Computerized information system for creating patent data summaries and method therefor

• US 8,117,192 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iprotect USA Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Iprotect USA Incorporated
• Inventors: Pogodin, Pavel
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liao, Jason
• Application Number:
  US11/182,577
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/11 Patent retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/924 Patent procedure

Abstract

A computerized system and method for generating patent data summary reports for a target entity identified by the user. The information system contains a database containing patent document records. After a user selects the target entity, the system issues a query to the database to identify all entities having a association with patent documents associated with the specified target entity. For example, the user may wish to receive a report on all the clients of a specific attorney. The system would search the database to locate all assignees of all patents prosecuted by that attorney and return a ranked list of such assignees to the user. Optionally, the system may generate a graphical representation of the information in the report and provide it to the user. The report provided to the user may be interactive in a sense that various items of information within the report may be connected by way of links to additional reports with more specific information on those particular items. Additionally, the system may automatically update the patent document database with new records as they become available.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating an interactive patent data summary report, the interactive report comprising data for each of a plurality of years on a target law firm entity, the method comprising:

a. receiving first information, wherein the first information is indicative of the target law firm entity, wherein the target law firm entity is of a first entity type;

b. using one or more processors to issue one or more database system queries, at least one of the one or more queries comprising at least a portion of the first information to a database system comprising at least one database table stored on a computer readable medium to identify a plurality of company entity records, the plurality of company entity records being a subset of all company entity records stored in the at least one database table and comprising information on a plurality of company entities being assignees of at least one of a plurality of patent documents, wherein the target law firm entity being an attorney listed on each of the plurality of patent documents, each of the plurality of company entities being of a second entity type and wherein the subset of the stored all company entity records constituting the plurality of company entity records is determined using the issued one or more database system queries;

c. using the one or more processors for extracting the information on the plurality of company entities from the plurality of company entity records;

d. incorporating using the one or more processors the extracted information on at least two of the plurality of company entities of the second entity type into the interactive report;

e. using the one or more processors for determining, for each pair comprising a year from the plurality of years and a company entity from at least two of the plurality of company entities, a quantity of patent documents in the plurality of patent documents corresponding to the pair, each of the plurality of patent documents listing the target law firm entity as an attorney;

f. generating using the one or more processors a graphical chart, the graphical chart incorporating, for each pair comprising the year of the plurality of years and the company entity from the at least two of the plurality of company entities, a graphical representation of the determined quantity of patent documents;

g. incorporating using the one or more processors the generated graphical chart into the interactive report or associating the graphical chart with the interactive report; and

h. causing the interactive report to be provided to the user,

wherein the interactive report comprises a user interface portion usable in connection with a web browser;

wherein the interactive report comprises a plurality of information items capable of being activated by the user, the plurality of information items forming the user interface portion of the interactive report; and

wherein receipt of an indication that at least one information item of the plurality of information items of the user interface portion of the interactive report has been activated by the user causes the one or more processors to generate a second report based on the activated information item and cause the second report to be provided to the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises at least a portion of a name of the law firm entity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising identifying the target law firm entity based on the first information.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the identifying the target law firm entity comprises:

i. identifying records using the database system using at least a portion of the received first information, the identified records representing one or more possible spellings of a name of the law firm entity;

ii. ranking the identified records based on a number of patent documents corresponding to each spelling of the name of the law firm entity;

iii. providing the identified records to the user in a ranked order;

iv. receiving second information from a user via a computer network, wherein the second information identifies the law firm entity and wherein the second information comprises selection of the identified records, the selected identified records representing different spellings of the name of the law firm entity, which correspond to the law firm entity.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first entity type is attorney/agent and the second entity type is assignee.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical chart comprises a bar chart.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interactive report comprises HTML code and is provided to a user via HTTP protocol.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating a link element with an information item in the interactive report, wherein upon activation of the link element, the user is provided with the second report on the information item.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information item represents a number of patent documents and the second report comprises a listing of the patent documents.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information item is selected from a group consisting of an attorney/agent, assignee, class/subclass, assignee country and inventor.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interactive report comprises a name of the target law firm entity, a name of at least one of the plurality of company entities and information on the patent documents associated with target law firm entity and the plurality of company entities.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of company entities are listed in the interactive report in a ranked manner in accordance with corresponding quantities of patent documents in the plurality of patent documents.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising periodically updating records stored in the at least one database table.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises at least two numbers of patent documents in the plurality of patent documents for at least two the plurality of company entities.

15. A computer-implemented method for generating an interactive patent data summary report, the interactive report comprising data for each of a plurality of years on a target company entity, the method comprising:

a. receiving first information, wherein the first information is indicative of the target company entity, wherein the company entity is of a first entity type;

b. using one or more processors to issue one or more database system queries, at least one of the one or more queries comprising at least a portion of the first information to a database system comprising at least one database table stored on a computer readable medium to identify a plurality of law firm entity records, the plurality of law firm entity records being a subset of all law firm entity records stored in the at least one database table and comprising information on a plurality of law firm entities being listed as attorney of record on one or more of a plurality of patent documents, wherein the target company entity being an assignee of each of the plurality of patent documents, each of the plurality of law firm entities being of a second entity type and wherein the subset of the stored all law firm entity records constituting the plurality of law firm entity records is determined using the issued one or more database system queries;

c. using the one or more processors for extracting the information on the plurality of law firm entities from the plurality of law firm entity records;

d. incorporating using the one or more processors the extracted information on at least two of the plurality of law firm entities of the second entity type into the interactive report;

e. using the one or more processors for determining, for each pair comprising a year from the plurality of years and a law firm entity from at least two of the plurality of law firm entities, a quantity of patent documents in the plurality of patent documents corresponding to the pair, each of the plurality of patent documents listing the target company entity as an assignee;

f. generating using the one or more processors a graphical chart, the graphical chart incorporating, for each pair comprising the year of the plurality of years and the law firm entity from the at least two of the plurality of law firm entities, a graphical representation of the determined quantity of patent documents;

g. incorporating using the one or more processors the graphical chart into the interactive report or associating the graph with the interactive report; and

h. cause the interactive report to be provided to the user,

wherein the interactive report comprises a user interface portion usable in connection with a web browser;

wherein the interactive report comprises a plurality of information items capable of being activated by the user, the plurality of information items forming the user interface portion of the interactive report; and

wherein receipt of an indication that at least one information item of the plurality of information items of the user interface portion of the interactive report has been activated by the user causes the one or more processors to generate a second report based on the activated information item and cause the second report to be provided to the user.

16. A computerized information system for generating an interactive patent data summary report, the interactive report comprising data for each of a plurality of years on a target company entity, the computer system comprising:

a. a database system, wherein the database system comprises at least one table stored on a computer readable medium for storing database records and wherein the database records comprise patent document records;

b. a processing unit for receiving instructions from the user, for processing received instructions and for generating the interactive report on the target company entity;

c. a storage unit for storing a computer program for generating the interactive report on the target company entity, wherein the computer program causes the processing unit to;

i. receive first information, wherein the first information is indicative of the target company entity, wherein the company entity is of a first entity type;

ii. use one or more processors to issue one or more database system queries, at least one of the one or more queries comprising at least a portion of the first information to a database system comprising at least one database table stored on a computer readable medium to identify a plurality of law firm entity records comprising information on a plurality of law firm entities being listed as attorney of record on one or more of a plurality of patent documents, wherein the target company entity being an assignee of each of the plurality of patent documents, each of the plurality of law firm entities being of a second entity type;

iii. extract the information on the plurality of law firm entities from the plurality of law firm entity records;

iv. incorporate using the one or more processors the extracted information on at least two of the plurality of law firm entities of the second entity type into the interactive report;

v. determine a plurality of numbers of patent documents, each number in the plurality of numbers of patent documents being a number of patent documents in the plurality of patent documents corresponding to a pair comprising a year from the plurality of years and a law firm entity from at least two of the plurality of law firm entities;

vi. generate using the one or more processors a graphical chart, the graphical chart incorporating, for each year of the plurality of years and for each of the at least two of the plurality of law firm entities, a graphical representation of each of the determined plurality of numbers of patent documents;

vii. incorporate using the one or more processors the graphical chart into the interactive report or associating the graphical chart with the interactive report; and

viii. cause the interactive report to be provided to the user,

wherein the interactive report comprises a user interface portion usable in connection with a web browser;

wherein the interactive report comprises a plurality of information items capable of being activated by the user, the plurality of information items forming the user interface portion of the interactive report; and

wherein receipt of an indication that at least one information item of the plurality of information items of the user interface portion of the interactive report has been activated by the user causes the one or more processors to generate a second report based on the activated information item and cause the second report to be provided to the user.

17. The computerized information system of claim 16, wherein the database system comprises a first table storing patent document information and a second table storing inventor information.

18. The computerized information system of claim 16, wherein the computer program further causes the processing unit to associate a link element with an information item in the interactive report, wherein upon activation of the link element, the user is provided with a second report on the information item.

19. The computerized information system of claim 18, wherein the information item represents a quantity of patent documents and the second report comprises a listing of the patent documents.

20. The computerized information system of claim 18, wherein the information item is selected from a group consisting of an attorney/agent, assignee, class/subclass, assignee country and inventor.