Epo Ops

Get Family

get_family

Read-onlyIdempotent

INPADOC family — every related patent publication worldwide covering the same underlying invention, which is how you find the Chinese, Japanese, US and European members of one filing. Give the publication number as printed on the document; a trailing kind code is handled for you.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`number`	Yes	Publication number as printed on the document, e.g. "EP1234567", "CN117928705A", "US10000000". Spaces, commas and slashes are ignored, and a trailing kind code (the "A" / "A1" / "B1" suffix) is retried without it if the exact form is not indexed.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`found`	No
`family`	No
`resolved_number`	No
`requested_number`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedOct 1, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / family

Added value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "ops:world-patent-data": {
+      "properties": {
+        "@xmlns": {
+          "properties": {
+            "$": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "ops": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "xlink": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "ops:patent-family": {
+          "properties": {
+            "@legal": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "@total-result-count": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "ops:family-member": {
+              "items": {
+                "properties": {
+                  "@family-id": {
+                    "type": "string"
+                  },
+                  "application-reference": {
+                    "properties": {
+                      "@doc-id": {
+                        "type": "string"
+                      },
+                      "document-id": {
+                        "properties": {
+                          "@document-id-type": {
+                            "type": "string"
+                          },
+                          "country": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          },
+                          "date": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          },
+                          "doc-number": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          },
+                          "kind": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          }
+                        },
+                        "type": "object"
+                      }
+                    },
+                    "type": "object"
+                  },
+                  "priority-claim": {
+                    "properties": {
+                      "@kind": {
+                        "type": "string"
+                      },
+                      "@sequence": {
+                        "type": "string"
+                      },
+                      "document-id": {
+                        "properties": {
+                          "@document-id-type": {
+                            "type": "string"
+                          },
+                          "country": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          },
+                          "date": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          },
+                          "doc-number": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          },
+                          "kind": {
+                            "properties": {
+                              "$": {
+                                "type": "string"
+                              }
+                            },
+                            "type": "object"
+                          }
+                        },
+                        "type": "object"
+                      },
+                      "priority-active-indicator": {
+                        "properties": {
+                          "$": {
+                            "type": "string"
+                          }
+                        },
+                        "type": "object"
+                      }
+                    },
+                    "type": "object"
+                  },
+                  "publication-reference": {
+                    "properties": {
+                      "document-id": {
+                        "items": {
+                          "properties": {
+                            "@document-id-type": {
+                              "type": "string"
+                            },
+                            "country": {
+                              "properties": {
+                                "$": {
+                                  "type": "string"
+                                }
+                              },
+                              "type": "object"
+                            },
+                            "date": {
+                              "properties": {
+                                "$": {
+                                  "type": "string"
+                                }
+                              },
+                              "type": "object"
+                            },
+                            "doc-number": {
+                              "properties": {
+                                "$": {
+                                  "type": "string"
+                                }
+                              },
+                              "type": "object"
+                            },
+                            "kind": {
+                              "properties": {
+                                "$": {
+                                  "type": "string"
+                                }
+                              },
+                              "type": "object"
+                            }
+                          },
+                          "type": "object"
+                        },
+                        "type": "array"
+                      }
+                    },
+                    "type": "object"
+                  }
+                },
+                "type": "object"
+              },
+              "type": "array"
+            },
+            "ops:publication-reference": {
+              "properties": {
+                "document-id": {
+                  "properties": {
+                    "@document-id-type": {
+                      "type": "string"
+                    },
+                    "doc-number": {
+                      "properties": {
+                        "$": {
+                          "type": "string"
+                        }
+                      },
+                      "type": "object"
+                    }
+                  },
+                  "type": "object"
+                }
+              },
+              "type": "object"
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "object"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / family-information

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Family metadata and members",
-  "properties": {
-    "family-id": {
-      "description": "Unique family identifier",
-      "type": "string"
-    },
-    "family-member": {
-      "description": "List of family member patents",
-      "items": {
-        "properties": {
-          "application-reference": {
-            "description": "Application details for family member",
-            "type": "object"
-          },
-          "publication-reference": {
-            "description": "Publication details for family member",
-            "type": "object"
-          }
-        },
-        "type": "object"
-      },
-      "type": "array"
-    },
-    "priority-claim": {
-      "description": "Priority claim details",
-      "type": "object"
-    }
-  },
-  "type": "object"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / found
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / requested_number
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / resolved_number
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

Changed1 schema field changedAug 6, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / number / description

Previous value: -"Patent number, epodoc format"New value: +"Publication number as printed on the document, e.g. \"EP1234567\", \"CN117928705A\", \"US10000000\". Spaces, commas and slashes are ignored, and a trailing kind code (the \"A\" / \"A1\" / \"B1\" suffix) is retried without it if the exact form is not indexed."

Changed2 schema fields changedMay 22, 2026

addedInput schema / examples

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "number": "EP1234567"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "description": "INPADOC patent family — related applications worldwide",
+  "properties": {
+    "family-information": {
+      "description": "Family metadata and members",
+      "properties": {
+        "family-id": {
+          "description": "Unique family identifier",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "family-member": {
+          "description": "List of family member patents",
+          "items": {
+            "properties": {
+              "application-reference": {
+                "description": "Application details for family member",
+                "type": "object"
+              },
+              "publication-reference": {
+                "description": "Publication details for family member",
+                "type": "object"
+              }
+            },
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        "priority-claim": {
+          "description": "Priority claim details",
+          "type": "object"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedMay 13, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, openWorldHint and destructiveHint=false, so the safety and idempotency profile is fully covered elsewhere. The description's only behavioral addition is that a trailing kind code is 'handled for you', which largely restates the schema's fallback logic rather than adding new context such as coverage limits or lookup failures.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences, no padding: the first defines the resource and its value, the second gives the input instruction. Front-loaded and every clause earns its place.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, return values need not be described, and annotations carry the safety profile. For a one-parameter read tool, the definition supplies everything the agent needs to select and invoke it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the single parameter already documents accepted formats, separator handling and the kind-code retry. The description's 'give the publication number as printed on the document' duplicates that guidance rather than extending it, so the baseline 3 holds.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Names a specific resource (INPADOC family — every related patent publication worldwide for the same invention) and clarifies the conceptual payoff, so an agent can distinguish it from get_biblio, get_claims, get_abstract and search_patents without opening schemas. No vague verbs; 'get' is grounded by the precise scope of what is returned.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides a concrete use case — finding the CN/JP/US/EP members of a single filing — which implies when to reach for this tool rather than a bibliographic or claims lookup. However, it never names an alternative tool or states an exclusion, so routing is inferred rather than explicit.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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