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Searching Japan Patent and Non-patent Literature for a GPS Navigation System

When searching for a system for providing driving directions using GPS navigation system, Japanese prior art is the most important source to be searched because Japan is the leading country in this field and the earliest country commercially marketed this type of products. An example of Japanese prior art search we performed is summarized below for reference.

Search language:
Japanese

Type of the search:
Validity search, searching for both Japanese patent and non-patent literature.

Databases used in the search:
Japanese non-patent literatures: JDream-II (JSTPlus), READ, NINii, G-search, GENii, and Kaken;
Japanese patent: Patolis and IPDL.

Search strings used in the search:
Japanese key word strings and synonyms relateding to "navigation" or "navigator":
(ナビゲーションOR ナビゲイター OR カーナビ OR 自動航法 OR ナビゲーター)

Patent classes relating to "navigation system" or "navigator":
F-term about navigation system used in Japanese patent search:
2F129 x (AA03 + BB03 + BB20 + BB21 + BB26 + CC16 + DD21 + EE02 + EE26 + EE35 + EE39 + EE52 + EE75 + EE85 + HH12 + HH19 + HH20)

IPC:
(G01C21/00 + G09B29/00 + G09B29/10)

Japanese Non-patent Search Result
The non-patent literature searches covered navigator/navigation system, and author/inventor names extracted from cited patents in the target patent and from our preliminary searches. We also performed a broad search by using Japanese synonyms relating to navigator/navigation system, picture/photo/image, and coordinates.

These searches generated a total of 43 hits. After removing search noise by screening using titles, abstracts and bibliographic information, we purchased 5 full documents from JST.

Japanese Patent Search Result
The Japanese patent search generated 224 hits. Japanese patent documents cited in the target patent are excluded from the list.
We downloaded full patent documents for all these 224 hits, reviewed these documents by screening the specifications of these documents.

After the reviewing and screening, we uncovered 4 reference patent applications that are considered to be good prior art for the target patents.

Tips and case studies of searching Japan patents relating to digital cameras:
How to Search Japanese Patents for Digital Cameras
Search Japan patents for Digital Cameras with unique parameter setting function
Search Japan patents for Digital Cameras with image rotation during display

Tips and case studies of searching Japan patents relating to Navigation System or Navigator:
How to Search Japanese Patents for Navigation System or GPS
Searching Japan Patent and Non-patent Literature for a GPS Navigation System