Method and apparatus for automated document distribution in a data processing system

A data processing system having a plurality of users enrolled therein, each of said plurality of users having associated personnel information stored within said data processing system, for the automatic distribution of invention disclosure documents created by selected ones of said plurality of users and stored within said data processing system, said data processing system comprising:

• means for identifying at least one invention disclosure document within aid data processing system;
• means for automatically identifying at least one selected user among said plurality of users within said data processing system as a creator of said at least one invention disclosure document;
• means for automatically accessing personnel information associated with said at least one selected user within said data processing system;
• means for creating an invention disclosure document profile associated with said at least one invention disclosure document, said invention disclosure document profile including a characterization of said at least one invention disclosure document derived from a functional technical area associated with said at least one selected user in response to said accessing of said associated personnel information;
• and
• means for automatically transmitting said at least one invention disclosure document to a preselected group of said plurality of users enrolled in said data processing system for evaluation in response to said associated invention disclosure document profile.

A method in a data processing system having a plurality of users enrolled therein, each of said plurality of users having associated personnel information stored within said data processing system, for the automatic distribution of suggestion documents created by selected ones of said plurality of users and stored within said data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

• identifying at least one invention disclosure document within said data processing system;
• automatically identifying at least one selected user within said data processing system as a creator of said at least one suggestion document;
• automatically accessing personnel information associated with said at least one selected user within said data processing system;
• creating a suggestion document profile associated with said at least one suggestion document, said suggestion document profile including a characterization of said at least one suggestion document derived from a functional technical area associated with said at least one selected user in response to said accessing of said associated personnel information;
• and
• automatically transmitting said at least one suggestion document to a preselected group of said plurality of users enrolled in said data processing system for evaluation in response to said suggestion document profile.