Patent ID: 8719174

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for collaborative and integrated intellectual property management, comprising: configuring a workflow component to sense event-driven triggers from task-based components of a collaborative intellectual property management application on a storage medium according to an intellectual property model defining a set of phases having inputs defined relative to each phase and a table defining which of the task-based components are required, optional, or not required for each of the phases, the collaborative intellectual property management application operating on a host system comprising a processor in communication with the storage medium; receiving user responses to queries representing business rules for intellectual property management; identifying a type of intellectual property being created based on the user responses to the queries; selecting a workflow template that defines a sequence of the phases of the intellectual property management model, wherein the sequence of the phases is associated with the task-based components to define an end-to-end process integrated by the collaborative intellectual property management application to perform automated intellectual property management, the workflow template comprising a set of rules to control the workflow; providing a workflow table by the workflow component for the selected workflow template based on the type of intellectual property being created, the workflow table defining elements and workgroups and which of the workgroups are required, optional, or not applicable for each of the elements, wherein completion of one or more of the elements by one or more of the workgroups identified as required results in a trigger, and one or more of the workgroups identified as not applicable are not involved in triggers; traversing the workflow table along an element axis and a workgroup axis simultaneously, the workflow table comprising triggers for both the elements and workgroups based on values assigned to the elements and workgroups according to the set of rules to control the workflow, wherein the traversing is performed by the workflow component; triggering a request to a first workgroup of a first element in response to sensing completion of a second element by a second workgroup of the elements and workgroups at the workflow component, the second workgroup identified as required for the second element in the workflow table, and the request implemented by a messaging component in communication with the workflow component; and automating the end-to-end process across the sequence of the phases of the selected workflow template, the implementing responsive to the event-driven triggers choreographed by the workflow component.