Apparatus for the automatic classifying and finding of groupings of series of distinguishing signs according to the risks of conflict they involve with given groupings

• US 3,952,184 A
• Filed: 04/12/1974
• Issued: 04/20/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Societe de Depot de Margues Sodema Societe Anonyme
• Original Assignee: Societe de Depot de Margues Sodema Societe Anonyme
• Inventors: Bassard, Paul F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US05/460,651
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 444/1, 340/172.5, 235/152, 235/150
• US Class Current: 704/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically finding and classifying any group of trademarks belonging to an initial series and having similarities with groups of trademarks of another series. The classification is arranged in increasing or decreasing order according to the risks of conflict involved in these similarities. The analysis of the similarities provides an indication of the likelihood of confusion between trademarks which are proposed to be registered and those already registered. The apparatus includes a memory for storing the first and second groupings of trademarks. The groupings are then analyzed in pairs by a comparing and counting device which determines for each pair the numbers of the shortest and longest groupings, the longest sequence of common signs to both groupings, the number of signs common to both groupings other than those in the sequence and the number of signs of the longest groupings not found in the other grouping. These various quantities are then used to compute a coefficient of simularity which is in turn used to compute the evaluation of the risk of conflict. The computed risks of conflict exceeding a predetermined value are classified in ascending or descending order and printed for final evaluation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically finding and classifying trade marks or similar distinguishing signs MC of a first series representing marks previously registered and which have similarities capable of involving a risk of conflict R with trade marks or similar distinguishing signs MP of a second series representing marks presented for registration or use, said series of trade marks MC and MP each being represented by groupings of letters, comprising:

a. first memory means for recording said MC and MP groupings,

b. comparing and counting means for analyzing, pair by pair, each pair comprising an MCi grouping and an MPj grouping to determine for each pair, the number l of the letters in the shortest trade mark, the number L of the letters in the longest trade mark, the number a of letters of the longest continuous or discontinuous sequence common to both groupings and disposed in the same relative positions within the sequence, the number b of letters common to both groupings other than those of the longest sequence, the number c of letters of the longest grouping not found in the other grouping,

c. second memory means for storing predetermined values of the functions A(a, l), B(b,L) and C(c,L) having increasing slopes for increasing values of a, b and c, respectively, for l and L constant, and

d. adding means connected to receive from said second memory means the values Aij, Bij and Cij corresponding to the numbers l, L, a, b, and c determined by said comparing and counting means for determining a coefficient of similarity (Aij + Bij - Cij) proportional to said risk of conflict R.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second memory means additionally stores predetermined values of a correction factor D which is a function of the similarities of all the information associated with said groupings relating to goods and services, said apparatus further comprising multiplying means connected to said adding means and said second memory means for multiplying said coefficient of similarity (Aij + Bij - Cij) by a correction factor Dij corresponding to similarity between the goods or services of the pair of groupings MCi and MPj being analyzed to compute said risk of conflict R.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second memory means additionally stores predetermined values of a function of selection S (s, l, L), where S = L - C, said apparatus further comprising logic means connected to said comparing and counting means and said second memory means for determining for each pair of groupings MCi and MPj analyzed whether the function S(s, 1,L) exceeds a predetermined threshold value Sm, said logic means being further connected to said adder means and said multiplying means to inhibit the computation of said risk of conflict R if the function S(s, l,L) does not exceed said predetermined threshold Sm.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising sorting and printing means connected to receive the computed risk of conflict Rij for each selected pair of groupings MCi and MPj for recording according to the increasing or decreasing values of the risk of conflict R with corresponding MCi groupings checked.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first memory means comprises a logic circuit composed of:

a. a first circuit for the recording of the sign read in the MP or MC grouping at a position which is a function of the line of the sign in a predetermined order, an alphabetic order for a letter and

b. a second circuit recording, in a memory position attached to the said sign, the number of times it is detected in the group.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said comparing and counting means comprises:

a. at least one adding device to calculate the number of letters of the MP and MC groupings,

b. a comparing logic circuit to determine the smallest and the largest of the numbers l and L, and

c. an accumulator circuit to accumulate the positive differences of the numbers attached to each letter, thus determining the variable c.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising third memory means for storing the values of the quantities c, s, L and l, the said third memory means being connected, on the one hand, to said comparing and counting means for controlling the transfer of these values and on the other hand, to said first memory means for the transfer of the values of said functions to said adding means and said multiplying means.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said comparing said counting means comprises an accumulator connected to the said first memory means for totalling the differences of the values attached to each sign of the MP and MC groupings, said accumulator being connected to said second memory means containing the function of selection S for the transfer of the variables s, l, L, said second memory means being connected to said logic means controlling said adding and multiplying means.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an adding device connected to said first memory means wherein the MP groupings are recorded, said first memory means comprising a position for recording the number of times the MPj grouping has resulted in the establishment of the calculation of the risk of conflict R by said adding means and said multiplying means, the said adding device including a logic circuit connected to said second memory means containing the function S, said logic circuit exciting a controlled circuit of said second memory means each time said adding device reaches a predetermined value for MPj, this control circuit substituting a higher value S'"'"'m for the threshold value Sm.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said logic means comprises a blocking logic circuit blocking the control circuits of said second memory means containing the function A and triggering the comparing of the group MPj + 1 without the calculation of Rij each time the quantity a relating to the grouping MPj is less than a given value.