Filtering Method for Evaluating Patents

Abstract

A filtering method for evaluating patents comprises loading each unit of text or figure in a portfolio of patents into digital memory then comparing each unit of text or figure with all other units of text or figures in digital memory using digital data processing. The duplicate units of text or figures are determined and the earliest instance of each duplicate unit of text or figure is identified. The duplicate unit of text or figure, other than earliest instance, are marked as duplicate to create a filtered version of each patent in portfolio. The filtered version of each patent in portfolio is evaluated to determine the uniqueness of the patent specification and the interrelationships between the patents in the portfolio are determined. The interrelationships are illustrated in an electronic workspace for analyzing the portfolio of patents.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.