# Where Are the Outputs from the patent-disclosure-skill Saved?

> Discover where patent-disclosure-skill outputs are saved in the handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill repository. Outputs reside in the outputs/ directory, organized by sub-skill folders.

- Repository: [handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-09-06

---

**All outputs from the patent-disclosure-skill are written beneath the top-level `outputs/` directory in the repository root, with each sub-skill creating dedicated sub-folders to organize generated artifacts.**

The patent-disclosure-skill open-source repository follows a strict directory convention that keeps all generated files isolated under a single `outputs/` tree. This design ensures that search reports, patent analyses, office action drafts, and CAD visualizations remain easy to locate while staying out of version control.

## Patent Search Output Location

The **patent search** sub-skill writes its markdown search reports to `outputs/patent-search/` by default. Files are named with timestamps, such as [`SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md), making chronological sorting automatic.

In [`skills/patent-search/tools/emit_search_report.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-search/tools/emit_search_report.py), lines 6-7 define the default output path relative to the repository root:

```python

# From skills/patent-search/tools/emit_search_report.py

output_dir = Path("outputs/patent-search")

```

## Patent Reader Output Location

The **patent reader** sub-skill stores downloaded PDFs, extracted text, intermediate JSONs, and final Obsidian notes beneath `outputs/patent_reader/`. When running multiple analyses, you can organize outputs into run-specific folders like `outputs/patent_reader/<RUN>/`.

According to [`skills/patent-reader/README.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-reader/README.md) (lines 21-24), the default `PATENT_READER_OUTPUT_DIR` environment variable or CLI argument points to this location, ensuring all artefacts from patent decoding workflows remain consolidated.

## Patent Office Action (OA) Output Location

For **office action** workflows, generated opinion drafts, structured YAML, and final DOCX files land in `outputs/oa/<case>/`. The specific case folder organizes documents by patent application or matter.

The [`skills/patent-oa/tools/emit_opinion_docx.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-oa/tools/emit_opinion_docx.py) script (lines 7-8) demonstrates this path construction, writing files such as `outputs/oa/案/意见陈述_时间戳.md` for Chinese patent cases.

## Exam Policy Brief Output Location

**Exam-policy briefs** are saved to `outputs/exam-policy/` with filenames following the pattern [`POLICY-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/POLICY-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.md). This sub-skill generates markdown summaries of examination guidance and backlog statistics.

The prompt template in [`skills/patent-exam-policy/prompts/emit_backlog.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-exam-policy/prompts/emit_backlog.md) (lines 8-9) references this directory as the standard destination for policy artefacts.

## Patent Disclosure CAD Output Location

The **CAD/STEP processing** sub-skill handles technical drawing generation, placing CAD views, SVG screenshots, and structure line-art in `outputs/case/` or the recommended `outputs/{案件}/cad_views/`. You can override this with the `--out-dir` CLI flag.

In [`skills/patent-disclosure/tools/step_to_views.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-disclosure/tools/step_to_views.py), lines 475-476 establish the default:

```python

# From skills/patent-disclosure/tools/step_to_views.py

default_out = f"outputs/{case_name}/cad_views/"

```

## Output Directory Structure and Git Ignore

All `outputs/` subdirectories are **git-ignored by default** via the repository's `.gitignore` file. This prevents generated artefacts from being committed upstream while keeping them locally available for downstream processing and review.

## Practical Usage Examples

Run these commands to generate outputs in their default locations:

```bash

# Patent search report

python skills/patent-search/tools/cnipa_search.py \
    --inventor "John Doe" \
    --output-dir outputs/patent-search

# Patent reader extraction

python skills/patent-reader/tools/extract/fetch_patent_pdf.py \
    -o outputs/patent_reader/run1 \
    --pub CN12345678A

# Office action opinion draft generation

python skills/patent-oa/tools/emit_opinion_docx.py \
    -i outputs/oa/case/opinion_20260903120000.md

# CAD view generation from STEP files

python skills/patent-disclosure/tools/run_step_to_views.py \
    -i model.step \
    -o outputs/case/cad_views

```

## Summary

- **Root location:** All artefacts reside under the repository's top-level `outputs/` directory.
- **Sub-skill isolation:** Each tool creates its own sub-folder (`patent-search/`, `patent_reader/`, `oa/`, `exam-policy/`, `case/`) to prevent file collisions.
- **Version control safety:** The entire `outputs/` tree is git-ignored by default to prevent accidental commits of generated files.
- **Configurable paths:** Most tools accept `--output-dir` or `-o` flags to override defaults while maintaining the conventional structure.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I change the default output directory for patent-disclosure-skill?

Yes. While the `outputs/` directory is the convention, most sub-skills accept CLI arguments such as `--output-dir` or `-o` to specify alternative paths. For example, [`step_to_views.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/step_to_views.py) uses `--out-dir` to override the default `outputs/case/` location, and the patent-reader supports arbitrary output paths via the `-o` flag.

### Are output files automatically committed to git?

No. According to the repository's `.gitignore` configuration, all directories beneath `outputs/` are excluded from version control by default. Generated reports, PDFs, and CAD files remain local to your working copy and will not be pushed upstream.

### What file formats does the patent-disclosure-skill generate?

The skill produces diverse formats: markdown reports ([`SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md) and [`POLICY-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/POLICY-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.md)), PDF documents, JSON extracts, YAML structures, DOCX opinion drafts, SVG screenshots, and CAD view files. Each sub-skill targets formats appropriate for its specific patent workflow, with source code in files like [`emit_search_report.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_search_report.py) and [`emit_opinion_docx.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_opinion_docx.py) controlling the specific extensions.

### How does the patent-reader organize multiple extraction runs?

The patent-reader supports run-specific sub-folders under `outputs/patent_reader/<RUN>/`, allowing you to maintain separate working directories for different patents or analysis sessions without overwriting previous extractions. This pattern is documented in [`skills/patent-reader/README.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-reader/README.md) and enables parallel processing of multiple patent publications.