Abstract:
The present invention comprises a computer implemented invention further comprising a knowledge extraction module for production of an invention disclosure dataset. The present invention further comprises a natural language generation module for converting an invention disclosure dataset into text that may be used in drafting a patent application.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention/Technical Field 
       [0004]    The present invention is in the technical field of computer-mediated patent application preparation. 
       Description of Related Art/Background Art 
       [0005]    PCT/US2014/49510 (“the &#39;510 publication”), which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses that patent applications may be rapidly and accurately disclosed using an automated invention disclosure and patent application drafting software for the production of a disclosure application. The disclosure application allows one to create, rearrange and edit the relationships between the elements, steps and limitations of an invention. The system and method disclosed in the &#39;510 publication rapidly and efficiently characterizes inventions according to the rules and conventions of patent law, preferably U.S. patent law. 
         [0006]    In the &#39;510 publication and the invention disclosed herein, certain embodiments employ an art-recognized software architecture for implementing user interfaces known as model-view-controller (MVC) system. In the MVC system, the model structures an area of expertise that must be examined, also known as the problem domain, independent of the user interface. The model directly manages the input data, logic and rules of the application. In the MVC system, the view component generates an output presentation. The view encompasses any representation of information. However, examples include charts and diagrams. Importantly, multiple views of the same information are possible. The third part, the controller, accepts input and converts it to commands for the model or view. For example, the controller may send commands to the model to update the model state (e.g., editing a document). It can also send commands to its associated view to change the view&#39;s presentation of the model (e.g., by scrolling through a document). 
         [0007]    Text entered into a system related to the present invention is thought to be directly linked to the output of a document, preferably a patent application document. For example, in a disclosure application, which contains disclosure views, (which are interface components representing elements or steps of an invention), the arrangement of the views themselves, create text for the detailed description portion of the patent application. Further, limitations can be added to each element, which are capable creating text for documents such as patent applications. It was discovered through use of the disclosure application, that the arrangement of the disclosure views and limitation views, can be useful for organizing data used in drafting patent related text documents. 
       GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of comparing tangentially related data to an invention. 
         [0009]    Embodiments of the present invention allow for evaluation of prior art. Finally, embodiments of the present invention allow evaluation and demarcation of prior art and novel elements. 
         [0010]    Embodiments of the present invention allow for evaluation of novelty. 
         [0011]    Embodiments of the present invention compare an amendment to something that was initially filed before filing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  diagrams network communication of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  diagrams the relationships between modules and user devices. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  diagrams steps showing the overall use of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates a disclosure view wherein an element is associated to prior art by the nesting of the type of prior art underneath said disclosure view. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates an interface view wherein a limitation view and prompt associated with enabling the user to associate agile specification information with a patent element. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates an interface view that shows a limitation view showing the differences in input based on the original data and the amendment data. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  illustrates an interface view that highlighting presumptive novelty to user through a plurality of multiple disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    In general it is thought that this invention is a novel means for creating novel document or visual output from associating inputs with patentable entities in a disclosure application. The invention is performed on a user device and/or server and the user device may be any type of general computing device, such as a mobile computing device, laptop, netbook, server, cell phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, or any other device capable of executing one or more instructions. The user device and server may contain one or more processors, such as processors which may be a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a general purpose processor, an application specific processor, or any device that executes instructions. The user device and server may also include one or more memories, that store data one or more software modules. The memory may be implemented using any computer-readable storage medium, such as hard drives, CDs, DVDs, flash memory, RAM, ROM, etc. The memory may store a module, or application, or interface, library or engine which may be executed by processor. The user interface may include one or more of a screen, a display, a projector, a touch panel, a pointing device, a scrolling device, a button, a switch, a motion sensor, an audio sensor, a pressure sensor, a thermal sensor, etc. which may interact with a presentation layer of a module. The presentation layer may include, modules that allow the user to create non narrative data output from use with the disclosure application. Some embodiments of a presentation layer may be a web browser  273 , a stand-alone application  274 , and a virtual reality headset, augmented reality glasses or overlays, or a messaging interface  275 . 
         [0020]    The user interface may be web based, such as a web page, or a stand-alone application. The user interface may also be configured to accept information about a user, such as user feedback. The user may manually enter the information, or it may be entered automatically. The system may also include one or more data bases, such as database on a device or server. Database may be implemented using any database technology known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such as relational database technology or object-oriented database technology such as MongoDb or Nosql databases. 
         [0021]    Overall, the invention requires an existing disclosure application wherein said disclosure application has nested elements, or steps called disclosure views containing or referencing a patentable entity. These elements or steps describe the components of the invention in a nested functional or relational manner and this invention is one or modules designed to relate to the elements in order to produce data that is not specifically related to the preparation of a patent application. 
         [0022]    The invention has several sub steps for using it which are as follows: a person creates one or more NND disclosure view  32  for NND  26  to be input into a disclosure application  7  such that it is visually linked to one or patentable entity  29  (herein termed the Method (1)-Step (1)  501 . Next, user encounters a disclosure application  7  on a computer  31  linked to a network  23 , (herein termed the Method (1)-Step (2)  502 ). Then, a disclosure application  7  prompts the user for NND  26  when user is using the disclosure application  7 , (herein termed the Method (1)-Step (3)  503 ). Then, a user inputs one or more NND  26  into a NND disclosure view  32 , (herein termed the Method (1)-Step (4)  504 ). Next, the disclosure application  7  prompts the user for more NND  26 , (herein termed the Method (1)-Step (5)  505 ). Finally, after disclosing NND  26 , system evaluates NND  26  and creates NND output  49 , which a user uses to their benefit, (herein termed the Method (1)-Step (6)  506 ). The aforementioned 
         [0023]    While the steps in Method (1)  500  are depicted in a particular order, the principles of the present disclosure are not limited to the order depicted immediately above. Additionally, embodiments of the Method (1)  500  process can include more or less steps than those depicted. 
         [0024]    It is thought this method requires the creation of one or more NND disclosure view  32  and there are many objectives, which the NND disclosure view  32  intends to perform. To begin, the NND disclosure view  32  aims to have a way to put in data that is tangentially related to a patent application, but not directly related to the narrative output. Further, the NND disclosure view  32  functions to have a way to update and change NND  26  easily and relate to specific patentable entity  29  as a piece of nested data. Further, the NND disclosure view  32  aims to have a way to easily visualize patent-related data within the context of the patent application. Additionally, the NND disclosure view  32  intends to have a way to make a patent entity multi-dimensional. 
         [0025]    Examples of different types of NND disclosure view  32  are thought be an agile limitation view  33 , a novelty interface  34 , a prior art element disclosure view  35 , and an amendment limitation view  36 . For example, the agile limitation view  33  may comprise 5 items; the icebox prompt  37 , the story input  38 , the story fragment  39 , the icebox fragment  40 , and the icebox input  41 . The agile limitation view  33  is intended to both 1) have a means to create software specs and intellectual property simultaneously and also to 2) create a way to associate specific software, functions or modules to an icebox or user story. 
         [0026]    The icebox prompt  37  of the agile limitation view  33  has several aims, which are as follows: First, the icebox prompt  37  intends to remind the user along with the patent related information, to create or assign a story to an icebox. Further, the icebox prompt  37  aims to remind the user along with the patent related information, to create a user story related to the patentable entity. Further, the icebox prompt  37  is designed to give the user an option to define one or more stories related to the entity. 
         [0027]    Another component of the agile limitation view  33  is the story input  38 . The story input  38  is designed to have a means that someone can input software specs. Further, the story input  38  is designed to have a means that someone can choose the person who benefits from the user feature. Further, the story input  38  aims to have a means to relate a patentable entity  29  to a user story. 
         [0028]    Similar to the story input  38  is the icebox input. The term icebox input  41  is thought to encompass one or more fields that allows the user to create an icebox entity, which holds one or more stories, which text is then used by developers to create software. The objectives of the icebox input  41  are to both 1) have a means where someone can create broad goals for software development and 2) have a means where someone can assign user stories under these broad goals. 
         [0029]    Another example of a NND disclosure view is the novelty interface. In one embodiment this may be a single element, the Boolean novelty checkmark  43  which functions to have an easy mechanism to point out how existing art is separated from the novel combinations of elements in the patent application. The term novelty interface  34  is broadly thought to include one or more portions of an interface that mark a level within a nested tree of patentable entity  29  that allows one to demarcate the presumed level where prior art does not exist. The novelty interface  34  has many aims, which are as follows: First, the novelty interface  34  is designed to have a simple means to start drafting claims. Also, the novelty interface  34  is designed to show or hide different elements based on novelty. Further, the novelty interface  34  aims to examine patent examiners responses to presumed levels of novelty. Additionally, the novelty interface  34  aims to easily change (narrow/broaden) the scope of the invention by making disclosure view  5  as novel or non-novel. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, the NND disclosure view may be a prior art element disclosure view  35  which may comprise a patent application information view  44 , a publication information view  45 , and/or a product information view  46 . The term prior art element disclosure view  35  is thought to encompass one or more portions of an interface that are marked as prior art and are related to a patentable entity  29  in a disclosure view  5  by being prior art of said entity. One purpose of the prior art element disclosure view  35  is to have an easy way for a user to create a rebuttal to examiner by determining if the cited prior art is relevant to the application as filed. 
         [0031]    The patent application information view  44  is to have an easy way for a user to associate a prior art patent with a particular entity. The publication information view  45  is intended to have an easy way for a user to associate a prior art publication with a particular entity. The publication information view  45  preferably consists of two items, the publication information fragment  47  and the publication information input  48 . The product information view  46  is intended to have an easy way for a user to associate a prior art product with a particular entity. 
         [0032]    The term patent application information view  44  is thought to encompass an interface on a presentation layer  24  that allows one to associate a disclosure view  5  or patentable entity  29  with a reference to a patent application that has prior art related to the patentable entity  29 . The term publication information view  45  is broadly thought to include an interface on a presentation layer  24  that allows one to associate a disclosure view  5  or patentable entity  29  with a reference to a publication that has prior art related to the patentable entity  29 . The term publication information input  48  is preferred, the term product information view  46  may include an interface on a presentation layer  24  that allows one to associate a disclosure view  5  or patentable entity  29  with a reference to a product that has prior art related to the patentable entity  29 . 
         [0033]    In another embodiment, the NND disclosure view could be an amendment limitation view  36  which would function to both 1) have a way to rebut an examiner who claims that there is new matter in the application and also to 2) compare an amendment to the filed application to see if there is new matter before filing. 
         [0034]    Usage of these views may result in some form of NND output. Including agile specs  50 , (software specs created from a disclosure application  7 ), invention differences  51  (prior art differences between the claimed invention and highlight potential means for rebuttal to the examiner), a novelty map  52  (a means to quickly examine areas of novelty of invention and devise one or more claims strategy) and/or amendment differences  53  (a means to evaluate differences between an application and its amendments for potential new matter). 
         [0035]    The invention comprises numerous terms that are necessary to define the scope of for purposes of interpretation. The invention consists of many accompanying pieces; the module  25 , the presentation layer  24 , the element association  3 , the inventor  4 , the disclosure view  5 , the limitation view  6 , the disclosure application  7 , the database  8 , the client server model  9 , the program  10 , the CPU  19 , the software  12 , the view  13 , the crud object  14 , the user interface  21 , the user device  22 , the network  23 , the server  18 , the CPU  19 , the user input  20 , the user interface  21 , the user device  22 , the network  23 , the presentation layer  24 , the module  25 , the NND  26 , the non-narrative data  27 , the definition of these terms below allows numerous embodiments of the invention that may arise, rather than just the preferred embodiment as described above. 
         [0036]    The term NND disclosure view  32  is thought to encompass a presentation layer  24  input that allows the user to create a relationship between NND  26  and a patentable entity  29  that is draggable and a crud object  14 . The term agile limitation view  33  is thought to encompass an interactive view in the presentation layer  24  created from one or more module  25  that allows one to mix patentable entity  29  and agile specs  50 , such that the output allows one to begin the process of agile workflow. 
         [0037]    The term icebox prompt  37  is broadly thought to include a text portion of a view in the presentation layer  24  that prompts the user to input agile icebox or story information. The term icebox input  41  is thought to encompass one or more fields that allows the user to create an icebox entity, which holds one or more stories, which text is then used by developers to create software. The term novelty interface  34  is broadly thought to include one or more portions of an interface that mark a level within a nested tree of patentable entity  29  that allows one to demarcate the presumed level where prior art does not exist. 
         [0038]    The term Boolean novelty checkmark  43  is thought to encompass a check interface on a presentation layer  24  most likely a disclosure view  5  that creates an arbitrary level where the user indicates that prior art is not present. The term prior art element disclosure view  35  is thought to encompass one or more portions of an interface that are marked as prior art and are related to a patentable entity  29  in a disclosure view  5  by being prior art of said entity. The term patent application information view  44  is thought to encompass an interface on a presentation layer  24  that allows one to associate a disclosure view  5  or patentable entity  29  with a reference to a patent application that has prior art related to the patentable entity  29 . 
         [0039]    The term publication information view  45  is broadly thought to include an interface on a presentation layer  24  that allows one to associate a disclosure view  5  or patentable entity  29  with a reference to a publication that has prior art related to the patentable entity  29 . The term publication information input  48  is thought to encompass one or more fields that allows the user to create evaluate or compare different iterations of an invention that have been modified over time. In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term product information view  46  may include an interface on a presentation layer  24  that allows one to associate a disclosure view  5  or patentable entity  29  with a reference to a product that has prior art related to the patentable entity  29 . 
         [0040]    The term amendment limitation view  36  is thought to encompass one or more portions of the presentation layer  24  that allow one to compare initially filed applications, with amended applications to show the differences in extant elements versus amended elements to evaluate issues of new matter. The term NND output  49  is broadly thought to include any output from a disclosure application  7  that uses association of NND  26  with one or more disclosure view  5  to create a document or visual output that is useful to a user. The term agile specs  50  is thought to encompass an API or document output that populates data in an Agile Management Software package. 
         [0041]    The term invention differences  51  is broadly thought to include an document or visual output of the differences or data related to prior art elements present in a disclosure application  7 . In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term novelty map  52  may include an document or visual output that shows presumed branches and levels of novelty from data input into a disclosure application  7 . The term amendment differences  53  is broadly thought to include an document or visual output that shows differences in disclosure view  5  between an initial filing and an follow up amendment. 
         [0042]    In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term module  25  may include instructions hosted on memory  129  executed by the CPU  19  which perform functions. The term presentation layer  24  is thought to encompass graphical output from a module  25  for user interaction typically one or more graphical user interface  131 . The term element association  3  is broadly thought to include the nested relationship between one or more disclosure view  5  (of possibly different types, such as method having steps or step having sub step or step having element) which may determine different type of sentences generated. 
         [0043]    The term inventor  4  is broadly thought to include any person, or persons in United States patent law, who contribute to the claims of a patentable invention. The term disclosure view  5  is thought to encompass a part of a disclosure application  7  that is an interactive view  13  within a graphical user interface  131  that is draggable and a crud object  14 . The term disclosure application  7  is thought to encompass software  12  or module  25  in a presentation layer  24  on a user device  22  that allows rapid, input of invention information  30  and outputs patent application text. 
         [0044]    The term database  8  is thought to encompass an organized collection of data with a software system designed to allow the definition, creation, querying, update, and administration of databases. The term client server model  9  is broadly thought to include structure in computing that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called servers, and service requesters, called clients. In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term program  10  may include a sequence of instructions, written to perform a specified task with a computer that is executed by the central processing unit  128 . 
         [0045]    The term CPU  19  is broadly thought to include hardware within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term software  12  may include a collection of computer programs and related data. In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term crud object  14  may include an acronym for create, read, update and delete graphical user interface  131  objects which are the four basic functions of persistent storage. Also pertains to graphical user interface  131  conventions that facilitate viewing, searching, and changing information for computer  31  forms and reports. 
         [0046]    The term server  18  is broadly thought to include a system (software and suitable computer hardware) that responds to requests across a computer network and has a central processing unit (CPU)  19  capable of executing one or more instructions on one or module  25  present on memory  129 . In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term CPU  19  may include hardware within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The term user input  20  is thought to encompass text or information that is input by the user into one or more module  25  presentation layer  24 . 
         [0047]    The term user interface  21  is broadly thought to include a display mechanism for a graphical user interface  131  which in turn is part of the presentation layer  24  of one or more module  25 . The term user device  22  is broadly thought to include an interactive device that has a CPU  19  and memory  129  with one or more module  25  containing executable instructions, typically a computer  31 . 
         [0000]    In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term network  23  may include a telecommunications network that allows computers to exchange data. 
         [0048]    In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term presentation layer  24  may include graphical output from a module  25  for user interaction typically one or more graphical user interface  131 . In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term module  25  may include instructions hosted on memory  129  executed by the CPU  19  which perform functions. The term NND  26  is broadly thought to include an acronym for non-narrative data  27 . 
         [0049]    The term non narrative data  27  is thought to encompass data that is tangentially related to one or more patentable entity  29  which is input in a presentation layer  24  in a manner that relates the information to one or more disclosure view  5  in a disclosure application  7 . The term narrative data  28  is thought to encompass data that is specifically related to the output text of a patent application, created by a disclosure application  7 , in that one or more text inputs by the user is word for word input into the text, or alternatively processed by an algorithm which translates the meaning of the text input into a narrative format for the patent application and is applied to the detailed description or other required parts of a patent application. The term patentable entity  29  is thought to encompass fundamental pieces of an invention such as element, step, means for element, species. 
         [0050]    The term invention information  30  is thought to encompass data related to the function, composition, creation, use, or description of an invention including any claimable limitation. In some embodiments, not just the preferred, the term memory  129  may include the physical devices used to store programs (sequences of instructions) or data (e.g. program state information) on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. The term operating system  130  is broadly thought to include a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. 
         [0051]    The term graphical user interface  131  is broadly thought to include a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices through graphical icons and visual indicators such as secondary notation, as opposed to text-based interfaces, typed command labels or text navigation. 
         [0052]    In some embodiments, one may reason that the presentation layer  24  may be also be a web browser  119 , a application  120 , or a messaging interface  121 . When using the invention, one can contemplate that in some embodiments either a web browser  119 , a application  120 , or a messaging interface  121  may take the place of the presentation layer  24 . 
         [0053]    When using the invention, one may reason that in some embodiments either a desktop computers  132 , a carputers  133 , a game consoles  134 , a laptops  135 , a notebooks  136 , a palmtop  137 , a tablet  138 , a smartphones  139 , or a smartbooks  140  may take the place of the computer  31 . The computer  31  consists of 4 sub-elements, respectively referred to as the central processing unit  128 , the memory  129 , the operating system  130 , and the graphical user interface  131 .