Linked Matters
Related work rarely stands alone. A provisional leads to a PCT application, which spawns national-phase entries in several countries. Linked matters connect these files so you can move between them in a click and see the whole family from any one of them.
The linked matters menu
In the matter header, the linked matters icon (two arrows) opens a menu of every matter connected to the current one. Each entry shows a type badge and the matter's title, so it's easy to tell a provisional from its foreign filings at a glance. Closed matters appear struck through.
Click any matter in the list to open it — hold the usual modifier to open it in a new tab if you'd rather keep the current one in view. This is the quickest way to hop between the members of a patent family without searching for each one.
Linking an existing matter
To connect a matter that already exists, choose Link existing matter… at the bottom of the menu.
Search by reference or title, then pick a result to create the link. The connection works both ways: once linked, each matter appears in the other's linked matters menu. Matters already linked, and the current matter itself, are left out of the search results.
Links created automatically
Many links are made for you. When a matter type is set up to spawn related matters — a provisional creating its PCT child, for example — Cadence IP creates the new matter already linked to its parent, and copies across the fields and roles they share. This is configured on the matter type; see Related Matters for how those relationships are defined.