prior-art-search

Q: How do I install prior-art-search?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/wanshuiyin/auto-claude-code-research-in-sleep --skill prior-art-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/prior-art-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/prior-art-search/ (project).

by wanshuiyinMedia & Creative

Search patent databases and academic literature for prior art relevant to an invention. Use when user says "现有技术检索", "prior art search", "专利检索", "check patents", or wants to find relevant prior art.

Installs: 493
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/wanshuiyin/auto-claude-code-research-in-sleep --skill prior-art-search

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads prior-art-search automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Prior Art Search

Search patents and literature for prior art relevant to: $ARGUMENTS

Adapted from /research-lit for patent-specific searching.

Constants

MAX_PATENT_RESULTS = 20 — Maximum patent documents to analyze in detail
MAX_PAPER_RESULTS = 15 — Maximum academic papers to analyze in detail
SEARCH_YEARS = 10 — How many years back to search
PATENT_DATABASES = "google-patents, espacenet" — Patent databases to search

Inputs

Read the invention description from:

$ARGUMENTS if it contains technical details
patent/INVENTION_BRIEF.md if it exists
INVENTION_BRIEF.md if it exists at project root

Shared References

Load ../shared-references/prior-art-databases.md for search strategy templates and IPC/CPC classification guidance.

Workflow

Step 1: Extract Search Concepts

From the invention description, identify:

Core inventive concept: The primary technical contribution (1-2 sentences)
Technical problem: What problem it solves
Key technical features: 4-6 specific technical elements that define the invention
IPC/CPC classes: Predict relevant classification codes (e.g., G06N, G06F)

Step 2: Patent Search

For EACH search concept, search via:

Google Patents (via WebSearch):

WebSearch: "site:patents.google.com [keywords]"
WebSearch: "[keywords] patent"

Try primary keywords + technical problem keywords
Search in English regardless of target jurisdiction
For CN inventions, also search Chinese keywords via WebSearch

Espacenet (via WebFetch):

WebFetch worldwide.espacenet.com/search results for key queries
Search by predicted IPC/CPC classes

Assignee/Inventor Search:

If known companies/universities work in this area, search their patent portfolios
WebSearch: "[assignee name] patent [technical area]"

For each potentially relevant patent found:

WebFetch the patent page to extract: title, abstract, representative claims, filing date, assignee, current status
Record IPC/CPC classification codes

Step 3: Academic Literature Search

Search the same concepts in academic databases:

Google Scholar (via WebSearch): WebSearch "[keywords] site:scholar.google.com"
arXiv (via /arxiv if available, or WebSearch): Search for preprints
Semantic Scholar (via /semantic-scholar if API key set, or WebSearch)

For each relevant paper found:

Extract title, authors, venue, year, key contribution

Step 4: Classification and Analysis

For each reference found, assess:

Relevance: How closely does it relate to the invention?
Overlap Risk: Does it disclose the same or similar technical solution?
- HIGH: Anticipates one or more claim elements
- MEDIUM: Discloses a related but different approach
- LOW: Same general field, different approach
Relationship: Is it anticipating, relevant, or merely background?

Organize results by IPC/CPC classification to see the technical landscape.

Step 5: Freedom-to-Operate Assessment (Preliminary)

Based on the search results:

Identify patents with claims that potentially cover the invention
Note any expired patents (public domain)
Flag areas where claim scope overlap is significant

Disclaimer: This is a preliminary assessment only. A professional freedom-to-operate analysis by a patent attorney is recommended before filing.

Step 6: Output

Write patent/PRIOR_ART_REPORT.md with:

## Prior Art Search Report

### Invention Summary
[1-2 sentence description of the searched invention]

### Search Strategy
- Keywords used: [...]
- IPC/CPC classes searched: [...]
- Databases searched: Google Patents, Espacenet, Google Scholar, arXiv
- Date range: [year] to present

### Patent References Found

| # | Patent No. | Title | Date | Assignee | IPC/CPC | Key Teaching | Overlap Risk |
|---|-----------|-------|------|----------|---------|-------------|-------------|
| 1 | CN... / US... | [title] | [date] | [assignee] | [codes] | [2-3 sentences] | HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW |

### Non-Patent Literature Found

| # | Reference | Title | Authors/Venue | Year | Key Contribution | Relevance |
|---|-----------|-------|--------------|------|-----------------|-----------|
| 1 | [DOI/link] | [title] | [authors] | [year] | [1-2 sentences] | HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW |

### Prior Art Landscape
[Organized by technical approach or IPC class, not just chronological]

### Freedom-to-Operate Preliminary Assessment
[Which existing patents might block the invention? What is the risk level?]

### Recommendations
- Suggested claim scope adjustments based on prior art
- Areas where novelty appears strongest
- References to watch during prosecution

Key Rules

Never fabricate patent numbers or citations. Mark uncertain references with [VERIFY].
Search in English AND the target jurisdiction language (Chinese for CN).
Patent prior art includes everything published before the priority date, not just patents.
Academic papers are valid prior art for both novelty and inventive step.
Include expired patents -- they are public domain but still relevant for novelty.

FAQ

What does the prior-art-search skill do?

How do I install prior-art-search?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/wanshuiyin/auto-claude-code-research-in-sleep --skill prior-art-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/prior-art-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/prior-art-search/ (project).

Which AI agents can use prior-art-search?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is prior-art-search safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains prior-art-search?

It is published by wanshuiyin in wanshuiyin/auto-claude-code-research-in-sleep. It has 493 recorded installs.