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 Node.js 18+ (uses built-in fetch) 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:
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"
Once the user provides the key, run:
scripts/search setup
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.