Google Patent Search

Google Patent Search is a new BETA service that searches the full text of the collection of patents made available by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), covering the years from the 1790s to the middle of 2006. It doesn't include patent applications, patents issued outside the US, or U.S. patents issued over the last few months, but they are "looking forward to expanding our coverage in the future".

Its easy to use but if you're looking for international coverage of patents and you want to be able to track the links between patents and published research and patents you should search Scopus.

If you want more information about searching for patents contact your Subject Librarian.