Claim Chart
What Is a Claim Chart?
A claim chart is a structured table that breaks a patent claim into individual limitations and maps each limitation to corresponding evidence. Depending on the purpose, the evidence may come from a product, process, technical document, earlier patent, publication, or other source.
Claim charts are commonly used in patent infringement analysis, FTO analysis, invalidity research, licensing, and patent litigation. They make the comparison traceable by showing what the claim requires, where the evidence appears, and which elements remain uncertain.
A chart is an analytical aid rather than a legal conclusion. Its quality depends on accurate claim interpretation, reliable evidence, current legal-status information, and review under the law of the relevant jurisdiction.
Need to map product features to patent claims?
Organize claim limitations, supporting evidence, and potential product risks in a structured review with Patsnap Eureka.
Build a Claim ChartWhat Does a Claim Chart Contain?
| Chart field | Purpose | Typical content |
| Claim limitation | Separates the claim into reviewable requirements. | Exact claim language, organized by element or step. |
| Interpretation | Records the working meaning of important terms. | Relevant definitions, specification passages, drawings, and assumptions. |
| Mapped evidence | Shows where a feature or disclosure may correspond to the limitation. | Product documents, test results, images, source passages, or prior-art excerpts. |
| Assessment and notes | Makes uncertainty and follow-up work visible. | Match status, missing evidence, legal-status checks, questions, and reviewer comments. |
Common Types of Claim Charts
Infringement or evidence-of-use chart. Maps each claim limitation to features of an accused or monitored product or process.
FTO chart. Compares a planned product with active claims identified through an FTO search and highlights areas requiring deeper review.
Invalidity or prior-art chart. Maps claim limitations to earlier references to examine whether the claimed subject matter may lack novelty or inventive step.
Licensing and portfolio chart. Supports technical discussions by showing how a patent may relate to products, standards, or commercial opportunities.
How Is a Claim Chart Prepared?
- Select the claim and purpose. Define the patent, jurisdiction, relevant date, product or reference, and decision the chart must support.
- Confirm status and source text. Use the current claim language and verify whether the patent and selected claims are active and relevant.
- Break the claim into limitations. Separate each required element or step without changing the substance of the claim.
- Collect and cite evidence. Link every proposed match to a precise document, passage, image, test result, or other verifiable source.
- Record gaps and review. Distinguish supported matches from assumptions, missing evidence, and issues requiring technical or legal judgment.
Patsnap Eureka’s FTO workflow can help teams organize product features, identify active patents, and assemble evidence-linked comparisons for professional review. Final claim interpretation and infringement conclusions should be made by qualified patent professionals.
