--- title: Guide to Reading IPVision Patent Maps description: Guide to reading patent family maps included in IPVision patent analysis, reports, and patent software IPVision Advantage and see-the-forest.com. --- [![Business Patent Perspectives | IPVision, Inc.](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ipvisioninc/Image/logo.png?width=355&name=logo.png)](http://classic-migration-sandbox-87167.hs-sites.com/) # Guide to Reading IPVision Patent Maps Patents are shown as boxes arranged in time on the horizontal axis starting with the oldest on the left. The left edge of each Patent Box is the Patent Issue Date. The blue "tail" on each Patent Box shows the Patent Application Filing Date. The lines connecting the Patent Boxes are the patent citation references- i.e. the patent to the right (forward in time) cites the patent to the left (backward in time) as Prior Art. The number of Forward Citations and Backward Citations for a given patent are displayed in the parenthesis in the Patent Box for that patent.  "Right Click" on a patent box in an interactive version of a map to access underlying text and other information about the patent. # Patent Maps Explained ![Reading Patent Maps created by patent software from IPVision](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/hs-fs/file-1634438592-png/images/visuallanguagesuumary.png?width=698&height=481&name=visuallanguagesuumary.png) ### **Learn More** [View Interactive Examples of Patent Maps](http://www.see-the-forest.com) **Patent Map Types** - [Single Patent Landscape Map](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/support/reading-maps/single-patent-landscape-maps/) - [Multi Patent Landscape Maps](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/support/reading-maps/multi-patent-landscape-maps/) - [Patent Family Maps](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/support/reading-maps/patent-family-maps/) - [Patent Interconnection Maps ](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/support/reading-maps/interconnection-maps/) [Register & Create Your Own](https://info.ipvisioninc.com/register-for-free-patent-research--patent-analytics/) Copyright © 2001-2016 IPVision, Inc. All Rights Reserved | [Site Map ](http://web.ipvisioninc.com/site-map/) | [Terms of Use ](http://web.ipvisioninc.com/Portals/87167/pages/policies.html) 800 South Street, Suite 350, Waltham MA 02453 | p: (617)475.6000 © 2015 http://web.ipvisioninc.com ![](https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/923613572/?value=0&guid=ON&script=0)