JP2002183287A - Supporting method for obtaining patent - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a patent easily obtainable by supporting expenses required for requesting an examination. SOLUTION: In the supporting method for obtaining patent, the details of a desired patent requesting its examination such as the name, the specifications or the drawing of an invention, which are transmitted from the computer system 30A of an applicant to the computer system 10 of a service provider via a public line network 20, the contents of a support that the applicant wants to receive and the contents of a right to be transferred from the applicant to a support desiring person, etc., are retrieved from the computer system 30B of the support desiring person. Then the offer of the support from the support desiring person is received when the person discovers the desired patent requesting its examination which is the useful invention with high probability of obtaining the patent by requesting the examination and of making a profit as its result and when the person is satisfied with the contents of the support desired by the applicant and the contents of the right to be transferred from the applicant.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for reducing the financial burden on a patent applicant required for obtaining a patent.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In Japan, examination is not carried out merely by filing a patent application, so that examination must be requested within a predetermined period in order to obtain a patent. The patent applicant must pay a prescribed fee to the JPO both at the time of filing an application and requesting examination, so the patent applicant pays a fee each time. Also, if you apply for a patent with a patent attorney, you will have to pay a fee to the patent attorney every time you proceed.

[0003]

The fee to be paid to the JPO is 21,000 yen at the time of filing the application, and 86300 yen at the time of request for examination, even if the claimed invention is the one claimed invention, and these are required expenses. The burden is not small for corporations that can do it, but for individual inventors who can not be recorded as necessary expenses, especially the large fee paid at the time of requesting examination is a large burden, and it is stochastically rejected In the case of patent acquisition, which is often applied, the applicant filed an application but did not make a request for examination, and the useful invention that was filed was sometimes wasted. We needed to be able to reduce it.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has established a patent acquisition support site accessible via a public line network. Acknowledges the publication of a pending unexamined patent requesting a request for examination on the site, and the applicant accesses the site and obtains a patent that has been submitted with recognition of the usefulness of the patent published on the site. The support applicant promises to provide a benefit, such as partial transfer of his / her interest, and the support applicant contributes the patent examination request cost, and makes a request for the patent examination with the investment, and the applicant's patent is granted. This is a patent acquisition support method characterized by reducing the financial burden required for acquisition.

[0005]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a computer system 10 owned by a service provider is connected to a plurality of computer systems 30A owned by a patent applicant and a support applicant via a public network (for example, the Internet) 20. A plurality of computer systems 30B are provided so as to be connectable as appropriate.

[0006] The computer systems 30A, 30B are:
In any case, together with the input means 31 and the display means (hereinafter, referred to as a display) 32, a conventionally known communication means (not shown)
The computer system includes a PU, a storage unit, and the like, and these computer systems are usually general-purpose personal computers.

[0007] The computer system 10 owned by the service provider also has a well-known communication means, not shown, MP (not shown).
U, storage means, display means, input means, and the like, and the storage means appropriately processes and stores the information of the patent for which the examination request is transmitted from the computer system 30A owned by the patent applicant. A program for providing a patent acquisition support site for enabling search for the stored patent information by the computer system 30B owned by the support applicant and application for support is stored.

That is, the computer system 30A or 30B is connected to the computer system 10 via the public network 2
0, and when the user accesses the patent acquisition support site, a selection screen G1 shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display 32, for example.

When the mouse pointer (hereinafter simply referred to as a pointer) (not shown) is clicked on the patent registration button 1 on the selection screen G1, the screen shifts to a screen for registering a patent to receive support, and a patent search is performed. When the pointer is placed on the button 2 and clicked, the screen shifts to a screen for searching for a registered patent.

For example, when a pointer (not shown) is placed on the patent registration button 1 and clicked, the name, application number, international classification, specification, drawing, and abstract of the invention filed by the patent applicant operating the computer system 30A are filed. What you want to receive assistance with, such as the cost required for a request for examination (can include a patent attorney fee)
(For example, as shown in FIG. 3) for inputting payment (remittance) and the content of the right to be transferred, for example, a part of the right interest, for example, transfer of 10%.
2 is displayed on the display 32, the input means 31 is operated, and after inputting in each column, the pointer is clicked on the transmission button 3 and clicked, whereby necessary information can be transmitted to the computer system 10 of the service provider. It has become. It should be noted that the specification, drawings, and abstracts can be input to the columns by a copy and paste operation.

Therefore, a patent applicant who wishes to receive financial support for a request for examination connects his computer system 30A to the computer system 10 and accesses the patent acquisition support site, for example. On the selection screen G1 shown in FIG. 2 displayed on the display 32, the pointer is aligned with the patent registration button 1 and clicked to display the patent information input screen G2 shown in FIG. All the information required can be transmitted to the computer system 10 of the service provider simply by pointing the pointer at 3 and clicking.

The patent information transmitted from each computer system 30A to the computer system 10 is as follows:
Classified by international classification, connected via the public line network 20, and stored in a searchable manner by the computer system 30B accessed.

That is, a support applicant who wants to provide financial support to a patent applicant who desires a request for examination connects his / her own computer system 30B to the computer system 10 and obtains a patent acquisition support site. 2. On the selection screen G1 shown in FIG. 2 displayed on the display 32, the pointer is aligned with the patent search button 2 and clicked. For example, a search condition input screen G3 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. Simply enter a keyword, international classification, and search period using the notation at the time of filing, move the pointer to the search button 4 and click on it to search for patents for which a request for examination has been registered on the patent acquisition support site. .

For example, when searching for a patent requesting examination with respect to a digital camera, the user operates the input means 31 to input "digital camera" in the keyword field and to input "H04N 5/335" in the international classification field. A search is made by inputting, for example, 2000.01.01 or the like in the period field. Of course, it is also possible to search without inputting in the column of international classification and the column of search period.

The search results are displayed in the form of a table in which the application number and the title of the invention are written together, for example, as in a search result screen G4 shown in FIG. There are also columns for detailed display and support application. If you place the pointer on the detailed display column and click it, the full text and all drawings of the specification related to the patent are displayed, and the patent applicant wants to receive further The contents of the support considered to be considered and the contents of the right to be transferred from the patent applicant to the applicant for support are sequentially displayed by a predetermined operation.

On the other hand, when the user places the pointer on the rightmost support application column and clicks, the support application button 5 is located at the center of FIG.
Is displayed in the search result screen G4. When the pointer is placed on the support application button 5 and clicked, the support application information is transmitted to the computer system 10 of the service provider. ing.

Accordingly, a support applicant who wants to take part of the cost required for obtaining a patent and to take over a part of the profits generated by the right is granted the computer system 30B owned by himself / herself to the service provider. By connecting to the computer system 10 and accessing the patent acquisition support site, confirming the contents of the patent for which the examination request is published and comparing it with the prior art, if the invention is requested to be a useful invention, If it is considered that there is a strong possibility that it will become a patent and generate profits, and you are satisfied with the contents of support requested by the patent applicant and the contents of the rights assigned by the patent applicant, the support application column on the right end Pointing and clicking the pointer, calls the support application screen G5, and pointing and clicking the support application button 5 to request support. The to.

Computer system 3 owned by the applicant for support
0B, the service provider-owned computer system 10 notifies the patent applicant's computer system 30A of the appearance of the applicant for support, and the patent application is displayed on the patent acquisition support site. Stop publishing.

The service provider who owns the computer system 10 and publishes a patent acquisition support site on the Internet sends a contract in a predetermined format to, for example, the patent applicant first, and Is sent to the applicant for support and the support contract is concluded (the order of signing and sealing may be reversed). In addition, it is also possible to configure so as to conclude the contract through the public line network 20.

When the contract is concluded, the applicant for support pays the examination request fee to the patent applicant based on the contents of the contract, and the patent applicant makes an examination request with the money.
Create a partial transfer letter of interest and send it to the applicant.

Since the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the appended claims.

For example, in order to increase the reliability of inventions requested for examination published on the patent acquisition support site and to increase the reliability of support applications, service providers are provided to patent applicants and applicants for support. The computer system 10 possesses an ID, a password, an e-mail address,
If necessary, when a support contract is concluded between a patent applicant and a support applicant using the patent acquisition support site, the method of paying the site usage fee paid by the patent applicant and / or the support applicant (credit The computer system 30A or 30B that is connected to the computer system 30A or 30B is required to make settings such as the company name and number when using the computer system. It is also possible to enable the operation of inputting disclosure and support applications.

A request for examination of a patent by an investment funded by the support applicant is made by the service provider who owns the computer system 10 or by a third party designated by the service provider. It may be something. In this case, the support applicant remits the investment to the service provider or a third party. on the other hand,
The right to be transferred from the patent applicant to the applicant for support may be one that promises a partial transfer of profits generated by the business protected by the patent obtained.

The international classification input by the patent applicant on the patent information input screen G2 may be modified by the service provider.

The keyword search by the computer system 30B owned by the support applicant may be a conventionally well-known AND / OR search specifying a plurality of words, or may be a search for only an abstract. However, the entire text of the specification can also be used.

The computer system 30B of the applicant for support may be a general personal computer, a portable information terminal, a telephone with a display function, a game machine with a communication function, or the like.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the financial burden on the patent applicant at the time of obtaining the patent can be greatly reduced, so that the motivation of the individual inventor can be enhanced and many entrepreneurs can be obtained. Can be raised.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an apparatus for realizing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a selection screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a patent information input screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a search condition input screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a search result screen displayed on a display.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a support application screen displayed on a display.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 patent registration button 2 patent search button 3 send button 4 search button 5 support application button 10 computer system (for service provider) 20 public line network 30A computer system (for patent applicant) 30B (for applicant for support) computer system 31 Input means 32 Display means (display) G1 selection screen G2 Patent information input screen G3 Search condition input screen G4 Search result screen G5 Support application screen

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A patent acquisition support site accessible via a public line network is established, and a patent applicant is permitted to publish on the site an unexamined patent request filed for examination, The person accesses the site, recognizes the usefulness of the patent published on the site, and promises to provide benefits, such as partial transfer of rights, to the applicant for patent acquisition support who has offered the patent. A patent acquisition support method comprising: investing the examination request cost of the above and making a request for examination of the patent with the investment to reduce the financial burden required for the applicant to acquire the patent.