The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has unveiled a test program called ASAP!, short for Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot, aimed at enhancing the quality, speed and efficiency of patent applications.
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Patent Applications’ Issues Alert
The pilot program will provide applicants with an AI-Assisted Search Results Notice, or ASRN, listing top 10 potential previous art issues that requires their attention, USPTO said Wednesday. It added that the ASRN is designed to help applicants decide on early actions such as filing amendments, submitting supporting evidence, requesting deferrals or seeking fee refunds.
USPTO will use the pilot’s results to assess pre-examination search outcomes, evaluate ASRN scalability and guide future initiatives to further streamline patent applications. Patent applicants who want to join ASAP! have to file a petition to participate in the pilot program and pay its fee.
Other AI Pilots to Follow
According to John Squires, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and USPTO director, ASAP! is the inaugural release in a wave of other planned AI pilots to help both patent examiners and applicants. “Quality starts at filing—and our enterprising examiners have developed a cadre of new tools that re-imagine workflows and attack thorny chokepoints that constrain productivity, throughput, and ultimately quality for new applicants,” Squires noted.
USPTO is investing significantly to harness AI in its functions. In August 2024, the agency awarded Accenture Federal Services a $75 million contract to implement AI capabilities for improving patent reviewing processes.
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