System, method and computer program product for collecting strategic patent data associated with an identifier

• US 8,078,545 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aloft Media, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Aloft Media, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Inventors: Zilka, Kevin J., Kotab, Dominic M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US10/661,878
• Time in Patent Office: 3,015 Days
• Field of Search: 705/310
• US Class Current: 705/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for organizing patents utilizing a computer-implemented system. An identifier is initially determined, after which a notes field is displayed for receiving manually entered notes, such that the manually entered notes are stored in association with the identifier. Further, the manually selection of a file is permitted. Such manually selected file is then stored in association with the identifier. Still yet, a plurality of patents are associated with the identifier. The manually entered notes, the file, and the patents are thus accessible by subsequent selection of the identifier.

Claims

1. A method for organizing patents utilizing a computer-implemented system, comprising:

displaying a notes field for receiving manually entered notes including text;

receiving the manually entered notes, utilizing the notes field;

storing the manually entered notes in association with at least one identifier, thus associating the manually entered notes with the at least one identifier;

receiving a manual selection of a file;

storing the manually selected file in association with the at least one identifier by providing a correspondence between the file and the at least one identifier, thus associating the manually selected file with the at least one identifier, wherein a manually selected first file is associated with a first identifier corresponding to a single patent, and a manually selected second file is associated with a second identifier corresponding to a group involving a plurality of patents; and

associating a plurality of patents with the at least one identifier;

wherein the manually entered notes, at least one of the manually selected files, and the patents are accessible by subsequent selection of the at least one identifier;

wherein the notes field allows a user to cut and paste notes;

wherein the file is selected utilizing a file structure field including a file tree-structure that allows a user to browse various folders where files have been previously stored, where the file structure is displayed simultaneously with the notes field on a same interface, the file selected utilizing the file tree-structure including information from a source separate from the patents;

wherein the patents associated with the at least one identifier are identified by searching a database including a comprehensive database of all patents issued by at least one government agency;

wherein a set of the patents is reported by;

displaying a technology mapping depicting a plurality of categories of technology utilizing a graphical user interface,

displaying statistics regarding a number of the patents of the set in each of the categories of technology in a first interface,

displaying first additional information associated with at least a portion of the patents of the set in a second interface separate from the first interface upon the selection of an icon positioned in the first interface and associated with one of the statistics, for drilling down from the first interface to the second interface, wherein the first additional information includes a list of the patents of the set associated with one of the categories of technology,

displaying second additional information associated with at least one of the patents of the list in a third interface separate from the first interface and the second interface upon the selection of an additional icon positioned in the second interface and associated with one of the patents, for drilling down from the second interface to the third interface, wherein the second additional information includes at least one of a patent number, a status, an exemplary claim, and an exemplary figure;

wherein the notes and at least one of the files are made accessible to other parties utilizing e-mail;

wherein said method is carried out utilizing the computer-implemented system including computer code embodied on a computer readable medium.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with an intellectual property data structure for realizing a function of organizing and reporting information associated with an identifier, comprising:

an identifier object;

a notes object correlated with the identifier object for tracking manually entered notes including text associated with the identifier object; and

at least one patent object correlated with the identifier object for tracking a plurality of related patent identifiers associated with the identifier object;

wherein a set of the patents is reported utilizing the computer readable medium with;

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying a technology mapping depicting a plurality of categories of technology utilizing a graphical user interface,

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying statistics regarding a number of the patents of the set in each of the categories of technology in a first interface,

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying first additional information associated with at least a portion of the patents of the set in a second interface separate from the first interface upon selection of an icon positioned in the first interface and associated with one of the statistics, for drilling down from the first interface to the second interface, wherein the first additional information includes a list of the patents of the set associated with one of the categories of technology, and

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying second additional information associated with at least one of the patents of the list in a third interface separate from the first interface and the second interface upon selection of an additional icon positioned in the second interface and associated with one of the patents, for drilling down from the second interface to the third interface, where the second additional information includes a patent number, a status, an exemplary claim, and an exemplary figure;

wherein computer code is provided for making the notes accessible to other parties.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with an intellectual property data structure for realizing a function of organizing and reporting information associated with an identifier, comprising:

an identifier object;

a notes object correlated with the identifier object for tracking manually entered notes including text associated with the identifier object;

at least one file object correlated with the identifier object by providing a correspondence between the file object and the identifier object, for tracking manually selected files associated with the identifier object; and

at least one patent object correlated with the identifier object for tracking a plurality of related patent identifiers associated with the identifier object;

wherein a set of the patents is reported utilizing the computer readable medium with;

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying a technology mapping depicting a plurality of categories of technology utilizing a graphical user interface,

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying statistics regarding a number of the patents of the set in each of the categories of technology in a first interface,

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying first additional information associated with at least a portion of the patents of the set in a second interface separate from the first interface upon the selection of an icon positioned in the first interface and associated with one of the statistics, for drilling down from the first interface to the second interface, wherein the first additional information includes a list of the patents of the set associated with one of the categories of technology, and

computer code embodied on the computer readable medium for displaying second additional information associated with at least one of the patents of the list in a third interface separate from the first interface and the second interface upon the selection of an additional icon positioned in the second interface and associated with one of the patents, for drilling down from the second interface to the third interface, where the second additional information includes a patent number, a status, an exemplary claim, and an exemplary figure.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with an intellectual property data structure for realizing a function of organizing and reporting information associated with an identifier, comprising:

an identifier object;

a notes object correlated with the identifier object for tracking manually entered notes including text associated with the identifier object;

at least one file object correlated with the identifier object by providing a correspondence between the file object and the identifier object, for tracking manually selected files associated with the identifier object, wherein a manually selected first file is associated with a first identifier corresponding to a single patent, and a manually selected second file is associated with a second identifier corresponding to a group involving a plurality of patents; and

at least one patent object correlated with the identifier object for tracking a plurality of related patent identifiers associated with the identifier object;

wherein a set of the patents is reported utilizing the computer readable medium with;

computer code for displaying a technology mapping depicting a plurality of categories of technology utilizing a graphical user interface,

computer code for displaying statistics regarding a number of the patents of the set in each of the categories of technology in a first interface,

computer code for displaying first additional information associated with at least a portion of the patents of the set in a second interface separate from the first interface upon the selection of an icon positioned in the first interface and associated with one of the statistics, for drilling down from the first interface to the second interface, wherein the first additional information includes a list of the patents of the set associated with one of the categories of technology,

computer code for displaying second additional information associated with at least one of the patents of the list in a third interface separate from the first interface and the second interface upon the selection of an additional icon positioned in the second interface and associated with one of the patents, for drilling down from the second interface to the third interface, wherein the second additional information includes a patent number, a status, an exemplary claim, and an exemplary figure;

wherein computer code is provided for making the notes and at least one of the files accessible to other parties utilizing e-mail.

5. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for organizing patents utilizing a computer-implemented system, comprising:

computer code for displaying a notes field for receiving manually entered notes including text;

computer code for receiving the manually entered notes, utilizing the notes field;

computer code for storing the manually entered notes in association with at least one identifier, thus associating the manually entered notes with the at least one identifier;

computer code for receiving a manual selection of a file;

computer code for storing the manually selected file in association with the at least one identifier by providing a correspondence between the file and the at least one identifier, thus associating the manually selected file with the at least one identifier, wherein the computer program product is operable for a manually selected first file to be associated with a first identifier corresponding to a single patent, and a manually selected second file to be associated with a second identifier corresponding to a group involving a plurality of patents; and

computer code for associating a plurality of patents with the at least one identifier;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that the manually entered notes, at least one of the manually selected files, and the patents are accessible by subsequent selection of the at least one identifier;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that a set of the patents is reported using;

computer code for displaying a technology mapping depicting a plurality of categories of technology utilizing a graphical user interface,

computer code for displaying statistics regarding a number of the patents of the set in each of the categories of technology in a first interface,

computer code for displaying first additional information associated with at least a portion of the patents of the set in a second interface separate from the first interface upon the selection of an icon positioned in the first interface and associated with one of the statistics, for drilling down from the first interface to the second interface, wherein the first additional information includes a list of the patents of the set associated with one of the categories of technology,

computer code for displaying second additional information associated with at least one of the patents of the list in a third interface separate from the first interface and the second interface upon the selection of an additional icon positioned in the second interface and associated with one of the patents, for drilling down from the second interface to the third interface, wherein the second additional information includes at least one of a patent number, a status, an exemplary claim, and an exemplary figure;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that the notes and at least one of the files are made accessible to other parties utilizing e-mail.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the at least one identifier is determined by selecting an already-existing identifier.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the at least one identifier is determined by selecting an already-existing identifier utilizing a pull-down menu.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the at least one identifier is determined utilizing an add icon.

9. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the at least one identifier is determined utilizing a modify icon.

10. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the notes field allows a user to cut and paste notes.

11. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the patents associated with the at least one identifier are identified by searching a database of already existing identifiers.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the database is a comprehensive database of all patents issued by at least one government agency.

13. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the file is selected utilizing a file structure field.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the file structure field includes a file tree-structure.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the file structure field allows a user to browse various folders where files have been previously stored.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the file structure is displayed simultaneously with the notes field on the same interface.