Automated patent office documentation

• US 7,444,589 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US11/026,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/530, 715/200, 715/255
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/382 using citations hypermedia G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/11 Patent retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for automated patent office documentation. Some embodiments provide for analyzing electronic content such as an issued patent, application for patent, Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) office action, associated patent support data such as PTO information, and/or other reference materials, along with user input to identify references to external information, create an electronic association to the external information, and insert the electronic association into the electronic content.

Claims

1. An automated patent office documentation system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory component, the memory component storing;

patent analysis logic to analyze electronic content, associated patent support data relating to the electronic content, and reference materials, to identify at least one reference to external information, wherein analyzing the electronic content includes determining an identifying characteristic of the referenced external information and at least one desired excerpt in the external information;

search logic to utilize the identifying characteristic to find the at least one reference to external information;

link analysis logic to analyze a first proximity of the external information to determine a potentially relevant portion of the external content for the at least one desired excerpt of the external information, the link analysis logic further operable to determine a confidence level that the potentially relevant portion is a relevant portion, the link analysis logic further to, in response to determining that confidence level is below a predetermined threshold, reanalyze the external information with a second proximity, the link analysis logic further to create at least one electronic association corresponding to the determined relevant portion; and

insertion logic to insert the at least one electronic association into the electronic content,

wherein selection of the at least one electronic association facilitates a triggering action resulting in providing a display of the desired excerpt in the referenced external information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic content includes at least one of:

information included in the patent; and

information included in a prosecution history of the patent;

and wherein the patent support data includes at least one of;

information included in the patent; and

information included in a prosecution history of the patent;

and wherein the reference materials include other public information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the search logic has access to at least one of:

a local server; and

sources of public information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic association is operable to cause the external information to be displayed in at least one of:

a same window; and

a separate window.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the patent analysis logic is to analyze the at least one reference to external information and determine the portion of the external information that is relevant to the electronic content, and is further to cause the portion of the external information that is relevant to the electronic content to be displayed without the need to scroll the displayed information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a copy of the external reference is placed in a common location and the electronic association corresponds to the copy rather than to the external reference.

7. An automated method for inserting electronic associations into patent office documentation comprising:

analyzing electronic content, associated patent support data relating to the electronic content, and reference materials, and identifying at least one reference to external information, wherein analyzing the electronic content includes determining an identifying characteristic of the referenced external information and at least one desired excerpt of the external information;

searching information systems to utilize the identifying characteristic to find the at least one reference to external information;

analyzing a first proximity of the external information to determine a potentially relevant portion of the external content for the at least one desired excerpt of the external information;

determining a confidence level that the potentially relevant portion is a relevant portion;

in response to determining that confidence level is below a predetermined threshold, reanalyzing the external information with a second proximity;

creating at least one electronic association corresponding the determined portion; and

inserting the at least one electronic association into the electronic content,

wherein selection of the at least one electronic association facilitates a triggering action resulting in providing a display of the desired excerpt in the referenced external information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic content includes at least one of:

information included in the patent; and

information included in a prosecution history of the patent;

and wherein the patent support data includes at least one of

information included in the patent; and

information included in a prosecution history of the patent;

and wherein the reference materials include other public information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the search logic has access to at least one of:

a local server; and

sources of public information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one electronic association causes the external information to be displayed in at least one of:

a same window; and

a separate window.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising analyzing the at least one reference to external information and determining the portion of the external information that is relevant to the electronic content, and further causing the portion of the external information that is relevant to the electronic content to be displayed without the need for scrolling the displayed information.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising causing a copy of the external reference to be placed in a common location and causing the electronic association to correspond to the copy rather than to the external reference.

13. A computer readable storage medium having a program for inserting electronic associations into patent office documentation, the computer readable medium including a computer program, executed by a processor to:

analyze electronic content, associated patent support data relating to the electronic content, and reference materials, and identifying at least one reference to external information, wherein analyzing the electronic content includes determining an identifying characteristic of the referenced external information and at least one desired excerpt of the external information;

search information systems to utilize the identifying characteristic to find the at least one reference to external information;

analyze a first proximity of the external information to determine a potentially relevant portion of the external content for the at least one desired excerpt of the external information;

determine a confidence level that the potentially relevant portion is a relevant portion;

in response to determining that confidence level is below a predetermined threshold, reanalyze the external information with a second proximity;

creating at least one electronic association corresponding to the determined relevant portion;

determining a location of the at least one desired excerpt in the referenced external information; and

inserting the at least one electronic association into the electronic content,

wherein selection of the at least one electronic association facilitates a triggering action resulting in providing a display of the desired excerpt in the referenced external information.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the electronic content includes at least one of:

information included in the patent; and

information included in a prosecution history of the patent;

and wherein the patent support data includes at least one of;

information included in the patent; and

information included in a prosecution history of the patent;

and wherein the reference materials include other public information.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the search logic has access to at least one of:

a local server; and

sources of public information.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the at least one electronic association causes the external information to be displayed in at least one of:

a same window; and

a separate window.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising analyzing the at least one reference to external information and determining the portion of the external information that is relevant to the electronic content, and further causing the portion of the external information that is relevant to the electronic content to be displayed without the need for scrolling the displayed information.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising causing a copy of the external reference to be placed in a common location and causing the electronic association to correspond to the copy rather than to the external reference.