System and method for tracking patent ownership change

• US 8,972,385 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, HAU HAI
• Application Number:
  US13/253,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 707/722, 707923-929
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/355 Class or cluster creation or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 : Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 : Intellectual property management

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system are provided for automatically tracking change in ownership status of patents listed in a database at a patent registry. The method comprises receiving input from a user identifying one or more patents of interest to be tracked and, based on the input received, automatically performing a search of the registry database to identify changes in ownership status for any one or more of the patents of interest. The search results are formatted and transmitted to a user. The automatic search may be conducted on a regular basis thereby notifying as user of any intervening changes in ownership.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of automatically tracking change in ownership of a patent listed in a database at a patent registry, the method comprising:

receiving input from a user identifying the patent of interest to be tracked for changes in ownership, the input further including data associated with a plurality of selected fields of enquiry relating to the patent of interest, wherein the one or more plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry;

name change in patent holder;

date or date range of assignment;

date of incorporation of assignor or assignee;

place of incorporation, or address, of assignor or assignee;

nationality of assignor or assignee; and

nature of assignment;

causing the presentation of each field of enquiry simultaneously in a single user interface, wherein the single user interface receives input from the user;

automatically performing a search of the patent registry database on a predetermined regular basis based on the input received from the user, wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership status for the patents of interest;

receiving and formatting the search result; and

transmitting the search result to the user for display in the single user interface.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising hosting an interactive website and receiving input from the user, and presenting the search result to a user, via the website.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including displaying the search result to a user in a handheld or mobile device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including receiving the user input into a hardware-implemented input module.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, including configuring the input module to receive input from a user selecting the plurality of fields of enquiry relating to the change of ownership of the patents of interest.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fields of enquiry further includes the name of an assignor or the name of an assignee.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, including filtering the search result in accordance with one or more of the fields of enquiry using a hardware-implemented filtering module.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, including formatting the filtered search result for display to the user using a hardware-implemented display module.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including retrieving the search result automatically from the patent registry using a hardware-implemented input module.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including storing the received search result in a hardware-implemented tracking module.

11. A patent management system for automatically tracking change in ownership of patents listed in a database at a patent registry, the system comprising:

a hardware-implemented input module configured to receive input from a user identifying a patent of interest to be tracked for changes in ownership;

the input further including data associated with a plurality of selected fields of enquiry relating to the patent of interest, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry;

name change in patent holder;

date or date range of assignment;

date of incorporation of assignor or assignee;

place of incorporation, or address, of assignor or assignee;

nationality of assignor or assignee; and

nature of assignment;

a single user interface for receiving input from a user facilitating the presentation of each field of inquiry simultaneously;

a search engine configured to perform an automatic search of the patent registry database on a predetermined regular basis, based on the input received from the user, to allow identification of one or more intervening of changes in ownership status for the patent of interest;

a hardware-implemented processing module configured to process the data received and format the search result; and

a display module for transmitting the search result to the user in a single user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the display module is configured to present user-selectable interface elements in a graphic user interface, the interface elements allowing data entry by the user and corresponding to the plurality of fields of enquiry.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a filtering module for filtering the search result, based on the one or more fields of enquiry.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the data input by the user further includes the name of an assignor or the name of an assignee.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the search engine, processing module and display module are respectively configured to perform the automatic search, process the search result, and transmit the search result to the user on a regular basis predetermined by the user, thereby notifying the user of any intervening changes in patent ownership status for the patent of interest.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the input module is configured to receive input from the user defining the predetermined regular basis.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is web-based and the user input is received from the user, and the search result are transmitted and displayed to the user, via one or more web pages hosted on the website.

18. A patent assignment tracking tool comprising hardware-implemented modules, the tool including:

an input module for receiving input from a user in relation to one or more assignment criteria relating to a patent listed in a patent registry, the assignment criteria including data associated with a plurality of selected fields of enquiry relating to the patent, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry;

name change in patent holder;

date or date range of assignment;

date of incorporation of assignor or assignee;

place of incorporation, or address, of assignor or assignee;

nationality of assignor or assignee;

nature of assignment;

a single user interface for receiving input from a user facilitating the presentation of each field enquiry simultaneously;

a search engine configured to perform a search, on a predetermined regular basis, automatically at the patent registry in relation to the patent, based on the input received from the user;

a display module for formatting the data and presenting the result to the user in a single user interface.

19. The assignment tracking tool of claim 18, further comprising a filtering module configured to filter the result of the search performed by the search engine, based on one or more of the assignment criteria received from the user.

20. A patent portfolio management system comprising:

a network;

a patent matter database, accessible on the network, and including data about the patent matters, and

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

a processor,

a memory,

software operable on the processor to;

receive input from a user identifying a patent of interest to be tracked for changes in ownership;

the input further including data associated with a plurality of selected fields of enquiry relating to the patent of interest, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry;

name change in patent holder;

date or date range of assignment;

date of incorporation of assignor or assignee;

place of incorporation, or address, of assignor or assignee;

nationality of assignor or assignee;

nature of assignment;

cause the presentation of each field of enquiry simultaneously in a single user interface, wherein the single user interface receives input from a user;

automatically perform a search of the patent registry database on a predetermined regular basis based on the input received from the user,

wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership status for the patent of interest;

receive and format the search result; and

transmit the search result to the user in a single user interface.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the operations of:

receiving input from a user identifying a patent of interest to be tracked for changes in ownership, the input further including data associated with a plurality of selected fields of enquiry relating to the patent of interest, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry;

name change in patent holder;

date or date range of assignment;

date of incorporation of assignor or assignee;

place of incorporation, or address, of assignor or assignee;

nationality of assignor or assignee; and

nature of assignment;

causing the presentation of each field of enquiry simultaneously in a single user interface, wherein the single user interface receives input from a user;

automatically performing a search of the patent registry database on a predetermined regular basis based on the input received from the user, wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership status for the patent of interest;

receiving and formatting the search result; and

transmitting the search result to the user for display in the single user interface.