Abstract:
With conventional print and electronic tools, researching statutory material is difficult and time-consuming. So, to facilitate this type of research, the present inventors devised systems, methods, and software that promise to improve the ability of researchers to find, verify, read, and/or interpret statutory information. One exemplary system provides options for users to access statutory information by citation, by table of contents, by index, and/or by popular name; presents specific statutory information in combination with visual indicators, such as red or yellow flags, that indicate the validity or status of the information; and provides requested statutory information in context of links to related information, such as tables of contents, other versions of a statute, case law, scholarly materials, legislative history, cross-referenced statutes, and administrative-law materials.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/334,804 filed on Jan. 17, 2006, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/644,465 filed on Jan. 14, 2005, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND PERMISSION 
       [0002]    A portion of this patent document contains material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. The following notice applies to this document: Copyright © 2005, Thomson Reuters Global Resources. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    1. Field 
         [0004]    The present invention concerns systems, methods, and software for online researching of legal statutes and related information. 
         [0005]    2. Brief Discussion of Related Art 
         [0006]    The American legal system relies heavily on written laws and judicial opinions. Because of this, judges and lawyers within our legal system are continually researching an ever-changing body of statutes and past opinions (case law) to make decisions and advise their clients. 
         [0007]    To facilitate these searches, companies, such as West Publishing Company of St. Paul, Minn. (doing business as Thomson West), collect and publish statutes and judicial opinions from across the United States in both print and electronic form. The electronic form of the statutes and case law are electronically searchable via the Internet through the www.Westlaw.com legal research website. 
         [0008]    Although services, such as Westlaw.com, have provided enormous benefits to the legal industry, the present inventors have recognized considerable room for improvement, particularly in the area of statutes research. This aspect of legal research is notoriously difficult and time-consuming. Even with electronic search capabilities, many researchers prefer using print materials. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, the present inventors have recognized a need for tools that facilitate researching statutory information. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    To address this and/or other needs, the present inventors devised systems, methods, and software that promise to improve the ability of researchers to find, verify, read, and/or interpret statutory information. One exemplary system provides a number of graphical user interfaces that facilitate researching statutory information. For finding statutory information, one exemplary interface provides options for users to access statutory information by citation, by table of contents, by index, and/or by popular name. For verification, a results interface presents specific statutory information in combination with visual indicators, such as red or yellow flags, that indicate the validity or status of the information. 
         [0011]    For reading ease, requested statutory information is presented in one pane of an interface and an adjacent pane provides a list of links to related information, such as tables of contents, other versions of a statute, case law, scholarly materials, legislative history, cross-referenced statutes, and administrative-law materials. The list of links also functions as a checklist for statutory research. And for interpreting the statutory information, the list of links includes lists to cases that cite the statute, for example, a list of citing cases decided within the last 6 0  days of a given access. 
         [0012]    In accordance with an embodiment, a system to retrieve information is provided. The system includes a plurality of legal statute databases and a server. The legal statute databases maintaining a plurality of legal statutes. The server transmits to a client access device a table of contents of a selected legal statute database as a plurality of search-selectable legal statute categories each associated with one or more legal statutes. The server receives from the client access device a query including a selection of at least one search-selectable legal statute category and a search criterion. The server retrieve at least one legal statute from the selected legal statute database based on the at least one selected legal statute category and the search criterion of the query. The server transmits to the client access device the retrieved at least one legal statute. 
         [0013]    In accordance with another embodiment, a method of retrieving information is provided. The method includes transmitting from a server to a client access device a table of contents of a selected legal statute database as a plurality of search-selectable legal statute categories each associated with one or more legal statutes. The method further includes receiving at the server from the client access device a query including a selection of at least one search-selectable legal statute category and a search criterion. Thereafter, the method includes retrieving at least one legal statute from the selected legal statute database based on the at least one selected legal statute category and the search criterion of the query. Also, the method includes transmitting to the client access device the retrieved at least one legal statute. 
         [0014]    In accordance with a further embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The storage medium includes operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to transmit to a client access device a table of contents of a selected legal statute database as a plurality of search-selectable legal statute categories each associated with one or more legal statutes. The operational instructions also cause the processor to transmit to receive from the client access device a query including a selection of at least one search-selectable legal statute category and a search criterion. Thereafter, the operational instructions cause the processor to transmit to retrieve at least one legal statute from the selected legal statute database based on the at least one selected legal statute category and the search criterion of the query. Also, the operational cause the processor to transmit to transmit to the client access device the retrieved at least one legal statute. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary legal research system corresponding to one or more embodiments of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an exemplary method associated with system of  FIG. 1  and corresponding to one or more embodiments of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a facsimile of an exemplary graphical user interface which corresponds to one or more embodiments of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a facsimile of a graphical user interface which corresponds to one or more embodiments of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a facsimile of an exemplary graphical user interface which corresponds to one or more embodiments of the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a facsimile of an exemplary graphical user interface which corresponds to one or more embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    This description, which references and incorporates the above-identified Figures, describes one or more specific embodiments of one or more inventions. These embodiments, offered not to limit but only to exemplify and teach the one or more inventions, are shown and described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement or practice the invention. Thus, where appropriate to avoid obscuring the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those of skill in the art. 
       Exemplary Information-Retrieval System 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary online information-retrieval system  100 , which incorporates teachings of the present invention. System  100  includes one or more databases  110 , one or more servers  120 , and one or more access devices  130 . 
         [0023]    Databases  110  include a set of non-statutory legal documents  112 , a set of statutory legal documents  114 , and other legal documents  116 . Documents  112 , in the exemplary embodiment, include case law documents from federal, state, and/or local jurisdictions. Statutory legal documents  114  include federal, state, and/or local statutes and administrative rules as well as legislative history. Other legal documents  116  include legal articles, encyclopedias, and so forth. Databases  110  may also include other content as implied below or in the referenced provisional application. 
         [0024]    Databases  110  ( 112 ,  114 ,  116 ), which take the exemplary form of one or more electronic, magnetic, or optical data-storage devices, include or are otherwise associated with respective indices ( 112 N,  114 N,  116 N). Each of the indices includes terms and phrases in association with corresponding document addresses, identifiers, and other conventional information. Databases  110  are coupled or couplable via a wireless or wireline communications network, such as a local-, wide-, private-, or virtual-private network, to server  120 . 
         [0025]    Server  120 , which is generally representative of one or more servers for serving data in the form of webpages or other markup language forms with associated applets, ActiveX controls, remote-invocation objects, or other related software and data structures to service clients of various “thicknesses.” More particularly, server  120  includes a processor module  121 , a memory module  122 , a subscriber database  123 , a search module  124 , a metadata database  125  and a legal research module (or software)  126 . 
         [0026]    Processor module  121  includes one or more local or distributed processors, controllers, or virtual machines. In the exemplary embodiment, processor module  121  assumes any convenient or desirable form. 
         [0027]    Memory module  122 , which takes the exemplary form of one or more electronic, magnetic, or optical data-storage devices, stores subscriber database  123 , search engines  124 , metadata database  125  and legal research module  126 . 
         [0028]    Subscriber database  123  includes subscriber-related data for controlling, administering, and managing pay-as-you-go or subscription-based access of databases  110 . In the exemplary embodiment, database  123  includes user identifiers, access credentials, and billing or pricing information. 
         [0029]    Search module  124  includes one or more search engines and related user-interface components, for receiving and processing queries against one or more of databases  110 , with use of indices  114 N. In the exemplary embodiment, one or more search engines associated with search module  124  provide Boolean, tf-idf (term frequency-inverse document frequency), and/or natural-language search capabilities. 
         [0030]    Metadata database  125  includes a number of data structures, such as data structure  1251 , to facilitate fulfillment of queries, particularly those related to statutes or versions thereof In the exemplary embodiment, data structure  1251  includes a document identifier  1251 A, which is logically associated with a jurisdiction indicator  1251 B, a year indicator  1251 C, a session indicator  1251 D, a document type  1251 E, an approval date  1251 F, an effective date  1251 , and a class indicator  1251 H. 
         [0031]    Statutory research software  126  comprises machine readable and/or executable instructions for wholly or partly defining web-based user interfaces (such as a user interface  138  and those shown in subsequent figures) over a wireless or wireline communications network on one or more accesses devices, such as access device  130 . 
         [0032]    Access device  130  is generally representative of one or more access devices. In the exemplary embodiment, access device  130  takes the form of a personal computer, workstation, personal digital assistant, mobile telephone, or any other device capable of providing an effective user interface with a server or database. Specifically, access device  130  includes a processor module  131 , a memory  132 , a display  133 , a keyboard  134 , and a graphical pointer or selector  135  (also known as a mouse). 
         [0033]    Processor module  131  includes one or more processors, processing circuits, or controllers. In the exemplary embodiment, processor module  131  takes any convenient or desirable form. Coupled to processor module  131  is memory  132 . 
         [0034]    Memory  132  stores code (machine-readable or executable instructions) for an operating system  136 , a browser  137 , and a graphical user interface (GUI)  138 . In the exemplary embodiment, operating system  136  takes the form of a version of the Microsoft Windows operating system, and browser  137  takes the form of a version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Operating system  136  and browser  137  not only receive inputs from keyboard  134  and selector  135 , but also support rendering of GUI  138  on display  133 . Upon rendering, GUI  138  presents data in association with one or more interactive control features (or user-interface elements). The exemplary embodiment defines one or more portions of interface  138  using applets or other programmatic objects or structures from server  120 . 
         [0035]    More specifically, graphical user interface  138  defines or provides one or more display regions, such as a query or search region  1381  and a search-results region  1382 . Query region  138   1  is defined in memory and upon rendering includes one or more interactive control features (elements or widgets), such as a query input region  1381 A, a query submission button  1381 B. Query input region  1381 A also allows a user to input text or provide other input for defining or selecting a query. Query submission button  1381 B allows user to initiate submission or communication of the query to server  120 . Search-results region  1382  is also defined in memory and upon rendering includes one or more interactive control features  1382 A- 1382 D. 
         [0036]    Control features  1382 A- 1382 C correspond to one or more statutory documents enable a user to selectively access or retrieve one or more corresponding documents relevant to the governing query from databases  110  via server  120 . Each of the control features  1382 A- 1382 C includes a respective document identifier or label, such as DOCX, DOCY, or DOCZ, identifying respective titles or other aspects of the associated documents. Control feature  1382 D, which in the exemplary embodiment is representative of one or more control features, enables a user to selectively invoke display of other materials related to the one or more of the statutory documents associated with control features  1382 A- 1382 C. 
         [0037]    In the exemplary embodiment, each of these control features of interface  138  takes the form of a hyperlink or other browser-compatible command input. Although  FIG. 1  shows query region  138   1  and results region  1382  as being simultaneously displayed, some embodiments present them at separate times. 
       Exemplary Method(s) of Operation 
       [0038]      FIG. 2  shows a flow chart  200  illustrating in greater detail an exemplary method of operating system  100 . Flow chart  200  includes a number of process blocks  210 ,  220  and  230 . Though arranged serially in the exemplary embodiment, other embodiments may reorder the blocks, omits one or more blocks, and/or execute two or more blocks in parallel using multiple processors or a single processor organized as two or more virtual machines or sub-processors. Moreover, still other embodiments implement the blocks as one or more specific interconnected hardware or integrated-circuit modules with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules. Thus, the exemplary process flow is applicable to software, firmware, hardware, and hybrid implementations. 
         [0039]    At block  210 , the exemplary method begins with presentation of a user interface tailored for statutory research. In the exemplary embodiment, this entails a user directing a browser in a client access device, such as device  130  in  FIG. 1 , to an internet-protocol (IP) address for an online information-retrieval system, such as system  100 , and then logging onto the system using appropriate credentials. Successful login results in a web-based search interface, such as interface  138  in  FIG. 1  (or one or more portions thereof) being output from server  120 , stored in memory  132 , and displayed by client access device  130 . 
         [0040]    Block  220  entails receiving a query from the user. In the exemplary embodiment, the user defines the query by interacting with the interface, specifically entering terms of the query into a query input region and finally actuating a query submission feature to transmit the query to a server, such as server  120  for processing. In some embodiments, the user query takes the form of a popular name of a statute, that is, a statute alias, which can be used to assist in identification of the corresponding statute or portion thereof. In others, it takes the form of a citation for a statute, or a request for a table of contents. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary query or search interface  300  that may be substituted for or added to region  1381 . Interface  300  includes interface displays  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340  and  350 . Interface display  310  includes a query input region  311 , a search command input  312 , find-by-citation feature  313 , table-of-contents feature  314 , index feature  315 , and a popular name feature  317 . User selection of features  313 ,  314 ,  315 , and  317  invokes display of respective interface displays  320 ,  330 ,  340 , and  350 . Execution then advances to block  230  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0042]    Block  230  entails presenting a graphical user interface listing the identified set of documents. In the exemplary embodiment, this entails displaying a listing of the identified set of one or more statutes on interface  138 , specifically within or as part of search-results region  1382 , along with related statutory content, such as one or more indicators regarding the status of the statutes. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4-6  shows an exemplary search results interface  400 - 600 , which may be substituted for or added to search results region  1382 . 
       Conclusion 
       [0044]    In furtherance of the art, the inventors have presented, among other things, various exemplary systems, methods, and software which facilitate online research of statutory materials. 
         [0045]    The embodiments described above are intended only to illustrate and teach one or more ways of practicing or implementing the present invention, not to restrict its breadth or scope. The actual scope of the invention, which embraces all ways of practicing or implementing the teachings of the invention, is defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.