Method and system for distributing an invention disclosure over an intranet

A method for distributing an invention disclosure over an intranet, the intranet having a plurality of users enrolled therein with each user having associated personnel information stored within the intranet, the method comprising:

• accessing an invention disclosure template form over the intranet, with the invention disclosure template form providing the following options
• create an invention disclosure,
• add attachments to an invention disclosure,
• revise an invention disclosure,
• send an invention disclosure to a co-inventor,
• view an unsubmitted invention disclosure, and
• submit an invention disclosure;
• creating an invention disclosure based on an inventor selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the invention disclosure providing information about an invention;
• adding an attachment to the invention disclosure by selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the attachment providing additional information about the invention and with the attachment being added without the use of a hyperlink,
• submitting the invention disclosure by selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the invention disclosure being submitted along with the attachment over the intranet;
• creating a profile of the invention disclosure based upon a technical area relating to the invention disclosure in response to accessing associated personnel information of the inventor;
• transmitting a first notification message via e-mail to a first group of users based upon the created profile, the first group of users being within the plurality of users and including a technical review coordinator, the first notification message having a hyperlink to the invention disclosure;
• selecting at least one evaluator by the technical review coordinator;
• transmitting a second notification message via e-mail to the at least one evaluator, the second notification message having a hyperlink to the invention disclosure;
• submitting evaluation comments by the at least one evaluator;
• submitting a recommendation of the invention disclosure by the technical review coordinator based upon the evaluation comments;
• and
• transmitting the recommendation of the invention disclosure via e-mail to the first group of users.

An intranet for distributing an invention disclosure comprising:

• at least one computing device comprising a plurality of software modules, said plurality of software modules comprising
• a first software module for accessing an invention disclosure template form over the intranet, with the invention disclosure template form providing the following user options
• create an invention disclosure,
• add attachments to an invention disclosure,
• revise an invention disclosure,
• send an invention disclosure to a co-inventor,
• view an unsubmitted invention disclosure, and
• submit an invention disclosure,
• a second software module for creating an invention disclosure based on a user selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the invention disclosure providing additional information about an invention,
• a third software module for adding an attachment to the invention disclosure based on the user selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the attachment providing additional information about the invention and with the attachment being added without the use of a hyperlink,
• a fourth software module for submitting the invention disclosure based on the user selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the invention disclosure being submitted along with the attachment over the intranet to at least one evaluator via e-mail with a hyperlink to the invention disclosure, and
• a fifth software module for transmitting evaluation comments on the invention disclosure and the attachment by the at least one evaluator via e-mail.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform steps comprising:

• accessing an invention disclosure template form over the intranet, with the invention disclosure template form providing the following user options
• create an invention disclosure,
• add attachments to an invention disclosure,
• revise an invention disclosure,
• send an invention disclosure to a co-inventor,
• view an unsubmitted invention disclosure, and
• submit an invention disclosure;
• creating an invention disclosure based on a user selecting the corresponding option in the invention disclosure template form, with the invention disclosure providing additional information about an invention;
• adding an attachment to the invention disclosure based on the user selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the attachment providing additional information about the invention and with the attachment being added without the use of a hyperlink;
• submitting the invention disclosure based on the user selecting the corresponding option in the accessed invention disclosure template form, with the invention disclosure being submitted along with the attachment over the intranet to at least one evaluator via e-mail with a hyperlink to the invention disclosure;
• and
• transmitting evaluation comments on the invention disclosure and the attachment by the at least one evaluator via e-mail.