Patent ID: 8117131

Claim:
A system for processing invention disclosure data, comprising: a central server; a processor operatively associated with the central server; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the central server to automatically perform the steps of: receiving invention data, the invention data including parameters selected from the group consisting of title, abstract, description, type, classification codes, invention date, date reduced to practice, purpose, publications, technology, inventor name, inventor citizenship, inventor title, intellectual property strategy, timing; using the invention data to search external databases to identify prior art references; assigning a score to the invention data, based at least in part on the number and relevance of prior art references identified in the search, the type of invention data, and the intellectual property strategy; if the score meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold, then enabling receipt of said invention data by a designee for approval; receiving service provider data for at least one service provider, the service provider data including at least two parameters selected from the group consisting of experience level, availability, certifications, industry ratings, technical expertise, services solicited, price, subscription level, resources; prequalifying the service providers by matching the service provider data to the invention data, wherein matching comprises correlating the invention data with at all of the available parameters in the service provider data; ranking the service providers based on the degree of correlation determined in the matching step; receiving approval data, wherein if said approval data indicates the invention data has been approved, soliciting bids from prequalified service providers to perform work related to said invention data by: publishing a request for service; permitting the prequalified service providers to submit bids via the central server in response to publication of the request for service; receiving bids from prequalified service providers; and based at least in part on the score, the bids, the service provider data and the invention data, selecting the service provider that should receive the invention data.