Apparatus for and method of searching and organizing intellectual property information utilizing a classification system

• US 20020138465A1
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eugene M. Lee
• Original Assignee: Knowledge Management Objects LLC
• Inventors: Lee, Eugene M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,694,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/925 Drafting an application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/93 intellectual property analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An apparatus for and a method of searching and organizing intellectual property (IP) is provided. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an apparatus (and corresponding method) is provided for formulating and facilitating searches for intellectual property, and organizing results of such searches. In an exemplary embodiment, a search and organization server is provided with one or more modules to create and process search queries to be run on local or remote database systems. A class search module, for example, may be provided to provide on-line access to classification information and facilitate searching of intellectual property using select classifications. An IP thesaurus module may be provided for developing a list of elements (e.g., words, textual phrases, concepts, representations, numbers, identifications, pictures, graphics, features, etc.) found in select intellectual property information (e.g., groupings of patents). In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the list of elements may be used as an aid in learning a new technology, as a search tool to refine search queries or criteria, as a drafting tool to assist in the preparation of technical or legal documents (e.g., proposals, licenses, patent applications, etc.), or any other practical use. A field-of-search module may be provided to creation of a field-of-search based on search information identified from select intellectual property information. Additional modules (e.g., search engine, workspace module, alert generator, report generator, etc.) may be provided in the search server to formulate, store, organize and output results achieved through operation of the search server.

Claims

1. A method of searching for intellectual property information utilizing an intellectual property classification system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a classification index for on-line access to a list of subject headings referring to specific classification made in the classification system;

(b) providing a classification manual for on-line access to a list of class titles in the classification system;

(c) providing classification definitions for on-line access to explanations and illustrations of subject matter classified in each classification;

(d) defining search criteria by selecting at least one search classification containing intellectual property information to be searched;

(e) storing in a storage bank the search criteria, wherein the storage bank is accessible for editing the search criteria; and

(f) retrieving search results including intellectual property information corresponding to the search criteria stored in the storage bank.

2. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 1, wherein said defining step (d) comprises the step of selecting a plurality of classifications from the classification index and the classification manual.

3. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 1, wherein said defining step (d) further comprises the step of refining the search criteria by limiting the search results to intellectual property information having selected keywords.

4. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 3, wherein said refining step includes limiting the search results to intellectual property information having selected keywords in selected intellectual property information fields.

5. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) displaying the search results from said retrieving step (f) in the form of a list of intellectual property information corresponding to the search criteria.

6. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 5, wherein the intellectual property information to be searched is patent information utilizing a patent classification system having classifications based on a plurality of classes and subclasses.

7. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 6, wherein the patent information displayed in said displaying step (g) includes issued United States patents and published United States patent applications.

8. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 7, wherein the patent information displayed in said displaying step (g) includes published international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), European Convention patent publications, Japanese patent publications, and printed technical publications.

9. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 6, wherein the patent information displayed in said displaying step (g) includes links to resources storing patent information on remote storage systems accessible over an external network.

10. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 6, wherein said defining step (d) defines search criteria by selecting a plurality of search classifications containing patent information to be searched;

and

wherein the patent information displayed in said displaying step (g) includes a simultaneous listing of patent information from the plurality of search classifications selected in said defining step (d).

11. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 1, wherein said defining step (d) further comprises editing the search criteria in the storage bank by adding and deleting search classifications.

12. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 11, wherein said editing step further comprises displaying the search criteria stored in the storage bank, and defining the search criteria to include intellectual property information cross-referenced into the selected search classifications.

13. The method of searching for intellectual property information as recited in claim 12, wherein said editing step further comprises entering keywords and Boolean operations in the form of search queries, and adding the queries to the search criteria stored in the storage bank.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said defining step further comprises selecting at least one search classification as part of the search criteria from an on-line display of the classification index of the classification system.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said defining step further comprises selecting at least one search classification as part of the search criteria from an on-line display of the classification definitions of the classification system.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the executable program is further executed to perform the steps of:

(f) displaying the search results as a list of intellectual property information on an on-line display; and

(g) adding selected ones of the list to a user workspace.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the executable program is further executed to add the search criteria to the user workspace.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the executable program is further executed to organize the user workspace by storing select intellectual property information and select search criteria in individual folders.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the executable program is executed in a plurality of servers of an application service provider accessed by users over the Internet.

14. In a search system for use with an intellectual property classification system comprising:

a classification index for access to a list of subject headings referring to specific classification made in the classification system;

a classification manual for access to a list of class titles in the classification system; and

classification definitions for access to explanations and illustrations of subject matter classified in each classification, the improvement comprising an article of manufacture having stored thereon an executable program operative to effectuate searching for intellectual property information in connection with the search system, wherein the executable program is executed to perform the steps of;

(a) defining search criteria by selecting at least one search classification containing intellectual property information to be searched;

(b) storing the search criteria;

(c) displaying the search criteria;

(d) editing the stored search criteria; and

(e) retrieving search results including intellectual property information corresponding to the stored search criteria.

21. A search system for use with an intellectual property classification system comprising:

a classification index for access to a list of subject headings referring to specific classification made in the classification system;

a classification manual for access to a list of class titles in the classification system; and

classification definitions for access to explanations and illustrations of subject matter classified in each classification, the search system comprising;

an intellectual property database, wherein said intellectual property database stores information related to intellectual property classified in accordance with the classification system; and

a search server comprising;

a class search module, wherein said class search module processes input classification selections and editing commands to formulate a search query; and

a search engine module, wherein said search engine module accesses said database and executes the search query formulated by said class search module to produce at least one search result corresponding to the search query.

22. The search system as recited in claim 21, wherein said class search module provides an on-line classification index for on-line access to a list of subject headings referring to specific classification made in the classification system, provides an on-line classification manual for on-line access to a list of class titles in the classification system, and provides on-line classification definitions for on-line access to explanations and illustrations of subject matter classified in each classification.

23. The search system as recited in claim 22, wherein said class search module provides the on-line classification index, on-line classification manual, and on-line classification definitions by access classification information stored in said database.

24. The search system as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

a network in communication with said search server, wherein said network transfers input and output data to and from said search server;

a remote database, wherein said remote database transfers input and output data to and from said network; and

a user network server, coupled to a user interface, said user network server providing input and output data transfer between said user interface and said network.

25. The search system as recited in claim 24, wherein said class search module provides the on-line classification index, on-line classification manual, and on-line classification definitions by accessing classification information stored in said remote database.

26. The search system as recited in claim 25, wherein said user interface includes a display and a keyboard, wherein a user views on-line classification information output from said class search module on the display and enters selection and editing commands from the keyboard to formulate a search query for processing by said class search module.

27. The search system as recited in claim 24, wherein said network is the Internet, and said user network server is a corporate local area network server providing Internet access to a plurality of individual users;

and

wherein said search server is one of a plurality of servers of an application service provider that provides intellectual property search services in the form of patent search services to the individual users over the Internet.

28. The search system as recited in claim 24, wherein said network is corporate intranet, and said user network server is a corporate intranet server providing intranet access to plurality of individual users.

29. The search system as recited in claim 28, wherein said search server is an intranet server that provides intellectual property search services in the form of patent, trademark and copyright search services to the individual users over the intranet.