Understanding the Prior art mapping step

What the Matrix Shows

The Prior art mapping step is Step 2 of the Analysis Panel. It shows a grid where rows are claim elements (limitations from your claims decomposed into individual components) and columns are prior art references cited by the examiner.

Reading the Grid

Each cell in the matrix indicates whether the examiner asserts that a particular reference teaches a particular claim element. Highlighted cells show where mappings exist. Empty cells indicate elements that the examiner did not map to that reference.

Identifying Weaknesses

Look for rows with few or no highlighted cells. These represent claim elements that the examiner struggled to map to prior art, making them strong candidates for arguments that the references do not teach or suggest the claimed invention.

Using with the Chat

Click any cell to see the examiner's specific assertion. Ask Abigail: "Why does the examiner say Smith teaches the sensor limitation?" to get a detailed analysis of the mapping.

Per-Claim Filtering

Use the claim selector at the top of the matrix to filter to a specific claim. This is especially useful for cases with many claims, allowing you to focus on one rejection at a time.