* Note on Patent Classification patents are given classifications based on their technical content which allows retrieval of patents according to the nature of the inventions revealed therein. The International Patent Classification (IPC) consists of about 70,000 classification symbols divided between 8 basic sections (a to h), relating to different basic kinds of technology. The Classification system is revised constantly to ensure that new and emerging technologies are included, with a new edition released yearly. A classification code is given for each inventive element in a patent. A patent may contain two or more inventions as long as they are sufficiently related, for instance, a new chemical compound and its use as a medicine or herbicide. Accordingly, a patent may need a number of classification symbols to cover the whole of its content. The accompanying table and graph collate the total number of classifications allocated to granted patents in 2020. Each individual classification represents an inventive element disclosed in a patent, so this is akin to a tally of inventiveness. Classifications are grouped by IPC section.
* nóta ar Aicmiú Paitinne déantar aicmiú ar phaitinní bunaithe ar a n-ábhar teicniúil. Ceadaíonn aicmiú den chineál sin aisghabháil paitinní de réir nádúr na n-aireagán a nochtar iontu. Is é an tAicmiú Idirnáisiúnta Paitinne (AIP) an córas caighdeánach do rangú paitinne. Tá sé comhdhéanta de thart ar 70,000 siombal aicmithe roinnte ar 8 rannóg bunúsacha (a go h), a bhaineann le cineálacha difriúla bunúsacha teicneolaíochta. Tugtar cód aicmithe ar gach ní airgtheach i bpaitinn. Is féidir dhá aireagán nó níos mó a bheith i bpaitinn chomh fada is atá leorghaol eatarthu; mar shampla, comheascán nua Ceimice agus a úsáid mar mhíochaine nó mar luibhicíd, nó léasar nua agus a úsáid i máinliacht súl nó léamh sonraí. Dá réir sin, is féidir go dteastódh líon áirithe siombal aicmiúcháin lena n-ábhar ar fad a chlúdach. Déanann an tábla agus an graf atá leis seo comhordú ar líon iomlán na n-aicmí a leithdháileadh do phaitinní í 2019. Seasann gach rangú ar leith do ní airgtheach a nochtar i bpaitinn, agus dá bhrí sin is ionann seo cuid mhaith agus cuntas scóir ar airgtheacht. Tá na haicmí curtha i ngrúpaí de réir rannóga AIP.langbot langbot