The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is pleased to announce improvements to the Patent Electronic Filing System (EFS).  Beginning Sunday, August 22, 2004 the Office will make available EFS-ABX version 1.1 and ePAVE version 5.1d. 

The New Authoring Tool - EFS-ABX
EFS-ABX is the new authoring tool used to create patent application specifications. EFS-ABX allows users to develop a patent application completely in Microsoft® Word which greatly improves the workflow of creating a patent specification over current authoring tools.  Additional features and benefits of EFS-ABX include:

·         EFS-ABX converts all images contained in the Microsoft® Word file to TIFF files. Users no longer need to scan and save every image in their specification as a TIFF file and are now able to create and edit graphics using any tool and format that is integrated with Microsoft® Word.

·         EFX-ABX validates the application specification against USPTO business rules and format requirements.

·         EFS-ABX allows users to import a Microsoft Word document and an XML file created using the previous authoring tool, PASAT.

ePAVE Version 5.1d

The new ePAVE software still includes all of the familiar functions of the previous version, and has been updated to accept only specifications created using EFS-ABX to ensure that the legal record at the USPTO matches what the customer created and intended. ePAVE 5.1d also includes an enhanced Address Book Feature available on all data entry screens.   

To accommodate changes to the EFS Server related to the release of the new versions of the EFS software, EFS will be unavailable from 11:00 PM Saturday, August 21, 2004 until 4 PM Sunday, August 22, 2004.

During this time the USPTO EFS server will NOT accept electronic filings of Patent Applications and related documents.  External customers are strongly encouraged to submit ‘in process’ Patent Application Specifications using ePAVE 5.1a, prior to the scheduled outage.   Submissions after 4 PM Sunday, August 22, 2004 will require that the user install and use both EFS-ABX v1.1 and ePAVE 5.1d.

Customer Software Requirements
The new version of EFS requires Microsoft® Windows2000 with Service Pack 2 or later or Windows XP with Service Pack 1, and Microsoft® Word as provided in Microsoft® Office 2000 or Office XP.  For questions and additional information on the system requirements, please contact the Patent Electronic Business Center (see the Getting Started Section below for contact information).