Method for preparing a claim tree in the preparation of a patent application

摘要

A method and computer program for preparing a patent application including independent and dependent claims by running a software macro to display a claim dependency tree with the ability to insert word or phrases within the tree. The claim dependency tree shows a diagram of the claims within a patent application and their dependency. The user can type a claim note ( 42 ) in the Claim Note data line ( 38 ) describing the highlighted claim's limitation. The claim note ( 42 ) is then placed adjacent the claim's respective number in the claim dependency tree.