see https://www.epo.org/searching-for-patents/helpful-resources/first-time-here/patent-families.html).

Let's consider the following applications and related priority applications. In this example, P1, P2

and P3 do not have

priorities:

By using different application numbers as simple search criteria, possible results are listed:

• Input search number: P1 -> simple search result P1

• Input search number: P2 -> simple search result P2

• Input search number: A1 -> simple search result (A1, P1, A2, A3)

• Input search number: A6 -> simple search result (A6, A1), because there is no direct link that claims A1 as priority

• Input search number: A2 -> simple search result (A2, P1, P2, A1, A3, A4)

• Input search number: A3 -> simple search result (A3, P1, P2, A1, A2, A4)

• Input search number: A4 -> simple search result (A4, P2, P3, A2, A3, A5)

• Input search number: A5 -> simple search result (A5, P3, A4)

• Input search number: A7 -> simple search result (A7, A5, A6 ), because there is no direct link that claims A5 or A6 as priority