System and method for billing in a professional services information management system
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a message from a mail handling system wherein the message is received in an intellectual property management system;
automatically associating the message with a legal matter represented in the intellectual property management system; and
displaying a user selectable item with the message when it is displayed to a user, wherein user selection of the item executes a data operation, wherein the data operation includes displaying a data entry screen to accept a time entry, wherein the time entry is automatically associated with the legal matter in which the message is associated.
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Abstract
According to various example embodiments of the inventive subject matter there is disclosed method and apparatus for receiving a message from an electronic mail handling system wherein a message is received in an intellectual property management system, and automatically associating the message with a legal matter represented in the intellectual property management system. Further there is displayed a user selectable item with the message when it is displayed to a user, wherein selection of the item brings a user to a data entry screen that accepts a time entry, and further also where the time entry is automatically associated with the legal matter in which the message is associated. In addition, the system and method provides for organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to intellectual property, wherein each activity is represented by an activity data structure containing at least some data pertinent to the activity, and wherein the activity data structure associates legal billing data associated with the activity. The system and method also provides for adding a legal services billing entry to an activity data structure using a user selectable item displayed while data associated with the activity data structure is displayed to a user.
74 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a message from a mail handling system wherein the message is received in an intellectual property management system;
automatically associating the message with a legal matter represented in the intellectual property management system; and
displaying a user selectable item with the message when it is displayed to a user, wherein user selection of the item executes a data operation, wherein the data operation includes displaying a data entry screen to accept a time entry, wherein the time entry is automatically associated with the legal matter in which the message is associated. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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2. A method comprising:
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organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to intellectual property, wherein each activity is represented by an activity data structure containing at least some data pertinent to the activity, and further wherein the activity data structure associates legal billing data associated with the activity; and
adding a legal services billing entry to an activity data structure using a user selectable item displayed while an electronic communication associated with the activity data structure is displayed to a user. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A method for entering billing entries for legal services comprising:
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executing a billing entry operation while a user is processing an electronic communication; and
displaying a form on a monitor to the user, wherein the form includes locations to enter time and descriptions for more than one billing entries associated with a particular legal matter.
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5. A computer implemented legal services data processing system comprising:
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data organized in a client, matter and activity hierarchical format, wherein a client comprises a plurality of matters and each of the plurality of matters comprises a plurality of activities; and
an executable data entry routine which can be activated in response to a user while the user is processing an electronic message associated with a selected activity, wherein the executable data entry routine allows the user to enter billing information corresponding to the selected activity.
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6. A method comprising organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to intellectual property management, wherein:
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the activities are represented by an activity data structure operable on a computer through a computer user interface; and
the activity data structure comprising a user interface screen configured to activate the computer to take action with regard to the activities, wherein docket tasks are associated through the data structure with the activities.
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7. A method comprising organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to intellectual property management, wherein the activities are represented by an activity data structure configured to activate the computer to take action with regard to the activities, wherein docket tasks are associated through the data structure with the activities.
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8. A method for managing patent application data, comprising implementing a computer-executable screen presentation capable of associating at least one matter with a client entity having an interest in the matter.
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12. A system for managing patent application data, comprising:
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a matter module, the matter module operable to manage data relating to patent matters, the managed data comprising docketing data;
a tasks module, the tasks module operable to manage tasks related to each matter managed by the matter module, the tasks comprising docketing tasks;
a security module, the security module operable to restrict access to task and matter data management to selected system users; and
an entities module, the entities module operable to manage applicable parties having an interest in the patent application data.
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13. A method comprising organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to intellectual property management, wherein:
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the activities are delineated in a spread sheet having rows and columns;
there is a column labeled with the term “
activity”
or with one or more terms having a similar meaning;
each row may be labeled with an activity in the “
activity”
column; and
the spaces defined when other rows cross other columns are suitable to contain other suitable information as applicable based on the labeled title of the other respective rows and columns. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to the intellectual property, wherein:
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each activity is represented by an activity data structure;
organized in columns and rows; and
containing at least some data pertinent to the activity;
there being one or more columns labeled by one or more of headings or equivalent headings as follows;
activity;
description/comments;
status;
date 1;
date 2; and
there being a row across one or more of the columns for entry of data for one or more of a particular activity, its description/comments, status, date 1, and date 2.
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20. A computer-implemented method comprising:
organizing intellectual property data on a computer display according to activities related to an intellectual-property matter, wherein the activities are delineated in a spread sheet having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows including a first row and a second row of the plurality of rows, wherein each of the plurality of rows displays a plurality of attributes of one of the activities arranged across the plurality of columns;
one of the displayed attributes in the first row includes a label of a first intellectual-property activity in one of the columns;
the other displayed attributes in other columns of the first row contain other suitable information relating to the labeled activity;
one of the displayed attributes in the second row includes a label of another particular intellectual-property activity in the one of the columns; and
the other displayed attributes in other columns of the first row contain other suitable information relating to the labeled activity. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method comprising:
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organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to the intellectual property, wherein each activity is represented by an activity data structure that is associated with the intellectual property;
displaying data pertinent to each of a plurality of activities related to the intellectual property organized in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each row containing at least some data pertinent to a selected activity;
wherein the plurality of columns are each labeled by one or more descriptive headings, the columns for each one of the plurality of rows including attributes for an activity label, description/comments pertinent to the labeled activity, a status of the activity, a date 1 pertinent to the activity, and a date 2 pertinent to the activity; and
displaying in each of the plurality of rows a user-input mechanism for entry of data pertinent to a particular activity associated with that row.
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33. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer to perform a method comprising:
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organizing intellectual property data on a computer display according to activities related to an intellectual-property matter, wherein the activities are delineated in a spread sheet having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows including a first row and a second row of the plurality of rows, wherein each of the plurality of rows displays a plurality of attributes of one of the activities arranged across the plurality of columns;
one of the displayed attributes in the first row includes a label of a first intellectual-property activity in one of the columns;
the other displayed attributes in other columns of the first row contain other suitable information relating to the labeled activity;
one of the displayed attributes in the second row includes a label of another particular intellectual-property activity in the one of the columns; and
the other displayed attributes in other columns of the first row contain other suitable information relating to the labeled activity. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer to perform a method comprising:
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organizing intellectual property data according to activities related to the intellectual property, wherein each activity is represented by an activity data structure that is associated with the intellectual property;
displaying data pertinent to each of a plurality of activities related to the intellectual property organized in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each row containing at least some data pertinent to a selected activity;
wherein the plurality of columns are each labeled by one or more descriptive headings, the columns for each one of the plurality of rows including attributes for an activity label, description/comments pertinent to the labeled activity, a status of the activity, a date 1 pertinent to the activity, and a date 2 pertinent to the activity; and
displaying in each of the plurality of rows a user-input mechanism for entry of data pertinent to a particular activity associated with that row.
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46. An apparatus comprising:
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an information processing system including a database containing data pertinent to the intellectual-property matter, and a display driver, wherein the display driver is configured to generate display data to cause display of the activities delineated in a spread-sheet format having a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows including a first row and a second row of the plurality of rows, and wherein;
each of the plurality of rows displays a plurality of attributes of one of the activities arranged across the plurality of columns;
one of the displayed attributes in the first row includes a label of a first intellectual-property activity in one of the columns;
the other displayed attributes in other columns of the first row contain other suitable information relating to the labeled activity;
one of the displayed attributes in the second row includes a label of another particular intellectual-property activity in the one of the columns; and
the other displayed attributes in other columns of the first row contain other suitable information relating to the labeled activity. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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47. An apparatus comprising:
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an information processing system configured to organize data pertinent to intellectual property according to activities related to the intellectual property, wherein each activity is represented by an activity data structure that is associated with the intellectual property;
a display driver operatively coupled to receive data pertinent to the intellectual property and configured to generate display data regarding each of a plurality of activities related to the intellectual property organized in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each row containing at least some data pertinent to a selected activity, there being one or more columns each labeled by one or more descriptive headings, the columns for each one of the plurality of rows including attributes for an activity label, description/comments pertinent to the labeled activity, a status of the activity, a date 1 pertinent to the activity, and a date 2 pertinent to the activity.
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62. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer to perform the following method comprising:
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generating in a graphical user interface an application window having a window frame and a plurality of stiles to define a plurality of panes within the frame;
displaying in a first pane user selectable tasks;
displaying in a second pane task status information;
displaying in a third pane invention title information; and
displaying in a fourth pane invention date information.
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63. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer to perform the following method comprising:
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generating in a graphical user interface an application window having a window frame and a plurality of stiles to define a plurality of panes within the frame;
displaying in a first pane a message date;
displaying in a second pane a message sender; and
displaying in a third pane invention a message title.
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64. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer to perform the following method comprising:
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generating in a graphical user interface an application window having a window frame and a plurality of stiles to define a plurality of panes within the frame;
displaying in a first pane an activity title;
displaying in a second pane an activity status; and
displaying in an third pane an activity date.
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Specification