Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Colson
Thomas J. Colson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7904408Abstract: A computer based method for monitoring innovation activity including: accumulating first metadata associated with a first plurality of intellectual knowledge files; extracting a first plurality of patterns from the first plurality of intellectual knowledge files; creating a first plurality of concept spaces, using rules-based processing, the first metadata, and the first patterns; grouping, using rules-based processing, the first metadata, and the first plurality of patterns, the first plurality of intellectual knowledge files into first respective concept spaces in the first plurality of concept spaces; and generating a report, the report correlating the first plurality of intellectual knowledge files and the first respective concept spaces. The steps of accumulating, extracting, creating, grouping, and generating are performed by a general-purpose computer specially programmed to perform the steps of accumulating, extracting, creating, grouping, and generating.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2007Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: IP.com I, LLCInventors: Thomas J. Colson, Samuel C. Baxter
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Patent number: 7797241Abstract: A system and a method of publishing an product document for clients for the purpose of publicly disclosing an invention to end users on the Global Information Network. The system includes a first Web site system having a publicly accessible database for storing a plurality of product documents received from clients. The Web site also includes a search engine accessible to the end user. The search engine is in electronic communication with the database and can receive a search request the end user, allowing the end user access to one or more of the product documents. The product document preferably includes a primary text file and attachment files which may include drawing files. The product documents may be digitally notarized and time/date stamped.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2001Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: IP.com, Inc.Inventors: Thomas J. Colson, John E. Cronin, Samuel C. Baxter, Robert Cantrell
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Patent number: 7607018Abstract: A method of collecting and authenticating electronic signatures and documents signed thereby, including the steps of storing a representation of a first handwritten signature and an associated first authenticated electronic signature of a first signatory in a database, storing a representation of a second handwritten signature and an associated second authenticated electronic signature of a second signatory in the database, creating a message digest for a document file associated with a document to be signed, appending the message digest to the document file, transmitting the document file with the appended message digest to the first and second signatories, receiving the document file with the appended message digest from the first and second signatories after the first and second signatories have affixed their first and second electronic signatures, respectively, to the document file, and, authenticating the first and second signatures, respectively, and the electronically signed document file.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2001Date of Patent: October 20, 2009Assignee: IP.com, Inc.Inventors: Samuel C. Baxter, Thomas J. Colson
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Patent number: 7458512Abstract: The invention broadly comprises a computer-based method and system for verifying an electronic voting process, comprising the steps of generating an original digital fingerprint of an electronic record at a first time and transmitting the original digital fingerprint. The method generates a validation digital fingerprint of the electronic record at a second time later than the first time and compares the original and validation digital fingerprints. The method generates and compares digital fingerprints of voting software during certification and testing, during installation in a voting machine, while the machine is in government possession, and during active use in a voting period.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2005Date of Patent: December 2, 2008Assignee: IP.com, Inc.Inventors: Thomas J. Colson, Peter J. Vanderheyden, Mark R. O'Donnell
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Publication number: 20080288431Abstract: A computer based method for monitoring innovation activity including: accumulating first metadata associated with a first plurality of intellectual knowledge files; extracting a first plurality of patterns from the first plurality of intellectual knowledge files; creating a first plurality of concept spaces, using rules-based processing, the first metadata, and the first patterns; grouping, using rules-based processing, the first metadata, and the first plurality of patterns, the first plurality of intellectual knowledge files into first respective concept spaces in the first plurality of concept spaces; and generating a report, the report correlating the first plurality of intellectual knowledge files and the first respective concept spaces. The steps of accumulating, extracting, creating, grouping, and generating are performed by a general-purpose computer specially programmed to perform the steps of accumulating, extracting, creating, grouping, and generating.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2007Publication date: November 20, 2008Applicant: IP.com, Inc.Inventors: Thomas J. Colson, Samuel C. Baxter
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Patent number: 7174332Abstract: A computer implemented method for safeguarding files, comprising the steps of designating a location on a first computer for storage of files to be safeguarded, selecting certain of the files to be safeguarded from the location based upon predetermined selection criteria, copying the selected files to be safeguarded to a second computer, deleting the selected files from the first computer, processing the selected files to be safeguarded on the second computer, and storing the selected files to be safeguarded in a restricted access database. In a second embodiment, the file is copied to a second computer, but not deleted from the first computer, in addition to all other steps of the method. The invention also includes an apparatus for carrying out the methods of the invention.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2002Date of Patent: February 6, 2007Assignee: IP. com, Inc.Inventors: Samuel C. Baxter, Thomas J. Colson
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Publication number: 20040153434Abstract: The present invention comprises a method of documenting first use of a trademark including the steps of posting the trademark in a virtual storefront file accessible over a global information network, retrieving the storefront file, rendering the retrieved storefront file into a storable file format, storing the rendered retrieved storefront file in a memory, and notarizing the rendered retrieved storefront file to document a date and time of first use of the trademark. The invention also includes an apparatus to implement the method. The invention includes the steps of digitally notarizing a web page, web site, or portion of a web site in order to provide proof that the content was present at the web site on a particular date.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2003Publication date: August 5, 2004Inventors: Jeffrey Morris Cogen, Thomas J. Colson
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Publication number: 20040103112Abstract: A computer based method and apparatus for mining data from a patent-related document having, a number of independent claims including the steps of analyzing the patent-related document and identifying a section of the document containing claims of the patent-related document and determining which of the claims are independent in nature. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for ranking a set of patents according to strength.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2003Publication date: May 27, 2004Inventors: Thomas J. Colson, Thomas T. Chronis, George B. Osborne
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Publication number: 20030229637Abstract: A computer implemented method for safeguarding files, comprising the steps of designating a location on a first computer for storage of files to be safeguarded, selecting certain of the files to be safeguarded from the location based upon predetermined selection criteria, copying the selected files to be safeguarded to a second computer, deleting the selected files from the first computer, processing the selected files to be safeguarded on the second computer, and storing the selected files to be safeguarded in a restricted access database. In a second embodiment, the file is copied to a second computer, but not deleted from the first computer, in addition to all other steps of the method. The invention also includes an apparatus for carrying out the methods of the invention.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2002Publication date: December 11, 2003Applicant: IP.COM, INC.Inventors: Samuel C. Baxter, Thomas J. Colson
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Publication number: 20020107709Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting and communicating information related to validity of a patent over a global information network, including the steps of soliciting bounty hunters via a global information network for prior art related to validity of the patent, receiving substantive information related to the validity of the patent from at least one of the bounty hunters in response to the solicitation, sanitizing the substantive information to remove indicia of source, and, submitting sanitized substantive information to a bounty offeror.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2001Publication date: August 8, 2002Applicant: IP.Com, Inc.Inventors: Thomas J. Colson, Samuel C. Baxter
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Publication number: 20020072997Abstract: A system and a method of publishing an product document for clients for the purpose of publicly disclosing an invention to end users on the Global Information Network. The system includes a first Web site system having a publicly accessible database for storing a plurality of product documents received from clients. The Web site also includes a search engine accessible to the end user. The search engine is in electronic communication with the database and can receive a search request the end user, allowing the end user access to one or more of the product documents. The product document preferably includes a primary text file and attachment files which may include drawing files. The product documents may be digitally notarized and time/date stamped.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2001Publication date: June 13, 2002Applicant: IP.COM, INC.Inventors: Thomas J. Colson, John E. Cronin, Samuel C. Baxter, Robert Cantrell