Methods

Methods

Step 1

Read the published patent

Start from the actual publication so the user can inspect the patent itself rather than only a derived database record.

Step 2

Parse the OPS XML

Use the OPS-style XML as the machine-readable bibliographic layer that the parser can walk field by field.

Step 3

Resolve the address to a point

Clean the address, geocode it, and keep the returned context.

Step 4

Join the point to geography

Join the resolved point to the requested country, region, city, or custom boundary.

Step 1

Published patent PDF

This is the primary source document. The methods chain begins here so the publication can be inspected directly before any parsing or geocoding happens.

Open PDF
Step 2

Structured OPS XML

This is the machine-readable bibliographic layer DGMPD parses before geocoding or boundary matching starts.

Open XML
The XML stays in a compact scrollable box so the field structure is visible beside the PDF instead of taking over the whole page.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ops:world-patent-data
  xmlns:ops="http://ops.epo.org"
  xmlns:exchange="http://www.epo.org/exchange">
  <exchange:exchange-document family-id="1234567" country="EP" doc-number="1000000" kind="A1">
    <exchange:bibliographic-data>
      <exchange:publication-reference>
        <exchange:document-id document-id-type="docdb">
          <exchange:country>EP</exchange:country>
          <exchange:doc-number>1000000</exchange:doc-number>
          <exchange:kind>A1</exchange:kind>
        </exchange:document-id>
      </exchange:publication-reference>
    </exchange:bibliographic-data>
  </exchange:exchange-document>
  <exchange:exchange-document family-id="7654321" country="EP" doc-number="1000001" kind="B1">
    <exchange:bibliographic-data>
      <exchange:publication-reference>
        <exchange:document-id document-id-type="docdb">
          <exchange:country>EP</exchange:country>
          <exchange:doc-number>1000001</exchange:doc-number>
          <exchange:kind>B1</exchange:kind>
        </exchange:document-id>
      </exchange:publication-reference>
    </exchange:bibliographic-data>
  </exchange:exchange-document>
</ops:world-patent-data>
Step 3

Geocode the address with Nominatim

Audit trail kept with result

DGMPD cleans the address, sends it to Nominatim, and keeps the returned label and coordinates.

Here 855 S. Mint Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, United States resolves to Uptown Charlotte and becomes the anchor for the geography join.

Open Nominatim
Example result
Returned coordinates
855 S. Mint Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, United States
Latitude
35.2241736
Longitude
-80.8524978
Result type
house
Place rank
30
Returned label
Third Ward, Uptown, Charlotte
Step 4

Match the point to the requested geography

Boundary layer chosen by user
Static locator view
855 S Mint StreetCharlotte, North CarolinaUPTOWN CHARLOTTEApprox. point: 35.2241736, -80.8524978S Mint StCentral business district
Approx. point: 35.2241736, -80.8524978

Once the point is resolved, DGMPD joins it to the requested boundary layer: country, region, city, or a supplied custom geography.

In this example the point sits in Third Ward, Uptown Charlotte, within Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and the United States.

City
Charlotte
County
Mecklenburg County
State
North Carolina
Country
United States
Joined against the requested boundary layer