Computerized method for analyizing innovation interrelationships within and between large patent portfolios

Abstract

The method of the present invention provides a labor and time saving ability to determine interrelationships within patents determined by searching, via a computer system, through patent fields to see if one or more particular pieces of alphanumeric data are common to any of the patents in the database in which the field indicia are located. Such commonality is searchable in backward or forward direction, or both, from, for example, one patent of particular interest. The method allows for presentation of families of interrelated patents within minutes rather than hours, weeks or longer by utilizing computer based technology. Further, the methodology allows for determinations of interrelationships within desired degrees of separation by manipulation of the indicative data to be searched.

1 . A computerized method comprising a selection of a set of databases, for determining interrelationships between a plurality of alphanumeric data, within or from a plurality of fields of alphanumeric data, stored within said databases, said database are selected from a plurality of pieces of alphanumeric data within a plurality of alphanumeric data fields, and a instruction set of a plurality of computer commands are sent, to a computer to extract at least a plurality of interrelationships between a plurality pieces of alphanumeric data, and said relationships, are presented in a graphical illustration or a design, at various degrees of separation. 
     
     
         2 . A computerized method comprising an instruction set sent to a computer to determine a set of interrelationships between a set of alphanumeric data within a set of fields of alphanumeric data, a plurality of said alphanumeric data stored in a database, said database comprising a plurality of patent information, said instruction containing a set of commands to select a plurality of pieces of alphanumeric data within a plurality of alphanumeric data fields, and instructing a computer to extract a plurality of interrelationships between a plurality selected pieces of alphanumeric data to present said alphanumeric data in a graphical illustration representing a set of various degrees of separation of said selected alphanumeric data. 
     
     
         3 . The computerized method of  claim 3  wherein said data fields are such as are found on a published database of a Patent Office. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the interrelationships between the two selected pieces of data are within identical data fields. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the interrelationships between the two selected pieces of data are within different data fields. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the degrees of separation are determined by varying the number of generations of selected pieces of data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein a first data generation is selected to determine a first degree of separation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein a second data generation is selected to determine a second degree of separation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein a third generation is selected to determine a third degree of separation, and so on. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the determination of degrees of separation based on preselected criteria, are not time dependent, traveling backward or forward of the date of patent filing, issuance, and/or publication.