Computer-Implemented Methods of and Systems for Analyzing Patent Claims

摘要

An advanced relational database and user interface system used for the evaluation, analysis and generation of specialized reports in any of a plurality data analysis environments. The database and analysis system can be utilized for many purposes, but particularly and preferably to support the analysis of patent claims and more specifically claim construction, infringement, written description, invalidity and/or patentability, among other matters of intellectual property litigation and analysis.

主权项

1. A method of analyzing patent claims in a granted patent and generating patent claim prosecution history charts, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) in the patent file history of the granted patent, stored in the database of a patent-specific object-oriented system, identify all patent claims that have been allowed during prosecution history; (b) using the allowed patent claims, construct patent claim charts displaying the language of the allowed claim limitations, and any Examiner's claim rejections (based on cited and applied prior art references) which the Examiner may have made and which Applicant(s) overcame by way of argument and/or amendment; (c) analyze statements made by applicant(s) and the examiner during the course of the prosecution history of the patent grant; (d) identify any statements made by applicant(s) and/or examiner, during the prosecution history, which relate to the subject matter of the allowed claims and corresponding claim limitations; (e) within the database, link the identified statements to the allowed claims and corresponding claim limitations; (f) identify claim concepts embraced or embodied within the allowed patent claims; (g) logically organize the claim concepts into concept groups; (h) link concepts to statements made during the prosecution history; (i) use the claim concepts to set up prior art reference analysis data schemas within the database, for use in generating and displaying prior art reference analysis GUIs during prior art reference analysis; (j) use the prior art reference analysis GUIs to analyze the prior art references cited and applied by the examiner during the prosecution history; and (k) use the results of the prior art reference analysis to generate patent claim prosecution history charts.