Patent data mining method and apparatus
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsKevin W. Boyack, V. Gerald Grafe, David K. Johnson, Brian N. Wylie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of data mining represents related patents in a multidimensional space. Distance between patents in the multidimensional space corresponds to the extent of relationship between the patents. The relationship between pairings of patents can be expressed based on weighted combinations of several predicates. The user can select portions of the space to perceive. The user also can interact with and control the communication of the space, focusing attention on aspects of the space of most interest. The multidimensional spatial representation allows more ready comprehension of the structure of the relationships among the patents.
Claims20
A method of mining data in a database composed of a plurality of related patents, comprising:
- a) Determining a relationship between each pairing of patents by determining at least one predicate Pk indicative of a relationship between patents, determining a weighting coefficient ck to be applied to each predicate Pk, determination of a time-based weighting fk (t) to be applied to each predicate Pk, and assigning a numeric value Sij representative of the relationship between the two patents according to S ij = ∑ k = 1 m c k P k f k ( t ) ;
- (b) assigning coordinates to each patent in an n-dimensional space, where n is at least two, and where patents are assigned coordinates so that distance in the n-dimensional space between two patents is representative of the relationship Sij between the two patents;
- c) communicating an aspect of the n-dimensional space by communicating a representation of the n-dimensional space, where a characteristic of the representation varies with location in the representation based on the patents assigned coordinates in the vicinity of the location.
A computer system for communicating a database composed of a plurality of related patents, comprising:
- a) a storage subsystem;
- b) an output subsystem;
- c) a processing subsystem connected to access the database stored in the storage subsystem and connected to control the operation of the output subsystem;
- d) means for determining a relationship between each pairing of patents by determining at least one predicate Pk indicative of a relationship between patents, determining a weighting coefficient ck to be applied to each predicate Pk, determination of a time-based weighting fk(t) to be applied to each predicate Pk, and assigning a numeric value Sij representative of the relationship between the two patents according to S ij = ∑ k = 1 m c k P k f k ( t ) ;
- e) means for assigning coordinates in an n-dimensional space to each patent, where n is at least two, and where patents are assigned coordinates so that the distance in the n-dimensional space between two patents is representative of the relationship Sij between the two patents;
- f) means for selecting an aspect of the n-dimensional space;
- and
- g) means for communicating the selected aspect of the n-dimensional space by communicating a representation of the n-dimensional space, where a characteristic of the representation varies with location in the representation based on the patents assigned coordinates in the vicinity of the location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.