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, European and PCT/WO members of one filing. Returns a member count and the countries covered first, then one row per family member: publication number (with kind and date), application number, and priority claims. A PCT international application is a normal member here — give its "WO" publication number, or (before it has published) a WIPO application number like "PCT/US2024/012345". This does NOT include the International Search Report or Written Opinion of a PCT application — EPO OPS does not carry that document at all; for it, go to WIPO PATENTSCOPE (patentscope.wipo.int). 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
`raw`	No	Include the raw OPS XML-as-JSON family payload alongside the normalised member list. Off by default — the normalised list has everything most callers need.
`number`	Yes	Publication number as printed on the document, e.g. "EP1234567", "CN117928705A", "US10000000", or a PCT international publication like "WO2025028566" / "WO 2025/028566" / "WO2025028566A1". 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. A WIPO-style PCT application number is also accepted before it has published, e.g. "PCT/US2024/012345" — this is resolved to the receiving office's application record and the family it belongs to; if that application number is not yet indexed, the response says so and names the number it tried.

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.

Changed3 schema fields changedOct 20, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "number": "EP1234567"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "number": "EP1234567"
+  },
+  {
+    "number": "WO2012135025"
+  }
+]

changedInput schema / properties / number / description

Previous 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."New value: +"Publication number as printed on the document, e.g. \"EP1234567\", \"CN117928705A\", \"US10000000\", or a PCT international publication like \"WO2025028566\" / \"WO 2025/028566\" / \"WO2025028566A1\". 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. A WIPO-style PCT application number is also accepted before it has published, e.g. \"PCT/US2024/012345\" — this is resolved to the receiving office's application record and the family it belongs to; if that application number is not yet indexed, the response says so and names the number it tried."

addedInput schema / properties / raw

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Include the raw OPS XML-as-JSON family payload alongside the normalised member list. Off by default — the normalised list has everything most callers need.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

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

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already cover readOnly, idempotent, openWorld and non-destructive, so the safety profile is settled. The description adds real behavioral context beyond that: the response ordering (member count and countries first, then rows), how PCT applications are treated as normal members, and the ISR/Written Opinion limitation. It does not discuss rate limits or pagination, keeping it just short of a 5.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Four sentences, front-loaded with the core definition of what a family is before moving to return shape, PCT edge cases, and the ISR exclusion. Each sentence carries distinct information, though the density is high and could be trimmed slightly.

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?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be explained, yet the description still notes the member count/country summary. Combined with edge-case coverage (PCT numbers, unindexed applications, kind codes) and the explicit document-availability exclusion, an agent has everything needed to invoke this 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 coverage is 100% and the schema's 'number' description is already extremely thorough (examples, spacing/kind-code handling, PCT application-number acceptance). The description's note that 'a trailing kind code is handled for you' largely restates the schema, so baseline 3 applies.

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?

States a specific verb+resource — retrieving the INPADOC family, defined as 'every related patent publication worldwide covering the same underlying invention.' This distinguishes it clearly from single-publication siblings like get_biblio, get_claims, and get_abstract.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Gives an explicit use case (finding Chinese, Japanese, US, European, PCT members of one filing) and an explicit exclusion (does NOT include the ISR or Written Opinion, which EPO OPS does not carry) with a named alternative destination (WIPO PATENTSCOPE). When-to-use and when-not are both covered.

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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