Hierarchical Categorization

Projects in PatSeer include hierarchical categorization that helps you organize (bucketize) records as per your business specific context. You can create hierarchical categories and go up to 5 levels deep. Once you have created categories and put patents into them, you can use the categories for filtering or charting just like any other patent fields.

The procedure to use categories is to first create the category schema and then puts patents into them. You can put patents one-by-one or bulk add patents into a category.

Creating the Category Schema

To create a new top level category

1. On the Result screen, click to expand the Categories filter.
2. Various icons will be displayed under the Categories filter.
3. Click folder icon to create a root category.
4. A text box will be displayed.
5. Enter the name of the category and press Enter to create the category.

The top level category is added.

You can also create categories by using the ADD drop down:

1. Open the ADD dropdown, then from the list select Categories. 
2. Click on the Folder Icon 
3. A Text box will be displayed
4. Enter the name of the category and press Enter to create the category.

To add a sub-category under an existing category

1. Right-click the top level category and select New.
2. A text box will be displayed.
3. Enter the name of the category and press Enter to create the category.
4. The Sub-Category is added.

Similarly you can right-click on any category to Rename or Delete a category or sub-category.

Adding Records to Categories

Adding single records one by one to a category

1. Select the record
2. Mouse over on add and check the desired category.
3. Click on add.

If you selected more than one category, then in the procedure above the record with get added to each category you have selected. (So you can insert one record into multiple categories)

Adding multiple records to a category

1. Select the records.
2. Mouse over on add and check the desired category. 
3. Click on add.  

All the selected records get added to the category you have selected. If you have selected more than one category in the above procedure then all the selected records will get added to all the selected categories.

Removing single/multiple records from a category

The procedure is same as adding except that you need to click on the remove button that is present next to the add button.

Advanced Category Filtering

You can combine categories using AND/OR/NOT using the Advanced category filter interface. Click on the Advanced tab and then on the text box and you will see a list of categories in the drop down. You can select one or more categories and they will get added to the textbox with a comma. (Comma here implies an OR). You can then add a second similar criterion and combine that with the first using the boolean operators.

Categories at any level can be selected in the filter and each category is treated as independent of the level is falls in.

Viewing Record Count in Categories

Now you can view the number of records present in each category.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The count of records for a parent category is the number of records present specifically in that parent category. It is not the sum of all the unique records present in all the child categories.

To view the count of records present in the parent plus all its children you can filter by the
parent.

Additionally, the categories that you have created can now be easily viewed and edited in the split view option that is present on the result page in projects.