SYSTEMS, METHODS AND USER INTERFACES IN A PATENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130086469A1
• Filed: 12/01/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black Hills IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Black Hills IP Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Lundberg, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,242,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/11 Patent retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/237 Lexical tools
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatically proofing the patent specification of a granted patent issued on a patent application. The method comprises the steps of scanning amendments made to the patent application during prosecution; assembling the most recent claims, based on the scanned amendments, to create a test claim set of the claims; comparing the test claim set to the claims of the issued patent as published; and identifying any differences between the compared sets of claims and communicating the differences to a user.

Claims

1. A method of automatically proofing the patent specification of a granted patent issued on a patent application, the method comprising the steps of:

scanning amendments made to the patent application during prosecution;

assembling the most recent claims, based on the scanned amendments, to create a test claim set of the claims;

comparing the test claim set to the claims of the issued patent as published; and

identifying any differences between the compared sets of claims and communicating the differences to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

rendering the specification of the patent as issued into text-readable form;

automatically comparing the text of the specification as filed to the text of the specification of the patent as issued;

automatically identifying any differences between the compared specifications; and

communicating the differences to a user.

3. A patent management system for automatically proofing the patent specification of a granted patent issued on a patent application, the system having one or more hard-wired modules to perform at least a portion of one or more of the following:

scan amendments made to the patent application during prosecution;

assemble the most recent claims, based on the scanned amendments, to create a test claim set of the claims;

compare the test claim set to the claims of the issued patent as published; and

identify any differences between the compared sets of claims and communicating the differences to a user.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the one or more hard-wired modules is further to:

render the specification of the patent as issued into text-readable form;

automatically compare the text of the specification as filed to the text of the specification of the patent as issued;

automatically identify any differences between the compared specifications; and

communicate the differences to a user.

5. A patent management system comprising:

a network;

at least one patent database, accessible on the network, and storing the prosecution history and patent specifications as filed and as issued of at least one patent matter stored in the database, and

a server, operatively connected to the network, wherein the server includes;

a processor,

a memory,

software operable on the processor to;

download at least portions of the file history and specification as issued of at least one patent matter stored in the patent database;

scan amendments made to the patent matter during prosecution;

assemble the most recent pending claims, based on the scanned amendments, to create a test claim set of the claims;

compare the test claim set to the claims of the issued patent as published; and

identify any differences between the compared sets of claims and communicate the differences to a user.

6. The patent management system of claim 5, wherein the software is further operable on the processor to:

render the specification of the patent as issued into text-readable form;

automatically compare the text of the specification as filed to the text of the specification of the patent as issued;

automatically identify any differences between the compared specifications; and

communicate the differences to a user.