Patent Collaboration and Analysis System

Abstract

An advanced relational database and user interface system used for the evaluation, analysis and generation of specialized reports in any of a plurality data analysis environments. The database and analysis system can be utilized for many purposes, but particularly and preferably to support the analysis of patent claims and more specifically claim construction, infringement, written description, invalidity and/or patentability, among other matters of intellectual property litigation and analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for generating a search of information sources based upon a correlation of core concepts between a first patent claim and a second patent claim in a collaboration and analysis system, comprising:
 storing a plurality of information sources in a database;   processing the first patent claim to derive a first set of one or more claim limitations;   processing the first patent claim to assign a first set of one or more core concepts;   processing the first patent claim to assign a first core concept to a first claim limitation of the first set of one or more claim limitations based upon an indication of similarity of the first claim limitation to an analyzed claim limitation to which the first core concept has been previously assigned;   processing a second patent claim to derive a second set of one or more claim limitations;   processing the second patent claim to assign a second core concept to a first claim limitation of the second set of one or more claim limitations;   processing the first core concept and the second core concept across at least the first patent claim and the second claim to determine a repeating core concept; and   searching among the plurality of information sources for the repeating core concept across at least the first patent claim and the second patent claim.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 differentiating among a plurality of repeating core concepts to search among the plurality of information sources based upon a total number of patent claims containing the respective repeating core concepts to determine a most-repeated core concept.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the second set of claim limitations to assign a second set of core concepts to the second set of claim limitations is based on an association between the first and second sets of claim limitations. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the similarity of the first claim limitation to the analyzed claim limitation being indicated by a user. 
     
     
         5 . A method for ranking the quality of a first information source of a plurality of information sources with respect to a patent claim in a collaboration and analysis system, the first information source having a first information disclosure, comprising:
 storing the plurality of information sources in a database;   associating a first set of one or more core concepts to a first patent claim;   processing the first patent claim to derive a first set of one or more claim limitations;   processing a second patent claim to derive a second set of one or more claim limitations;   processing the first set of core concepts to assign a core rating to each core concept based upon a precision of the first information disclosure of the first information source with respect to each core concept of the first set of core concepts;   processing a ranking for the first information source to determine a core rating for each core concept of the first set of core concepts for the first set of claim limitations;   processing at least one association between a claim limitation of the first set of claim limitations and a claim limitation of the second set of claim limitations; and   processing the second set of claim limitations to assign a second set of core concepts to the second set of claim limitations, wherein the second set of core concepts is based on the first set of core concepts and the second set of core concepts is assigned to the second set of claim limitations based on the at least one association between the first and second set of claim limitations.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the core ratings comprise a numerical value. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the numerical value is assigned based upon a determination that the first information disclosure of the first information source with respect to the first core concept satisfies one of: 1) fully discloses the first core concept, 2) fairly discloses the first core concept, and 3) suggests the first core concept. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the determination that the first information disclosure of the first information source with respect to the first core concept satisfies one of: 1) fully discloses the first core concept, 2) fairly discloses the first core concept, and 3) suggests the first core concept is made based upon an average of one or more disclosure ratings assigned to the first information disclosure of the first information source with respect to the first core concept by one or more users of the system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the average is weighted based upon a level of access assigned to the one or more users of the system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the core ratings are objectively based upon an analysis of an extent of semantic correlation between words associated with the first core concept and words of the first information disclosure of the first information source. 
     
     
         11 . A system for analyzing a first disclosure of a first information source with respect to a first core concept of a first patent claim, comprising:
 a database for storing a plurality of information sources and a plurality of core concepts of the first patent claim;   a plurality of electrical components comprising a controlled environment for providing a communication medium between a user and the database, the plurality of electrical components including a processor for processing the first patent claim to derive a first set of one or more claim limitations, processing the first patent claim to assign a first set of one or more core concepts, processing the first patent claim to assign a first core concept to a first claim limitation of the first set of one or more claim limitations based upon an indication of similarity of the first claim limitation to an analyzed claim limitation to which the first core concept has been previously assigned, processing a second patent claim to derive a second set of one or more claim limitations, processing the second patent claim to assign a second core concept to a first claim limitation of the second set of one or more claim limitations, and processing the first core concept and the second core concept across at least the first patent claim and the second claim to determine a repeating core concept, wherein the plurality of information sources are searched for the repeating core concept across at least the first patent claim and the second patent claim;   an analysis interface, forming a part of the communication engine, for correlating data of the system, inputs from a user, and the display of data in cooperation with an analysis interface engine; and   a communication application for coordinating communication between a user device of the user and the controlled environment, for accessing resources through the controlled environment.