System and method for tracking patent ownership change

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a patent portfolio management tool automatically tracks changes in ownership information of a patent matter listed in a database at a patent registry. The method comprises receiving input from a user identifying the patent matter, with the input further including data associated with a plurality of fields of enquiry relating to a change in ownership information of the patent matter.

1 . A computer-implemented method of automatically tracking change in ownership information of a patent matter listed in a database at a patent registry, the method comprising:
 receiving input from a user identifying the patent matter, the input further including data associated with a plurality of fields of enquiry relating to a change in ownership information of the patent matter, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry:
 a name change in an owner of the patent matter; 
 a date or date range of assignment of the patent matter; 
 a date of incorporation of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; 
 a place of incorporation or address of an assignor or assignee of the patent matter; 
 a nationality of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; and 
 a nature of an assignment of the patent matter; 
   causing the presentation of the at least two fields of enquiry simultaneously in a single user interface;   automatically performing a search of the patent registry database on a repeat basis,   
       wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership information of the patent matter;
 receiving and formatting the search result; and 
 transmitting the search result to the user for display in the single user interface. 
 
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising hosting an interactive website and receiving input from the user, and presenting the search result to the user, via the website. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , including displaying the search result to a user in a handheld or mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , including receiving the user input into a hardware-implemented input module. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , including configuring the input module to receive input from a user selecting the plurality of fields of enquiry relating to the change of ownership information of the patent matter. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fields of enquiry further includes the name of an inventor assignor or inventor assignee of the patent matter. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , including filtering the search result in accordance with one or more of the fields of enquiry using a hardware-implemented filtering module. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , including formatting the filtered search result for display to the user using a hardware-implemented display module. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , including retrieving the search result automatically from the patent registry using a hardware-implemented input module. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , including storing the received search result in a hardware-implemented tracking module. 
     
     
         11 . A patent management system for automatically tracking change in ownership information of a patent matter listed in a database at a patent registry, the system comprising:
 at least one hardware-implemented module, executing on one or more processors, configured to:   receive input from a user identifying the patent matter, the input further including data associated with a plurality of fields of enquiry relating to a change in ownership information of the patent matter, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry:
 a name change in an owner of the patent matter; 
 a date or date range of assignment of the patent matter; 
 a date of incorporation of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; 
 a place of incorporation or address of an assignor or assignee of the patent matter; 
 a nationality of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; and 
 a nature of an assignment of the patent matter; 
   cause the presentation of the at least two fields of enquiry simultaneously in a user interface;   automatically perform a search of the patent registry database on a repeat basis,   
       wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership information of the patent matter;
 receive and format the search result; and 
 transmit the search result to the user for display in the user interface. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one hardware-implemented module is configured to present user-selectable interface elements in a graphic user interface, the interface elements allowing data entry by the user corresponding to at least one of the plurality of fields of enquiry. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a filtering module for filtering the search result, based on the one or more fields of enquiry. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the data entered by the user further includes the name of an inventor assignor or inventor assignee of the patent matter. 
     
     
         15 . A patent assignment tracking tool comprising hardware-implemented modules, the tool including:
 an input module for receiving input from a user in relation to one or more assignment criteria relating to a patent matter listed in a patent registry, the assignment criteria including data associated with a plurality of selected fields of enquiry relating to the patent matter, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry:
 name change in patent holder; 
 date or date range of assignment; 
 date of incorporation of assignor or assignee; 
 place of incorporation, or address, of assignor or assignee; 
 nationality of assignor or assignee; and 
 nature of assignment; 
   a user interface for receiving input from a user facilitating the presentation of each field of enquiry simultaneously;   a search engine configured to perform a search, on a predetermined regular basis, automatically at the patent registry in relation to the patent, based on the input received from the user;   a display module for formatting the data and presenting the result to the user in a single user interface.   
     
     
         16 . The assignment tracking tool of  claim 15 , further comprising a filtering module configured to filter the result of the search performed by the search engine, based on one or more of the assignment criteria received from the user. 
     
     
         17 . A patent portfolio management system comprising:
 a network;   a patent matter database, accessible on the network, and including data about the patent matters, and a server, operatively connected to the network, wherein the server includes:
 a processor, 
 a memory, 
 software operable on the processor to: 
   receive input from a user identifying a patent matter, the input further including data associated with a plurality of fields of enquiry relating to a change in ownership information of the patent matter, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry:
 a name change in an owner of the patent matter; 
 a date or date range of assignment of the patent matter; 
 a date of incorporation of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; 
 a place of incorporation or address of an assignor or assignee of the patent matter; 
 a nationality of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; and 
 a nature of an assignment of the patent matter; 
   cause the presentation of the at least two fields of enquiry simultaneously in a user interface;   automatically perform a search of the patent registry database on a repeat basis, wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership information of the patent matter;   receive and format the search result; and   transmit the search result to the user for display in the user interface.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the operations of:
 receiving input from a user identifying the patent matter, the input further including data associated with a plurality of fields of enquiry relating to a change in ownership information of the patent matter, wherein the plurality of selected fields of enquiry includes two or more of the following fields of enquiry:
 a name change in an owner of the patent matter; 
 a date or date range of assignment of the patent matter; 
 a date of incorporation of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; 
 a place of incorporation or address of an assignor or assignee of the patent matter; 
 a nationality of an assignor or an assignee of the patent matter; and 
 a nature of an assignment of the patent matter; 
   causing the presentation of the at least two fields of enquiry simultaneously in a single user interface;   automatically performing a search of the patent registry database on a repeat basis, wherein the search result identifies one or more intervening changes in ownership information of the patent matter;   receiving and formatting the search result; and   transmitting the search result to the user for display in the single user interface.