name: patents-search
description: Search global patents with natural language queries. Prior art, patent landscapes, and innovation tracking via Valyu.
keywords:
- patents
- patent-search
- prior-art
- intellectual-property
- innovation-tracking
- semantic-search
license: MIT

Patents Search

Search the complete global patent database using natural language queries powered by Valyu's semantic search API.

Why This Skill is Powerful

• No API Parameter Parsing: Just pass natural language queries directly - no need to construct complex search parameters
• Semantic Search: Understands the meaning of your query, not just keyword matching
• Full-Text Access: Returns complete patent information including claims, descriptions, and technical details
• Image Links: Includes patent diagrams and figures when available
• Comprehensive Coverage: Access to global patent data across jurisdictions

Requirements

1. Node.js 18+ (uses built-in fetch)
2. Valyu API key from https://platform.valyu.ai ($10 free credits)

CRITICAL: Script Path Resolution

The scripts/search commands in this documentation are relative to this skill's installation directory.

Before running any command, locate the script using:

PATENTS_SCRIPT=$(find ~/.claude/plugins/cache -name "search" -path "*/patents-search/*/scripts/*" -type f 2>/dev/null | head -1)

Then use the full path for all commands:

$PATENTS_SCRIPT "CRISPR gene editing methods" 15

API Key Setup Flow

When you run a search and receive "setup_required": true, follow this flow:

1. Ask the user for their API key:
   "To search patents, I need your Valyu API key. Get one free ($10 credits) at https://platform.valyu.ai"

2. Once the user provides the key, run:
   bash scripts/search setup <api-key>

3. Retry the original search.

When to Use This Skill

• Prior art searching and patent landscaping
• Technology trend analysis
• Competitor innovation tracking
• Patent freedom-to-operate analysis
• Patent claim analysis and interpretation
• Patent filing strategy research

Output Format

{
  "success": true,
  "type": "patents_search",
  "query": "CRISPR gene editing methods",
  "result_count": 10,
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Patent Title",
      "url": "https://patents.google.com/...",
      "content": "Patent claims, description, technical details...",
      "source": "patents",
      "relevance_score": 0.95,
      "images": ["https://example.com/diagram.png"]
    }
  ],
  "cost": 0.025
}

Processing Results

With jq

# Get patent titles
scripts/search "query" 10 | jq -r '.results[].title'

# Get URLs
scripts/search "query" 10 | jq -r '.results[].url'

# Extract full content
scripts/search "query" 10 | jq -r '.results[].content'

Common Use Cases

Prior Art Search

# Find prior art
scripts/search "lithium ion battery electrode materials" 50

Competitive Intelligence

# Search competitor patents
scripts/search "CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing methods" 20

Technology Landscape

# Find technology trends
scripts/search "quantum computing error correction patents" 15

Freedom to Operate

# Search for blocking patents
scripts/search "mRNA vaccine delivery systems" 25

Error Handling

All commands return JSON with success field:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Error message"
}

Exit codes:
- 0 - Success
- 1 - Error (check JSON for details)

API Endpoint

• Base URL: https://api.valyu.ai/v1
• Endpoint: /search
• Authentication: X-API-Key header

Architecture

scripts/
├── search          # Bash wrapper
└── search.mjs      # Node.js CLI

Direct API calls using Node.js built-in fetch(), zero external dependencies.

Adding to Your Project

If you're building an AI project and want to integrate Patents Search directly into your application, use the Valyu SDK:

Python Integration

from valyu import Valyu

client = Valyu(api_key="your-api-key")

response = client.search(
    query="your search query here",
    included_sources=["valyu/valyu-patents"],
    max_results=20
)

for result in response["results"]:
    print(f"Title: {result['title']}")
    print(f"URL: {result['url']}")
    print(f"Content: {result['content'][:500]}...")

TypeScript Integration

import { Valyu } from "valyu-js";

const client = new Valyu("your-api-key");

const response = await client.search({
  query: "your search query here",
  includedSources: ["valyu/valyu-patents"],
  maxResults: 20
});

response.results.forEach((result) => {
  console.log(`Title: ${result.title}`);
  console.log(`URL: ${result.url}`);
  console.log(`Content: ${result.content.substring(0, 500)}...`);
});

See the Valyu docs for full integration examples and SDK reference.