ReferenceTools
patent_citation_network
Get patents that cite or are cited by a patent
patent_citation_network
Explore the citation network around a specific patent.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
patent_id | string | Yes | USPTO patent number |
direction | string | Yes | cites, cited_by, or both |
limit | number | No | Max results per direction (default: 20, max: 50) |
Direction Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
cites | Patents this patent references (backward citations) |
cited_by | Patents that reference this patent (forward citations) |
both | Both directions |
Example Request
{
"patent_id": "7654321",
"direction": "cited_by",
"limit": 10
}Example Response
{
"patent_id": "7654321",
"direction": "cited_by",
"cited_by": [
{
"patent_id": "8765432",
"patent_title": "Improved compression method",
"patent_date": "2012-05-10"
},
{
"patent_id": "9876543",
"patent_title": "Data encoding system",
"patent_date": "2015-08-22"
}
],
"source": "PatentsView (USPTO)"
}Use Cases
- Prior Art Analysis: Find what a patent builds upon
- Patent Valuation: Highly-cited patents may be more valuable
- Technology Trends: Track how innovations spread
- Freedom to Operate: Identify related patents
Notes
- Forward citations (
cited_by) accumulate over time - Recent patents will have fewer forward citations
- Backward citations (
cites) are fixed at grant time