Ruiguan Utility Patent Detection

This skill guides you on how to search for similar utility (invention) patents based on a product's title, description, and target selling region. It helps cross-border e-commerce sellers identify potential patent infringement risks before listing products.

Core Concepts

Utility patent (also called invention patent) protects new and useful inventions or functional improvements. Unlike design patents that protect appearance, utility patents protect how a product works, its structure, or its composition. Infringing on a utility patent can lead to product removal, lawsuits, or TRO orders.

Similarity score: Each returned patent includes a similarity field (0 to 1). A higher value means the patent is more closely related to the queried product. Patents with high similarity scores deserve careful review.

TRO risk indicators: Two boolean fields flag enforcement history:

• troCase -- whether the patent has a history of TRO enforcement actions
• troHolder -- whether the patent holder is known for initiating TRO cases

Patents flagged with either indicator require extra caution.

Patent validity: The patentValidity field shows whether a patent is Active or Invalid. Only active patents pose infringement risk.

Parameters

Parameter Guidelines

1. productTitle: Use the product's actual listing title or a concise descriptive title. Be specific rather than generic -- "portable USB-C fast charger 65W" is better than "charger".
2. productDescription: Include key features, materials, mechanisms, and technical attributes. The more detail provided, the more accurate the similarity matching.
3. region: Currently only US is supported. Always set to US unless the user specifies otherwise.
4. topNumber: Default is 100. Increase to 200 for a broader search when doing thorough patent clearance. Decrease to 10--20 for a quick preliminary scan.

API Usage

This tool calls the LinkFox tool gateway API. See references/api.md for calling conventions, request parameters, and response structure. You can also execute scripts/ruiguan_utility_patent_detection.py directly to run queries.

Usage Examples

1. Basic patent risk check for a product

User: "Check if this silicone kitchen spatula has any patent risks in the US."

Build the request with a descriptive product title and description, region set to US, and a reasonable topNumber.

2. Thorough patent clearance before launch

User: "I'm about to launch a new wireless earbuds product. Do a comprehensive patent check."

Use topNumber=200 for maximum coverage. Include detailed product description covering Bluetooth version, charging case design, noise cancellation features, etc.

3. Quick scan for TRO risk

User: "Any TRO risks for selling LED strip lights in the US?"

After retrieving results, filter and highlight patents where troCase or troHolder is true.

4. Investigating a specific product category

User: "Check patent risks for a portable blender with USB charging."

Provide both the product title and a detailed description emphasizing the functional aspects (motor type, blade design, charging mechanism, capacity).

Display Rules

1. Present data in tables: Show results in a clear, structured table format. Key columns to display: patent title, similarity score, patent validity, application number, publication date, TRO flags, and estimated expiration date.
2. Sort by relevance: Display patents sorted by similarity score in descending order (highest similarity first).
3. Highlight high-risk patents: Call attention to patents with similarity above 0.7, active validity status, and/or TRO flags.
4. TRO warnings: If any returned patents have troCase=true or troHolder=true, display a prominent warning about elevated enforcement risk.
5. Validity filtering: When presenting results, clearly distinguish between Active and Invalid patents. Emphasize that only Active patents require attention.
6. Volume notice: When results are large, show the most relevant patents (e.g., top 10--20 by similarity) and summarize the rest.
7. Error handling: When a query fails, explain the reason and suggest adjusting the product title or description for better results.
8. Bilingual titles: When available, show both the English title (title) and Chinese title (titleCn) to aid understanding.
9. No legal advice: Present patent data factually. Do not provide legal conclusions about infringement -- recommend consulting a patent attorney for definitive assessments.

Important Limitations

• Region support: Currently only US patents are searchable
• Result cap: Maximum 200 patents per query
• Input length: Both productTitle and productDescription are limited to 1000 characters each
• Not legal advice: Results indicate similarity, not confirmed infringement. Professional patent review is always recommended.

User Expression & Scenario Quick Reference

Applicable -- Patent-related queries for product risk assessment:

Not applicable -- Needs beyond utility patent detection:

• Design patent searches (appearance/ornamental design)
• Trademark or brand infringement checks
• Copyright issues
• Product compliance or certification (FCC, CE, etc.)
• General legal advice or contract review

Feedback:

Auto-detect and report feedback via the Feedback API when any of the following apply:

1. The functionality or purpose described in this skill does not match actual behavior
2. The skill's results do not match the user's intent
3. The user expresses dissatisfaction or praise about this skill
4. Anything you believe could be improved

Call the feedback API as specified in references/api.md. Do not interrupt the user's flow.

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