Method and apparatus for determining inventor impact

Abstract

A method for determining intellectual property value, includes creating a source of patent data; and analyzing the data to determine a patent value. Also disclosed is an instruction set executable on a machine that includes a processor and a memory. The instruction set executable on the machine to cause to the machine to: create a source of patent data; and to analyze the data to determine a patent value. A media carrying an instruction set executable on a machine. The machine includes a processor, and a memory associated with the processor. The instruction set is executable on the processor to cause to the machine to: create a source of patent data; and analyze the data to determine a patent value.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a special purpose computer, first inventor data and second inventor data sent over a computer network from an inventor database;   calculating, by a processing unit of a special purpose computer, a first depth score for a first inventor based in the first inventor data, the calculating of the first depth score comprising:
 calculating a first summation of first occurrences of patents obtained by the first inventor associated with a certain patent classification code; and 
 in the calculating of the first summation, weighting each occurrence of the first occurrences of patents by inventor order; 
   calculating, by the processing unit, a first breadth score for the first inventor based in the first inventor data;   identifying, by the processing unit, first one or more co-inventors on a collection of patent documents on which the first inventor is listed based in the first inventor data;   calculating, by the processing unit, a second depth score for a second inventor based in the second inventor data, the calculating of the second depth score comprising:
 calculating a second summation of second occurrences of patents obtained by the second inventor associated with the certain patent classification code; and 
 in the calculating of the second summation, weighting each occurrence of the second occurrences of patents by inventor order; 
   calculating, by the processing unit, a second breadth score for the second inventor based in the second inventor data;   identifying, by the processing unit, second one or more co-inventors on a collection of patent documents on which the second inventor is listed based in the second inventor data;   ranking, by the processing unit, the first inventor relative to the second inventor based on the first scores and a first number of unique co-inventors in the first one or more co-inventors as well as the second scores and a second number of unique co-inventors in the second one or more co-inventors; and   sending over the computer network, by the special purpose computer, the ranking of the first inventor to an assessor computer which is a general computer connected to a display device configured to graphically display the ranking to an assessor of inventors.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the processing unit is a graphical processing unit (GPU). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein receiving of the first inventor data and the second inventor data is by a central processing unit which manages the receiving of the data and relays it to the GPU when the data is requested by the GPU for a process of the GPU. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the sending of the ranking is by the CPU, via a communications interface, and wherein the CPU manages the sending of the ranking and relays it to the communication interface to send the ranking over the computer network. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the special purpose computer, a computer hosting the inventor database, and the assessor computer are respective peer nodes in a peer-to-peer computer network which is at least a part of the computer network. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the special purpose computer and a computer hosting the inventor database are respective server nodes in a server-client computer network which is at least a part of the computer network, and wherein the assessor computer is a client node in the server-client computer network. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a computer hosting the inventor database is a server node in a server-client computer network, and wherein the special purpose computer and the assessor computer are respective client nodes in the server-client computer network. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising calculating, by the processing unit, a first collaboration score according to depth scores of co-inventors of the first inventor, wherein the collaboration score is reflective of an ability of the first inventor to work with other inventors, and wherein the calculations of the depth scores of the co-inventors are performed in a similar way as the calculation of the first depth score of the first inventor. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising calculating, by the processing unit, a forward citation prediction indicator for the first inventor according to the first depth score. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising identifying, by the processing unit, the first inventor as a specialist when the first depth score is above a threshold depth score and the first breadth score is below a breadth threshold score. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising identifying, by the processing unit, the first inventor as an innovator when the first depth score is above a threshold depth score and the first breadth score is above a breadth threshold score. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising identifying, by the processing unit, the first inventor as an architect when the first depth score is above a threshold depth score and the first breadth score is above a breadth threshold score, and the first inventor has co-inventors with different specialty areas. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising identifying, by the processing unit, the first inventor as an innovator when the first depth score is above a threshold depth score and the first breadth score is above a breadth threshold score, and with co-inventors that change above a selected frequency. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the calculating of the first breadth score comprises:
 calculating a third summation of third occurrences of patents obtained by the first inventor associated with a second certain patent classification code; and   in the calculating of the third summation, weighting each occurrence of the third occurrences of patents by inventor order.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the calculating of the second breadth score comprises:
 calculating a fourth summation of fourth occurrences of patents obtained by the second inventor associated with the second certain patent classification code; and   in the calculating of the fourth summation, weighting each occurrence of the fourth occurrences of patents by inventor order.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising calculating, by the processing unit, a forward citation prediction indicator for the first inventor according to the first depth score and the second breadth score. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the calculating of the first depth score further comprises:
 calculating a third summation of third occurrences of patents obtained by the first inventor associated with a second certain patent classification code, wherein the certain patent classification code is included in a first classification level and the second certain patent classification code is included in a second classification level; and   in the calculating of the third summation, weighting each occurrence of the third occurrences of patents by inventor order.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the calculating of the second depth score further comprises:
 calculating a fourth summation of fourth occurrences of patents obtained by the second inventor associated with the second certain patent classification code; and   in the calculating of the fourth summation, weighting each occurrence of the fourth occurrences of patents by inventor order.   
     
     
         39 . A special purpose computer comprising memory comprising an instruction set executable by a central processing unit of the special purpose computer that when executed by the processing unit causes the special purpose computer to perform a method comprising the following steps:
 receiving first inventor data and second inventor data sent over a computer network from an inventor database;   calculating a first depth score for a first inventor based in the first inventor data, the calculating of the first depth score comprising:
 calculating a first summation of first occurrences of patents obtained by the first inventor associated with a certain patent classification code; and 
 in the calculating of the first summation, weighting each occurrence of the first occurrences of patents by inventor order; 
   calculating a first breadth score for the first inventor based in the first inventor data;   identifying first one or more co-inventors on a collection of patent documents on which the first inventor is listed based in the first inventor data;   calculating a second depth score for a second inventor based in the second inventor data, the calculating of the second depth score comprising:
 calculating a second summation of second occurrences of patents obtained by the second inventor associated with the certain patent classification code; and 
 in the calculating of the second summation, weighting each occurrence of the second occurrences of patents by inventor order; 
   calculating a second breadth score for the second inventor based in the second inventor data;   identifying second one or more co-inventors on a collection of patent documents on which the second inventor is listed based in the second inventor data;   ranking he first inventor relative to the second inventor based on the first scores and a first number of unique co-inventors in the first one or more co-inventors as well as the second scores and a second number of unique co-inventors in the second one or more co-inventors; and   sending over the computer network, via a communications interface, the ranking of the first inventor to an assessor computer which is a general computer connected to a display device configured to graphically display the ranking to an assessor of inventors.   
     
     
         40 . A system, comprising: a special purpose computer; and memory comprising an instruction set executable by a central processing unit (CPU) of the special purpose computer to cause the special purpose computer to:
 receive first inventor data and second inventor data sent over a computer network from an inventor database;   calculate, via a graphical processing unit (GPU), a first depth score for a first inventor based in the first inventor data, the calculating of the first depth score comprising:
 calculating a first summation of first occurrences of patents obtained by the first inventor associated with a certain patent classification code; and 
 in the calculating of the first summation, weighting each occurrence of the first occurrences of patents by inventor order; 
   calculate, via the GPU, a first breadth score for the first inventor based in the first inventor data;   identify, via the GPU, first one or more co-inventors on a collection of patent documents on which the first inventor is listed based in the first inventor data;   calculate, via the GPU, a second depth score for a second inventor based in the second inventor data, the calculating of the second depth score comprising:
 calculating a second summation of second occurrences of patents obtained by the second inventor associated with the certain patent classification code; and 
 in the calculating of the second summation, weighting each occurrence of the second occurrences of patents by inventor order; 
   calculate, via the GPU, a second breadth score for the first inventor based in the second inventor data;   identify, via the GPU, second one or more co-inventors on a collection of patent documents on which the second inventor is listed based in the second inventor data;   rank, via the GPU, the first inventor relative to the second inventor based on the first scores and a first number of unique co-inventors in the first one or more co-inventors as well as the second scores and a second number of unique co-inventors in the second one or more co-inventors; and   send over the computer network, via a communications interface, the ranking of the first inventor to an assessor computer which is a general computer connected to a display device configured to graphically display the ranking to an assessor of inventors.