# US 2014/0195540 A1 · Expeditious citation indexing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195540 A1 - Document ID: US20140195540A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/734,953 - Filed: 2013-01-05 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-05 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Qualcomm Incorporated - Inventors: Craig M. BROWN; Michael William PADDON; Guy PERRY - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195540A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/382: {using citations (hypermedia G06F16/94)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods and systems for indexing patent related prior art citations are disclosed. Electronic documents can be obtained from one or more patent information systems. An OCR process can be performed on some of the electronic documents. Citations within the documents can be identified and compared to a trusted records list. The citations can be associated with one or more predetermined categories. For example, citations can be categorized into groups such as when a reference is cited (e.g., with original filing, pre and post allowance), who provided the reference (e.g., cited by the applicant, or the examiner), and how the reference is characterized (e.g., statutory basis, combination of references). The citations and corresponding categories can be output to a user or made available for subsequent processing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for expeditiously indexing patent related prior art citations, the method comprising: obtaining an electronic document from a patent information system; identifying a citation within the electronic document; comparing the citation to a primary trusted records list; and outputting the citation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 comprising performing an OCR process on the electronic document, wherein identifying a citation within the electronic document includes identifying a citation based on a result of the OCR process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 comprising categorizing the citation into one or more predetermined categories, wherein outputting the citation includes outputting the citation and the corresponding one or more categories. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein categorizing the citation includes determining whether the citation was provided by the patent applicant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein categorizing the citation includes determining whether the citation was provided by the examiner. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein categorizing the citation includes determining whether the citation was characterized by the examiner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein comparing the citation to the primary trusted records list includes calculating a first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 comprising comparing the citation to a secondary trusted records list if the first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list cannot be calculated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 comprising calculating a second most likely candidate from the secondary trusted records list. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously granted patents. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously published patent applications. ### Claim 12 An apparatus for indexing patent related prior art citations, comprising: means for obtaining one or more electronic documents from a patent information system; means for identifying a citation within the one or more electronic documents; means for comparing the citation to a primary trusted records list; and means for outputting the citation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 comprising means for performing an OCR process on each of the electronic documents, wherein the means for identifying a citation within the one or more electronic documents includes identifying a citation based on a result of the OCR process. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 comprising means comprising categorizing the citation into one or more predetermined categories, wherein the means for outputting the citation includes means for outputting the citation and the corresponding one or more categories. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for categorizing the citation includes means for determining whether the citation was provided by the patent applicant. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for categorizing the citation includes means for determining whether the citation was provided by the examiner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for categorizing the citation includes means for determining whether the citation was characterized by the examiner. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for comparing the citation to the primary trusted records list includes means for calculating a first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18 comprising means for comparing the citation to a secondary trusted records list if the first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list cannot be calculated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19 comprising means for calculating a second most likely candidate from the secondary trusted records list. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously granted patents. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously published patent applications. ### Claim 23 A computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon computer-readable instructions for categorizing patent related prior art citations, comprising instructions configured to cause at least one processor to: obtain an electronic document from a patent information system; identify a citation within the electronic document; compare the citation to a primary trusted records list; and output the citation. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 comprising instructions configured to cause at least one processor to perform an OCR process on the electronic document, wherein the instructions configured to cause at least one processor to identify a citation within the electronic document include instructions configured to cause at least one processor to identify a citation based on a result of the OCR process. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 comprising instructions configured to cause at least one processor to categorize the citation into one or more predetermined categories, wherein the instructions configured to cause at least one processor to output the citation include instructions configured to cause at least one processor to output the citation and the corresponding one or more categories ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to categorize the citation includes instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to determine whether the citation was provided by the patent applicant. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25 wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to categorize the citation includes instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to determine whether the citation was provided by the examiner. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to categorize the citation includes instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to determine whether the citation was characterized by the examiner. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to compare the citation to the primary trusted records list includes instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to calculate a first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 wherein the instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to compare the citation to a secondary trusted records list if the first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list cannot be calculated. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 comprising instruction configured to cause the at least processor to calculate a second most likely candidate from the secondary trusted records list. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously granted patents. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously published patent applications. ### Claim 34 An apparatus for categorizing patent related prior art citations, comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable memory; a plurality of modules comprising processor executable code stored in the non-transitory computer-readable memory; a processor connected to the non-transitory computer-readable memory and configured to access the plurality of modules stored in the non-transitory computer readable memory; and a citation analysis module configured to obtain an electronic document from a patent information system; identify a citation within the electronic document; compare the citation to a primary trusted records list; and output the citation. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to perform an OCR process on the electronic document, and identify a citation based on a result of the OCR process. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to categorize the citation into one or more predetermined categories, and output the citation and the corresponding one or more categories. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to determine whether the citation was provided by the patent applicant. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to determine whether the citation was provided by the examiner. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to determine whether the citation was characterized by the examiner. ### Claim 40 (depends on 34) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to calculate a first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list. ### Claim 41 (depends on 41) The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to compare the citation to a secondary trusted records list if the first most likely candidate from the primary trusted records list cannot be calculated. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the citation analysis module is configured to calculate a second most likely candidate from the secondary trusted records list. ### Claim 43 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously granted patents. ### Claim 44 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34 wherein the primary trusted records list comprises citations listed in previously published patent applications.