# Output Paths for Different Sub-Skills in the Patent Disclosure Skill Repository > Discover output paths for sub-skills in the patent disclosure skill repository. Learn where artifacts are stored for Patent Search, Reader, OA, and more. - Repository: [handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-09-04 --- **The handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill repository writes all generated artifacts to a top-level `outputs/` directory, with dedicated sub-folders for Patent Search, Patent Reader, Patent OA, Exam-Policy, and case-specific Patent Disclosure folders.** Understanding the output paths for different sub-skills is essential for automating patent workflows and managing generated documents. In this repository, each sub-skill follows a strict convention that separates user-generated data from source code, ensuring clean version control and predictable file locations. This guide maps the exact directory structure as defined in the source code and SKILL files. ## Output Directory Structure by Sub-Skill ### Patent Search **Patent Search** generates timestamped markdown reports in [`outputs/patent-search/SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/outputs/patent-search/SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md). As documented in [`skills/patent-search/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-search/SKILL.md) lines 33-35, and enforced by [`emit_search_report.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_search_report.py) lines 6-7, this sub-skill automatically creates the output directory and writes both markdown reports and optional JSON metadata files. ### Patent Reader **Patent Reader** organizes outputs under `outputs/patent_reader/` or run-specific subdirectories like `outputs/patent_reader/${RUN}/`. According to [`skills/patent-reader/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-reader/SKILL.md) line 14 and tools like [`fetch_patent_pdf.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/fetch_patent_pdf.py) line 13, this structure stores PDF source files, extracted text, [`claim_tree.json`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/claim_tree.json), `claim_mermaid.mmd` diagrams, and final observation markdown files. ### Patent OA (Office Action) **Patent OA** uses case-specific folders located at `outputs/oa/{案件}/`, where `{案件}` represents the specific case identifier. Defined in [`oa/prompts/respond_office_action.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/oa/prompts/respond_office_action.md) lines 107-135 and utilized by [`emit_opinion_docx.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_opinion_docx.py) line 7, these directories contain draft opinion markdown (`意见陈述_时间戳.md`), final Word documents, and structured YAML files such as [`notice_struct.yaml`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/notice_struct.yaml). ### Exam-Policy **Exam-Policy** generates policy briefs at [`outputs/exam-policy/POLICY-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/outputs/exam-policy/POLICY-YYYYMMDD-HHMM.md). The path convention is documented in [`skills/exam-policy/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/exam-policy/SKILL.md) line 14 and the [`emit_backlog.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_backlog.md) prompt at line 8, storing policy brief markdown and optional appendix files with timestamped filenames. ### Patent Disclosure **Patent Disclosure** targets case-based directories such as `outputs/case/` or `outputs/{案件}/cad_views/`. Tools located in `skills/patent-disclosure/tools/`—specifically [`run_step_to_views.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/run_step_to_views.py) at line 475—use the `--out-dir` flag to write CAD screenshots, line-art PDFs, mermaid diagrams, generated disclosure markdown, and Word documents. ## How Output Paths Are Defined in the Source Code The output conventions are hard-coded in individual **SKILL.md** files and reinforced by command-line interfaces. The top-level [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) establishes that all sub-skills write artifacts outside the skill package into the repository's top-level `outputs/` folder. This design keeps user-generated data isolated from the codebase and respects the repository's `.gitignore` rules. Most tools expose an `-o/--output-dir` or `--out-dir` parameter to override defaults. For example, [`skills/patent-disclosure/tools/run_step_to_views.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-disclosure/tools/run_step_to_views.py) suggests the path *"输出目录（建议 outputs/{案件}/cad_views/）"* in its help text, while [`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) defaults to `outputs/patent-search/` when no alternative is provided. ## Practical Examples for Each Sub-Skill ### Running a Patent Search ```bash python skills/patent-search/tools/cnipa_search.py \ --query "发明人:张三" \ --output-dir outputs/patent-search/ ``` *Result:* [`outputs/patent-search/SEARCH-20231128-153200.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/outputs/patent-search/SEARCH-20231128-153200.md) ### Processing a Patent PDF ```bash python skills/patent-reader/tools/extract/fetch_patent_pdf.py \ -i CN119961390A.pdf \ -o outputs/patent_reader/run1 ``` *Results:* - `outputs/patent_reader/run1/source/CN119961390A.pdf` - [`outputs/patent_reader/run1/claim_tree.json`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/outputs/patent_reader/run1/claim_tree.json) - `outputs/patent_reader/run1/claim_mermaid.mmd` ### Drafting an Office Action Response ```bash python skills/patent-oa/tools/emit_opinion_docx.py \ -i outputs/oa/案1/意见陈述_20231201_1015.md \ -o outputs/oa/案1/ ``` *Result:* `outputs/oa/案1/意见陈述_20231201_1015.docx` ### Generating CAD Views for Disclosure ```bash python skills/patent-disclosure/tools/run_step_to_views.py \ -i model.step \ -o outputs/case/cad_views/ ``` *Result:* Files saved under `outputs/case/cad_views/` ### Creating an Exam-Policy Brief ```bash python -c "import datetime; print(datetime.datetime.now().strftime('outputs/exam-policy/POLICY-%Y%m%d-%H%M.md'))" ``` *Result:* [`outputs/exam-policy/POLICY-20231201-1015.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/outputs/exam-policy/POLICY-20231201-1015.md) ## Summary - All sub-skills write to `outputs/` in the repository root, keeping user data separate from source code and respecting `.gitignore` rules. - **Patent Search** uses auto-generated timestamped files in `outputs/patent-search/` as defined in [`emit_search_report.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_search_report.py). - **Patent Reader** organizes runs into subdirectories under `outputs/patent_reader/` with files extracted by [`fetch_patent_pdf.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/fetch_patent_pdf.py). - **Patent OA** uses case-specific folders in `outputs/oa/{案件}/` for draft opinions and final Word documents. - **Exam-Policy** generates timestamped briefs in `outputs/exam-policy/` according to [`exam-policy/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/exam-policy/SKILL.md). - **Patent Disclosure** targets case folders like `outputs/case/` or `outputs/{案件}/cad_views/` via tools in `patent-disclosure/tools/`. - Every tool supports `-o/--output-dir` or `--out-dir` flags to override default paths. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where does Patent Search save its reports by default? By default, Patent Search saves reports to [`outputs/patent-search/SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/outputs/patent-search/SEARCH-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md). This path is defined in [`skills/patent-search/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/skills/patent-search/SKILL.md) and enforced by [`emit_search_report.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/emit_search_report.py) when no custom output directory is specified via the `--output-dir` flag. ### How do I specify a custom output directory for Patent Reader? Use the `-o` flag when running [`fetch_patent_pdf.py`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/fetch_patent_pdf.py) or other reader tools. For example, the command `-o outputs/patent_reader/run1` creates a dedicated run folder containing the source PDF, extracted [`claim_tree.json`](https://github.com/handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill/blob/main/claim_tree.json), and mermaid diagrams, isolating each processing run. ### Are output directories automatically created if they don't exist? Yes. The tools in handsomestWei/patent-disclosure-skill automatically create the output directory structure, including case-specific subfolders like `outputs/oa/{案件}/` or `outputs/patent_reader/${RUN}/`. The codebase ensures parent directories exist before writing files, preventing path errors. ### How do I prevent output files from being tracked by Git? The repository includes `.gitignore` rules that exclude the top-level `outputs/` directory. By writing all artifacts to this location rather than inside skill packages, the design ensures that generated content remains untracked while the codebase stays clean and version-controlled.