Potential realization system with electronic communication processing for conditional resource incrementation

• US 9,129,252 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• 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: Frank, Scott M., Koch, Robert A., Kuester, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Alvin L
• Application Number:
  US11/395,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,448 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

Selected embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems and media for systematically processing electronic communications for conditionally incrementing resources. In certain embodiments, electronic communications are received and processed in order to evaluate potential realization assistance functions by potential realization assistants according to processes that include resource incrementations that are conditioned on satisfactory potential realization function processing. Other methods, systems and media are also provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising

identifying an intellectual property asset from a plurality of intellectual property assets as ready for initiation of a process for managing assets without considering, on an asset-by-asset basis, whether each of the plurality of intellectual property assets is ready for initiation of the process for managing assets, wherein identifying the intellectual property asset from the plurality of intellectual property assets is based, at least in part, on the intellectual property asset being associated with a trigger that prompts initiation of the process for managing assets,

selecting a user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing a task of a plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets,

providing, to the user, a request for performing the task, the request comprising reward information associated with performing the task,

in response to receiving an acceptance to the request from the user, displaying, to the user via an interface, first representations of the plurality of tasks, wherein the plurality of tasks comprises identifying any known potential infringers of the intellectual property asset, researching sources of information identifying potential infringers of the intellectual property asset, comparing the intellectual property asset with the known potential infringers and the potential infringers identified, and assisting in providing an offer for licensing the intellectual property asset,

displaying, to the user via the interface, second representations of a plurality of stages, wherein each of the plurality of tasks is associated with the plurality of stages,

receiving, at the interface from the user, an indication that a stage of the plurality of stages of the task of the plurality of tasks has been completed by the user selected for performing the task,

responsive to receiving the indication, determining whether completion of the stage of the task by the user satisfies at least one condition for providing a reward to the user in exchange for completing the stage of the task, and

providing instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the task includes analyzing data corresponding to a potential associated with the intellectual property asset to increase a likelihood of realization of the potential, and wherein receiving the indication that the stage has been completed, determining whether completion of the stage satisfies the at least one condition, and providing the instructions for disbursement of the reward are repeated through a multi-staged process for conditional resource incrementation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing the task of the plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets comprises:

analyzing information regarding a plurality of users and information regarding the task; and

selecting the user from the plurality of users based at least in part upon the task and upon current workloads of the plurality of users.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the intellectual property asset is at least one patent, and wherein the user includes an inventor on the at least one patent.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises at least one of payment of an issue fee associated with the intellectual property asset or payment of a maintenance fee associated with the intellectual property asset.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing the task of the plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets comprises:

accessing first information regarding a plurality of users that includes subject matter area information for each user of the plurality of users and accessing second information regarding the intellectual property asset;

performing a comparison of the second information regarding the intellectual property asset to the subject matter identification information for the plurality of the users;

performing a load balancing analysis that facilitates balancing of workloads for the plurality of the users; and

identifying the user from the plurality of the users for performing the task of the plurality of tasks based on results of the comparison and the load balancing analysis.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein providing the instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward comprises effecting a monetary transfer to the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises task completion information provided by the user regarding the task, and wherein determining whether completion of the stage of the task by the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward to the user in exchange for completing the stage of the task comprises comparing the task completion information received from the user to a set of defined requirements for the task completion information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the user is affiliated with an owner of the intellectual property asset before providing the instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing a communication to the user regarding non-disbursement of the reward upon determining that the user does not satisfy the at least one condition for providing the reward.

11. A method comprising:

identifying, by a system comprising a processor, an intellectual property asset from a plurality of intellectual property assets as ready for initiation of a process for managing assets without considering, on an asset-by-asset basis, whether each of the plurality of intellectual property assets is ready for initiation of the process for managing assets, wherein identifying the intellectual property asset from the plurality of intellectual property assets is based, at least in part, on the intellectual property asset being associated with a trigger that prompts initiation of the process for managing assets;

selecting, by the processor, a user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing a task of a plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets;

providing, by the processor, a request to the user for performing the task, the request comprising reward information associated with performing the task;

in response to receiving an acceptance to the request from the user, displaying, by the processor to the user via an interface, representations of the plurality of tasks, wherein the plurality of tasks comprises identifying any known potential infringers of the intellectual property asset, researching sources of information identifying potential infringers of the intellectual property asset, comparing the intellectual property asset with the known potential infringers and the potential infringers identified, and assisting in providing an offer for licensing the intellectual property asset;

displaying, by the processor to the user via the interface, representations of a plurality of stages, wherein each of the plurality of tasks is associated with the plurality of stages;

receiving, by the processor from the user via the interface, an indication that a stage of the plurality of stages of the task of the plurality of tasks has been completed by the user selected for performing the task;

responsive to receiving the indication, determining, by the processor, whether completion of the stage of the task by the user satisfies at least one condition for providing a reward to the user in exchange for completing the stage of the task; and

providing, by the processor, instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the intellectual property asset is a patent and the user is an inventor on the patent.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing the task of the plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets comprises:

accessing first information regarding a plurality of users that includes subject matter area information for each user of the plurality of users and accessing second information regarding the intellectual property asset;

performing a comparison of the second information regarding the intellectual property asset to the subject matter identification information for the plurality of the users;

performing a load balancing analysis that facilitates balancing of workloads for the plurality of the users; and

identifying the user from the plurality of the users for performing the task of the plurality of tasks based on results of the comparison and the load balancing analysis.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the trigger comprises at least one of payment of an issue fee associated with the intellectual property asset or payment of a maintenance fee associated with the intellectual property asset.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether the user is affiliated with an owner of the intellectual property asset before providing the instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward.

16. A computer readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a system comprising a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying an intellectual property asset from a plurality of intellectual property assets as ready for initiation of a process for managing assets without considering, on an asset-by-asset basis, whether each of the plurality of intellectual property assets is ready for initiation of the process for managing assets, wherein identifying the intellectual property asset from the plurality of intellectual property assets is based, at least in part, on the intellectual property asset being associated with a trigger that prompts initiation of the process for managing assets;

selecting a user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing a task of a plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets;

providing a request to the user for performing the task, the request comprising reward information associated with performing the task;

in response to receiving an acceptance to the request from the user, displaying, to the user via an interface, representations of the plurality of tasks, wherein the plurality of tasks comprises identifying any known potential infringers of the intellectual property asset, researching sources of information identifying potential infringers of the intellectual property asset, comparing the intellectual property asset with the known potential infringers and the potential infringers identified, and assisting in providing an offer for licensing the intellectual property asset;

receiving, at the interface from the user, an indication that at least a portion of the task has been completed by the user selected for performing the task;

responsive to receiving the indication, determining whether completion of the at least a portion of the task by the user satisfies at least one condition for providing a reward to the user in exchange for completing the at least a portion of the task; and

providing instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the intellectual property asset is a patent and the user is an inventor on the patent.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein selecting the user associated with the intellectual property asset for performing the task of the plurality of tasks associated with the process for managing assets comprises:

accessing first information regarding a plurality of users that includes subject matter area information for each user of the plurality of users and accessing second information regarding the intellectual property asset;

performing a comparison of the second information regarding the intellectual property asset to the subject matter identification information for the plurality of the users;

performing a load balancing analysis that facilitates balancing of workloads for the plurality of the users; and

identifying the user from the plurality of the users for performing the task of the plurality of tasks based on results of the comparison and the load balancing analysis.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the trigger comprises at least one of payment of an issue fee associated with the intellectual property asset or payment of a maintenance fee associated with the intellectual property asset.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the user is affiliated with an owner of the intellectual property asset before providing the instructions for disbursement of the reward to the user upon determining that the user satisfies the at least one condition for providing the reward.