Patent Publication Number: US-2005120026-A1

Title: Patent downloading system and method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for data downloading, and particularly to a patent downloading system and method which can provide a mirror web site for periodically downloading newly issued patents and newly published patent applications from public patent web sites.  
      2. Background of the Invention  
      As web communications technology advances, more and more web information-and-service suppliers are providing users with data search and data download capability via networks. Users can transmit data to the suppliers via the networks, and can directly download data from remote servers of the suppliers.  
      When users search for required data via the networks, most web sites have a link for data search. A user can set up a search query, and list all required data titles in the search query. The user then clicks on one of the titles or a related link on a web page with a computer mouse, in order to get a display of and/or download data relating to the title from a remote server supporting the web site. Generally, an information-providing web site provides a download function which allows users to download the data of only one title at a time, by clicking on the relevant link on the web page. If a user wants to download all data of multiple titles in a search query, he must manually download the data of each title one by one. When the required data comprise a large number of titles, this is exceedingly time-consuming. For instance, some data are stored in databases in the format of image files which must be downloaded one page at a time. In addition, if the network is temporarily blocked or experiences other difficulties, the data download procedure becomes more complicated and inefficient.  
      When searching and downloading data from the networks, multiple users in a same organization can cooperate as a group. The group accesses the networks via a common server of the organization that can store the data downloaded. The users in the group visit the common server via an intranet, and can retrieve data from and send data to the common server. The users in the group may deal with similar work of the organization, and thus need and use some common data. However, when an individual user downloads required data via the networks, the user may not know about the requirements of other users in the group. Therefore, identical data may be downloaded more than one time when it is required by more than one user in the group. This is unduly time-consuming and inefficient.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,785 discloses a data download system that can concurrently download a file from a plurality of remote servers. In the system, a client computer can download data from a plurality of remote servers via a communication network. The system can concurrently download a part of the file from each remote server and integrate the parts of the file into the single complete file in the client computer. However, this data download system cannot prevent repeated downloading of data that are already stored in a local database of the client computer, and further cannot re-download any data that are not successfully downloaded a first time. In addition, the system cannot adequately deal with network jams and other network difficulties efficiently.  
      Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method which can overcome the abovementioned problems.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A main objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method which can provide a mirror web site for periodically downloading newly issued patents and newly published patent applications from patent web sites in order to avoid network jams. Unless otherwise indicated, the term “patent” as used herein is to be construed as including a published patent application, and the term “issued patent” as used herein is to be construed as including a published patent application.  
      Another objective of the present invention is to provide a system and method which can prevent repeated downloading of patents that are already stored in a local database.  
      To achieve the above objectives, a system for downloading patents from one or more patent web sites through a network comprises a mirror web site, an application server, a plurality of client computers, and a database linking to the application server through a connection. The mirror web site comprises: a patent database for storing newly issued patents downloaded from the patent web sites, and storing corresponding patent index lists; and a web server. The web server comprises: a download period setting module for setting download periods; a patent downloading module for periodically downloading newly issued patents at a predetermined download time of each download period; and a patent index creating module for creating a patent index for each newly downloaded patent. The application server comprises a patent inquiry term receiving module for receiving patent inquiry terms from any of the client computers; a patent information obtaining module for obtaining information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry terms; a patent existence determination module for determining whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the mirror web site; and a downloading module for downloading the patents from the mirror web site if the patents exist in the mirror web site.  
      Further, a patent downloading method is also provided. The patent downloading method comprises the steps of: providing a mirror web site for periodically downloading newly issued patents from patent web sites and storing the downloaded patents; receiving a patent inquiry term; obtaining information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry term; determining whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the mirror web site; and downloading the patents from the mirror web site if the patents exist in the mirror web site.  
      Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description thereof with the attached drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of hardware configuration and an application environment of a patent downloading system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of function modules of an application server of the patent downloading system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of function modules of a web server of the patent downloading system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a preferred patent downloading method according to the present invention, utilizing the patent downloading system of  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a process of periodically downloading patents from a patent web site according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of hardware configuration and an application environment of a patent downloading system  1  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The patent downloading system  1  comprises an application server  3 , a mirror web site  4 , a plurality of client computers  6  (only two shown), and a database  8 . Each client computer  6  is connected with the application server  3  through a common network  5 . The network  5  may be any suitable communication architecture required by the patent downloading system  1 , such as a local area network or a wide area network. Each client computer  6  is programmed to provide an interactive user interface for users of the patent downloading system  1  to input patent inquiry terms, and to view downloaded issued patents and published patent applications. The patent downloading system  1  is also connected with a plurality of patent web sites  2  (only one shown) through the network  5 . Each patent web site  2  stores issued patents and published patent applications. The patent web site  2  may for example be the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) web site, the European Patent Office (EPO) web site, the State Intellectual Property Office of P.R. China (SIPO) web site, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) web site, etc. A patent web site  2  is accessed by a user to inquire of patent information in a particular area of technology. The user can then download the patent information from the patent web site  2 , and store corresponding patent indexes. Unless otherwise indicated, the term “patent” as used herein is to be construed as including a published patent application, and the term “issued patent” as used herein is to be construed as including a published patent application.  
      The database  8  is connected with the application server  3  through a connection  7 , and is used to store issued patents downloaded by the application server  3 . The connection  7  is a kind of database connectivity such as an ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) or a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity). The mirror web site  4  is connected with the application server  3  through the network  5 , and comprises a web server  40  and a patent database  41 . The web server  40  comprises a plurality of function modules (described in detail below in relation to  FIG. 3 ), and is provided to periodically download newly issued patents from the patent web sites  2  at predetermined download times. A download time is a fixed point in time at the end of a download period. A download period is a periodical interval of time between every two successive download times, and may for example be one day, one week or one month. The patent database  41  is connected with the web server  40  through a database connectivity (not labeled), and is programmed to store the newly issued patents downloaded by the web server  40  and also store corresponding patent indexes. The patent database  41  comprises at least one patent index list  410 . Each patent index list  410  corresponds to one particular patent web site  2 . Each patent index is stored in a patent index list  410 , and is created according to a download time, a patent web site name and a patent number or patent application number. For example, a patent index “US200308016594641” represents a U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,641 downloaded from the USPTO web site during a first download period of August, 2003.  
      The application server  3  comprises a plurality of software function modules (described in detail below in relation to  FIG. 2 ), and is provided to: receive patent inquiry terms; obtain information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry terms; determine whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the database  8  or in the patent index list  410  stored in the patent database  41 ; and download the patents from the mirror web site  4  if the patents exist in the patent index list  410 , or download the patents from a corresponding patent web site  2  if the patents do not exist in the database  8  nor in the patent database  41 . The information on each patent typically comprises a patent number and a patent title. The information on each patent application typically comprises a patent application number and a patent application title.  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of function modules of the application server  3 . The application server  3  comprises a patent inquiry term receiving module  30 , a patent information obtaining module  32 , a patent existence determination module  34 , and a downloading module  36 . The patent inquiry term receiving module  30  is provided to receive patent inquiry terms from the client computers  6  which are input by users. The patent information obtaining module  32  is provided to obtain information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry terms. The patent existence determination module  34  is provided to determine whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the database  8  according to the information on patents to be downloaded, and to determine whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the patent index list  410  if the patents do not exist in the database  8 . The downloading module  36  is provided to download patents from the mirror web site  4  if the patents exist in the patent index list  410 , and to download the patents from a corresponding patent web site  2  if the patents do not exist in the database  8  nor in the patent index list  410 .  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of software function modules of the web server  40 . The web server  40  comprises a download period setting module  400 , a patent downloading module  402 , a patent index creating module  404 , a patent compressing module  406 , and a patent index list updating module  408 . The download period setting module  400  is provided to set download periods. The patent downloading module  402  is provided to periodically download newly issued patents at a download time of each download period. The patent index creating module  404  is provided to create a patent index for each newly downloaded patent according to a patent web site name, a download time, and a patent number (or patent application number). The patent compressing module  406  is provided to compress the newly downloaded patents, and to store the compressed patents in the patent database  41 . The patent index list updating module  408  is provided to update the patent index list  410  according to the created patent indexes.  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a preferred patent downloading method in accordance with the present invention. In step S 40 , the patent inquiry term receiving module  30  receives a patent inquiry term from a client computer  6  which is input by a user. In step S 41 , the patent information obtaining module  32  obtains information on patents to be downloaded according to the received patent inquiry term. In step S 42 , the patent existence determination module  34  determines whether the patents to be downloaded exist in the database  8  according to the information on the patents to be downloaded. If all the patents to be downloaded exist in the database  8 , in step S 43 , the application server  3  obtains the patents from the database  8 . If any patent to be downloaded does not exist in the database  8 , in step S 44 , the patent existence determination module  34  determines whether the patent exists in the patent index list  410  stored in the patent database  41  according to the information on patents to be downloaded. If the patent exists in the patent index list  410  stored in the patent database  41 , in step S 45 , the downloading module  36  downloads the patent from the mirror web site  4 . If the patent does not exist in the patent index list  410 , in step S 46 , the downloading module  36  downloads the patent from a corresponding patent web site  2 .  
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a process of periodically downloading patents from a patent web site  2  in accordance with the present invention. In step S 50 , the download period setting module  400  sets a download period. In step S 51 , the patent downloading module  402  periodically downloads newly issued patents at a download time of each download period from the patent web site  2 . In step S 52 , the patent index creating module  404  creates a patent index for each newly downloaded patent according to the patent web site name, the download period, and the patent number (or patent application number). In step S 53 , the patent compressing module  406  compresses the downloaded patents, and stores the compressed patents in the patent database  41 . In step S 54 , the patent index list updating module  408  updates the patent index list  410  according to the newly created patent indexes.  
      Although the present invention has been specifically described on the basis of a preferred embodiment and preferred method, the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to said embodiment and method without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.