State of the Art Searches provide an overview of a technology area and are a useful tool in the R&D and product development process.
References are researched, which indicate functionally-equivalent means of accomplishing a similar end. Results are representative of recently issued prior art.
A variation on this kind of search is the Collection Search, which shows the evolution of a specific technology within a specific date range. Collection searches may be broader than a state of the art search and include both expired and unexpired patents.
Cost: $85/hour x 8-10 hours. $680 to $850 plus computer database charges.
