JP2001325411A - Information processor and method for processing information and program storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor and a method for processing information and a program storage medium, by which intellectual property information can be efficiently managed. SOLUTION: The information processor for carrying out a procedure related to the application of a patent by communicating information through a network, has a confirming means for confirming identification information concerning a document received from any organization except for the Patent Office and a managing means for managing the payment of an expense to receiving of the document on the basis of the identification information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program storage medium, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus having a document management function, an information processing method, and a program storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the digitization of patent-related documents has been rapidly progressing, and the publication of patent office publications using CD-ROM media and the publication of registered gazettes have been started. It has become common to exchange data using so-called IT technology, such as filing applications and receiving dispatch documents from the Patent Office.

Recently, a search system using the Internet and the disclosure of various types of information have been actively performed.

[0004] On the other hand, each company has been building computer systems for managing intellectual property such as patents and utility models filed by each company for a long time. Most of the systems are mainly, for example, patents and the like. Bibliographic information data, such as the application date and application number, is managed in a database or the like, and necessary expiration date management is performed while searching and displaying the data.

[0005]

However, due to the digitization of documents described above and the advancement of the network environment, the so-called patent application document portion, which is formed in a document format, is also managed electronically, and ordinary time limit management is performed. In addition, there is a need to manage proposals from the inventor and to manage application documents and documents themselves used in exchanges with the Patent Office by linking with a patent office.

In particular, when outsourcing work such as document creation / transfer to an external institution such as a patent office or translation office, it may be necessary to associate the service with a bill and pay efficiently.

[0007] In view of such a need, the present application provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can manage a service provided by an external organization in association with a bill and efficiently manage intellectual property information. It is intended to provide a storage medium.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present application is an information processing apparatus for performing a procedure related to a patent application by communicating information via a network. And a management unit that manages payment of a fee for receipt of the document based on the identification information, based on the identification information.

[0009] Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Overall Configuration of Intellectual Property Management System) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a typical configuration of an intellectual property management system according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 107 denotes a head office of a company that conducts economic activities such as research, development, manufacturing, and sales, and includes a department for managing intellectual property such as patents.

An intellectual property management section 104 includes a document server 116, a management server 117, and servers 118 and 11.
9, 120, etc.

The document server 116 includes a document DB (database) for managing an electronically created document itself and a file wrapper composed of a series of documents generated in exchange with the JPO. The management server 11 includes an application number, a patent number, an application date, a registration date and other bibliographic information, a deadline for office actions of the JPO, and a DB for management. Server 1
Reference numeral 18 includes a general-purpose DB for storing specific publications such as Japanese patents and U.S. patents. The server 119 constitutes an application system that manages a workflow and the like to be described later and other databases (for example, a cited reference database). The server 120 integrally manages the servers 116 to 119 and controls the entire intellectual property information management system. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, “system” refers to a system managed by the server 120.

All of these components are connected to the backbone network 127. However, the components above this department may be implemented on the same computer machine.

Documents that can be stored in the document server 116 include ordinary text documents, drawings stored as ordinary image information, mixed mode documents in which text and images are mixed, and documents in a format unique to a word processor. Documents that are created electronically and used in exchange with the Patent Office and in-house documents are stored in the document database of the document server 116 by the application system of the server 119. Usually, a number for specifying the document is assigned to this document database, and is linked to a management database of bibliographic items of the management server 117.

Reference numeral 105 denotes an intellectual property (intellectual property) right-making section, which is a section for acquiring intellectual property rights by directly and indirectly exchanging documents with the JPO.

Reference numeral 106 denotes an intellectual property right support section, for example, a section that provides support for right protection such as digitization of patent application manuscripts and time limit management.

Reference numeral 101 denotes a section for conducting research and development, and includes an actual research and development section 102 and a development right support section 103 for supporting the intellectual property right in development.

The intellectual-property-licensing section 105 and the intellectual-property-licensing support section 106 are assumed to perform tasks such as inputting information related to intellectual property and creating documents as normal tasks. You can work with On the other hand, the research and development section 102 usually conducts research and development, and the work related to intellectual property is incidental. Therefore, the servers 116 to 119 of the in-house intellectual property information management section 107 are connected to the in-house network. , And can be displayed and processed as a Web screen. The timing of opening the Web screen can be notified to the target by sending an in-house e-mail to the target.

Reference numeral 108 denotes a plurality of domestic affiliates located in Japan, and 109 denotes a plurality of overseas affiliates located outside Japan. These are in a state where communication can be performed in a state where security is ensured by a dedicated line (e-mail, facsimile communication, or the like in which a transmission side, a reception side, and a data transmission path are specified).

Reference numeral 110 denotes the head office 107 and domestic affiliated companies 10
8. This is a corporate group composed of overseas affiliated companies 109.

On the other hand, reference numeral 111 denotes a plurality of external companies which conduct joint research and development with the corporate group 110. The two parties will manage joint research and development products based on mutual agreements and work on patent rights. Data can be transmitted and received to and from the above system via the Internet.

Reference numeral 112 denotes a plurality of intellectual property related offices existing in Japan, and reference numeral 113 denotes a plurality of intellectual property related offices existing outside Japan. These can transmit and receive data to and from the above-mentioned system through the dedicated line or the Internet as described above.

Reference numeral 114 denotes the Japan Patent Office, which is connected to the above system by an online terminal.

Reference numeral 115 denotes a plurality of foreign patent offices, which carry out procedures with the group companies 110 mainly in writing via the overseas office 113.

Each of the above sections has a plurality of terminals PC and the like used for inputting and outputting information. Each department member has an ID and a password, and can directly or indirectly access the above-described system.

Each department has a plurality of client computers connected to the network.
6 to 120 or display data stored in the server 116.
To 120 can be printed by a printer in a specific format. Also, a scanner for inputting an image is provided as needed.

The degree of information leakage is managed in a plurality of stages. For example, between 123 and 124, that is, in the intellectual property information management section, since all the advanced information is concentrated and freely circulated, the amount of information going out from here (the amount of information)
Strict regulations must be imposed, both qualitatively (the type of information).

Further, since the distribution range of information between 122 and 125, that is, in the head office, is wide, the flow of information is restricted, such as prohibition of browsing outside the department, so that a large amount of advanced information is not distributed to a specific department. To Between 121 and 126, that is, within the group company, the distribution range of information becomes wider, so that the quantity and quality of information flowing out to each section is further restricted.

On the other hand, as the security check degree, the security check degree is determined according to the amount and quality of information to be distributed and the magnitude of the risk of information leakage.

(Flow of Information in Intellectual Property Management System)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an information distribution channel in the intellectual property management system.

The domestic office 112 or the intellectual property right support department exchanges documents and data with the Japan Patent Office 114. Overseas office 113 exchanges documents and data with foreign patent office 115. Overseas office 113 is domestic office 112 or intellectual property right support section 1
Documents and data are exchanged via the 06. The digitized information that has entered the country can be transferred to the IP information management department 104 as necessary.
Registered in the system. The intellectual property information management section 104 supplies information to the intellectual property right support section 106, the intellectual property right support section 105, the development right support section 103, and the research / development section 102 as necessary. Perform system registration. The external company 111, domestic affiliated company 108, and overseas affiliated company 109 exchange documents and data with each department of the head office 107 as necessary.

FIG. 3 is an example of an organization chart of the intellectual property right section 105, the development right support section 103, and the research and development section 102.

For example, the intellectual property rights section 105 has a manager A as a manager of the persons in charge A and B, a section B as a manager of the person in charge C, a section manager C as a manager of persons D and E, and a manager of section managers A and B. Manager A, Manager C, Manager B, Manager A
As the boss of B, an organization called Director A is composed.

The development rights support section 103 has a manager D as the manager of the persons in charge F and G, a section E as the manager of the person in charge H, a section manager F as the manager of the persons I and J, and a manager of the sections D and E. Manager C and Manager F Manager D and Manager C
-The organization called Director B is composed as D's boss.

The research / development section 102 is the inventor A.
-Manager of section G as manager of B, manager H of manager of inventor C, manager I of manager of inventors D and E, manager E of manager of section manager G, manager D of manager of section H, manager of manager C and D Represents an organization called director B. In this system, a personal name code (employee ID number) is stored in the server 119 in association with the structure of the organization and the persons constituting the organization in association with each other.

By storing such organization information as a table in the system, for example, the destination of a document (e-mail) can be automatically set for approval by the supervisor, or a document in a different order can be set. It is possible to make the function of the system easier for the user, such as performing an error check on the transfer. On the other hand, such organizational information must be updated periodically to maintain accurate information, and the maintenance can be a heavy burden. Whether to store such organization information in the system can be determined for each department, for example.
It is preferable to store in the system a department that has little change or a department that makes the system easy to use even when considering the maintenance load.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a database management method according to this embodiment.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 401 denotes a management server 117
Represents a management DB included in the management DB. Here, various management items 40
2 is stored for each case. Then, the management items can be set from the screen 403 on the client PC.

Reference numerals 404 to 406 denote units serving as a unit for creating a document for each case. In this embodiment, this unit is called an "action", and a virtual file case on the system called an "action case" is defined for creating this document.

For example, a document 407 such as a proposal, an application, a specification, a drawing, an abstract, etc., which is a document for proposing an invention in the company, has already been created for the “action” 404 of the application of the management number 1234567. Yes, client P
On the screen 408 on C, management data accompanying the application such as the application date and the inventor has been determined. The former document 4
07 is registered in an electronic wrapper 412 described later formed in the document server 116, and the latter management data is registered in the DB 401 as the management item 402. If the user wants to display this action case,
The management item can be realized by accessing the management DB 401, and the document 407 can be realized by linking to the electronic wrapper 412.

For the “action” 405 of the application with the management number 1234578, only the proposal 409 is registered in the system since the application documents have not yet been created.

Also, for the “action” 406 of the notification of the reason for refusal in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-101, the procedural amendment 4
11 are registered.

As other actions, it is conceivable to deal with legal procedures such as refusal judgment, rejection of amendment, opposition, request for examination, and response to a procedure amendment instruction.

The contents of the electronic wrapper 412 formed in the document server 116 include a document 413 for each case, a browsing document 414 such as patent information of a third party, and examination of the case by the JPO. Cited references (cited references) 415
However, as described above, the reference 415 may form a DB in another server 119, and information can be easily extracted from access to a case by an HTML link.

A link is provided from the DB 401 to the electronic envelope 412, and necessary data can be extracted from the document registered in the electronic envelope 412 and registered in the DB 401. In addition, a link is provided from the DB 401 and the electronic wrapper 412 to the patent search system 416 formed by the server 118, so that the documents in the electronic wrapper 412 can easily access the case 417 in the patent search system 416. ing.

The information of the patent search system 416 can be updated in a DB via a medium 418 such as a CD-ROM.

(Action Case) FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the above-mentioned action case.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 501 denotes a certain action case, and its contents 502 and 503 correspond to the application action 404 and the document 407 in FIG. 4, respectively. 504, 505, 506, and 507 correspond to 405, 409, 406, and 411, respectively.

As described above, this action case is
508 is a virtual file on the system as shown in FIG. 508, and includes, as entry items, a type indicating an action unit such as an application, a reason for refusal, an occurrence date of an action case, an end date, and a name of an action case ( If multiple documents are included in a series of actions, the representative representative of this case), the legal deadline date, the desired return date of the action case (the processing deadline for the next person to process the case), the next person , A related case number, the circulation history information of the action case (indicating through which person the case came to his / her place), etc., are inserted. Further, a document 509 necessary for the processing and a DB item 510 to be input (displayed) on the screen are inserted.
When a processing result 511, for example, an amended draft is created, the amended draft is inserted by the processor. The processing result 511 indicates that the person who has received the action case uploads his / her processing contents to the system,
12, the insertion is completed.

Note that the concept of the action case can be modified, for example, it can be divided into shorter units, for example, proposal creation, manuscript check, and the like. Also, a plurality of documents filed by the JPO can be moved and processed as one action case.

FIGS. 6 to 8 show examples of action cases.

FIG. 6 shows an application case for preparing an application document, FIG. 7 shows a rejection reason response case for responding to a rejection reason, and FIG. 8 shows a rejection assessment response case for responding to a rejection assessment.

For each step (action),
The timing of action case occurrence, processing at the time of occurrence, timing of disappearance, processing at the time of disappearance, documents related to the processing, and the like are defined. Other processes such as a request for examination can be similarly defined.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of an action study route in the organizational structure as shown in FIG. For example, (1) is an example 1 of the examination request form, in which the person in charge A sends the inventor A via the person in charge F, the manager E, and the manager G.
This shows the path through which the action case passes. For example, examination of reasons for refusal falls under this pattern.
(2) is an example 2 of the examination request form, in which an action case is automatically and directly passed from the person in charge A to the inventor A. For example, checking an application manuscript corresponds to this pattern. (3) is an example 3 of the examination request form, in which an arbitrary destination is designated in order from the person in charge A and the action case is forwarded to the examiner.

(1) and (2) are cases where the system manages the workflow and the cases are automatically turned around.
In the case (3), the person who receives the case turns the case to the intended person at his / her own discretion according to internal rules. The former is superior in terms of automation of processing, but the former has a disadvantage in that it relies on the flexibility of processing within an organization. In the present embodiment, a system that supports both of them enables flexible system operation according to the type of action, the situation of each department, and the like.

Similarly, FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a route for approving the action review result. For example, (1) is an example 1 of the approval form, in which inventor A to section manager G, section manager E, section manager C, person in charge F, section manager D, section manager C, section B, person in charge A,
It shows a route in which an action case passes to section manager A via section manager A and section manager A. For example, approval / acceptance of an invention proposal corresponds to this pattern. (2) is an example 2 of the approval form, in which an action case is automatically and directly passed from the inventor A to the person in charge A. For example, a check on an application manuscript or an emergency response corresponds to this pattern. (3) is an example 3 of the examination request form, in which an arbitrary destination is designated in order from the inventor A and the action case is forwarded to the final approver.

In the case of approval, the form (3) is provided for the same reason as the above-mentioned examination request.

FIG. 11 is a table showing a route pattern for reviewing and approving the actions shown in FIGS. (1) is a study route pattern, A00
Patterns 1 to A005 are described as examples. For example, in A001, the system automatically generates an action case, and the action case is passed from the section manager of the intellectual property right section to the person in charge, the section manager of the development right support section to the person in charge, and the section manager of the research and development section to the person in charge. It is a pattern. (2) is the examination result approval route pattern,
The patterns from B001 to B005 are described as examples. For example, in B002, the system automatically registers the examination result after the action case is passed from the person in charge of the research and development section to the person in charge of the intellectual property right division.

By registering a plurality of such route patterns in the server 119 in advance, it is possible to control workflow management smoothly. Further, by making the route pattern into a table, the workflow of the action case can be easily changed only by rewriting the table. In addition, a pattern of an arbitrary route designated by the other party can be defined as A000 and B000 in this table.

FIG. 12 shows a pattern selection table for freely assembling a workflow for each department (3) and for each person in charge of intellectual property right (4) using the pattern table of FIG. For example, the development department A selects A001 as the action study route pattern and B001 as the study approval route pattern. Alternatively, the person in charge A selects A001 as the action study route pattern and B005 as the study approval route pattern. Having such a pattern selection table enables customization for each department and for each person in charge. Further, a pattern table may be provided for each type of action case, or a selection table may be provided.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the action case flow setting.

First, in S1300, it is determined whether or not the organization information as shown in FIG. 3 is registered in the system. In S1301, it is set so that the section-specific route pattern table of FIG. Determine if
If applicable, in S1302, a department-specific route pattern table is searched, in S1303, the system automatically sets a study request / approval route for the action case, and in S1304, an actual action case process is performed. . On the other hand, if the section-specific route pattern table is not applied, in S1305, it is determined whether or not the setting is made to apply the intellectual property right in charge person-specific route pattern table. The person-in-charge route pattern table is searched, and in S1307, the system automatically sets a study request / approval route for the action case. In S1304, actual action case processing is performed. On the other hand, if the route pattern table for each operator is not applied, in S1308, the examination request / approval route for the action case is automatically set in a default mode predetermined by the system.

If there is no organization information, S130
In step 9, a mode for manually inputting the destination is set.

As described above, the organization information and the route table,
The movement of the action case can be efficiently managed by the combination of the selection tables.

(Follow-up function of action case) FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a function of following a document to be included in an action case.

In this example, the action case automatically generated by the system 1401 is assigned to the person in charge A (1403), the person in charge F (1404), the manager E (1405), and the section manager G (14).
06), and a study request is made in the order of Inventor A (1407). In this case, at the time when the system 1401 generates the action case, when it takes time to obtain a part of the cited references described in the notification of the reason for refusal, the action case is held in the system until the cited reference is obtained. In this case, the time for the substantial examination is wasted and the efficiency is reduced.

On the other hand, until the examiner who actually considers the response to the notification of the reason for refusal reaches the examiner, it is often possible to make an appropriate decision on the process of determining the examiner even if there is no part of the cited document.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in such a case, the circulation is started in a state where some unacquired documents are included in the action case, and when the necessary documents are acquired later, the system is activated. 1401 inserts a document obtained in another section 1402 such as the document section into the case of the holder of the action case, and sends an e-mail notifying that the document has been inserted to the person who has already circulated the action case. Send it to me.

Note that the follow-up document may be sent from a department (person) other than the department (person) that originated the examination request as described above, or may be the same department (person).

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the document trailing process.

First, in step S1501, when the system receives a document, in step S1502, it is determined whether the document has a flag of an associated document (identification code for identifying the associated document). If yes, in S1503, an action case of the related document is detected. In step S1504, it is determined whether the action case has already been sent and the system has been left. If not, in step S1505, the newly received document is added to the action case of the related document and sent. ,
It moves on to the processing of the action case in S1507. On the other hand, if the action case has already been sent, a new document is added to the action case of the person currently holding the action case of the related document, and a person before the person holding the action case, That is, an e-mail is sent to notify the person already in the circulation history of the addition of the document. The person who receives this e-mail can browse the newly added documents. The additional document itself may be attached to the e-mail, or the additional document D
The address may be accessible by describing the address on B. In this case, the person who has already turned the action case cannot register documents such as amendment drafts for the action case, but if important processing needs to be performed for the action case, When the user returns the action case or returns the examination result, he can register necessary documents.

If there is no flag of the related document, a new action case is generated in S1509.
Normal processing will be performed.

With the function of following documents as described above,
Efficient examination can be performed by effectively using the limited examination time. The follow-up function of the above-mentioned documents is not limited to the examination of patent actions (notification of reasons for refusal, etc.) as described above, but can be used for any examination (including transfer / approval) by a plurality of persons on the network. Applicable,
The efficiency of examination on a network can be improved.

(Action Case Copy Function) FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a copy function of an action case.

As a method of using the above-mentioned action case, as shown in FIG. 16, it is typical that a person who has received the action case 1601 sends it as 1602 to the next person as 1603. On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
In some cases, while the processing is performed by oneself, the next person may want to consider the processing in parallel. In such a case, in the system of the present embodiment, the action case 1
Create a copy case 1607 for 605,
5, while the copy case 1607 can be submitted for review by another person. However, as a rule in this case,
The person who created the copy case is sure to integrate the case 1608 copied and returned as a result of the examination. In other words, it is prohibited in principle to split the requested action case and return it to the original person.

The use form of the copy case is not limited to the above-described one, and the owner of the copy case 1610 can copy the copy case 1611 and 1612 for the case 1609 from the request source.
It is conceivable that the returned 1613 and 1614 are separated and returned to the requester, but the person who created the copy collectively responsibly returns it to the requester. I decided to.

FIG. 17 is a diagram more specifically showing how to use the copy case.

The action case 1701 from the intellectual property right support department is created by the intellectual property right support section, and is sent to the development right support section as 1702. A copy case 1709 is prepared. Sent to department. Case 1
While sending the study request form 703 to the development department as an e-mail attachment, a copy case is created, and the study request form 1705 is sent to another development department as an e-mail attachment. In the development department, 17
Edited the results of the study of
It is returned to the development rights support department as 081707. Here, the two are combined, integrated, and returned to the requesting intellectual property right division. Here, the examination result 1710, which has been sent to other departments for examination, is combined and integrated into 1711, necessary documents are created and added, and then sent to a type request process in the intellectual property right support department.

By using the action case copy function as described above, a plurality of persons can efficiently examine request items in a short period of time.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a method of transmitting information in the development department (when the examiner sequentially designates the next examiner).

First, when the examination request form 1804 is sent by e-mail from the intellectual property department, the representative inventor and the person in charge 1801 enter necessary examination items on his / her PC terminal and the next examiner in the document 18.
After filling in 04, transmission is instructed by a transmission button embedded as a macro in the document. With this transmission button, a document 1804 is registered in the system, stored in the document server 116, and a mail 1805 is transmitted to the next examiner (approver). And the next boss 1802
In the same manner as described above, the user enters an item on the document 1806, registers the item in the system, and transmits a mail 1807 to the supervisor 1803.

The above workflow is managed by the system, and the examiner inputs the next examiner (approver) and presses the send button to perform system registration and mail transmission.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a bill processing from an intellectual property related office in the present system. S
In 1901, an organization other than the Patent Office (eg, a patent office,
Upon receiving documents (eg, notice of reasons for refusal, written opinion / amendment, application manuscript, manuscript for foreign application, etc.) from a translation office, etc., in S1902, it is checked whether the ID number at the time of service request has been attached. I do. If the ID number is attached, the process proceeds to S1906, and if not, the process proceeds to S1906.
In 1903, a document is input to the DB, an ID number is issued in S1904, and the ID number is sent to the intellectual property related office in S1905. In step S1906, the invoice is accepted, and the ID number and document items (type, etc.) are confirmed. For example, if the content of the invoice is a request in the item of response to the reason for refusal,
An error occurs. Further, for example, when a certain amount or more of a charge is set in the system in advance for each type of service, that fact is displayed on the in-house client PC, and the fact that there is no mistake is taken off-line (for example, by telephone or telephone). F
AX, etc.), it is also possible to manually notify an error when it cannot be confirmed.

At S1907, if the item and the ID number match, payment is made at S1910, and if they match, the error is displayed at S1908 and the intellectual property related office is notified thereof. . Then, in S1909,
Check if there is a resend of the invoice.

As described above, by assigning an ID to the requested service and checking and confirming the contents when the service is delivered, it becomes easy to link the service contents and the bill on the system.

(Second Embodiment) (Overall Configuration of Intellectual Property Management System) FIG.
It is a figure showing the typical composition of the intellectual property management system of an embodiment.

Although the basic configuration and functions are the same as those in FIG. 1, the system shown in FIG. 1 is assumed to be online via a network regardless of whether it is in Japan or overseas. However, the present embodiment has the following points. This is different from the first embodiment.

Reference numerals 128 and 129 denote public lines through which facsimile data can be communicated. The intellectual property right support section 106, the overseas office 113, the domestic office 112 and others have at least one facsimile machine. The ideal form of the entire system is completely online as in the first embodiment described above, but an environment in which e-mail and the Web cannot be used may occur transiently.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a paper medium or facsimile communication is used as auxiliary communication means.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of OA equipment installed in the intellectual property right support section 106.

For the backbone network 127, clients 2101, 2102, 2104, high-speed scanner
A printer 2103 and a high-speed scanner / printer / FAX multifunction peripheral 2105 are connected. The PC 2102 has a server function of the scanner / printer 2103.
The C2104 has a function of a server of the multifunction peripheral 2105. 2109 An analog or digital public line used by the multifunction peripheral 2105 for transmitting and receiving facsimile data. Reference numerals 2106, 2107, and 2108 denote stand-alone facsimile apparatuses that perform facsimile communication via public lines 2110, 2111, and 2112, respectively.

The intellectual property right support section 106 receives information by facsimile from external organizations such as the overseas office 113 and the domestic office 112.

At this time, in the case of an emergency (for example, when the response deadline is approaching), the sender sends a fax to the emergency dedicated line 2109 number among a plurality of lines, and the facsimile cover page A sheet as shown in FIG. 22 is used.

In FIG. 22, a cover sheet 2201 includes a case number and its OCR barcode 2206, a legal deadline and its OCR barcode 2207, a sent document name and its OCR barcode 2208, a reference example number and its The OCR barcode 2209, other bibliographic information and the OCR barcode 2210 are described, and are read by the transmission side. Reference numeral 2202 denotes, for example, an office action (notification of the reason for refusal);
Reference numeral 204 denotes the second reference, and reference numeral 2205 denotes the third reference.

As described above, by receiving the bibliographic information together with the OCR code on the front page, the server 2104 recognizes the processing information from the facsimile data taken in through the multifunction peripheral 2105,
Electronic data of bibliographic information can be provided to the system. Also, the office action 2202 and the cited documents 2203 to 2205 can be taken into the system as facsimile data (electronic data). The bibliographic information extracted from the front page is registered in the management server 117, and the server 119 automatically generates the above-mentioned action cases according to the legal deadline and the deadline for reply to the office. On the other hand, the facsimile data 2202 to 2205 are registered in the document server 116. The facsimile data may be in G3 format or G4 format.
It may be compressed data such as BIG. In particular, in a system such as the system of the present embodiment, which is capable of directly loading facsimile data into a database,
The use of data of a hierarchical encoding method such as JBIG is effective when a user uses the data after inputting the data into a database.

FIGS. 23 and 24 are flowcharts showing the flow of the above processing.

In step S2301, reception of a facsimile is awaited. When the facsimile is received, in step S2302, the facsimile server 2104 recognizes the received information by the information OCR on the cover letter. In the present embodiment, the server 1 is included in the facsimile data.
17 includes item information (case number) for specifying a case managed by 17, term information of the current action, document name information of a document to be sent, and attached cited document information sent by the JPO. In step S2302, the management information is registered in the server 117, the document data 2202 to 2205 are registered in the document server 116, and the server 119
Identifies the case number and automatically generates an action case. In S2305, an expiration date is set (a statutory expiration date if management of the statutory expiration date is sufficient, and both expiration dates are set if there is an office designated expiration date). Then, in step S2306, the server 119 transmits the action case to the intellectual property right protection section manager and informs the intellectual property right support section manager and the intellectual property right manager supervisor of the urgent action case. Send a notification email.

Next, in S2307, a predetermined time (for example, 3
After the elapse of time), the system checks whether the action case has been accessed (opened) by the person in charge of the intellectual property right division department, and if so, in step S2310, the person in charge goes to study the action. On the other hand, if the action case has not been opened, in step S2308, a reminder mail is sent to the person in charge of the intellectual property right support unit and the supervisor of the person in charge of the intellectual property right support unit. Alternatively, the supervisor in charge of the intellectual property right division raises the action case forcibly and sends the action case to another person in charge, or performs the processing on its own.

After considering the action, in S2401, the action response is sent via the system or by facsimile.
At 402, the management server 24 stores the bibliographic information of the response to the action.
02 in the DB. Then, the server 119 proceeds to S24
At 03, an ID number for the action response (response request) is issued, and at S2404, the ID number is transmitted to the destination of the action response. Then, in step S2405, the invoice from the destination of the action response is received. If the items and the like of the invoice match in S2406, the invoice is paid in S2409. The above notification is made, and if there is retransmission in S2408, the above check is repeated.

The ID number may be issued when receiving an emergency fax or when an action case occurs.

The bill may be paid online or offline.

FIG. 25 is a view for explaining the configuration of a display screen for the user to confirm the processing status of the action case.

FIG. 25A shows an example of a display screen when the person in charge of the intellectual property right confirmation section checks the action case processing status on the client PC.

The display items include “open” indicating whether the person to whom the action case has been sent has accessed the action case, “return” indicating whether the return of the action case has been received, and “action” indicating whether the action case has been returned. "Action case name" indicating the type of case, "Send date" indicating the date when the action case was sent, "Send to" indicating the destination, and "Designation" set by the sender of the action case and indicating the deadline for considering the action Expiration date "and" Statutory expiration date "indicating the time limit for submitting documents to the Patent Office.

One example of the rules of the display method will be described below. The system detects that the action case has been accessed at the destination via the network, and marks the “opened” box. If it is not "opened" after N days (for example, 3 days) from the date of sending, the intellectual property rights department representative will be required to display the action case (for example, paint in yellow). Remind visually. Paint in a different color (for example, blue) from the action case, regardless of whether it has been "opened" after the specified time limit, and visually remind the person in charge of the intellectual property right division (However, paint will not be applied to items that have already been returned.) "Open" when M days (for example, 7 days) before the legal deadline
Regardless of whether the action case has been passed or not, the action case is painted in a different color (for example, red), and the IP right Remind. Regarding the action cases generated by the emergency fax, regardless of whether they have been “opened”, paint in the same color as before and visually remind the person in charge of the intellectual property right division. The display parameters (N, M values, paint color conditions, etc.) are set by the intellectual property right manager in the client PC and stored in the non-volatile memory in the client PC. , Customizable.

FIG. 26 is a view for explaining the structure of a display screen for the user to check the processing status of the action case.

FIG. 26 (2) shows a screen displayed when the supervisor of the intellectual property right protection department manager or the intellectual property right protection department manager checks the action case processing status of the intellectual property right protection section manager on the client PC. It is a figure showing the example of.

The display items indicate whether the person in charge of the intellectual property right division in charge of the action case has accessed the action case, and whether the action case has been sent to a study request. “Request”, “Action case name” indicating the type of action case, “Reception date” indicating the date on which the action case was received by the intellectual property right manager, “Rep” indicating the name of the intellectual property manager Name, the designated case set by the sender of the action case, the "designated period" indicating the period for considering the action, and the "statutory period" indicating the period for submitting documents to the JPO.

An example of the rules of the display method will be described below. The system detects, via the network, that the intellectual property right manager has accessed the action case, and marks the “opened” box. The system detects via the network that the intellectual property right manager has submitted the action case to the examination request, and marks it in the box of “request”. If it is not "opened" after P days (for example, 7 days) have elapsed from the reception date of the person in charge, the display of the intellectual property right department in charge is necessary for the action case (for example, painted in red). Visually remind your boss. If "Request" has not been made after Q days (e.g., 10 days) have elapsed since the date of receipt of the person in charge, the necessary information (for example, painted in yellow) for the action case will be displayed by the person in charge of the intellectual property right division. Visually remind your boss. Regarding the action case generated by the emergency fax, regardless of whether it has been “opened” or not, paint in the same color as before and visually remind the supervisor in charge of the intellectual property right division. The above display parameters (P, Q values, paint color, etc., conditions for glue mind) are set by the boss of the intellectual property right division department on the client PC, and the client
It is possible to customize by storing it in the non-volatile memory in the PC.

Whether the action case has been accessed is realized, for example, by the server 119 periodically checking whether there has been access to the study request form held in the document server 116 as an attached document of the action case. be able to.

By providing the access check tool as described above, it becomes possible for a third party to remind or perform processing in the event of a mail malfunction or a person's mail being overlooked in a network environment.

(Forcibly withdrawing an action case) As described above, a person having a predetermined authority (for example, a supervisor of an action case holder, a manager of a management section, or a person who sent an action case to the holder) Can forcibly pull up the action case to himself.

This can be realized, for example, by rewriting the information in the workflow management table of the server 119 and changing the holder of the action case. Such a function is particularly effective when the processing of the action case is likely to be delayed, for example, when the holder of the action case is absent on a business trip.

At this time, a mail containing information indicating that the current holder of the action case has been forcibly withdrawn, information of the person who has withdrawn, and the date and time of the withdrawal is sent to the holder of the current action case. As a result, the action case holder can recognize that the action case that he / she possessed has been raised.

Further, after the raising, the user may perform the processing such as the examination / approval by himself / herself, or may request the examination / approval to another one.

The above tool can be used for the system of the first embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a method of inputting to the system when the above-mentioned document sent by facsimile is sent on a paper medium.

First, in step S2701, the intellectual property right support section receives a paper document. As the cover letter of this document, the same one as 2201 in FIG. 22 is used.

In step S2702, the person in charge of the intellectual property right support section is caused to read the cover letter by the image scanner 2103. In step S2703, the scanner server 2102 recognizes information on the cover letter. In S2704, the case number is specified, and in S2705, the system management server 117
To display the bibliographic information screen of the case on the display of the client PC 2102.

Next, in step S2706, an attached document (for example, a notice of reasons for refusal) 2202 is input. In S2707, it is determined whether or not the cited reference is attached. If so, it is determined whether or not the cited reference is stored in the server 118 constituting the DB of the cited reference. Do not scan cited references. On the other hand, if the reference is not found in the cited reference DB, in step S2709, the person in charge of the intellectual property right support department is prompted on the screen of the PC to input the reference of the corresponding number using a scanner. The processes from S2708 to S2709 are repeated.
Hereinafter, the processing from S2801 to S2806 in FIG.
3 are the same as S2305 to S2310, and a description thereof will be omitted. The same applies to the processing in FIG.

(Regarding Document Database) FIGS. 29 to 33 are diagrams of display screens of the client PC for explaining how to use the cited document database constructed in the server 118. FIG.

FIG. 29 shows a list of related materials for each case number (case). Reference numeral 2901 denotes a case number, which is a reference number of an application for each country of the company. In this example, a 5-digit number is followed by a country identification letter. Reference numeral 2902 denotes a family number, which indicates an application group whose application contents are substantially equivalent. 29
03 is the application country name, in this case US (US), EP (Europe), AU (Australia),
Indicates that an application for JP (Japan) exists. 2904
Is a list of documents related to the United States application, case number 12345US, which was primarily cited in U.S. Patent Office examination. In this example, the document number "12
000 (in-house family number) "
345 "and" USP123456 "are listed. For each document number, items such as a source, a date of acquisition, a summary, a target location for a reason for refusal, and a differentiation point in the present application are displayed. 2905 displays all related documents of the family of the case (in this case, US, EP, AU, JP). That is, in this example, except for US, E
"DE1200001" in the P case, "USP123456" in the AU case, and "USP12
3456 ", and in the JP case,
5 ”are cited, and the source (for example, search report (SR)), the date of acquisition, the outline, and the like are displayed. In addition, whether IDS (Information Disclosure Procedure) has been completed or not in the United States (US) and China (CN),
Alternatively, IDS information indicating whether or not it is necessary is also displayed. This IDS information includes US and CN as shown in FIG.
May be displayed in one flag together, US, C
N may have information separately, and a plurality of information may be displayed independently.

As described above, the related documents can be displayed in families, and the display of the IDS status of the related documents can be prevented, so that IDS omission can be prevented. Examination citations in other countries can be easily considered, and effective rights can be obtained efficiently.

FIG. 30 shows a reverse-reference display screen (type 1).
And 3001 represents a document number. Reference numeral 3002 denotes the bibliographic information, which displays, for example, the current status, application number and application date, priority priority application number and priority date, publication number and publication date, publication number and publication date, registration number and registration date. 3003, 30
Reference numeral 05 denotes a guide display, and when the mouse cursor is moved, a functional description of that portion is displayed. Reference numeral 3004 is an outline of this document. Reference numeral 3006 denotes a listing of the case (case number) of the company in which this document is cited. If you click on the case number here, the server 11
6 can access the company application information registered. In addition, here, items such as items (history units such as office actions), dates, rejection points, and points of differentiation from the present application are displayed for each case number.

As described above, by using a document as a key and extracting and displaying the case number of the company in which the document is cited, the point at which differentiation from the document is performed in another case can be immediately found. The effect is that the examination of the office action can be performed efficiently.

FIG. 31 shows a reference reverse display screen (type 2). Reference numeral 3101 denotes a reference number. Reference numeral 3102 denotes a corresponding foreign application search button. When this button is pressed, a link to the patent search DB of the server 118 is established, and documents of the family (for example, US application, Japanese application, etc.) can be viewed. Reference numeral 3103 denotes a button for requesting an in-house procedure for automatically monitoring the status (registration, deletion, etc.) of this document. Reference numeral 3104 denotes a list of bibliographic information of the family of this document cited in any case. Reference numeral 3105 denotes a case list in which the numbers of the cases in which the documents are cited are reversed and displayed. For example, "USP12345" is the case number "12345U
S "," 12345AU ", and" 098765JP ".

FIG. 32 shows the results of an office action study (one history unit for one case) exchanged in an action case. 3201 is the case number of this case, 3202 is the name of the person in charge of the development rights support section, the name of the person in charge of intellectual property rights, contact information, 3203 is the outline of this case, 320
4 indicates an approval mark, and 3205 indicates the type of office action. Reference numeral 3206 indicates a company product, a company implementation schedule, and another company's product in which the invention of this case is implemented. Reference numeral 3207 denotes a comment from a researcher in the development department / development right support section.
Reference numeral 3208 denotes a list of documents cited in that case, including a flag indicating whether the document was disclosed in the US or CN in the prior art, a summary of the reference, a place for responding to a reason for refusal, and a point of differentiation in the present invention. Is displayed.

FIG. 33 is a display screen of related documents in each case (case). 3301 is a case number, 330
2 is the bibliographical matter such as the current status of this case number and the application / publication / registration number; 3303 is the bibliographical matter of the related literature;
Reference numeral 304 denotes an overview of the document, and reference numeral 3305 denotes a list of the date of acquisition of the document, the method of obtaining the document, the location corresponding to the reason for refusal, and the points of differentiation.

As described above, by having related document information for each application case and background, it becomes possible to search and display documents in units of case and background, and further search and display cases in units of documents. It is possible to greatly improve the efficiency in performing the right-setting processing such as examination. In particular, in the case of performing paperless documents in a network environment, such a database of documents for each case and each history is effective.

FIGS. 34 to 36 are tables for explaining the definition of DB management items for constructing the above-described database.

FIG. 34 shows information held for each document.
Country, citation number, reference number, publication number, publication date, retroactive date,
It is a table that defines items of application number, application date, publication number, publication date, registration number, registration date, keyword, summary, memo, and family. The outline, length, attribute, input person, check person, and remarks are defined for each item.

For example, the item name “country” means the country where the document is issued, the length is two alphanumeric characters, the inputter / checker is an administrative department (intellectual property rights support department), and input as remarks. Is required. The literature database is constructed according to such rules.

FIG. 35 shows information held in units of one case (corresponding to a case number). File No., reference number, IDS existence, ID
It is a table that defines the items of S type, acquisition date, and acquisition source. The definition method for each item is the same as in FIG.

For example, for the item "FileNo.", It is determined whether or not to specify the country, the attribute is alphanumeric, the input is automatically entered by the system, there is no checker. It defines that it is linked to the matter.

FIG. 36 shows one of the cases (corresponding to the case number).
It is information held in one reference unit of the background (for example, corresponding to the above-mentioned action case), and defines items such as background number, reference number, rejection reason target location, and differentiation point. The definition method for each item is the same as in FIG.

For example, it is defined that the attribute "alphanumeric", the input person / checker is the administrative department, and the input is required as a remark for the item "reference number".

By inputting the items defined as described above, DB management, search, and display as described above can be performed.

According to the present invention, a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MP) of the system or apparatus is provided.
U) can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, or the like is used. Can be.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) Performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory provided on the expansion board or the function expansion unit inserted into the computer, the function expansion board or the function is read out based on the instruction of the program code. The CPU or the like provided in the extension unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

In addition, the concepts of the workflow, database creation, system configuration, and the like in the above embodiments may be arbitrarily modified and combined.

[0145]

As described above, according to the present invention, a service provided by an external organization and a bill can be managed in association with each other, and intellectual property information can be efficiently managed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a typical configuration of an intellectual property management system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a distribution channel of information in an intellectual property management system.

FIG. 3 Intellectual Property Rights Division 105, Development Rights Conversion Support Division 1
03, Example of organization chart in R & D department 102

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a database management method according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the concept of an action case.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an application case for creating an application document.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a rejection reason response case for responding to a rejection reason.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a rejection assessment response case for responding to a rejection assessment.

FIG. 9 is a view for explaining an example of an action study path in the organizational structure as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining an example of an approval route for an action review result;

FIG. 11 is a table showing route patterns for reviewing and approving actions shown in FIGS. 9 and 10;

12 is a pattern selection table for freely assembling a workflow for each department (3) and for each person in charge of intellectual property right (4) using the pattern table of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow setting of an action case.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a function of following a document to be included in an action case;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing document follow-up processing;

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a copy function of an action case.

FIG. 17 is a diagram more specifically showing how to use the copy case;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an information transmission method in the development department.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing processing of an invoice from an intellectual property related office in the present system.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a typical configuration of an intellectual property management system according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of an OA device installed in the intellectual property right support section 106.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a facsimile cover page.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the flow of a FAX reception process.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the flow of a FAX reception process.

FIG. 25 is a view for explaining the configuration of a display screen for the user to confirm the processing status of the action case

FIG. 26 is a view for explaining the configuration of a display screen for the user to confirm the processing status of the action case

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a method of inputting data to a system when a document sent by fax is sent on a paper medium.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing a method of inputting to a system when a document sent by fax is sent by paper medium.

FIG. 29 is a diagram of a display screen of a client PC for explaining how to use a cited reference database constructed on a server 118.

FIG. 30 is a view of a display screen of a client PC for explaining how to use a cited reference database constructed in a server 118.

FIG. 31 is a view of a display screen of a client PC for explaining how to use a cited reference database constructed on a server 118.

FIG. 32 is a view of a display screen of a client PC for explaining how to use a cited reference database constructed in a server 118.

FIG. 33 is a diagram of a display screen of a client PC for explaining a method of using a cited reference database constructed in the server 118.

FIG. 34 is a view for explaining definitions of DB management items for constructing a database;

FIG. 35 is a view for explaining definitions of DB management items for constructing a database;

FIG. 36 is a view for explaining definitions of DB management items for constructing a database;

[Explanation of symbols]

 114 Japan Patent Office 115 Foreign Patent Office 104 Intellectual Property Information Management Division

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus for performing a procedure related to a patent application by communicating information via a network, wherein identification information for a document received from an organization other than the Patent Office is confirmed. An information processing apparatus comprising: a confirmation unit; and a management unit that manages payment of a fee for receiving the document based on the identification information. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the organizations other than the patent office include a patent office and a translation office. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said confirmation means confirms whether or not identification information has already been added to said received document, and if not, newly adds identification information. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a sending unit that sends the newly added identification information to the institution. 5. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the invoice sent together with the identification information determines whether or not predetermined items match, and when the invoices do not match, notifies the institution of an error. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management unit determines whether the bill has been retransmitted after the error notification. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document is received via a network. 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document is received as facsimile data. 9. An information processing method for performing a procedure related to a patent application by communicating information via a network, wherein the identification information for a document received from an organization other than the Patent Office is confirmed. An information processing method, comprising: a confirmation step; and a management step of managing payment of a fee for receiving the document based on the identification information. 10. A program storage medium for storing a program for realizing an information processing method for performing a procedure related to a patent application by communicating information via a network, comprising: A code for executing a confirmation step of confirming identification information for a received document, and a code for executing a management step of managing payment of a fee for receipt of the document based on the identification information. Characteristic program storage medium.