Patentcenter Feature Requests

See our new page What is the Patent Center listserv?

You can also see the page of Critical Problems in Patentcenter.   You can see Good things about Patentcenter.  Please join the Patentcenter listserv. See Patentcenter blog postings.

New!  you can now do a deep link to a particular feature request.  You do this by tacking on the pound sign and “FR” and the feature request number at the end of the URL.  So for example to deep link to feature request FR40 you use this URL: https://patentcenter-tickets.oppedahl.com/patentcenter-feature-requests/#FR40 .

  1. FR1 – April 30, 2020 – CO – If you are on a page for a particular application, provide a deep link to e-file a paper in that particular application (see article)  July 1, 2020 meeting update.  We are told this is “on the list” for eventual implementation.    This is Ideascale idea number 527.
    PTO Response: The Ideascale moderator responded 9/23/20 saying, “We plan to provide this enhanced feature in a future release.”
  2. FR2 – April 30, 2020 – CO – If you have just filed a paper in a particular application, provide a deep link to the documents for that application (see article) July 1, 2020 meeting update.  We are told this is “on the list” for eventual implementation.    This is Ideascale idea number 528.
    PTO Response: The Ideascale moderator responded 9/23/2020 saying, “We plan to provide this enhanced feature in a future release.”
  3. FR3 – Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of PAIR, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP119.
  4. FR4 – Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of EFS-Web, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP120.
  5. FR5 – Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of EFS-Web, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP12.
  6. FR6 – May 1, 2020 – RB – last 40 payment receipts.    This is Ideascale idea number 530.
  7. FR7 – January 26, 2019 – CO – Incoming correspondence notification.  You could optionally set it up so that you are informed if any  new document has been added to your application.  This might be done on a “per customer number” basis.  (see article).    This is Ideascale idea number 532.
  8. FR8 –  Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to fulfill USPTO commitments during alpha testing, it is actually a trouble ticket. See trouble ticket CP121.
  9. FR9 – May 2, 2020 – CO – Please provide permalinks in Patentcenter.  (see article).    This is Ideascale idea number 535.
  10. FR10 – May 3, 2020 – KK – Way to set default order of applications in home list (most recent changes first vs. numerical order).    This is Ideascale idea number 536.
  11. FR11 – May 3, 2020 – KK – Way to set default number of applications per page.    This is Ideascale idea number 537.
  12. FR12 – May 3, 2020 – KK – Way to set which customer number’s applications are displayed by default.    This is Ideascale idea number 538.
  13. FR13 – May 3, 2020 – KK – Archive feature (as in ePCT).    This is Ideascale idea number 540.
  14. FR14 – May 3, 2020 – KK – Fewer conversion problems would be created if uploaded DOCX document were first converted to PDF and then split into sections.    This is Ideascale idea number 541.
  15. FR15 – May 3, 2020 – KK – Option to input any customer number (including ones not associated with filer/filer’s firm) as Fee Address in web-based Form 85B.    This is Ideascale idea number 542.
  16. FR16 – May 4, 2020 – RB – Priority document notification and/or more broadly notification of USPTO change to a filewrapper. This might be accomplished on a “per customer number” or a “per application” basis.    Added as a comment to Ideascale idea number 532.
  17. FR17 – May 4, 2020 – RB – If you are on a page for a particular application, provide a link to the USPTO Electronic Patent Assignment System.    This is Ideascale idea number 543. The PTO has responded, “This feature is planned for a future release of Patent Center Beta.” (August 28, 2020)
  18. FR18 – Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of PAIR, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP122.
  19. FR19 – Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of PAIR, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP123.
  20. FR20.  July 6, 2020.  CO — Patentcenter should validate a would-be priority claim against DAS when possible.  See article.  This is Ideascale idea number 555. The PTO has responded, “Thank you for providing your suggestion. We will discuss this with the emod team.” (September 4, 2020)
  21. FR21.  July 6, 2020.  CO — Patentcenter should display, in the priority tab, the results of the cross-check against DAS.  It needs to show the smiley face or the puzzled face or the frowny face. See article.  This is Ideascale idea number 558.
  22. FR22.  July 6, 2020.  CO — Patentcenter should display, in the priority tab, the results of the retrieval attempt from DAS.  If the retrieval from DAS worked, it needs to say so, along with the date that it happened and whether or not that date satisfies the 4-and-16 date.  If the retrieval from DAS failed, it needs to say so.  See article.  This is Ideascale idea number 559.
  23. FR23.  July 6, 2020.  CO — Patentcenter should check to see whether the filer failed to check at least one “excuse” box in the non-inventor applicant section of the computer-readable Form PTO/AIA/14.  See article. This is Ideascale idea number 561.  Another way to say this is that Patentcenter should do a validation to see whether the filer checked any of the boxes in the ADS to explain by the non-inventor assignee has been identified.  If no box was checked to explain, a warning should be provided.
  24. FR24.  July 6, 2020.  CO — Patentcenter should check an uploaded ADS for a signature.  See article. This is Ideascale idea number 563.
  25. FR25.  July 6, 2020.  CO — get rid of or correct or improve the “boy who cried wolf” nag message about paying fees.  See article. This is Ideascale idea number 565.
  26. FR26.  July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application is “special”.  See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  27. FR27.  July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application is on Track I.  See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  28. FR28.  July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application is being “advanced out of turn for examination” pursuant to 37 CFR § 1.496.    See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  29. FR29. July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application has “Accelerated Exam” status.   See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  30. FR30. July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application is in the Collaborative Search Pilot program.   See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  31. FR31.  July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application is in the Expedited Exam program.   See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  32. FR32.  July 7, 2020.  On the Application Data tab, Patentcenter should display a “yes” or “no” as to whether the application is in the First Full Action Interview Pilot program.    See article. This is Ideascale idea number 566.
  33. FR33.  July 8, 2020.  In Patentcenter, provide a link to “patent forms”.  There is a link to “trademark forms” but oddly no link to “patent forms”. This is Ideascale idea number 567.
  34. FR34.  July 8, 2020.  CO.  The existing method of providing access to paralegals is too coarse.  It is “all or nothing”, all applications to which the attorney has access or no applications.  The granting of access rights needs to be sophisticated as in ePCT, so that rights can be given as to selected applications. This is Ideascale idea number 568.
  35. FR35.  July 8, 2020.  CO.  The granting of access rights needs to have permission levels, as in ePCT.  One level should be like the ePCT “eViewer” where the person who has received the rights can “look but not touch”.  Then there can be a higher level like the ePCT “eEditor” where the person who has received the rights has the ability not only to see the application but can also take actions regarding the application. This is Ideascale idea number 569.
  36. FR36.  July 8, 2020.  CO.  The granting of access rights by one registered practitioner to other registered practitioners is presently mediated using the awkward “customer number” system.  The “customer number” system is being twisted too many ways to try to do too many things.  It ought to be possible to grant access rights as in ePCT, with access granted to some other registered practitioner as to selected applications. This is Ideascale idea number 570.
  37. FR37.  July 8, 2020.  CO.  The process of populating an Application Data Sheet should be helped by provision of an Address Book.  To see this look at the Address Book that WIPO provided in PCT-SAFE more than fifteen years ago.  The idea is that the filer can populate his or her address book.  Once the address book is successfully populated with information that is known to be correct, then the filer can with a mouse click simply drag and drop names into the Application Data Sheet.  This eliminates errors that otherwise inevitably creep in if a filer is forced to construct every name entry field by field from blank values in the present workflow.  In fact as a general suggestion the Patentcenter developers should have followed the suggestions of the alpha testers who repeatedly suggested in autumn of 2018 that the developers look at the feature sets of PCT-SAFE and ePCT. This is Ideascale idea number 571.
  38. FR38.  July 8, 2020.  CO.  Address books should be sharable among Patentcenter users, using the “access rights” mechanism of Feature Request FR37.  This is of course a well-known and frequently used feature in ePCT. This is Ideascale idea number 572.
  39. FR39.  Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of EFS-Web, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP118.
  40. FR40.  Erroneously posted originally as a feature request, but because it is a failure to bring forward a function of EFS-Web, it is actually a trouble ticket.  See trouble ticket CP117.
  41. FR41.  February 7, 2023.  CO.  The only validations that Patentcenter carries out on user inputs are the validations that might possibly save work for USPTO personnel.  Not once does Patentcenter do a validation to (for example) save the user from making some kind of mistake.  USPTO should try to follow the example of WIPO in its design of ePCT.  ePCT is filled with validations in every possible user workflow, validations that are designed to try to help the user avoid mistakes.  One example of this is FR24 — Patentcenter failing to notice if the filer somehow forgot to sign their ADS.
  42. FR42.  Inadvertent duplicate of feature request FR23.
  43. FR43. February 20, 2023. RS. Patentcenter should allow the user to specify how long the web page can remain inactive before a forced logout. Carl says the developers promised to include this in 2012, but it’s still not here.
  44. FR44.  February 24, 2023.  CO.  Search feature or filter feature for all applications having a particular numerical status code.  Search feature or filter feature for all applications having a numerical status code within a specified range of values.  Sort feature so that workbench can be displayed in order by numerical status code.  Notification feature so that customer can specify that notification will be sent whenever any application reaches, say, a numerical status code of 17 or 23.
  45. FR45.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer is getting ready to file a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming small entity status.
  46. FR46.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer is getting ready to file a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming micro entity status, along with a prompt and validation for checking that a micro entity form accompanies the filing.
  47. FR47.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established small entity or micro entity status is getting ready to respond to an invitation to pay additional (ISA) fees in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming small entity status.
  48. FR48.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established micro entity status is getting ready to respond to an invitation to pay additional (ISA) fees in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming micro entity status, along with a prompt and validation for checking that a micro entity form accompanies the filing.
  49. FR49.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established small entity or micro entity status is getting ready to file a Demand in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming small entity status.
  50. FR50.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established micro entity status is getting ready to file a Demand in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming micro entity status, along with a prompt and validation for checking that a micro entity form accompanies the filing.
  51. FR51.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established small entity or micro entity status is getting ready to respond to an invitation to pay additional (IPEA) fees in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming small entity status.
  52. FR52.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established micro entity status is getting ready to respond to an invitation to pay additional (IPEA) fees in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming micro entity status, along with a prompt and validation for checking that a micro entity form accompanies the filing.
  53. FR53.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established small entity or micro entity status is getting ready to pay a late furnishing fee (for a sequence listing) in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming small entity status.
  54. FR54.  March 26, 2023.  CO.  Filer that has not already established micro entity status is getting ready to pay a late furnishing fee (for a sequence listing) in a PCT application.  Patentcenter should provide a check box for expressly claiming micro entity status, along with a prompt and validation for checking that a micro entity form accompanies the filing.
  55. FR55.  August 1, 2024.  CO.  Filer is following the click path for entry into the US national phase (a 371 filing). Filer keys in the PCT application number. Patentcenter should look up the PCT application number in Patentscope and should display the invention title and applicant name and first inventor name. This would reduce the risk of a filer inadvertently proceeding with an incorrect PCT application number.
  56. FR56.  placeholder.