Method of deleting unnecessary information from a database
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of managing documents related to a patent application, said method comprising:
- storing a plurality electronic documents related to a patent application in a database accessible to a server system, wherein each of said plurality of electronic documents has a document type and wherein said plurality of stored documents includes at least one document having a first document type and at least one document having a second document type;
storing a rule in said database that indicates specific document types to be deleted from said database in response to a predetermined event occurring related to prosecution of said patent application, wherein said rule indicates that documents of said second type should be deleted but not documents of said first type;
receiving a signal at said server system indicating said predetermined event has occurred;
after receiving said signal, implementing said rule to delete documents of said second type in said database that are related to said patent application but not delete documents of said first type that are related to said patent application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-implemented method of managing documents related to a patent application. In one embodiment the method includes storing a plurality documents related to a patent application in a database accessible to a server system, where each of the plurality of documents has a document type and where the plurality of documents includes at least one document having a first document type and at least one document having a second document type. The method also includes storing a rule in the database that indicates specific document types to be deleted from the database in response to a predetermined event occurring related to prosecution of the patent application, where the rule indicates that documents of the second type should be deleted but not documents of the first type; receiving a signal at the server system indicating the predetermined event has occurred; and after receiving the signal, implementing the rule to delete documents of the second type in the database that are related to the patent application but not delete documents of the first type that are related to the patent application.
174 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of managing documents related to a patent application, said method comprising:
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storing a plurality electronic documents related to a patent application in a database accessible to a server system, wherein each of said plurality of electronic documents has a document type and wherein said plurality of stored documents includes at least one document having a first document type and at least one document having a second document type;
storing a rule in said database that indicates specific document types to be deleted from said database in response to a predetermined event occurring related to prosecution of said patent application, wherein said rule indicates that documents of said second type should be deleted but not documents of said first type;
receiving a signal at said server system indicating said predetermined event has occurred;
after receiving said signal, implementing said rule to delete documents of said second type in said database that are related to said patent application but not delete documents of said first type that are related to said patent application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-implemented method of managing documents related to a patent application, said method comprising:
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storing a plurality electronic documents related to a patent application in a database accessible to a server system, wherein each of said plurality of electronic documents has one or more attributes associated therewith;
storing a rule in said database that determines specific electronic documents to be deleted from said database in response to a predetermined event occurring related to prosecution of said patent application, wherein said rule deletes documents having a predetermined attribute;
receiving a signal at said server system indicating said predetermined event has occurred;
after receiving said signal, implementing said rule to delete documents from said database that are related to said patent application and have said predetermined attribute but does not delete documents from said database that are related to said patent application and do not have said predetermined attribute. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18)
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16. A server system for managing information related to patent applications, said server system comprising:
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(a) a processor;
(b) a database; and
(c) a memory for storing a program;
wherein said processor is operative with said program to;
(i) store, in said database, information related to a patent application, said information including at least an invention disclosure, a patent application as filed in an official patent office, unofficial documents related to said patent application and one or more papers generated by said official patent office that are related to said patent application;
(ii) in response to an indication from said official patent office that said patent application has been allowed, receive an instruction to categorize said patent application as allowed in said database and automatically delete said unofficial documents related to said patent application from said database.
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Specification