Title: Network for providing information about technological innovations

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a network for providing information about technological innovations.

It is known to offer technological innovations via the internet for sale or for license. For example, the website at www.yet2.com is an internet platform via which technological innovations are offered for sale or for license. A technological innovation can be entered in a repository which can be accessed from the website, by filling in a digital form and uploading the filled in form to the repository, via the web browser at the client system. The 'yet2.com' website allows to search via a web browser for specific technologies using key words appropriate for the desired technology. Technological innovations matching the key words are listed in the web browser by means of a title and a short description of the respective technological innovations. A listed technological innovation can be selected, in response to which additional information about the technological innovation is presented. For example, a selectable control with the text 'intellectual property' is presented in the web browser. In response to selecting the control, an overview of intellectual property rights related to the respective technological innovation is outputted in the web browser. However, a disadvantage of this prior art system is that the reliability of the information about the technological innovation cannot be assessed or guaranteed, furthermore the information about the intellectual property rights is limited and does not allow to asses the commercial value of the intellectual property rights. Furthermore, it is rather difficult to find a technological innovation which meets the user's needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a goal of the invention to improve the reliability of the information in a network for providing information about technological innovations. Therefore, according to a first aspect of the invention, a network according to claim 1 is provided.

Such a network improves the reliability of the information in the repository because only the data source in the private network can store information in the repository. Hence, only reliable sources can store information and reliability of the information can be guaranteed. For example, only selected patent attorney firms could be allowed to store information in the repository. Thereby, it is ensured that the information in the repository is provided by sufficiently qualified sources.

A further advantage that may be obtained is that such a network allows the entities participating in the private network, for example different firms of patent attorneys, to provide additional services and information to their clients.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a data source system according to claim 17 is provided.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a repository according to claim 18 is provided.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a search system according to claim 19 is provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a method according to claim 20 is provided. According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a computer program product according to claim 21 is provided.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. Specific embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details, aspects and embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a block diagram of an example of an embodiment of a network according to the invention.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a tree-diagram of an example of an embodiment of the structure of the repository.

Fig. 3 schematically shows an example of an embodiment of an intellectual property record which may be stored in the repository..

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In Fig. 1, an example of a data communication network 1 is shown. The network 1 enables to provide information about technological innovations to a party interested in obtaining rights with respect to a technological innovation. The network 1 includes a repository 20 in which data representing one or more intellectual property records can be stored. The repository may, for example, be present in a memory and, for example, be stored on a database server. The example of Fig. 1 includes a single repository 20. However it is also possible that the network 1 includes, for instance, a two or more repositories, which may be connected to each other.

The data stored in the repository 20 can only be modified from nodes in a private network, which in this example is formed by the repository 20 and data source systems 10-12. In Fig. 1, the network 1 further includes a number, in this example three, data source systems 10-12, which are connected to the repository 20. Each data source system 10-12 is connected to one or more of the repositories, and can store at least one intellectual property record in the respective repository 20. In the example of Fig. 1, the data source systems 10- 12 are connected to the repository via connections 41-44 in an internet network 40. The connections 41-44 may, for example, dedicated connections which provide a separate, shielded connection to the repository 20. However, the connections 41-44 may also, for example, be dynamic connections, for example,

packet switched, which enable the data source systems 1-12 to access the repository. The data source systems 10-12 may, for instance, be connected via a virtual private network or a secure socket layer connection.

The data source systems 10-12 may, for example, be computer servers on which a docketing system of a patent attorney firm is running and the data source system 10-12 may transmit to the repository one or more files stored in the docketing system. However, it is also possible that data representing one or more intellectual property records is inputted manually at the respective data source system 10-12 and transmitted to the repository 20. For example, the data may be inputted by a patent attorney or a paralegal.

The data source systems 10-12 may, for instance, be provided at different geographical locations, such as in different countries or at different offices. Thereby, information about a technical innovation originating from different legal systems can be obtained and a more accurate assessment of the commercial value of the technological innovation be made. For example, information, such as an opinion about the validity, applicable to a first system of law, e.g. under the provisions of the patent law in the US defined in 35 United States Code, can be provided from a first data source system and from a second data source system information about the validity applicable to a second system of law, e.g. the Dutch Patent Act, may be provided.

The data source systems 10-12 may belong to different firms or enterprises. Thereby, the network 1 allows firms or enterprises to share information about technological innovations for sale or for license, for example technological innovations proprietary to a client of a firm which participates in the network 1. Accordingly, the firms participating in the network 1 can offer their clients additional services, such as assisting in the commercialisation of their innovations.

It is also possible that the data sources 10-12 transmit private information, which is not accessible to the public, to the repository 20. For example, information about not published patent applications or know-how may be stored in the repository. Accordingly, a user of the information in the

repository can obtain exclusive information not available elsewhere, and accordingly the value of the information in the repository is increased considerably.

The data communication network 1 further includes a search system 30 connected to the repository 20. By means of the search system 30, one or more intellectual property records can be retrieved from the repository. In the example of Fig. 1, the search system 30 includes a client system 32 with a search interface 34, in this example a keyboard, for providing at least one search criterion and an output interface 33, in this example a screen of a monitor 34, for outputting, at least a part of the information stored in a selected intellectual property record. In this example, the information may be outputted in a for humans perceptible form. However, the search system 30 may also output the information in a form suitable to be received and processed by other apparatuses connected to the output interface of the search system 30.

The search system 30 may include a search engine 31 for searching in the repository 20 for intellectual property records satisfying the search criterion. In the example of Fig. 1, for instance, the client system 32 is connected to a search engine 31, for example a webserver, which as indicated with the dashed line is communicatively connected to the repository 20. The search engine 31 can input to the repository 20, or more specific to the database server on which the repository 20 is stored in the example of Fig. 1, the search criteria inputted at the search interface, receive from the database server the results of the search and output to the client system 32 at least an identifier of the intellectual property records satisfying the search criterion. For example, the search engine 31 may output to the client system 32 a hyperlink to the found intellectual property records, which enables a user of the client system to access the found intellectual property records via a webbrowser or other program suitable to access hypertext documents. In the example of Fig. 1, the client system 32 is included in a private network. Accordingly, access from outside the private network is inhibited.

Accordingly, the information in the repository can remain in the private network. Thereby, for example, the entities to which the data source systems 10-12 belong, can share their information about intellectual property rights, and accordingly obtain a competitive advantage over entities not participating in the network. However, it is also possible that the client system 32 is present outside the private network, and has access to the repository 20. For example, a network switch may be configured to allow selected client systems to access the repository 20 via the private network. For example, a network identity and password may be provided to the client system and upon verification of the network identity and the password, access to the repository 20 may be allowed. Thereby, for example, entities to which the data source systems 10-12 may enable their clients to access the repository, and accordingly provide an additional service to their clients. Also, it is possible that the client system is allowed access in return for another service, such as providing intellectual property records to the repository 20 or payment of an access fee.

The intellectual property records may relate to any type of intellectual property right. The intellectual property may, for example, include a registered intellectual property right, such as one or more of the group consisting of: patent applications, granted patents, utility models, know how or trade secrets and trade marks.

Fig. 2 schematically shows an example of a structure of a repository 20. The repository 20 may be a structured database, such as a hierarchical database. In the example of Fig. 2, the structure includes hierarchical layers 100-130. A first hierarchical layer 100 defines the type of intellectual property right. In this example, the first hierarchical layer 100 includes a know-how type 103, a utility model type 102 and a patent type 101, indicating that the type of intellectual property right is know how, a utility model or a patent, respectively .

The patent type 101 has child types in a second hierarchical layer 110, which is below the first hierarchical layer 100 and above a third hierarchical layer 120. The second hierarchical layer 110 includes a granted type 111 and

an application type 112. The granted type 111 indicates that the patent-right relates to a granted patent, whereas the application type 112 indicates that the patent-right relates to a patent application.

The application type 112 has child types in the third hierarchical layer 120, which is below the second hierarchical layer 110 and above a fourth hierarchical layer 130. The third hierarchical layer includes a published type 121 and a secret type 122. The published type 121 indicates that the patent application is published, whereas the secret type 122 indicates that the patent application is not published yet, and therefore secret. The secret type 122 may also be applied to patent applications which have not been filed yet.

The know-how type 103, the utility model type 102, the granted type 111, the published type 121, and the secret type 122 each have child types 130,131 in a fourth hierarchical layer 130, which is below the third hierarchical layer 120. The child types 130,131 define the patent classification which an intellectual property rights is assigned. The patent classification may for example be a patent classification used by a patent office, such as as the International Patent classification system, the United States Patent Classification System, the European Patent Classification system or the Japanese Patent Classification system. The search system 30 may then include a classification input for inputting a class identifier of the patent classification system. Thereby, the repository can be searched in a simple manner, using an already existing classification system and may hence be implemented without the need to design a suitable classification system. As shown in Fig. 2, the database may be structured according to the patent classification system. That is, the data base may include hierarchical layers which corresponds to the layers in the respective classification system and the connections between parents and children may correspond to , for example, the classes and subclasses of the classification system,

Fig. 3 schematically shows an example of an intellectual property record 200 suitable for the example of a network shown in Fig.l. The intellectual property record has a type of right field 210, in which a type (know how, patent

etc.) can be selected .In te example, the type 'patent' is selected. The record 200 further has a series of field 220-222 in which information about an offer, such as for sale or to license, of the intellectual property right is present. In this example, the information relates to the type of offer (license or sale) in a first field 220, and fields 221 and 222 which contain more detailed information about the offer, such as whether or not the it concerns a bare licence, or whether it is part of a package or additional cooperation is offered, or the exclusivity of the license.

The record 200 may further include a reference to a source of additional information about the intellectual property right, such as to a validity analysis or to a freedom to operate analysis. In this example the record has a patentability analysis field 240, and a freedom to operate analysis field 250. In the patentability analysis field, it is indicated that information about the patentability of the patent right is available. Furthermore, a reference, in this example a hyperlink, to information (such as the full analysis or a contact which can provide the full analysis) is provided.

In the freedom to operate analysis field 250, it is indicated that information about the chance that applying the technique protected by the patent right will infringe a third parties right, the so-called freedom to operate analysis, is available. Furthermore, a reference, in this example a hyperlink, to further information (such as the full analysis or a contact which can provide the full analysis) is provided. As can be seen in Fig. 3, a patentability analysis is available, whereas there is no freedom to operate analysis (FTO). The record 200 further has a geographical field 260 in which information about the territorial extend of the protection can be entered. For example, the countries in which a patent is applied for can be selected, as well as information about the first filing may be entered. The record also has a status information field 270, in which the phase of the prosecution of the in this example EP patent can be stored. In case that in the field 260 other countries are selected, these countries will separately appear in the status information field 270 in a similar way as is shown for the EP patent.

The record 200 also includes a classification field 280, in which the classes of the applicable patent classification system to which the patent right relates can be entered. In this example, multiple classes can be selected.

Abstract field 290, claim field 291 and figure field 292 enable inputting information representative for the intellectual property right to be entered. For example, in the abstract field 290 the abstract can be stored, whereas in the claim field 291 a claim of the patent right can be entered, thereby enabling an estimate of the scope of protection. In the figure field, a drawing of the patent can be stored, assisting together with the abstract field 290 in understanding the technology to which the intellectual property right relates.

The record 200 further has a reference to a source of information about the patent right, for example, the firm of patent attorneys which is handling the file for a client. The reference may for example include information about a legal entity which can provide the additional information. The reference may also include a hyperlink to one or more documents including the additional information.

The invention may also be implemented in a computer program for running on a computer system, at least including code portions for performing steps of a method according to the invention when run on a programmable apparatus, such as a computer system or enabling a programmable apparatus to perform functions of a device or system according to the invention. Such a computer program may be provided on a data carrier, such as a CD-rom or diskette, stored with data loadable in a memory of a computer system, the data representing the computer program. The data carrier may further be a data connection, such as a telephone cable or a wireless connection.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific examples of embodiments of the invention. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the invention may also be implemented as a data source system 10-12 for a network according to the invention. Also, the invention may be implemented as a repository for a network according to the invention or a search system for a network according to the invention. Also, the invention is not limited to physical devices or units implemented in non-programmable hardware but can also be applied in programmable devices or units able to perform the desired device functions by operating in accordance with suitable program code. Furthermore, the devices may be physically distributed over a number of apparatuses, while functionally operating as a single device. Also, devices functionally forming separate devices may be integrated in a single physical device.

However, other modifications, variations and alternatives are also possible. The specifications and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word 'comprising' does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps then those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the words 'a' and 'an' shall not be construed as limited to 'only one', but instead are used to mean 'at least one', and do not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.