System and method to identify documents in a database which relate to a given document by using recursive searching and no keywords

• US 20010027452A1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Published: 10/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matthew Bruce Tropper
• Original Assignee: Matthew Bruce Tropper
• Inventors: Tropper, Matthew Bruce
• Application Number:
  US09/769,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027452A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/382 using citations hypermedia G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/11 Patent retrieval

Abstract

A system and method to identify documents in a database which relate to a given document by using “recursive” searching and no keywords. More particularly, a system and method to identify documents in a database which relate to a “patent under test” by using “recursive” searching and no keywords. The instant invention may be used as an aid in: 1) designing around a “patent under test” by identifying expired patents dealing with subject matter similar to the subject matter dealt with in the “patent under test”; and 2) determining the validity of the “patent under test” by identifying references which deal with the subject matter dealt with by the “patent under test” and which pre-date the patent under test by a sufficient length of time to be applied as prior art under the applicable laws and regulations.

Claims

1. A method for identifying documents in a database which relate to a document under test, comprising:

retrieving the document under test from the database;

storing as generation 1 data identifying data corresponding to each reference cited in the document under test;

retrieving from the database each available reference identified by the identifying data stored as generation 1 data; and

storing as generation 2 data identifying data corresponding to each reference cited in the references identified by the generation 1 data.

2. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising receiving from a user an identification of the document under test.

3. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising applying rule-based filtering to the stored identifying data.

4. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising displaying the stored identifying data to the user.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the document under test is a patent.

6. A method for identifying documents in a database which relate to a document under test, comprising:

retrieving from the database a list of documents that cite the document under test;

storing as generation 1 data identifying data corresponding to each reference in the list;

retrieving from the database each available reference identified by the identifying data stored as generation 1 data; and

storing as generation 2 data identifying data corresponding to each reference cited in the references identified by the generation 1 data.

7. The method of

claim 6

, further comprising receiving from a user an identification of the document under test.

8. The method of

claim 6

, further comprising applying rule-based filtering to the stored identifying data.

9. The method of

claim 6

, further comprising displaying the stored identifying data to the user.

10. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the document under test is a patent.

11. A method for identifying documents in a database which relate to a document under test, comprising:

retrieving from the database a list of documents that cite the document under test;

storing as generation 1 data identifying data corresponding to each document in the list;

retrieving from the database a list of documents that cite each document identified by the identifying data stored as generation 1 data; and

storing as generation 2 data identifying data corresponding to each document in the list of documents that cite each document identified in the generation 1 data.

12. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising receiving from a user an identification of the document under test.

13. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising applying rule-based filtering to the stored identifying data.

14. The method of

claim 11

, further comprising displaying the stored identifying data to the user.

15. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the document under test is a patent.