Query Patents

Instructions

Implementation Reference

• src/tools/patents.ts:78-109 (handler)

  The async handler function for the 'query_patents' tool. Accepts optional filters (patent_title, assignee, inventor, cpc_section, patent_type, date_from, date_to, limit), calls the Verilex API at /api/v1/patents, and returns formatted results.

  async ({ patent_title, assignee, inventor, cpc_section, patent_type, date_from, date_to, limit }) => {
    const res = await apiGet<PatentQueryResponse>("/api/v1/patents", {
      patent_title,
      assignee,
      inventor,
      cpc_section,
      patent_type,
      date_from,
      date_to,
      limit: limit ?? 25,
    });
  
    if (!res.ok) {
      return {
        content: [
          {
            type: "text" as const,
            text: `API error (${res.status}): ${JSON.stringify(res.data)}`,
          },
        ],
        isError: true,
      };
    }
  
    const { count, data } = res.data;
    const summary = `Found ${count} patent(s).`;
    const json = JSON.stringify(data, null, 2);
  
    return {
      content: [{ type: "text" as const, text: `${summary}\n\n${json}` }],
    };
  },

• src/tools/patents.ts:39-76 (schema)

  Input schema for query_patents defined with Zod. Optional fields: patent_title, assignee, inventor, cpc_section, patent_type, date_from, date_to, limit (default 25, max 100).

  inputSchema: {
    patent_title: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("Patent title keyword search (partial match)"),
    assignee: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("Assignee organization name (partial match, e.g. 'Google')"),
    inventor: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("Inventor name (partial match, e.g. 'Smith')"),
    cpc_section: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("CPC section letter (A=Human Necessities, B=Operations, C=Chemistry, " +
        "D=Textiles, E=Fixed Constructions, F=Mechanical Engineering, G=Physics, H=Electricity)"),
    patent_type: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("Patent type: utility, design, plant, reissue"),
    date_from: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("Start date for patent grant (YYYY-MM-DD)"),
    date_to: z
      .string()
      .optional()
      .describe("End date for patent grant (YYYY-MM-DD)"),
    limit: z
      .number()
      .int()
      .min(1)
      .max(100)
      .optional()
      .describe("Maximum results to return (default 25, max 100)"),
  },

• src/tools/patents.ts:31-110 (registration)

  Registration of the 'query_patents' tool via server.registerTool() with its schema and handler callback.

  server.registerTool(
    "query_patents",
    {
      title: "Query Patents",
      description:
        "Search US patents from the USPTO PatentsView database. Filter by patent title, " +
        "assignee organization, inventor name, CPC section, patent type, and grant date range. " +
        "Source: USPTO PatentsView API, updated weekly.",
      inputSchema: {
        patent_title: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("Patent title keyword search (partial match)"),
        assignee: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("Assignee organization name (partial match, e.g. 'Google')"),
        inventor: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("Inventor name (partial match, e.g. 'Smith')"),
        cpc_section: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("CPC section letter (A=Human Necessities, B=Operations, C=Chemistry, " +
            "D=Textiles, E=Fixed Constructions, F=Mechanical Engineering, G=Physics, H=Electricity)"),
        patent_type: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("Patent type: utility, design, plant, reissue"),
        date_from: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("Start date for patent grant (YYYY-MM-DD)"),
        date_to: z
          .string()
          .optional()
          .describe("End date for patent grant (YYYY-MM-DD)"),
        limit: z
          .number()
          .int()
          .min(1)
          .max(100)
          .optional()
          .describe("Maximum results to return (default 25, max 100)"),
      },
    },
    async ({ patent_title, assignee, inventor, cpc_section, patent_type, date_from, date_to, limit }) => {
      const res = await apiGet<PatentQueryResponse>("/api/v1/patents", {
        patent_title,
        assignee,
        inventor,
        cpc_section,
        patent_type,
        date_from,
        date_to,
        limit: limit ?? 25,
      });
  
      if (!res.ok) {
        return {
          content: [
            {
              type: "text" as const,
              text: `API error (${res.status}): ${JSON.stringify(res.data)}`,
            },
          ],
          isError: true,
        };
      }
  
      const { count, data } = res.data;
      const summary = `Found ${count} patent(s).`;
      const json = JSON.stringify(data, null, 2);
  
      return {
        content: [{ type: "text" as const, text: `${summary}\n\n${json}` }],
      };
    },
  );

• src/index.ts:18-18 (registration)

  Import of registerPatentTools from the patents module, which registers query_patents among other patent tools.

  import { registerPatentTools } from "./tools/patents.js";

• src/client.ts:44-76 (helper)

  The apiGet helper function used by the query_patents handler to make HTTP GET requests to the Verilex API.

  export async function apiGet<T = unknown>(
    path: string,
    params?: Record<string, string | number | undefined>,
  ): Promise<ApiResponse<T>> {
    const url = buildUrl(path, params);
  
    const headers: Record<string, string> = {
      Accept: "application/json",
      "User-Agent": "verilex-mcp-server/0.1.0",
    };
  
    // Forward x402 payment token if present in env (for paid endpoints)
    const paymentToken = process.env.VERILEX_PAYMENT_TOKEN;
    if (paymentToken) {
      headers["X-Payment-Token"] = paymentToken;
    }
  
    const res = await fetch(url, { headers });
    const data = (await res.json()) as T;
  
    const stale = res.headers.get("X-Data-Stale");
    const lastUpdated = res.headers.get("X-Data-Last-Updated");
    const ageSeconds = res.headers.get("X-Data-Age-Seconds");
  
    return {
      ok: res.ok,
      status: res.status,
      data,
      stale: stale === "true",
      lastUpdated: lastUpdated ?? undefined,
      ageSeconds: ageSeconds ? Number(ageSeconds) : undefined,
    };
  }