The family tree gives you an interactive visual map of how patents in a family are connected. See continuations, divisionals, CIPs, and foreign filings laid out as a node diagram, with each patent positioned by filing year. This makes it straightforward to understand coverage, spot gaps, and plan your prosecution strategy.
📷 The family tree diagram showing patent nodes arranged by filing year on a horizontal timeline, connected by labeled edges indicating relationship types such as Continuation, Divisional, and PCT National Phase
Key Capabilities
Interactive diagram — Zoom, pan, and click patent nodes to explore the full family structure. Each node shows the country flag, application number, and status.
Relationship labels — Edges between nodes display the relationship type (continuation, divisional, continuation-in-part, PCT national phase, Paris Convention, and others).
Year-based layout — Patents are arranged along a timeline by filing year, so you can see how the family evolved over time.
Family comparison — Switch to the comparison tab to see a side-by-side analysis of claims and elements across family members. ArcPrime highlights which cases have broader claims.
Direct navigation — Click any node in the tree to open that patent's detail view.
How It Works
From a patent detail view, click the family tree link or navigate to the family tree page for that patent family. The diagram loads with all patents in the extended family displayed as nodes.
Nodes are color-coded and show country flags for quick identification. Edges connect parent and child patents with labels describing the relationship type. Use your mouse or trackpad to zoom and pan the diagram. Click the fit-to-view button to reset the zoom level.
Above the diagram, tabs let you switch between the Diagram view and the Comparison view. The comparison view runs an AI-powered analysis of claims and elements across family members.
📷 A close-up of two family tree nodes connected by an edge labeled "Continuation," with the parent node showing a US flag and "Granted" status and the child node showing "Pending"
Common Use Cases
Use Case | How ArcPrime Helps |
Understand family coverage before filing a continuation | View the tree to see existing filings by country and type |
Brief a colleague on family structure | Share the family tree link for a visual overview |
Identify coverage gaps | Compare claims across family members using the comparison tab |
Track foreign filing routes | See PCT and Paris Convention relationships on the diagram |
Getting Started
To explore a patent's family tree, see How to View the Family Tree. To add new members to a family, see How to Add a Patent to a Family.
Related Articles
How to View the Family Tree — Navigate, zoom, and interact with the tree diagram
How to Add a Patent to a Family — Create new relationships within a family
Family Comparison View — Compare claims and elements across family members
Patent Detail View — Learn about the full patent detail page