If you use the newest version of Netscape (V7) or better yet the latest version of Mozilla (upon which Netscape 7 was based) you might be familiar with the very versatile side toolbar of Netscape/Mozilla that allows you to do searches on some of the more common search engines.  The people that developed Mozilla also included the ability to add your own search engines to that sidebar.  Using that I wrote some simple search abilities that would allow you to access the patents through either CIPO or the USPTO if you have the patent numbers.

Please note I'm not directly affiliated   with either CIPO or the USPTO so please don't ask them questions about this. 

Now adding the CIPO and USPTO to the sidebar isn't entirely the most useful thing in the world but some clever people have also been working on developing a search toolbar for Mozilla called EasySearch.  By using this you can add a search toolbar to the mozilla interface that will allow you to simply enter in the patent number on the toolbar and be brought directly to the patent number.

How to Install

It's fairly simple and can be done entirely online.  You won't have to download and manually run something. 

Step 1

Add the CIPO and USPTO search plugins to Netscape/Mozilla (javascript must be enabled).

Click here to add the CIPO plugin.  (Accept the install)

Click here to add the USPTO plugin  (Accept the install)

Step 2

Now visit the Easy Search Installation Page and click on the most recent toolbar version and accept the install. 

Restart your browser and select on the toolbar either USPTO or CIPO, enter the patent number and voila it should work. 

Here are some screenshots of how it should look after it's installed.

CIPO screenshot of Canadian Patent 1,234,567
USPTO screenshot of United States Patent 5,555,555

The only one side effect that this has is that you will have to disable the sidebar in Mozilla/Netscape otherwise it will keep popping up everytime you enter in a patent number.