Prior-art search · Patentability reports · API + MCP
Describe the invention.
Get the prior art, cited.
Patent77 plans a prior-art search from a plain-English description the way a professional searcher would — claim elements, synonym expansion, iterated queries — then searches the live patent record and returns scored references with a knockout-risk read. Every reference carries its publication number and a link to the source document.
Free tier runs the real engine. No card.
- what a search firm charges
- $1,000–$3,000
- a search firm's turnaround
- 1–2 weeks
- one Patent77 run
- Minutes
- free searches, real engine
- 3 / mo
The method
A professional's search, run as four passes
This is the same method a search firm bills $1,000–$3,000 for — decompose, search, read, map — executed by the engine and shown to you at every step. How it works in detail.
Fig. 2 — Decomposition 01Plan
The engine reads your description and extracts claim-style elements — the units an examiner actually compares — then builds a synonym table in patent-speak.
Fig. 3 — Corpus queries 02Search
It runs iterated queries against the live patent record: element combinations, expanded vocabulary, classification guesses. The queries are shown, not hidden.
Fig. 4 — Ranked references 03Read
Candidate documents are read against your elements and scored 0 to 1 for relevance, with a one-line note on what each one overlaps.
Fig. 5 — Reads-on matrix 04Map
The report maps every element against every close reference — reads on, partial, not shown — with an examiner-style narrative and a stated-limitations section.
A real run
What one search returns
Unedited engine output from a genuine run - real publication numbers, real scores, every reference verifiable at its source.
Invention, as described
A bicycle helmet with an integrated crash-detection module. An accelerometer and gyroscope detect an impact exceeding a threshold; the helmet then flashes its rear LED array in an SOS pattern and sends an emergency alert with GPS coordinates over Bluetooth to a paired phone app, which escalates to an emergency contact if the rider does not cancel within a countdown window. The module is removable and recharges wirelessly.
Bicycle Helmet with Crash-Detection and Emergency Alert Module
No single reference discloses the full claimed combination, so there's no clean knockout. But the pieces are scattered across close prior art: CN212994760U already shows a helmet with rear LEDs, an accelerometer, GPS and a rechargeable supply, US20160066640A1 shows a gyroscope-driven algorithm that contacts emergency responders after a collision, and FR2925874A1 shows an accelerometer-triggered Bluetooth alert signal. An examiner could combine these (plus EP3815067B1's alerting/communication features) to mount a fairly strong obviousness rejection, particularly against the SOS-LED, GPS-Bluetooth-alert, and escalation elements. The countdown-cancellation (e5) and true wireless-recharging-when-detached (e7) features appear to be the most novel, least-anticipated aspects in this set.
Claim elements
- E1helmet with module. A bicycle helmet having an integrated, removable crash-detection module.
- E2impact sensor. An accelerometer and gyroscope configured to detect an impact exceeding a predetermined threshold.
- E3rear LED SOS signal. A rear-mounted LED array that flashes in an SOS pattern in response to a detected impact.
- E4Bluetooth GPS alert. A wireless transmitter that sends an emergency alert with GPS coordinates over Bluetooth to a paired mobile application.
- E5countdown cancellation. A countdown window during which the rider may cancel the emergency alert before further escalation.
- E6emergency contact escalation. Logic that escalates the alert to a designated emergency contact if the countdown expires without cancellation.
- E7wireless recharging. A removable module configured to be wirelessly recharged when detached from the helmet.
Queries executed
- › helmet "crash detection" accelerometer gyroscope impact
- › bicycle helmet "emergency alert" GPS Bluetooth
- › helmet sensor "emergency contact" countdown cancel
- › wearable "fall detection" (helmet OR headgear) notification
- › helmet rear LED "SOS" impact indicator
- › removable crash sensor module wireless charging helmet
- › impact sensor helmet paired smartphone app alert
- › bicycle helmet (accelerometer OR gyroscope) automatic emergency notification
149 candidates considered before rerank
Intelligent helmet
North China University of Science and Technology · 2021-04-20
Discloses a smart helmet with a rear-mounted LED dot-matrix array, an accelerometer, a GPS chip, and a rechargeable power supply built into the main control board.
Reads on E1 · E2 · E3 · E4
Augmented Reality Motorcycle Helmet
Skully Inc · 2016-03-10
Abstract describes a gyroscope providing acceleration output to an algorithm that contacts emergency responders after a collision if the rider is non-responsive, though the claimed invention itself is a rear-camera display system.
Reads on E2 · E6
Activity monitoring system and method for incident detection and response
Saphibeat Technologies Inc · 2021-05-11
Wearable/helmet-integrated activity monitoring device with motion sensors, processor and communication module that analyzes motion patterns for injury/incident detection and response.
Reads on E1 · E2 · E6
+ 9 further references in the full example.
Real run · 2026-07-11 · every reference links to its source document.
Who it serves
Three readers of the same record
01
Inventors & founders
Know what's out there before you spend on filing.
Attorney fees for drafting run five figures. Twenty minutes with the free tier tells you whether the core idea survives contact with the record — and the Pro report is the document you take into the attorney meeting.
Run a free search →02
Attorneys & agents at small firms
A cited first pass in minutes, not a week of waiting.
Use it the way large firms use junior searchers: a fast, transparent first sweep with every query shown and every reference linked to source, before you decide what deserves a full professional search.
See the example report →03
AI agents, via API & MCP
Prior-art search as a native tool call.
The same engine is a single-key JSON API and a hosted MCP server (search_prior_art, get_patent, assess_patentability). Anonymous trial calls work before anyone creates an account.
Read the developer docs →The honest comparison
Firm, DIY, or Patent77
All three search the same public record. They differ in method, time and money — and there are cases where the firm is the right call. The full comparison.
| Search firm | DIY Google Patents | Patent77 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $1,000–$3,000 per search | Free | Free tier (3 searches/mo); reports from $49/mo |
| Turnaround | 1–2 weeks | Hours to days of your time | Minutes |
| Method | Trained searcher; queries not usually disclosed | Whatever queries you think of | Planned element-by-element; every query shown |
| Output | Written report with cited references | A pile of open tabs; you judge relevance | Scored references + element-mapped report (PDF) |
| Blind spots | Few; deep classification knowledge | You don't know what you missed | Stated in every report's limitations section |
| Best when | Litigation, FTO opinions, high-stakes filings | Learning the territory; zero budget | Fast, cited answers before you spend real money |
Pricing
Free to search. Paid when the answer matters.
The report - the thing a search firm charges $1,000-$3,000 for - is the paid deliverable. Searching to see what's out there costs nothing.
Free
$0/ free forever
Run a real prior-art search and see what's out there. No card.
3 AI searches/mo · top 5 references · web app only
- 3 AI prior-art searches / month
- Real engine: query synthesis + live patent corpus
- Top 5 references with relevance scores
- One-line overlap summary per reference
Pro
Recommended$49/ month
For inventors, founders and solo practitioners who need the full read.
50 searches + 10 reports/mo, then $4 per report · API + MCP · 10 monitors
- 50 AI searches/mo · full reference lists
- 10 patentability reports/mo included, then $4/report
- Element-by-element claim mapping + novelty/obviousness read
- PDF export to share with your attorney
Scale
$199/ month
For firms, IP teams and agent products running searches every day.
300 searches + 60 reports/mo, then $2.50 per report · 600/min · 100 monitors
- Everything in Pro
- 300 searches + 60 reports/mo, then $2.50/report
- 600 req/min burst for agent workloads
- Prior-art monitoring on 100 saved inventions
Full quotas, overage and API limits on the pricing page; machine-readable at /api/v1/pricing.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly
Is the free tier a real search or a demo?
Real. Free accounts run the same engine as paid plans - query planning, live corpus search, scored references - three times a month, showing the top 5 references. What free doesn't include is the full patentability report (the element-by-element matrix, examiner-style narrative and PDF), which is the paid deliverable.
Where do the references come from?
From the live public patent record, searched at query time via the Google Patents corpus. Nothing is generated: every reference carries its publication number and a link to the source document so you can verify it yourself.
Is this legal advice?
No. Patent77 searches the public record and organizes what it finds. No search - automated or professional - can guarantee that all relevant prior art has been found. Filing decisions should be made with a registered patent attorney or agent; the PDF report is designed to make that conversation cheaper and better-informed.
How does it compare to hiring a patent search firm?
Search firms typically charge $1,000-$3,000 for a patentability search and take one to two weeks. Patent77 runs the same method - element decomposition, iterated queries, claim reading - in minutes, self-serve. For litigation, freedom-to-operate opinions or high-stakes filings, a professional firm or attorney remains the right choice.
Can my AI agent use it?
Yes. The engine is exposed as a JSON API and a hosted MCP server with three tools: search_prior_art, get_patent and assess_patentability. Anonymous trial calls work without an account (top 3 references, throttled); one API key applies your plan's quota and full results.
No card · cancel anytime
Run the first search now.
Three real searches a month, free. No card. If the results are close, you'll know before you spend a dollar on filing.