歐洲專利Rule 43(7)專利範圍標註編號的筆記

筆記

EPC Rule 43 Form and content of claims
...
(7) Where the European patent application contains drawings including reference signs, the technical features specified in the claims shall preferably be followed by such reference signs relating to these features, placed in parentheses, if the intelligibility of the claim can thereby be increased. These reference signs shall not be construed as limiting the claim.

EPC細則43規範歐洲專利申請案包括圖式（與元件編號），請求項所界定技術特徵較佳可以括號標註這些元件編號，而這些標註並不會用來限定專利範圍。

Guidelines F-IV, 4.19
(Part F – The European Patent Application
Chapter IV – Claims (Art. 84 and formal requirements)
4. Clarity and interpretation of claims
4.19 Reference signs)

4.19 Reference signs

If the application contains drawings, and the comprehension of the claims would be improved by establishing the connection between the features mentioned in the claims and the corresponding reference signs in the drawings, then appropriate reference signs should be placed in parentheses after the features mentioned in the claims. If there is a large number of different embodiments, only the reference signs of the most important embodiments need be incorporated in the independent claim(s). Where claims are drafted in the two-part form set out in Rule 43(1), the reference signs should be inserted not only in the characterising part but also in the preamble of the claims. Reference signs should not however be seen as limiting the extent of the matter protected by the claims; their sole function is to make claims easier to understand. A comment to that effect in the description is acceptable (see T 237/84).

If text is added to reference signs in parentheses in the claims, lack of clarity can arise (Art. 84). Expressions such as "securing means (screw 13, nail 14)" or "valve assembly (valve seat 23, valve element 27, valve seat 28)" are not reference signs in the sense of Rule 43(7) but are special features, to which the last sentence of Rule 43(7) is not applicable. Consequently, it is unclear whether the features added to the reference signs are limiting or not. Accordingly, such bracketed features are generally not permissible. However, additional references to those figures where particular reference signs are to be found, such as "(13 - Figure 3; 14 - Figure 4)", are unobjectionable.

A lack of clarity can also arise with bracketed expressions that do not include reference signs, e.g. "(concrete) moulded brick". In contrast, bracketed expressions with a generally accepted meaning are allowable, e.g.-"(meth)acrylate" which is known as an abbreviation for "acrylate and methacrylate". The use of brackets in chemical or mathematical formulae is also unobjectionable.

根據歐洲專利審查指南F-IV, 4.19規定了「元件標號」標註在請求項中的規定，請求項的理解可以透過與說明書圖式的方式來改善，也就是標註在請求項中元件上的編號，如果有多個實施例都有相同元件，可以以最重要的實施例來標示。

專利法細則Rule 43(1)規範歐洲專利請求項應以兩段式撰寫，因此前言部分的元件也應標註元件編號。即便在請求項元件上加註標號，但不以此為限制。

說明書加入此段宣告（請求項中元件編號不是用來限制專利範圍）可以被接受的（案例T 237/84）。

這裡提到一些不明確的標註方式：
"securing means (screw 13, nail 14)"
"valve assembly (valve seat 23, valve element 27, valve seat 28)"

除了常見單純地加入元件編號的方式以外，以下方式可被接受：
"(13 - Figure 3; 14 - Figure 4)"

不得使用括號描述元件意思，但特別提到化學案與數學式可以使用括號，如可以接受以括號表示縮寫原本的意思。

範例：
一般記載範例：
9. A production process for a water-absorbent resin, comprising the steps of: blending a liquid material (B) and a water-absorbent resin (A); and heating the resultant mixture in order to produce a modified water-absorbent resin,
   with the production process being characterized by further comprising the step of heat-treating a water-absorbent resin under an atmosphere having a dew point of not higher than 60 °C and a temperature of not lower than 90 °C, wherein the water-absorbent resin is obtained after a drying step following a pulverization step.

有關在請求項記載縮寫與原文的範例：
22. The electrochromic monomer composition according to claim 2, wherein said photoinitiator of (e) is a member selected from the group consisting of "ESACURE" TZT (trimethyl benzophenone blend), "ESACURE" KB1 (benzildimethyl ketal), "ESACURE" EB3 (mixture of benzoin n-butyl ethers), "ESACURE" KB60 (60% solution of benzildimethyl ketal), "ESACURE" KIP 100F (α-hydroxy ketone), "ESACURE" ITX (i-propyl thioxanthone), "ESACURE" EDB [ethyl-4-(dimethylamino)-benzoate], "IRGACURE" 184, "IRGACURE" 907, "IRGACURE" 369, "IRGACURE" 500, "IRGACURE" 651, "IRGACURE" 261, "IRGACURE" 784, "DAROCURE" 1173, "DAROCURE" 4265, "CYRACURE" UVI-6974 (mixed triaryl sulfonium hexafluoroantimonate salts), "CYRACURE" UVI-6990 (mixed triaryl sulfonium hexafluorophosphate salts), dl- camphorquinone and combinations thereof.

請求項數學式的記載範例：
12. The integer frequency offset estimator according to claim 11, wherein the correlation value given by the above correlator is represented by the following formula:

where m is the amount of cyclic shift, * is a complex conjugate, X_n,k is a known scattered pilot, Y_n,k is the k-th sub-carrier signal among the n-th OFDM symbol, P_ is a location of the scattered pilot, k _max p is the last sub-carrier index of the scattered pilot within one OFDM symbol, and Δ is an interval between two adjacent scattered pilots.

Ron