flowleap-ai Recipe: Invalidity Analysis
Build a prior-art invalidity case against a target patent, claim by claim.
Step 1: Target Intake — Fix the Critical Date
flowleap --json summary <target-patent> # biblio, legal status, family, term
flowleap --json ops claims <target-patent>
flowleap --json timeline <target-patent> # filing/priority events
The earliest priority date is the critical date: prior art must predate it (mind grace periods and jurisdiction differences). Record it before searching.
Step 2: Decompose the Asserted Claims
Decompose each asserted independent claim yourself: split on the
comprising transition and the semicolon/wherein boundaries, keep the claim
language verbatim per element, and derive keywords and synonyms per element
(the method is in recipe-claim-analysis, Step 4).
Every element in the list must be found in the art — track them as a checklist.
Step 3: Hunt Prior Art Per Element Combination
Write a query per element combination yourself, tuned broad — invalidity is
a recall hunt, so drop classifications, OR in synonyms from Step 2, and probe
every query's count before trusting it (method in flowleap-patent):
# Patent art, both databases — element pairs carry the discrimination
flowleap --json tools run search_patents query='<CQL for the element combination>' range=1-1 details=false
flowleap --json patent search --query "<CQL for the element combination>" --limit 30
flowleap --json uspto search --query "<self-written ODP Lucene>" --limit 30 # title + metadata only
# Non-patent art — bound by the critical date
flowleap --json academic search "<element keywords>" --to-year <priority-year> --limit 20
flowleap --json npl "<element keywords>" --to-year <priority-year> --limit 20
A provider_keys_required on either office is a missing patent-data key, not an
exhausted search: hunt the live office and the non-patent art in full, record the
gated office as an open missing-key gap in the invalidity chart (an unsearched
office weakens the case, so it must never pass as a completed sweep), and ask for
the free key at the end. See flowleap-keys.
Step 4: Mine the Prosecution Record
flowleap --json citation search <application-number> --category x # what the examiner already found
flowleap --json citation forward <target-patent> --size 50 # who cites it since
Art the examiner never saw is stronger than art already of record.
Step 5: Tag References X/Y/A
- X — one reference disclosing every element of a claim: anticipation (35 U.S.C. 102 / EPC Art. 54)
- Y — reference that invalidates only in combination with another: obviousness (35 U.S.C. 103 / EPC Art. 56); record the motivation to combine
- A — background/state of the art; supports the narrative, not the ground
For each X/Y candidate, pull the full text and verify against the element checklist:
flowleap --json ops claims <reference>
flowleap --json ops description <reference>
Step 6: Ground the Legal Standard
flowleap --json legal search "anticipation single reference disclosure" --jurisdiction uspto
flowleap --json legal search "inventive step problem solution approach" --jurisdiction epo --comprehensive
Output
An invalidity chart per asserted claim:
- Rows: claim elements (from Step 2)
- Columns: references with X/Y/A tags and effective dates vs. the critical date
- Cells: pin cites (column/line or paragraph) quoting the disclosure
- Combination rationale for every Y-pair, with legal citations