System and method for labeling an image

A method for adding at least one label to at least one figure for a patent application, each figure in the at least one figure comprising at least one claim element recited in at least one claim of the patent application, the method comprising:

• receiving or automatically identifying a list of claim elements recited in the at least one claim of the patent application;
• displaying a first figure of the at least one figure to a user on an image display, and communicating to the user that a first provisional label will be applied to the first figure, the communicating comprising displaying on the image display a first claim element of the list of claim elements, the first claim element also appearing in the first figure, the image display being a component of a user interface, the user interface configured to allow the user to move a visible location selector over a first selected location on the first figure and identify the first selected location corresponding to the first claim element;
• receiving a first positional indication from the user identifying the first selected location on the first figure;
• adding a first label, in the form of the first provisional label, to the first figure at a first location corresponding to the first positional indication, the first label comprising a first alphanumeric symbolic designation to identify the first claim element, the first alphanumeric symbolic designation for the first label being generated (i) by a system comprising the user interface and (ii) without the user fully specifying the first alphanumeric symbolic designation;
• and
• the communicating to the user that the first provisional label will be applied to the first figure occurring before receiving the first positional indication from the user and before adding the first label, in the form of the first provisional label, to the first figure.