Common Statistical Parameter System for Examination

Vision

Establish IP5 common statistical parameters for examination, based on the IP5 collect statistics.

Common statistical parameters for examination will enhance communication among the IP5, improve transparency of practice, elevate trust of others' work, and offer decision-making and evaluation information support for work sharing.

 Background

The IP5 are experiencing the common challenges of increasing applications, more complex technical subject matters, more severe examination workload and pressures. At the same time, there are growing cross-filings among IP5 offices, and the number of repetitive examinations on applications in the same patent family is increasing. As the IP5 attempt to reduce unnecessary repetition of work through strengthening work sharing n this process, the focus and means of work sharing, as well as the effects thereof, all need to be supported and evaluated by common statistical parameters for examination.

From the standpoint of statistical practice for examination, on one hand, the offices have established statistical parameters based on their own examination system and procedures, which usually vary in setting, definition and underlying statistical method. The differentia may not influence the office itself, but hinder other offices from using these parameters for reference to compare examination quality and efficiency.

On the other hand, these parameters are not specifically designed for IP5 work sharing. Such deficiency will prevent IP5 from evaluating the actual effects of work sharing and be a disadvantage when providing data information and decision-making support for IP5 to seek optimal cooperative direction, mode and measure. 

Contributions to Work Sharing 

Through coordinating the key differences in statistical parameters for examination among the IP5, improving current parameters for the purpose of work sharing, shaping common statistical parameters for examination, the IP5 may realize comparative analysis of data formed on uniform statistical bases, thus enhancing the pertinence and efficiency of work sharing, so as to:

provide data support for the sharing of search and examination results among IP5;pProvide data support for the evaluation, adjustment and improvement of relevant foundation projects;

analyze and fix new cooperation areas and directions to facilitate work sharing.