Using hyperbolic trees to visualize data generated by patent-centric and group-oriented data processing

A method of processing and presenting data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) retrieving patent citation information pertaining to a user-selected patent;
• (2) constructing a patent citation hyperbolic tree using said retrieved patent citation information;
• and
• (3) displaying said patent citation hyperbolic tree.

A system of processing and presenting data, comprising:

• information retrieving means for retrieving patent citation information pertaining to a user-selected patent;
• tree constructing means for constructing a patent citation hyperbolic tree using said retrieved patent citation information;
• and
• tree displaying means for displaying said patent citation hyperbolic tree.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, wherein said computer program logic comprises:

• information retrieving means for enabling a computer to retrieve patent citation information pertaining to a user-selected patent;
• tree constructing means for enabling the computer to construct a patent citation hyperbolic tree using said retrieved patent citation information;
• and
• tree displaying means for enabling the computer to display said patent citation hyperbolic tree.

A system of displaying data, comprising:

• means for accessing patent-related documents;
• means for accessing one or more groups each comprising any number of said patent-related documents;
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said patent-related documents;
• means for presenting said data in said hyperbolic tree such that at least some of said data is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• means for enabling a user to traverse to another portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• means for dynamically presenting, responsive to said means for enabling a user to traverse, said data in said another portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, said computer program logic comprising:

• means for enabling a processor to access patent-related documents;
• means for enabling a processor to access one or more groups each comprising any number of said patent-related documents;
• means for enabling a processor to automatically generate a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said patent-related documents;
• means for enabling a processor to present said data in said hyperbolic tree such that at least some of said data is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• means for enabling a processor to allow a user to traverse to another portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• means for enabling a processor to dynamically present, responsive to said means for enabling a processor to allow a user to traverse, said data in said another portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A method of displaying data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) accessing patent-related documents;
• (2) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from one or more of said patent-related documents;
• (3) presenting said data in said hyperbolic tree such that at least some of said data is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• (4) enabling a user to traverse to another portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• (5) dynamically presenting, responsive to step (4), said data in said another portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A system of displaying data, comprising:

• means for accessing patent-related documents;
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from one or more of said patent-related documents;
• means for presenting said data in said hyperbolic tree such that at least some of said data is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• means for enabling a user to traverse to another portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• means for dynamically presenting said data in said another portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, said computer program logic comprising:

• means for enabling a processor to access patent-related documents;
• means for enabling a processor to automatically generate a hyperbolic tree containing data from one or more of said patent-related documents;
• means for enabling a processor to present said data in said hyperbolic tree such that at least some of said data is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• means for enabling a processor to enable a user to traverse to another portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• means for enabling a processor to dynamically present said data in said another portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A method of displaying data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) accessing patent-related documents;
• (2) accessing one or more groups each comprising any number of said patent-related documents;
• (3) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said patent-related documents;
• (4) presenting said data in said hyperbolic tree such that at least some of said data is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• (5) enabling a user to traverse to another portion of said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• (6) dynamically presenting, responsive to step (5), said data in said another portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A system of displaying data, comprising:

• means for accessing patent-related documents;
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said patent-related documents;
• and
• means for allowing a user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, said computer program logic comprising:

• means for enabling a processor to access patent-related documents;
• means for enabling a processor to automatically generate a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said patent-related documents;
• and
• means for enabling a processor to allow a user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A method of displaying data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) accessing documents related to one or more of patents, contracts, licenses, leases, notes, commercial papers, legal papers and financial papers;
• (2) accessing one or more groups each comprising any number of said documents;
• (3) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents, wherein said hyperbolic tree illustrates one or more relationships between said documents;
• and
• (4) allowing a user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree by performing a tree function.

A method of processing data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) accessing at least one database of information representative of documents;
• (2) accessing one or more groups, each of said one or more groups comprising any number of said documents represented in said at least one database;
• (3) automatically processing at least one of said documents in at least one of said one or more groups;
• (4) automatically creating a new temporary group during processing of a command;
• (5) maintaining said new temporary group for future processing by converting said new temporary group to a permanent group;
• and
• (6) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents in said permanent group.

A method of maintaining groups to facilitate in processing and presenting data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) maintaining a group of a permanent type, wherein said permanent type can be either system defined or user defined, wherein said group of permanent type is comprised of any number of documents from at least one database;
• (2) generating a group of a temporary type during processing of a command by automatically processing one or more of said documents in said group of permanent type in conjunction with information from at least one second database;
• (3) allowing a user to maintain said group of temporary type for future processing by converting said group of temporary type to a group of permanent type;
• and
• (4) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents in said permanent group.

A system of processing and presenting data, comprising:

• means for accessing documents related to one or more of patents, contracts, licenses, leases, notes, commercial papers, legal papers and financial papers;
• means for accessing one or more groups each comprising any number of said documents;
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents, wherein said hyperbolic tree illustrates one or more relationships between said documents;
• and
• means for allowing a user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree by performing a tree function.

A system of processing and presenting data, comprising:

• means for accessing at least one database of information representative of documents;
• means for accessing one or more groups, each of said one or more groups comprising any number of said documents represented in said at least one database;
• means for automatically processing at least one of said documents in at least one of said one or more groups;
• means for automatically creating a new temporary group during processing of a command;
• means for maintaining said new temporary group for future processing by converting said new temporary group to a permanent group;
• and
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents in said permanent group.

A system for maintaining groups to facilitate in processing and presenting data, comprising:

• means for maintaining a group of a permanent type, wherein said permanent type can be either system defined or user defined, wherein said group of permanent type is comprised of any number of documents from at least one database;
• means for generating a group of a temporary type during processing of a command by automatically processing one or more of said documents in said group of permanent type in conjunction with information from at least one second database;
• means for allowing a user to maintain said group of temporary type for future processing by converting said group of temporary type to a group of permanent type;
• and
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents in said permanent group.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored there, wherein said computer program logic comprises:

• means for enabling a computer to access documents related to one or more of patents, contracts, licenses, leases, notes, commercial papers, legal papers and financial papers;
• means for enabling a computer to access one or more groups each comprising any number of said documents;
• means for enabling a computer to automatically generate a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents, wherein said hyperbolic tree illustrates one or more relationships between said documents;
• and
• means for enabling a computer to allow a user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree by performing a tree function.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored there, wherein said computer program logic comprises:

• means for enabling a computer to access at least one database of information representative of documents;
• means for enabling a computer to access one or more groups, each of said one or more groups comprising any number of said documents represented in said at least one database;
• means for enabling a computer to automatically process at least one of said documents in at least one of said one or more groups;
• means for enabling a computer to automatically create a new temporary group during processing of a command;
• means for enabling a computer to maintain said new temporary group for future processing by converting said new temporary group to a permanent group;
• and
• means for enabling a computer to automatically generate a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents in said permanent group.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, wherein said computer program logic comprises:

• means for enabling a computer to maintain a group of a permanent type, wherein said permanent type can be either system defined or user defined, wherein said group of permanent type is comprised of any number of documents from at least one database;
• means for enabling a computer to generate a group of a temporary type during processing of a command by automatically processing one or more of said documents in said group of permanent type in conjunction with information from at least one second database;
• means for enabling a computer to allow a user to maintain said group of temporary type for future processing by converting said group of temporary type to a group of permanent type;
• and
• means for enabling a computer to automatically generate a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents in said permanent group.

A method of displaying data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) accessing documents related to one or more of patents, contracts, licenses, leases, notes, commercial papers, legal papers and financial papers;
• (2) accessing one or more groups each comprising any number of said documents;
• (3) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents, wherein said hyperbolic tree illustrates one or more relationships between said documents;
• (4) receiving an operator command to display a document represented in said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• (5) displaying said represented document.

A system of displaying data, comprising:

• means for accessing documents related to one or more of patents, contracts, licenses, leases, notes, commercial papers, legal papers and financial papers;
• means for accessing one or more groups each comprising any number of said documents;
• means for automatically generating a hyperbolic tree containing data from any of said documents, wherein said hyperbolic tree illustrates one or more relationships between said documents;
• means for receiving an operator command to display a document represented in said hyperbolic tree;
• and
• means for displaying said represented document.

A method of displaying data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) allowing a user to select a patent from a listing of patents;
• (2) allowing said user to issue a citation analysis function command on said selected patent to a network client;
• (3) representing a dialog box, by said network client, wherein said user identifies request specifics for said citation analysis function, wherein said request specifics comprise said selected patent and whether to perform a forward citation function or a backward citation function on said selected patent;
• (4) operating, by an enterprise server, on said request specifics to generate a parent/child table;
• (5) generating a citation analysis DAG, by said network client, corresponding to patent/child relationships in said parent/child table;
• (6) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree, by said network client, that is based on said citation analysis DAG;
• and
• (7) allowing said user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree.

A method of displaying data, comprising the steps of:

• (1) allowing a user to select a document from a listing of documents, wherein said selected document is related to one or more of patents, contracts, licenses, leases, notes, commercial papers, legal papers and financial papers;
• (2) allowing said user to issue a relationship function command on said selected document to a network client;
• (3) representing a dialog box, by said network client, wherein said user identifies request specifics for said relationship function, wherein said request specifics comprise said selected document;
• (4) operating, by an enterprise server, on said request specifics to generate a relationship table;
• (5) generating a DAG, by said network client, corresponding to relationships in said relationship table;
• (6) automatically generating a hyperbolic tree, by said network client, that is based on said DAG;
• and
• (7) allowing said user to selectively focus on at least some of said data that is displayed in a portion of said hyperbolic tree.