The International Patent Classification IPC is hierarchically structured

On the first level are the 8 sections A to H. The classes and subclasses follow. The last level are main group (/00) and subgroups (z.B. /08).

The IPC G05B19/4093 is defined like this:

Hierarchy	Symbol	Description
Section	G	Physics
Class	G05	CONTROLLING; REGULATING
Subclass	G05B	CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
Main group	G05B0019/00	Programme-control systems
Subgroup (1)	G05B0019/02	electric
Subgroup  (2)	G05B0019/18	Numerical control (NC), i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form
Subgroup (3)	G05B0019/4093	characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part programme, for the NC machine

In patentGate the main and subgroups have been formatted with 3 digits and leading zeroes, in that case G05B019/4093.

If the header in the simple or expert search mask contains the information "Patent classification: IPC formats ",

classifications have been adapted to 4 digits with leading zeroes. They are now searchable as G05B0019/4093.

This was done to unify with the CPC that has been formatted like this from the beginning.

Queries containing IPCs with main or subgroups (containing a / in the IPC symbol) have been adapted automatically.

Please check quieries containing truncation or shorter IPCs and correct them (IC=G05B019 will now be IC=G05B0019).

There is no distinction between Main or First IPC (Field MC) and All IPCs (IC) anymore in this format.