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What hours can I use STN Viewer?

STN Viewer is available during standard STN hours of operation.

How do I license STN Viewer software?

No license or software is required.  Only a compatible web browser is needed.

How will I be notified if there is a new version of STN Viewer?

Messages within the STN Viewer interface will communicate any significant version changes.  The messaging feature is not available in the current version of STN Viewer, but is expected to be available soon.

Do I need a special login ID and/or password for STN Viewer?

No.  All existing and new STN login IDs and passwords provide access to STN Viewer.

How do I request a new STN Login ID for Shared Projects?

STN Login IDs for Shared Projects can be requested by contacting your STN Service Center or by completing and returning an STN Login IDs for Shared Projects Request Form.

Can I access STN Viewer with an STN AnaVist Login ID for Shared Projects?

Yes.  However, holders of full-access STN login IDs may contact their local STN Help Desk to request new STN Login IDs for Shared Projects that exclude STN Viewer (or STN AnaVist).

Can I change my STN password in STN Viewer?

No.  However, passwords can be changed in STN using the SET PASSWORD command.

Can I share STN Viewer patent projects with someone served by a different STN Service Center?

Not at this time.  This feature is planned for a future STN Viewer release.

In the e-mail generated when I share an STN Viewer patent project, what address is inserted in the 'From' field?

The e-mail will include the following address: 

<your STN login ID>@stnviewer.org

Are first-time users of STN Viewer required to agree to any terms and conditions prior to use?

No.  However, use is governed by terms and conditions on the STN Agreement and Order Form (English or German).

Will I receive a separate invoice for STN Viewer?

No.  STN Viewer charges will be included on your standard monthly STN invoice.

Will the cost centers I assign in STN Viewer appear in the Cost Center Summary associated with my STN invoice?

Yes.

Is subscription pricing available for STN Viewer?

Not at this time.  However, all STN Viewer-related fees are covered by the STN Fixed Fee Plan.

Can I be logged on to STN Express and STN Viewer at the same time?

Yes.

Does STN Viewer use the standard (http) or secure (https) hypertext transfer protocol?

Data transfer from STN Express to STN Viewer uses http, but is expected to change to https in a subsequent STN Express release.  Within STN Viewer, https is used exclusively.

Do I need to log on to STN Viewer each time I launch from STN Express?

Yes.  However, a one-time login feature is planned for future STN Viewer releases.

How is STN Viewer performance affected by large answer sets?

Large answer sets are slower to import and process in STN Viewer.  With answer sets less than 200, performance is very good to excellent.

What should I do if I see 'Page' errors when I use STN Viewer through a proxy server connection via SSL-VPN?

Try the Refresh and/or Back buttons in your web browser.  However, you may need to redo your last action.  If the problem persists, contact your local STN Service Center.

How long will an STN Viewer session remain active?

After 20 minutes of inactivity, a security timeout will inactivate your STN Viewer session.  To continue the session, re-enter your login ID and password to access STN Viewer where you left off.

What happens to my session if I leave it inactive for an extended period of time?

After 12 hours of inactivity, your session is automatically ended.

How is STN Viewer launched from STN Express?

Click an L-number or a patent number from a displayed patent record and select Evaluate with STN Viewer.  STN Viewer may also be launched from the Select Discover! Wizard window by selecting an L-number and clicking Evaluate with STN Viewer or by clicking the Discover! button and selecting Evaluate with STN Viewer.

How do I access existing projects in STN Viewer?

In STN Express, Version 8.2, click the STN Viewer button in the toolbar.  If the button is not available, your toolbar may have been customized.  Right-click on an empty place in the toolbar to add the STN Viewer button.  You may also access STN Viewer by selecting STN Viewer from the Logon menu in STN Express or access STN Viewer directly via https://fiz-k.stn.org/viewer.

Which databases on STN can I use to create answer sets for STN Viewer?

Any STN database that includes patent information may be used, including full-text patent databases (AUPATFULL, CANPATFULL, CNFULL, EPFULL, FRFULL, GBFULL, JPFULL, PATDPAFULL, PCTFULL, RDISCLOSURE, USPATFULL/USPAT2, USPATOLD) and indexed databases with patent content (e.g., CAplus and Derwent World Patents Index).

Can I use post-processing features of STN Express with patent content from STN Viewer?

Yes.  Select documents in the patent queue or in a patent project and click Actions > Save.  Select STN Express transcript to create a .tm file that can be opened with STN Express.

How will I be notified in the event that a full-text patent database is not available when STN Viewer is launched from STN Express?

Messaging when you log on to STN will indicate any databases that are unavailable.

What is the maximum size of an STN Express answer set that can be processed by the Evaluate with STN Viewer feature?

The maximum number of answers in an L-numbered answer set is 1,000.  Note that while the maximum number of answers allowed is 1,000, the actual number of full-text patent documents sent to STN Viewer may be much greater due to the inclusion of patent equivalents.  L-numbers with less than 200 answers are recommended for optimal performance.

Which STN search interfaces can I use to create answer sets for STN Viewer?

Answer sets for STN Viewer can be created in STN Express or STN on the Web, but not STN Easy.

Can I print records in STN Viewer?

No.  However, documents saved as STN Express transcripts (.tm) or in rich text format (.rtf) are printable.

Is there a limit to the number of patent documents that I can save in rich text format?

Yes.  No more than 200 documents may be saved in this format.

Can I use non-English characters in STN Viewer?

Yes.  When adding a new project or editing Project Information, Unicode-8 encoded characters (including Japanese and Cyrillic) may be used in the Project name and Description fields.  However, only English characters may be used in the Cost center field.  Unicode-8 encoded characters may also be used for document labels and notes.

Is display highlighting in STN Express available in STN Viewer?

No.  In STN Express, highlighting is created on the basis of search terms.  In STN Viewer, highlighting is used to locate terms of interest within the full-text patent document and is completely user-defined.

Can I use truncation symbols or masking characters when I specify terms for highlighting in STN Viewer?

Yes.  The following symbols are available:

Character	Definition	Example	Examples of Data Highlighted
? or *	Any number of characters to the right, left, or within a term	steroid?	steroid steroids steroidal
		?methane	methane trihalomethane nitromethane
		*per*benz*	perhalobenzenes perchlorobenzoate aminoperchlorobenzoic
#	One or zero characters to the right, left, or within a term.  Multiple symbols may be used.	vap##r	vapor vapour
!	One character to the right, left, or within a term.  Multiple symbols may be used.	t!!th	teeth tooth
%	One or more numeric characters.	example %	example 1 example 25 example 200

Can I combine different truncation and masking characters in the same search term?

Yes.

If I save a patent document in rich text format, will the highlighting from STN Viewer be retained when I print?

No.  This feature is not available at this time, but is planned for a future STN Viewer release.

Is there a limit to the number of terms that I can highlight with a single color?

Yes.  The number of characters for a single color must be 256 or less.

Can I change my highlighting colors?

Yes.  The drop-down menu next to each highlighting color displays the colors available for highlighting.  You may also change the default highlighting colors in Settings.

How should I enter multiple terms for a single highlighting color?

Enter one term per line or list each term on the same line.  For both methods, always separate terms with commas or semicolons.

How should I specify a concept that may appear as a single term, a hyphenated term, or two separate terms?

Specify each of the variations within a single highlighting color, e.g.:

• Noninvasive
• Non-invasive
• Non invasive

What is the difference between patent family information retrieved from CAplus and INPADOCDB?

CAplus patent family information is based on priority application information, and CAplus basics are based on countries of origin and IPC code inclusion.  Families from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s were intellectually determined.  For INPADOCDB, patent families include all publications linked directly or indirectly via a priority application.  Additional comparisons are included in the table below.

	CAplus	INPADOCDB
Patent families included	Chemistry and chemically relevant patents	All patents
Designated states	yes	yes
Legal status	no	yes

Does the Sort by Patent Family feature in STN Viewer sort in the same way as FSORT in STN?

No.  In STN Viewer, the Sort by Patent Family feature determines patent families based on priority application numbers.  FSORT in STN determines patent families based on patent numbers and priority application numbers.

What information does STN Viewer use to sort by assignee?

STN Viewer currently sorts by first assignee only.

Can I connect directly to the USPTO and esp@cenet web pages or to my internal full-text patent collection via ChemPort in STN Viewer?

Yes. Configure ChemPort Direct Linking settings for Direct to Document (USPTO and esp@cenet) and Direct to Library (internal collections) to include patents.  Direct to Document takes precedence over Direct to Library.  These selections will apply to everyone within an organization.