Search methods used with transistor patent applications

As the world has become more technically oriented, the number of patent applications has been increasing also¿too rapidly for the Patent Office to assimilate them comfortably with current techniques. When an application for a patent is received, it must be evaluated as to novelty by a specialist who searches the prior art for similar patents. Previously, all such searches were done manually, which meant that the examiner had to rely entirely on his knowledge and experience. In an effort to remedy the situation the Office has instituted mechanized search methods. In order to ascertain the differences in patterns of thinking associated with manual and mechanized searches, a study was carried out in which a patent application in the transistor art was searched both manually and by a mechanized method. The mechanized search in this case permitted more patents to be analyzed more quickly but, being completely literal, it does not allow for hunches or browsing.