JPH03204071A - Model description library system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce labor for the preparation of a description original and to improve the quality of a description by constructing a data base in which a model description file is stored, and freely retrieving the data base with an invention origin in an on-line operation. CONSTITUTION:A procedure to generate a model description data base is explained as follows by utilizing an applied file description data base. Firstly, an applied file description to be set as the reference of a model description is selected. As a method to select the description, for example, a patent corresponding to a patent product code out of a disclosure list in a specific year for application of its own company is extracted. At this time, the patent whose evaluation of invention is less than a certain rank is eliminated. Also, the patent whose content exceeds a prescribed amount and whose content is inferior are excluded as an inadequate one. In such a way, one to two patents for each patent product code are selected. The applied file description selected in such way is delivered to a patent clerk, and the clerk performs working for model making, and the patent product code is registered as a key word on the model description data base 4, then, retrieval is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a model specification library system that supports the creation of a specification manuscript by one inventor.

[Prior Art] When filing a patent application, a specification sheet and necessary drawings are required along with the application6.Normally, in a company, the preparation of the specification and drawings is ultimately done by the person in charge of the patent department. death,
Alternatively, it is prepared by a patent attorney at an outside patent firm. However, the person who best understands the content of the invention is the inventor, and the person in charge of drafting the specification in the patent department or patent office
It is necessary to receive instructions about the content of the invention from the inventor. This instruction may be given orally or in writing, preferably both.

In general, companies larger than a certain size receive a large number of application requests, and it takes a considerable amount of time for the person in charge of preparing the specification to listen and understand the content of the invention orally from the inventor, making it difficult to efficiently prepare the specification. Have difficulty. Therefore, general instruction on how to write specifications is given to those in departments where inventions are expected, such as research departments and development departments, as part of new employee training or when necessary. In many cases, you are required to prepare the draft specification yourself.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] Even if beginners in drafting specifications have received the above-mentioned education, it is not necessarily easy for beginners to draft drafts of specifications for their own inventions, and they should seek guidance from experienced people. Currently, JFK drafts are written by referring to patent publications in related fields.

However, suitable instructors are not always available nearby, and patent publications in the relevant technical field are not always readily available.

Furthermore, even if you are an experienced person, in the case of an improved invention, you may be able to refer to the specification of the basic invention that has been filed earlier, and may be able to reuse many parts, such as the description of the prior art.

On the other hand, the Japan Patent Office is currently promoting the construction of a so-called paperless system, and will soon allow applications using flexible disks (FD) or online applications using 15DN or packet communication lines (i.e., so-called electronic applications). Become. As a result, the application procedures for companies have changed significantly, and companies that file a large number of applications are being forced to respond flexibly to this new system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system that actively utilizes this opportunity and supports the inventor in efficiently preparing a specification draft.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve the above object, the model specification library system according to the present invention provides the inventor with a model specification that serves as a reference when the inventor writes a patent specification draft. A model specification library system comprising: a model specification database storing model specification files created by processing patent publications for multiple fields of invention; and a computer managing searches and updates of the database;
The apparatus is equipped with a terminal device connected to the computer and used by the inventor to access the data.

This system may further include a database full of already-filed specifications, and the computer may also manage searches and updates of the already-filed specifications database.

Alternatively, a database of the field of the inventor may be constructed for each distributed inventor, and the distributed databases may be connected via a communication network.

In addition, the "model specification" in this specification includes previously applied specifications in a broad sense.

[Operations] In the present invention, a database is constructed in which model specification files are accumulated, and the inventor is allowed to freely search this database online.

As a model specification file, a patent publication suitable for the model specification is selected according to patent classification or product code, etc., and this file is processed and created for the model.

When necessary, the inventor can search this database from various viewpoints and find a model specification that is likely to serve as a reference for the specification manuscript he/she is about to write. As a result, it is possible to reduce the labor of the inventor in preparing a specification manuscript and to improve the quality of the specification manuscript.

In addition to the model specification database, by making it possible to search the unprocessed already-filed specification database, the already-filed specification of the basic invention can be recalled and used when drafting a specification for an improved invention, etc. can be used as is.

This is particularly advantageous when the specification is created electronically by word processing.

If the inventor has created the specification electronically from the beginning, this electronic manuscript can be used effectively to create the specification, without wasting the inventor's effort. (or at external patent offices).

In order to operate this model specification smoothly, O
It is preferable to make full use of A equipment and continuously update the database.

(Hereinafter, blank spaces) [Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, a flowchart of an example of the process from invention proposal to electronic filing in a preferred in-house application reception processing system to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. 2A.

When application requests, specifications, drawings, and other related documents are submitted to the Patent Department in the form of FD, paper, or online requests (Sll), the Patent Department accepts them (Sll).
12), Proposal/Reception] 1. Reception number (invention number)
A receipt report consisting of the following information is returned to the proposer (S15). on the other hand,
This proposal will be evaluated by the person in charge of the patent department (S13
), and depending on the evaluation, decisions will be made as to whether or not to apply. If the evaluation has already been determined by the inventor, the invention evaluation process S13 may be omitted.

Subsequently, the original specification of the invention proposal that is the subject of the application is input into the computer 10. The computer 10 need not be a central host computer of the patent department 32 as shown, but may be a computer distributed at various locations such as workstations. Drawings can be converted into image information using a scanner or the like and stored in a storage medium such as an optical disk. In addition, if the inventor's search for known examples is not sufficient, the invention may be subjected to a known examples search S18 before the preparation of the specification. The processing up to this point is carried out by the administrative staff in the patent department.

Next, the process is transferred from the administrative staff to the patent staff. That is,
In order to prepare a specification, etc. to be applied to the patent office based on the inventor's specification manuscript, etc., the person in charge of preparing the specification, etc., which has already been input into the computer 10, inputs his/her own (or 517) at the nearest) terminal device.
, the specification is created electronically using the document formatting function (S19).

Since the specification has already been digitized before the specification preparer prepares the specification, the specification for application can be prepared efficiently in a short time by simply making corrections, additions, etc. to the inventor's manuscript. I can do it. If the inventor creates the document electronically from the beginning, the duplicative effort required for typing can be reduced. However, if you do not prefer electronically creating the specification, it is of course possible to print out the electronic manuscript and create the specification using paper processing as usual.

The prepared statement will be approved by the person in charge (S
20) is input into the computer 10.

Approval can also be done electronically or on paper. After that, the process is transferred to the administrative staff again, and based on the digitized application documents, the application documents such as the application, specification, drawings, etc. are edited electronically (522), and the electronic application is filed online with the Japan Patent Office (S23). ). This final output type ii is
It is also input into the computer 10 and checked against the proof fed back from the patent office (
S25). Thereafter, one inventor is notified that the application has been completed, along with a copy of the existing application documents (S26).

FIG. 2B is a diagram of inventor 31. Patent Department 32. Investigation department 36
．． It shows the flow of objects and information between the patent office 37 and the patent office 34 from an invention proposal to an application, and processes corresponding to those in Figure 2A are given the same reference numerals. It is.

Although the present invention focuses on application requests using electronic media, as can be seen from process S12 in FIG. 2B, in this embodiment, the patent department 32 also accepts paper application requests from the inventor 31.

As described above, computer input processing 816 of the specification manuscript and drawing manuscript of the invention proposal that is the subject of the application is performed in accordance with the evaluation results. Typically, handwritten specifications are digitized using a word processor or the like and stored as code data in a storage medium such as an FD or hard disk. Items that have been accepted on the FD may be retained as they are, or may be copied and retained on another storage medium. The drawing manuscript is stored as image data in a storage medium such as an optical disk. Information about which manuscripts have been recorded on which storage media is stored in advance in a management file (not shown) to prevent confusion in subsequent processing due to coexistence of various storage media.

The statement creation process S19 in FIG. 2A is performed in addition to the statement creation process 519b, as shown in FIG. 2B.

It also includes invention development/selection expansion processing 519a.

Application completion report processing 32 to one inventor 31 from approval processing S20 through electronic editing of application documents and wood shipping processing S22
The steps up to step 6 are as explained in FIG. 2A. Furthermore, processing 2
In step 6, the model specification and previously applied specifications are created and updated, and the model specification and previously applied specifications are provided electronically or on paper as requested.

The inventor's manuscript digitized before the specification creation in process S16 is used in the patent search ordering process 818 or in the specification creation (external) request process 328 at an external patent office 37.
In this case, it can be provided to the investigation department 36 in the form of FD,
Compared to conventional bulky paper documents, it is advantageous in terms of ease of copying and reduction in the amount and cost of transportation and mailing. Additionally, online transfer can significantly reduce the time required.

The specifications and the like created by the patent office 37 are passed through the acceptance inspection process S29 of the patent department in the form of paper or FD, and then passed to the approval process 20. Also.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A model specification library system that provides an inventor with a model specification that serves as a reference when writing a draft patent specification, which processes patent publications in multiple fields of invention. a model specification database that stores model specification files created by the above, a computer that manages searches and updates of the database, and a terminal device that is connected to the computer and allows the inventor to access the database. A model specification library system characterized by: 2. The model specification according to claim 1, further comprising an already-filed specification database that stores previously filed specification files, and wherein the computer also manages searches and updates of the already-filed specification database. Book library system. 3. The model specification library system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the search can be performed from at least one of the following viewpoints: patent classification, product code, inventor name, and free keywords. 4. The model specification library system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a database of the field of the inventor is constructed for each distributed inventor, and the distributed databases are connected by a communication network.