JP2008134784A - Patent retrieval support system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently find out target information from among many pieces of relevant patent document information. <P>SOLUTION: At first, only representative figures in many pieces of relevant patent document information are downloaded from a patent document information source which has acquired relevant patent document information, and displayed as a list so that information can be narrowed down. As for the narrowed-down and selected information, the download of all the information is started immediately when it is selected so that waiting time due to its download can be shortened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a patent search support system capable of efficiently searching for target information from a large number of related patent document information selected by giving a certain condition from an arbitrary patent document information source.

For example, when searching for evidence of a patent invalidation trial, a keyword search or IPC search is performed from a patent search site on the Web or a database such as a database in which data is stored in advance. Obtain literature information, then display the related patent document information one by one on the computer screen, narrow down the unnecessary information while looking at the screen, and finally some remaining We will examine the information in detail and search for evidence that can be used. In this case, the patent search operation involves three stages: acquisition of related patent document information, narrowing down of information, and detailed verification.
The acquisition of related patent document information, which is the first stage, can be performed mechanically, so that the searcher does not read the contents, so various advanced researches for efficiency have been conducted. Subsequent narrowing down of information and detailed verification is a human task that requires the searcher to check the contents one by one, so that work efficiency improvement measures have not progressed and appropriate prior art is found. Absent.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-223384 discloses a patent information search, which supports a mechanical search portion of a patent by utilizing a large capacity disk device. The document search processing method described in Kaihei 6-301732 also provides a method for efficiently bulging or keyword searching patent document information stored in a large-capacity storage medium such as a CD-ROM. It is not a technology related to support measures for the human work part.
JP-A-9-223384 JP-A-6-301732

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a patent search support system capable of efficiently narrowing down information and performing detailed verification after selecting a large number of patent document information by giving a certain requirement from an arbitrary patent document information source. There is.

The patent search support system of the present invention includes initial information fetching means for downloading only a summary description portion as initial information from a number of related patent document information selected by giving a certain requirement from any patent document information source. The initial information list display means for displaying a selection input unit that can be selected by the searcher for each initial information, while displaying a list of a large number of initial information downloaded by the initial information capturing means on the computer screen, Each time a searcher inputs a sorting result to the sorting input unit, detailed information fetching means that immediately starts downloading all information in the sorted related patent document information, and information downloaded by this detailed information fetching means Item display means to display the list divided into multiple items that can be specified by the searcher, and the searcher specified by the display by this item display means Characterized in that the detailed information of the item to and a detailed information display means for displaying on the computer screen.

The outline description portion of the related patent document information may be changed in color when downloading of all information by the detailed information fetching means is completed.
In addition, the summary description part for which the sorting result has not been input to the sorting input unit is erased from the list display screen, and the remaining summary description part sorting input unit is cleared to prepare for the next sorting. Good.

The outline description part may be a part or all of the representative drawing, the title of the invention, and the abstract in the patent document information.
The plurality of items may include claims, detailed description, and drawings in the drawings.

In addition, it is preferable to provide means for appropriately enlarging or reducing each figure in the drawing displayed by the detailed information display means on the screen.

A code recognizing unit for recognizing a code attached to each of the drawings displayed by the detailed information display unit; a code table creating unit for displaying the code recognized by the code recognizing unit as a code table; Further, it is preferable to provide highlight display means for highlighting the corresponding code in the drawing when the searcher designates an arbitrary code in the code table created by the code table creation means.

Since the initial information downloaded by the initial information fetching means is displayed as a list on the screen by the initial information list display means, it is extremely quick and easy to narrow down the unnecessary information from many patent document information and leave the necessary ones. It can be done.
At this time, the necessary information is sorted by adding a check mark or the like to the sorting input unit, and at the same time, the detailed information fetching means starts downloading all the information in the sorted patent document information. Can be advanced, the waiting time until the detailed information is viewed can be shortened, and a smooth transition from the narrowing-down stage to the detailed verification stage can be achieved.

If the color of the summary description portion of the related patent document information is changed when the download of all information by the detailed information fetching means is completed, the searcher can visually recognize that the download of all the information is completed at a glance.
In addition, the summary description part for which the sorting result has not been input to the sorting input unit is erased from the list display screen, and the remaining summary description part sorting input unit is cleared to prepare for the next sorting. Then, after narrowing down a large amount of related patent document information once, narrowing down can be performed again.

If the outline description part is a part or all of the representative drawing, the name of the invention and the abstract in the patent document information, the outline of the patent document information can be easily grasped.
Further, when the plurality of items include claims, detailed description, and drawings, the most necessary detailed information can be seen immediately.

In addition, by providing means for appropriately enlarging or reducing each figure in the drawing displayed by the detailed information display means on the screen, paper material can be obtained by enlarging a complicated part in the drawing as necessary. It can be verified in more detail than seen in

Further, when the code attached to each figure in the drawing displayed by the detailed information display means is recognized by the code recognition means, the code table is created by the code table creation means, and the code is designated by the code table If the code is highlighted in the drawing by the highlight display means, even if a large number of codes are overcrowded in the drawing, there is no difficulty in searching for the code.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of patent search work, for example, when searching for evidence of a patent invalidation trial. In FIG. 1, 1 is an arbitrary patent document information source. The patent document information source 1 may be, for example, a patent search site such as a patent electronic library, or may be a database of a large amount of patent document information in advance.

The searcher can obtain a large number of related patent document information 2 by giving a certain condition from the patent document information source 1 (for example, performing keyword search, IPC search, etc.). Since the patent document number list 3 of these related patent document information 2 is displayed on the computer screen, the numbers in the number list 3 are clicked one by one to display the contents of each related patent document information 2 one by one. Although it is possible to display the above, the patent search support system 4 is started up without clicking the number in the number list 3 here. The patent search support system 4 may be started in advance.

The patent search support system 4 includes an initial information capturing unit 5, an initial information list display unit 6, a detailed information capturing unit 7, an item display unit 8, and a detailed information display unit 9.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a patent search operation after obtaining related patent document information 2 from the patent document information source 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the searcher copies the patent document number list 3 acquired from the patent document information source 1 onto the initial screen of the patent search support system 4. Then, the initial information fetching means 5 downloads only the outline description part 10 of all the related patent document information 2 indicated by the number list 3 from the patent document information source 1 as initial information.

The initial information list display means 6 displays a list of a large number of initial information downloaded by the initial information fetch means 5 on a computer screen, and a selection input section 11 that allows a searcher to select each initial information. Is displayed. The entity of these initial information is the summary description part 10 in the related patent document information 2, and the summary description part 10 is a representative drawing in each related patent document information 2 here, but it is a summary instead of the representative drawing. Or the title and summary of the invention, or all of the representative drawings, the title and summary of the invention. In any case, since the summary description portion 10 has a small data volume, downloading can be performed in a short time even if the number is large.

In this way, since all the representative drawings that are the summary description portion 10 are displayed in a list, the searcher can look at the entire picture of all related patent document information 2 at a glance (while scrolling the screen), and the patent is invalid. It is possible to efficiently select whether or not it is likely to be used as evidence. Therefore, the sorting result is input to the sorting input unit 11 for what is likely to be used. As a specific input method, for example, the user clicks on the selection input unit 11 and puts a check mark here.

When a check mark is added to the sorting input unit 11, the detailed information fetching means 7 immediately starts downloading all the information in the relevant related patent document information 2 from the patent document information source 1. All information specifically includes the claims, the detailed description, and the drawings.
When the download of all the information is completed, the corresponding summary description portion 10 changes its color so that the searcher can recognize at a glance that the download has been completed. Moreover, since the download of all information is started at the time of adding a check mark while narrowing down information by looking at the summary description part 10, even when the amount of information to be downloaded is large and it takes a long time to download, The waiting time is shortened by the amount that the download starts earlier.

The summary description portion 10 in which the check mark is not added to the sorting input unit 11 is erased from the list display screen, and the check mark of the sorting input unit 11 of the remaining summary description portion 10 is also erased, so that the next sorting is performed. Prepare. For example, it may be possible to narrow down the related patent document information 2 that originally had 1,000 cases to 50, and select once again to narrow down to several candidates for patent invalidity evidence.

Regarding the related patent document information 2 in which the download of all information has been completed by looking at the color change of the summary description part 10, when the summary description part 10 is clicked, all the information is displayed by the item display means 8. The range, detailed description, and each figure in the drawing are displayed in a list on the computer screen with the items divided so that the searcher can specify them. In particular, with respect to the drawings, “FIG. 1”, “FIG. 2”, etc. are displayed as thumbnails, so that the searcher can appropriately designate the drawings to be viewed in detail.

When the searcher looks at the list display of all information by the item display means 8 and specifies any item from the claims, detailed description, and each figure in the drawing, it is specified by the detailed information display means 9. Therefore, the searcher can perform detailed verification on each related patent document information 2 and efficiently search for candidates as evidence of patent invalidity. When the searcher designates a drawing such as “FIG. 1” or “FIG. 2”, the designated drawing is displayed in a large size. On the contrary, the whole picture can be easily grasped by using the reduction function. Also, a plurality of drawings can be displayed at the same time, and the drawings and detailed description can be displayed at the same time. Furthermore, the display content can be printed at any time.

The patent search support system 4 is further equipped with a code recognition means 13, a code table creation means 14, and a highlight display means 15, as shown in FIG.
These means all function when the searcher designates a drawing such as “FIG. 1” or “FIG. 2”. The code recognizing means 13 has an OCR function, and recognizes a code attached to each figure in the drawings displayed by the detailed display means 9. The code table creation means 14 displays the code recognized by the code recognition means 13 as a code table 16 on the computer screen. The highlight display means 15 highlights the corresponding code in the drawing when the searcher designates an arbitrary code in the code table 16 created by the code table creation means 14. As a specific method of highlight display, an appropriate method such as conspicuous by color, blinking, or displaying large can be adopted.

FIG. 3 is a display example when the searcher designates drawings such as “FIG. 1” and “FIG. 2” and a detailed description and displays them simultaneously. In this state, when it is difficult to search for a code appearing in the text while reading the text, the corresponding code in the drawing is highlighted by designating the code to be searched in the code table 16. Therefore, even when a large number of symbols are overly packed in the drawing, there is no difficulty in searching for the symbols.

As described above, by using the patent search support system of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently narrow down a large number of related patent document information 2 and quickly find target information from the narrowed down information.

It is a conceptual diagram of patent search work. It is a flowchart of a patent search operation. It is a display example of a screen.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Patent document information source 2 Related patent document information 4 Patent search support system 5 Initial information acquisition means 6 Initial information list display means 7 Detailed information acquisition means 8 Item display means 9 Detailed information display means 10 Summary description part 11 Selection input part 12 Enlargement / reduction means 13 Code recognition means 14 Code table creation means 15 Highlight display means 16 Code table

Claims (7)

Initial information fetching means for downloading only the summary description portion (10) as initial information among a large number of related patent document information (2) selected by giving a certain condition from any patent document information source (1) ( 5) and
A large number of initial information downloaded by the initial information fetching means is displayed in a list on the computer screen, and an initial information list display means (11) for displaying a selection input section (11) that can be selected by the searcher for each initial information. 6) and
Detailed information capturing means (7) that immediately starts downloading all information in the selected related patent document information each time a searcher inputs a selection result to the input unit for selection;
Item display means (8) for dividing the information downloaded by the detailed information fetching means into a plurality of items that can be designated by the searcher and displaying the list,
A patent search support system comprising: detailed information display means (9) for displaying detailed information of an item designated by a searcher on the screen of the computer by display by the item display means. 2. The patent search support system according to claim 1, wherein the outline description portion of the related patent document information changes color when downloading of all information by the detailed information fetching means is completed. The summary description part in which the sorting result is not input to the sorting input unit is erased from the list display screen, and the remaining summary description part sorting input part is cleared to prepare for the next sorting. The patent search support system according to claim 1. 2. The patent search support system according to claim 1, wherein the summary description part is a part or all of a representative drawing, a title of the invention, and a summary in the patent document information. The patent search support system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of items include a claim, a detailed description, and drawings in the drawings. 6. The patent search support system according to claim 5, further comprising means (12) for appropriately enlarging or reducing each figure in the drawing displayed by the detailed information display means on a screen. Code recognizing means (13) for recognizing a code attached to each figure in the drawing displayed by the detailed information display means, and a code for displaying the code recognized by the code recognizing means as a code table (16) A table creating means (14) and a highlight display means (15) for highlighting the corresponding code in the drawing when a searcher designates an arbitrary code in the code table created by the code table creating means are provided. The patent search support system according to claim 5, wherein:

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