What does patent novelty retrieval mean?

Search and investigate the existing patent literature. Patent novelty retrieval, full name patent retrieval and novelty examination, refers to the retrieval and investigation of existing patent documents before applying for a patent to determine whether the invention or innovation has been applied for or disclosed by others. It is an important link to ensure the novelty and creativity of patent applications, and it is also an important basis for Patent examiners to examine patent applications. Novelty of patent application means that the invention or innovation does not belong to the existing technology before the application date. Through the patent novelty search, we can find out the existing patents or documents related to the invention or innovation, so as to determine whether the invention or innovation is novel.