System and method for information disclosure statement management and prior art cross-citation control

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a system comprises one or more modules to specially-configure a capability of the system to manage prior art cross-citation. A patent case database is maintained which includes data about each patent case in the patent case database. Sample system operations include receiving a reference document into the database and associating the reference document with a first patent case in the patent case database.

1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining a patent case database, wherein the database includes data about each patent case in the patent case database,   receiving a reference document into the database;   associating the reference document with a first patent case in the patent case database;   identifying a set of target patent cases including at least one patent case related to the first patent case as potential propagation target cases for cross-citation of the reference document;   displaying in a user interface the identity of the set of target patent cases, the user interface including at least one propagation selection option for the reference document;   associating the reference document with one or more of the set of target patent cases based on a selected propagation option and a comparison of a publication or priority date of the reference document and a priority date of a target patent case of the set of target patent cases.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the reference document with one or more of the set of target patent cases is based further based on a ground of rejection on which the reference document was cited by a patenting authority. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one propagation option relates to at least one of the cross-citation characteristics of the reference document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selection of the at least one propagation option specifies whether the reference document is to be cited to a patenting authority. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein selection of the at least one propagation option specifies whether the reference document is to be associated with any other related patent cases in the set. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification of a set of patent cases related to the first case is based on a common priority claim present in the first case and the set. 
     
     
         7 . A system comprising:
 one or more modules to specially-configure a capability of the system to manage prior art cross-citation, each module implemented by one or more processors;   a memory; and   software operable on the one or more processors to:
 maintain a patent case database, wherein the database includes data about each patent case in the patent case database, 
 receive a reference document into the database; 
 associate the reference document with a first patent case in the patent case database; 
 identify a set of target patent cases including at least one patent case related to the first patent case as potential propagation target cases for cross-citation of the reference document; 
 display in a user interface the identity of the set of target patent cases, the user interface including at least one propagation selection option for the reference document; 
 associate the reference document with one or more of the set of target patent cases based on a selected propagation option and a comparison of a publication or priority date of the reference document and a priority date of a target patent case of the set of target patent cases. 
   
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory machine readable medium, including instructions, which when performed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining a patent case database, wherein the database includes data about each patent case in the patent case database,   receiving a reference document into the database;   associating the reference document with a first patent case in the patent case database;   identifying a set of target patent cases including at least one patent case related to the first patent case as potential propagation target cases for cross-citation of the reference document;   displaying in a user interface the identity of the set of target patent cases, the user interface including at least one propagation selection option for the reference document;   associating the reference document with one or more of the set of target patent cases based on a selected propagation option and a comparison of a publication or priority date of the reference document and a priority date of a target patent case of the set of target patent cases.