
  • Example search structure from the video:
    • electric
    • folding
    • bike
  • You can make the search more precise by combining multiple fields and concepts.
• 3. Expand keywords with the keyword helper [2:12]
  • Use the keyword helper to find related terms and synonyms.
  • This helps broaden the search without manually guessing every variation.
  • Example expansions shown in the video:
    • bike → bike, bicycle, cycle, electric bike
    • folding → folding, foldable
    • electric → electric, electronic
  • Select the terms you want and submit them into the search.
• 4. Run the search and review the initial results [3:01]
  • Click search to generate the results list.
  • Expect a large number of documents at first.
  • At this stage, the goal is not perfection — it is to create a broad starting set that can be refined.
• 5. Reduce noise by grouping and prioritizing families [3:17]
  • Group patent families so you can see representative documents instead of duplicates.
  • Use authority / priority settings to surface the most relevant members.
  • If possible, prioritize U.S. members or other target-market jurisdictions first.
  • This makes the list easier to scan and compare.
• 6. Filter for active or pending documents [4:04]
  • For lead generation, focus on patents that are still relevant commercially.
  • Use legal status filters to keep:
    • active
    • pending
    • PCT designated stage
  • Exclude expired documents when possible, since they are less likely to indicate current business activity.
• 7. Narrow by application year [4:37]
  • Use application year to focus on more recent filings.
  • Older patents may still be in force, but the company may no longer be actively developing in that area.
  • The video suggests focusing on more recent years, such as the last 5–6 years.
  • This helps surface organizations that are still actively working in the space.
• 8. Filter by current assignee region [5:50]
  • This is the most important lead-generation filter in the workflow.
  • Use Current Assignee Region to target companies filing from specific geographies.
  • If the filter is not visible, add it from More Filters.
  • Example regions used in the video:
    • France
    • Italy
    • United States
  • This helps you focus on companies in the markets you care about.
• 9. Review the refined assignee list for leads [6:59]
  • After filtering, the result set should be much smaller and more relevant.
  • Review the assignee names to identify potential leads.
  • You can also use the assignee filter to:
    • see which companies are most active in the space
    • estimate portfolio size in the technology area
  • If you work in patent law, you can also add an agency filter to understand representatives, filing patterns, and grant activity.
• 10. Use the final list as your lead-generation output [7:44]
  • The final output of the workflow is a manageable list of potential leads.
  • These leads are based on:
    • relevant technology terms
    • active/pending status
    • recent application timing
    • target assignee regions
  • From here, you can move into outreach, account research, or portfolio analysis.