Principal Directorate Patent Grant Automation - Directorate Classification
Project: C453
Subject: Testing of Sparking Plugs
Rapporteur Report
Ref.:
IPC range: H01T
16 June 2008
Report of WG session 19; WG111, annexes 48 and 58
Background
At the latest IPC Revision Working Group (hereinafter WG) session in Geneva, while
discussing renumbering of pre-reform residual main groups, the WG agreed, with respect to
subclass G01M, that the testing of sparking plugs should be placed in the main group H01T
13/00.
However, it was also noted that group G01R 31/38 covers electrical testing of sparking plugs
and includes a reference to G01M 19/02.
It was therefore agreed to create new revision project C 453, with the EPO as Rapporteur, for
investigating if such subject matter should also be placed in H01T 13/00. The renumbering of
G01M 19/00 should also be considered in the project.
Analysis of the current status
The current titles of the relevant groups are reproduced:
CL
G01M
19/02
• Testing of sparking plugs (testing characteristics of the spark in
internal-combustion engine ignition F02P 17/12; testing electric
properties G01R 31/00)
CL
G01R
31/38
• Testing of sparking-plugs (testing non-electrical properties G01M
19/02)
CL
H01T
13/00
Sparking-plugs (testing sparking-plugs G01M 19/02)
CL
F02P
17/12
• Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current
within testing of ignition installations (testing of sparking plugs
G01M 19/02)
The WG agreed to transfer the group G01M 19/02 under H01T 13/00. It remains to decide
how to deal with group G01R 31/38.
It is first noticed that G01R 31/00 is residual as to electrical testing of what is being tested and
not provided elsewhere. This is an argument in favour of bringing the content of G01R 31/38
into H01T 13/00 (~ putting testing together with what is being tested).
It is also interesting to look at the number of families populating the relevant groups for IPC
and ECLA:
# families
in IPC
# families
in ECLA
G01M 19/02
~ 200
187
G01R 31/38
~ 100
53
intersection
~ 20
4
Statistics shows that existing groups are not very populated at all, and this could be an
argument to merge these groups into one 1-dot group of H01T 13/00 (option 1).
If this option was not acceptable, since "testing the electrical properties of sparking plugs" can
be seen as a subspecies of "testing of sparking plugs", a new 1-dot group could be created
under H01T 13/00 for "testing" together with a 2-dot group for "testing electrical properties"
(option 2).
On the other hand, as the "intersection" of the groups is pretty low, one could create two
separate 1-dot groups under H01T 13/00 (option 3).
A final option would be to leave G01R 31/38 where it is, just amending some references
(option 4).
Besides that, in R's opinion the reference to F02P 17/12 is an informative one. It could be a
"special adaptation" one, but definitely it does not seem to be a "limiting" one. Therefore at
some stage it could be removed from the scheme. R notices though that JPO expressed a
different opinion in a previous document (e-forum WG111, annex 48) where they stated that
this reference is limiting.
All options are summarized below.
Option 1
CL D
G01M
19/02
transferred to H01T 13/58
CL D
G01R
31/38
transferred to H01T 13/58
AL N
H01T
13/58
• Testing of sparking plugs (testing characteristics of the spark in
internal-combustion engine ignition F02P 17/12)i
CL D
G01M
19/02
transferred to H01T 13/58
CL D
G01R
31/38
transferred to H01T 13/60
Option 2
AL N
H01T
13/58
• Testing of sparking plugs (testing characteristics of the spark in
internal-combustion engine ignition F02P 17/12)i
AL N
H01T
13/60
• • Testing electrical properties of sparking plugs
CL D
G01M
19/02
transferred to H01T 13/60
CL D
G01R
31/38
transferred to H01T 13/58
AL N
H01T
13/58
• Testing electrical properties of sparking plugs
AL N
H01T
13/60
• Testing non-electrical properties of sparking plugs (testing
characteristics of the spark in internal-combustion engine ignition
F02P 17/12)i
CL D
G01M
19/02
transferred to H01T 13/58
CL M
G01R
31/38
• Testing of sparking plugs (testing non-electrical properties H01T
13/58)
AL N
H01T
13/58
• Testing non-electrical properties of sparking plugs (testing
electrical properties G01R 31/38; testing characteristics of the
spark in internal-combustion engine ignition F02P 17/12)i
Option 3
Option 4
Numbering of group G01M 19/00 needs not to be changed, nor residual group 99/00 is
needed, in agreement with conclusions of previous documents (see WG111, annex 58).
R invites offices to give a preference for options 1 to 4 above, and to state whether they see
the nature of the reference to F02P 17/12 as informative/adaptation or limiting.
EPO position
EPO supports option 1, among others for the reduced population and the lack of activity in the
group; then comes option 2, and last option 3. Option 4 is not supported.
Roberto Iasevoli
i
the reference to F02P 17/12 could, if recognized as informative/adaptation, be removed from the scheme and
moved into the Definition layer (in the framework of a maintenance project).