Lexitran-mediated access to patent databases

Abstract

This paper presents a technique and its computer implementation to facilitate "navigation" in the International Patent Classification system. The resulting system assists users having no specialised training m information retneval in iden tifying relevant classification categones and keywords they can use in Boolean quenes on a target patent database. Applied to any subclass of the patent classification, the system builds a browsing environment that provides a relevance ranking of access paths to classification codes; this complements the often inadequate text labels currently associated with patent codes.