KR20060116900A - A patent information system - Google Patents

Abstract

A patent information system is provided to output other fields of patents searched from a patent database while outputting ID of the searched patents in date order. A searcher searches the patent database according to a search condition. A date recognizer recognizes date data of the patents searched by the searcher. An output form setting part determines an output form of the searched patents. The output form setting part receives the ID of the searched patents from the patent database, forms a time-series graph using a vertical or horizontal axis as a time axis, and outputs the ID of the searched patents to the time-series graph. A position of each ID is matched with the date data of each patent.

Description

Patent Information System {A PATENT INFORMATION SYSTEM}

1 is a block diagram illustrating modules for practicing the present invention.

2 is a flow chart for outputting a time series graph of the present invention.

3 is an embodiment of a time series graph using the present invention.

Figure 4 is another embodiment of a time series graph using the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating modules for outputting the time series graph of FIG. 4. FIG.

6 is a flow chart for outputting the time series graph of FIG. 4.

Figure 7 is another embodiment of a time series graph using the present invention.

8 is another embodiment of a time series graph using the present invention.

The present invention relates to a method and system for outputting a search patent using a patent database, and more particularly, to a method and system for outputting a time series graph in which IDs of search patents retrieved from a database are arranged in order of predetermined date data. will be.

Generally, a patent database means that the patent information of a plurality of patents is stored in a database server. In general, a patent user searches a patent having a specific condition by using a search means connected to the database server. In this case, it refers to a system capable of outputting the patent information on the patent or patent group that is the search result by a monitor or other output device connected to the server.

The existing commercial patent database or the patent database operated by the patent office of a specific country usually stores a large amount of data on patent cases, so the search means for finding specific patents among them is almost essential. Can be.

In general, two or more patents are searched for as a result of the search means, and these patents usually have a plurality of rows based on a patent name or a linked patent number based on a patent number or publication number. Was displayed on the screen in a top-down (TOP-DOWN) method.

Then, if you want detailed information on a specific patent among the searched patent cases, the corresponding patent number is separately selected and used in a manner of displaying or outputting the detailed information. Therefore, this output method is merely an intermediate page for checking a list and checking the contents of individual patent cases.

If you're looking for one or two specific patents, or if you're working with a database based on a few patents, there's nothing inconvenient about this traditional display, but if your search results are hundreds or thousands, This simple conventional display method is not very helpful if it is appropriate as the patent and tracks any trend based on it.

In other words, in the simple display method, since the user does not have the freedom to automatically edit or change the display method, a considerable amount of manual manual editing of the hundreds or thousands of patents is required. Labor will follow.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for outputting IDs of search patents using a patent database in a specific date order.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for outputting IDs of search patents using a patent database in a specific date data order, and outputting other field data together.

The patent information system of the present invention for achieving the above object is to search for a patent database storing a plurality of information of patents including date data in at least one predetermined field and to output the result, Search means for searching according to a search condition; Date recognition means for recognizing the date data of the search patents retrieved by the search means; Output format setting means for determining an output format of the search patents, wherein the output format setting means is provided with the IDs of the search patents searched by the search means from the patent database, and includes at least one of a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. An axis is formed as a time series graph having a time axis, and the IDs of the search patents are output on the time series graph, and the position thereof is set to correspond to the date data of each search patent.

The method of setting the ID output position of the search patents by the output format setting means may include dividing each date by dividing the range from the highest date to the latest date of the date data of the search patents on the X-axis of the graph. The sign to be displayed is arranged parallel to the X axis, and the X axis coordinates to which the IDs of the search patents are output may be set at a position corresponding to the sign.

The method of setting the ID output position of the search patents by the output format setting means may include dividing each date by dividing the range from the highest date to the latest date of the date data of the search patents on the Y axis of the graph. The sign to be displayed is disposed parallel to the Y axis, and the Y axis coordinates to which the IDs of the search patents are output may be set at a position corresponding to the sign.

Mode selection means for selecting an option field which is another predetermined field of the search patents; Option field recognizing means for recognizing data of the selected option field;

In addition, the output format setting means may be set the output format of the search patents based on the recognized data of the option field.

The ID of the search patents may be any one of an application number, a publication number, a notification number, and a registration number of each patent.

In addition, the output format displays the IDs of the search patents within a closed curve, but the search patents having the same data in the option field are identically outputted with one of a background color and a hatching pattern painted on the inner surface of the closed curve. Alternatively, the IDs may be output by connecting the IDs to each other by a line, or may output the same symbols displayed on either side of the ID.

In addition, the output format may output the IDs of the search patents without a closed curve.

The present invention also relates to a method for retrieving a patent database storing a plurality of information of patents including date data in at least one predetermined field and outputting a result thereof, which searches the patent database according to a search condition. Doing; Recognizing the date data of the search patents retrieved by the search step; And an output format setting step of determining an output format of the search patents, wherein the output format setting step includes receiving an ID of the search patents from the patent database, and at least one axis among the horizontal and vertical axes. Forming a time series graph that is a time axis; Setting an output format such that the IDs of the search patents are output on the time series graph, the position of which corresponds to the date data of each search patent; It may include. Also, a mode selection step of selecting an option field which is another predetermined field of the search patents; And an option field recognizing step of recognizing data of the selected option field. The setting of the output format may set an output format of the search patents based on the recognized data of the option field.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing the modules required for the inventors patent database system by configuration.

1 is a block diagram of a database server storing and storing patent data, a search terminal used by a search user to search the database server, and a search result of searching the database server according to a search condition input from the search terminal. Search means for extracting a date, date recognition means for recognizing predetermined date data among field data of at least two or more patents (hereinafter referred to as 'search patents') that are the result of the search, based on the recognized date Output format setting means for setting a predetermined format of the output graph in outputting the search patents, and an output device for outputting the output graph of the search patents in the form set by the output format setting means.

2 is a flow chart showing in sequence how the patent database system of the present invention operates.

First, a user who wishes to implement the present invention connects to the database server by wire or wirelessly using a search terminal such as his PC.

Generally, hundreds of thousands or millions of patent data are stored in the database server, and each patent data is stored with date data linked to fields such as application number, application date, applicant, and publication date.

Therefore, in order to effectively use the information provided by such many patent data, a search means capable of searching the database server according to a search condition is necessary. This search means is similar to the conventional search means used for general patent search, and briefly explaining the operation method, the user inputs a search condition through the search box of the search terminal and receives the search means provided from the search terminal. Searching for patents stored in the database server to extract the corresponding search patents.

These search patents consist of at least two patents, each patent having date data, such as filing date or priority date, publication date, notification date or registration date, etc., recorded in at least one field.

The extracted search patents are stored in the temporary storage device. Here, the temporary storage device may be any one of RAM of a user terminal, a hard disk, or a storage device connected to the database. In addition, the storage range here can be stored to store only the unique ID such as application number, publication number, document number, notification number or registration number of the search patents, as much as all data of all fields of the search patents. .

Then, the user selects the date data to be the reference upon output. Hereinafter, the date data to be recognized is referred to as reference date data.

In detail, the method selects the filing date field in this step, for example, when the user selects the filing date as the reference date data.

In addition to such a simple date field selection, it is also possible to combine a plurality of date fields with each other, such as selecting an earlier date of application date and priority date. These complex selections can be freely entered in the input box or combined in a pre-created template field, depending on the pre-made field selection grammar.

The date recognizing means notified of the reference date data parses the data of the search patents from the temporary storage device or the temporary storage device and the database server to recognize the reference date data for each case. Here, the recognition refers to the degree of grasping the relationship between the reference date data in time or the degree of setting the corresponding position in the graph described below according to the reference date data. In addition, in the present invention, since the date does not necessarily mean only a unit of days, the date may be recognized as a month or a year.

Recognized reference date data are notified to the output format setting means together with the corresponding search patent ID.

The output format setting means sets the output position and format of the search patents based on the recognized reference date data. That is, at least one of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis forms a time series graph in which the time axis is formed, and the IDs of the search patents are output on the time series graph, and the position corresponds to the reference date data of each search patent.

For example, when the output device is a computer monitor, the output format setting means sets a graph having a preset time axis and sets the graph in the range from the highest date to the latest date of the date data of the search patents. The year of displaying each date by dividing the X axis of the X axis is parallel to the X axis, and the X axis coordinates of the IDs of the search patents are set at a position corresponding to the sign.

In another method, the Y axis is a time series axis, and the output format setting unit also displays each date by dividing the range from the highest date to the latest date of the date data of the search patents on the Y axis of the graph. And a Y-axis coordinate where the IDs of the search patents are outputted are set at a position corresponding to the code.

In addition, the format of the search patents to be visually displayed before and after the selection of the search patents, for example, a method of writing the ID of each of the search patents in a rectangular closed curve, and the like. Such position, graph size, format, and the like may be set to vary at that time according to the range and size of the entire data.

After such a position and format setting is completed, the output device which receives this outputs the search patents. The output device of the present invention includes, for example, a monitor or printer or a similar device connected to a user's terminal, and a driver for operating the same. The output device outputs a graph according to the transmitted information.

3 exemplarily shows an output example of the present invention output in this manner.

In FIG. 3, for example, the X-axis is set based on the year, and the Y-axis is set on the basis of the month, and each search patent is indicated by a registration number in a rectangular border. In addition, the position on the graph of each search patent is displayed by holding the reference date data of each patent, for example, the X, Y coordinate position relative to the filing date. Hereinafter, in the present invention, the graph output based on the time axis is referred to as a 'time series graph'.

The time series graph output method of FIG. 3 may have a wider variety of applications in the light of the method of simply outputting a list of search patents as before.

Figure 4 shows another example of the time series graph output method of the present invention. The upper part of the time series graph illustrated in FIG. 4 is provided with a means for setting a display mode, for example, 'DISPLAY TYPE SELECTION', so that the shape of the time series graph shown below is changed or set according to a user's selection.

For example, when a user checks a patent having the same International Patent Classification (IPC) and a patent having the same Applicant, a time series graph at the bottom is prepared to reflect this. That is, in the lower time series graph, for example, a registration number is displayed as each search patent ID, and the same applicant is shown to have the same background pattern in the square background pattern surrounding the registration number. Marked with the same sign, but for the same IPC. At the bottom of the graph is a legend. Hereinafter, a time series graph drawn according to various classifications is referred to as a tabulated time series graph in order to distinguish it from the simple time series graph of FIG. 3.

The charted time series graph of FIG. 4 makes it possible to identify specific trends at a glance. For example, when a particular applicant intensively filed a patent for a specific technical field, or which technical field is currently active and who is the leading applicant, the user sorts, selects, and draws a labor through high-intensity labor. You can draw at once without having to.

In FIG. 4, particularly, when a user has his or her own classification criteria for individual patent cases and classifies them, user defined fields (UDFs) configured to edit and put such private classification criteria into data of individual patents are included. It is additionally configured. In addition, since the above-described tabulation is possible according to this user field, the user has the advantage of displaying a specific trend on his own basis in addition to the field supplied by the database itself.

4 may be modified in various ways. For example, the number of the search patents, i.e., IDs, of the output formats may be displayed inside a circular or other closed loop, or may simply be displayed without a closed curve.

In addition, it is also possible to output the option field with the same background color instead of the hatching pattern on the inner surface of the closed curve for the same search patents.

In addition, it is also possible to output the data of the option field by connecting the IDs to each other with lines for the same search patents.

5 is a block diagram of the present invention for enabling the output of FIG. 4 described above.

In Figure 5 the means for drawing a simple time series graph in the manner of Figure 3 are the same. However, after the simple time series graph is formed, mode setting means and option field recognition means are additionally added in order to convert the simple time series graph into the tabulated time series graph of the above-described type.

Wherein the mode setting means is a hardware or software module associated with the above-described 'DISPLAY TYPE SELECTION' box and the option field recognition means corresponding to the date recognition means, the output format setting means by recognizing the data of the additional fields set by the mode setting means Means the module that provides it.

An example of a step-by-step flow diagram in which the modules of FIG. 5 operate is shown in FIG. 6.

First, the search patents that constitute the above-described tabulated time series graph are retrieved and their data is stored in the temporary storage device.

Next, the shape of the tabulated time series graph is designated by the mode setting means according to the user's selection. For example, the step of displaying on the 'DISPLAY TYPE SELECTION' box shown in the upper part of FIG. to be. In other words, according to which field to plot as shown in Figure 4 through this means to input, this is referred to as option field selection for the chart. The selection of the option field may be possible in various forms besides FIG. 4.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the same applicant is selected as an option field.

Then, the option field recognition means recognizes the applicant data by analyzing the applicant field which is a selected option field among the stored data according to the criteria selected by the mode setting means.

Then, the output format setting means is informed from the mode setting means that the Applicant field is tabulated as an option, and then receives information related to the Applicant from the option field recognition means together with the IDs of corresponding search patents. In addition, before and after this, the reference date data is also received.

The output format setting means then sets the corresponding symbol for each applicant. For example, if the applicant mark is set in a hatching manner in the patent number box as in the case of FIG. 5, a hatching pattern for each applicant is set from various previously stored hatching sets.

In addition, before and after this step, coordinates and sizes on the time series graph are selected for each reference date data for each patent.

Next, when the output format setting means passes the information about the time series graph format to be output and the display position of the individual patents to the driver of the output device, the hatching pattern code assigned to each patent case is designated, When the driver of the patent is printed in the form of a box as shown in Figure 4, by hatching (hatching) the box for each pattern.

If not only the marker for the applicant but also the IPC symbol is plotted, if the option field recognition means analyzes the IPC field of the stored data and passes it to the output format setting means as described above, the output format setting means is tabulated for each IPC. Select the symbol and pass it to the driver of the output device to execute the output device.

7 is another embodiment of an output format of the present invention for a particular applicant's patent case. FIG. 7 illustrates a case in which a fictitious applicant named “ROBOVISION” is a search patent filed in the US from 1999 to 2002, the ID of each search patent is output for each time series based on the filing year, but the same US patent technology classification. Search patents having (UPC) are set to set the box for each technical classification by dividing the same area or box, for example, the Y-axis, and outputting the same together in the box.

In addition, it is also accompanied by a number REF indicating, for example, how many times each patent has been cited as a prior patent by other patents which have been filed afterwards. In this case, therefore, the base date data is the filing year and the option fields are UPC and REF.

In the charted time series graph of FIG. 7, it is possible to grasp at a glance the technical trends and major development areas of a particular applicant, and in which technology sectors. Such an output format uses the modules of FIGS. 1 and 5 described above. Will print.

8 is another embodiment of an output format using the present invention. This time, a search patent is output as a time series graph by dividing each applicant for one US technology classification. Here, the trend of filing of major applicants for a specific technology can be seen.

As such, the output format of the search patents using the present invention may have various forms.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for outputting IDs of patents in a time series based on predetermined date data included in retrieved patents as information.

According to the present invention, the search results are simply listed as in the prior art, and the IDs of the search patents are visually displayed based on specific date data of each patent, for example, application date or priority date, on a graph drawn by time series, out of the display method. It is possible to arrange the output.

In addition, by analyzing the specific field information of each patent to visually display the feature points that are common between the patents, it is possible to quickly and easily analyze the application or research trend of the specific search patents in time series.

In addition, the ID of the search patent may be hyperlinked so that detailed information of the patent may be output to the monitor when the mouse is clicked. Therefore, all such simple modifications belong to the following claims, and the present invention should be defined by the following claims rather than the above embodiments.

Claims (11)

A patent information system for retrieving a patent database storing a plurality of information of patents including date data in at least one predetermined field and outputting the result, Search means for searching the patent database according to a search condition; Date recognition means for recognizing the date data of the search patents retrieved by the search means; Output format setting means for determining an output format of the search patents; As containing, The output format setting means,     Receiving the IDs of the search patents searched by the search means from the patent database,     Form a time series graph in which at least one of the horizontal and vertical axes is the time axis,     The patent information system of claim 2, wherein the IDs of the search patents are output on the time series graph, and the positions thereof are set to correspond to the date data of each search patent. The method of claim 1, wherein the output format setting means sets the ID output position of the search patents by dividing the range from the highest date to the latest date of the date data of the search patents on the X axis of the graph. And a sign indicating each date in parallel to the X axis, and the X axis coordinates at which the IDs of the search patents are output are set at a position corresponding to the code. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output format setting means sets the ID output position of the search patents by dividing the range from the highest date to the latest date of the date data of the search patents on the Y axis of the graph. And a sign indicating each date in parallel to the Y axis, and the Y axis coordinates at which the IDs of the search patents are output are set at a position corresponding to the code. The method of claim 1, Mode selection means for selecting an option field which is another predetermined field of the search patents; Option field recognizing means for recognizing data of the selected option field; In addition, And the output format setting means sets the output format of the search patents based on the recognized data of the option field. The patent information system of claim 1, wherein the IDs of the search patents are any one of an application number, a publication number, a notification number, and a registration number of each patent. The method of claim 4, wherein the output format displays the IDs of the search patents in a closed curve, but the search patents having the same data in the option field are any one of a background color and a hatching pattern painted on the inner surface of the closed curve. Patent information system, characterized in that to output the same. The patent information of claim 4, wherein the output format displays IDs of the search patents, and search patents having the same recognized data in the option field are output by connecting the IDs to each other by a line. system. The method of claim 4, wherein the output format indicates IDs of the search patents, and search patents having the same recognized data in the option field are identical to each other so that predetermined symbols displayed on either side of the ID are output identically. Patent information system, characterized in that. The patent information system of claim 4, wherein the output format displays IDs of the search patents, and search patents having the same recognized data in the option field are output within the same area. A method for searching a patent database storing a plurality of information of patents including date data in at least one predetermined field and outputting the result, Searching the patent database according to a search condition; Recognizing the date data of the search patents retrieved by the search step; An output format setting step of determining an output format of the search patents; As containing, The output format setting step,     Receiving IDs of the search patents from the patent database;     Forming a time series graph in which at least one of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis is a time axis;     Setting an output format such that the IDs of the search patents are output on the time series graph, the position of which corresponds to the date data of each search patent; Patent information output method comprising a. The method of claim 10, A mode selection step of selecting an option field which is another predetermined field of the search patents; An option field recognition step of recognizing data of the selected option field; In addition, And setting the output format of the search patents based on the recognized data of the option field.

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