Patent Document ID: 3952184
Application ID: 05460651
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for automatically finding and classifying trade marks or similar distinguishing signs MC of a first series representing marks previously registered and which have similarities capable of involving a risk of conflict R with trade marks or similar distinguishing signs MP of a second series representing marks presented for registration or use, said series of trade marks MC and MP each being represented by groupings of letters, comprising: a. first memory means for recording said MC and MP groupings, b. comparing and counting means for analyzing, pair by pair, each pair comprising an MCi grouping and an MPj grouping to determine for each pair, the number l of the letters in the shortest trade mark, the number L of the letters in the longest trade mark, the number a of letters of the longest continuous or discontinuous sequence common to both groupings and disposed in the same relative positions within the sequence, the number b of letters common to both groupings other than those of the longest sequence, the number c of letters of the longest grouping not found in the other grouping, c. second memory means for storing predetermined values of the functions A(a, l), B(b,L) and C(c,L) having increasing slopes for increasing values of a, b and c, respectively, for l and L constant, and d. adding means connected to receive from said second memory means the values Aij, Bij and Cij corresponding to the numbers l, L, a, b, and c determined by said comparing and counting means for determining a coefficient of similarity (Aij + Bij - Cij) proportional to said risk of conflict R.