Legal/academic Patents (Class 707/942)
  • Patent number: 8935229
    Abstract: The present inventor devised systems, methods, interfaces, and software that can facilitate generation and presentation of legal trend data based on legal documents, such as caselaw documents or court docket documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: West Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Ritchey
  • Patent number: 8900056
    Abstract: A computer network system allows a user to register for games of chances in accordance with national, state and local laws and ordinances. This system analysis the geographical location and residency information of a user in relation to the geographical access and participation areas. If the user is not located within a permitted area or falls within an excluded or restricted area, the user will not be allowed to access or participate in the game of chance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Nemisys Networks, LLC
    Inventor: David Fotevski
  • Patent number: 8886638
    Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate a search and identify documents and associated metadata reflecting content of the documents. In one implementation, a method receives a query comprising a set of search terms, identifies a stored document in response to the query, and determines a score value for the retrieved document based on a similarity between one or more of the query search terms and metadata associated with the identified document. The method locates the identified document in a citation network of baseline query results, the citation network comprising a first set of documents that cite to the identified document and a second set of documents cited to by the identified document. The method further determines a new score value of the identified document as a function of the score value and a quantity and a quality of documents within the first and second set of documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: LexisNexis
    Inventors: Ling Qin Zhang, Harry R. Silver
  • Patent number: 8799326
    Abstract: A system for managing electronically stored information includes a server having a processor and a memory. A database is coupled to the server. A container component is configured in the memory. The container component is configured to store and retrieve incident information from the database. The incident information comprising at least one of metadata and actual data relating to an incident. A relationship component is configured in the memory to provide a relationship between the container component and an artifact using the incident information relating to the incident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
    Inventor: Scott Harvey Wiemann
  • Patent number: 8606746
    Abstract: A system architecture is disclosed that includes a privacy management system. In particular, the privacy management system provides a policy hub for maintaining and managing customer privacy information. The privacy management system maintains a master data database for customer information and customer privacy preferences, and a rules database for privacy rules. The privacy management system captures, synchronizes, and stores customer privacy data. Privacy rules may be authored using a privacy management vocabulary, and can be customized for an enterprise's privacy policies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Hwee Har Yeap, Catherine You, Qin Lu, Jane Li, Weiwei Hsieh, Lindy H. Chan
  • Patent number: 8572043
    Abstract: A method and system for storage of unstructured data in external data storage uses low-cost, minimally-functional external data stores (EDS) to store immutable, unstructured content. An external storage layer (ESL) interposed between an e-discovery management application (EMA), and the EDS constitutes an intermediary allowing access to external storage from the EMA and adding functionality unavailable on EDSs, offsetting the functional sacrifice incurred by using the EDS and preserving cost advantage. Caching content on the ESL during propagation to the EDS eliminates latency during file propagation. The ESL creates metadata and maintains an index of the data, allowing the data owner to search and retrieve from the EDS. The ESL compresses, decompresses, encrypts and decrypts data. An ESL vendor can service a number of clients on a fee or subscription basis. The ESL can distribute client data across EDSs and mirror data stored on a first ESL on another ESL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Andrey Pogodin
  • Patent number: 8489630
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention comprises a computer system for searching databases and displaying search results, comprising databases storing information regarding publications and authors comprising author, title, date of publication, cited references, and citing references data; and Internet servers in communication with those databases; wherein at least one of those Internet servers is in communication with and operable to transmit data to a Web browser resident on a user's computer, and wherein the data is sufficient to enable the browser to display a citation overview page comprising: (a) a list of one or more titles of publications or names of authors, and (b) one or more displayed numerals representing how many publications in one or more specified categories cite to each of the publications, or, for author names, how many publications in one or more specified categories cite to publications on which those names are listed as authors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Elsevier B.V.
    Inventors: Darin McBeath, Stephan Stipdonk, M'Hamed El Aisati, Robbertjan Kalff, IJsbrand Jan Aalbersberg
  • Patent number: 8458190
    Abstract: With conventional print and electronic tools, researching statutory material is difficult and time-consuming. So, to facilitate this type of research, the present inventors devised systems, methods, and software that promise to improve the ability of researchers to find, verify, read, and/or interpret statutory information. One exemplary system provides options for users to access statutory information by citation, by table of contents, by index, and/or by popular name; presents specific statutory information in combination with visual indicators, such as red or yellow flags, that indicate the validity or status of the information; and provides requested statutory information in context of links to related information, such as tables of contents, other versions of a statute, case law, scholarly materials, legislative history, cross-referenced statutes, and administrative-law materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
    Inventors: David Howard Spencer, Darla Renae Agard
  • Patent number: 8452725
    Abstract: The present invention discloses methods, systems, and tools for knowledge processing by building maps of ontological subjects for compositions or the contents accompanying a request for service by a user. In one embodiment of the invention the method assigns and calculates an ontological subject power spectrum to each composition or ontological subject. The resulting power spectrum and the adjacency matrix of the map are used to evaluate the merits of the compositions in the context of reference universes. It is also used as a research guiding tool for knowledge discovery. The invention serves knowledge seekers, knowledge creators, inventors, discoverer, as well as general public by assisting and guiding users to assess their work, identify their unknowns, optimize their research trajectory, and provide higher quality contents. The method and system, thereby, is instrumental in increasing the speed and efficiency of knowledge acquisition, discovery, retrieval, as well as faster learning and problem solving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Hamid Hatami-Hanza
    Inventor: Hamid Hatami-Hanza
  • Patent number: 8412736
    Abstract: Systems and methods that extend the use of data mining to identify students academically at risk of performing poorly or withdrawing from school altogether. In doing so, academically at-risk students are identified early and guided to resources to improve their academic performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Kimberly E. Arnold, John P. Campbell
  • Patent number: 8386441
    Abstract: Information describing a transaction is received and a set of hierarchical documents pertinent to the transaction are identified based at least in part on the received information. The set of hierarchical documents is pruned responsive to data describing documents that a user involved in the transaction has previously accepted. Information describing the pruned set of hierarchical documents is output for presenting the pruned set of hierarchical documents to the user involved in the transaction for acceptance as part of the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Buckner W. Clay, IV, David Butcher, Twum Djin
  • Patent number: 8386541
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically creating Entity-Specific Views from one or more Data Warehouses are provided. The system may involve multiple data sets within a Data Warehouse and may provide a Target Result data set which excludes fields of information not relevant to the desired view. The system may involve the use of derived fields and logical decision structures for the assignment of overriding boundary date information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventor: Carlton Merritt
  • Patent number: 8382588
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a computer network system that allows a user to register for games of chances throughout the country and in accordance with national, state and local laws and ordinances. This system analyzes the geographical location and residency information of a user in relation to the geographical access and participation areas permitted, excluded, and restricted for a game of chance as governed by jurisdictional laws, statutes, rules, and regulations. If the user is not located within a permitted area or falls within an excluded or restricted area, the user will not be allowed to access or participate in the game of chance. The ability of the system to limit participation by geographical location is based on user input, data, and variable analysis, and the comparison between the areas where games of chance are permitted, excluded, restricted, and user location and residency, filters data to determine user accessibility to a game of chance, listings, and advertising.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Nemisys Networks, LLC
    Inventor: David Fotevski
  • Patent number: 8301646
    Abstract: A system and method for managing research produced by outside research vendors includes a storage unit, data repository stored on the storage unit, and a processing unit in communication with the storage unit and data repository. The processing unit may be configured to collect first research reports from first and second research vendors, where the first and second research reports have first and second formats, respectively. The processing unit may further be configured to reformat the first research reports from the first format into a third format, reformat the second research reports from the second format into the third format, store the reformatted first and second research reports in the data repository, and provide access to the first and second research reports in the third format to members of the organization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: David M. Byrne, John L. Parnell, Robert E. Barnes
  • Patent number: 8219566
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for comparing portions of document text with potential citation components, determining if individual portions correspond to a citation component, and determining if a set of portions correspond to a valid citation pattern. A set of valid citation patterns is provided. Each citation pattern may include a specified combination of citation components. The invention further relates to identifying potential citation components from text in a document, analyzing a pattern of the identified citation components by comparing the pattern to a set of stored citation patterns to determine if the potential citation is a type of citation, and if so, is it a valid (and/or invalid) citation pattern. Once citation patterns have been determined in the document, annotations may be inserted into the document, and subsequent action may be taken, for example, generating a list of citations, providing research services, error-handling, and/or providing other options related to the citations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Litera Corp.
    Inventor: Tony Rolle
  • Patent number: 8204869
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for defining and justifying policy requirements includes: a hierarchical regional mapping (HRM) module provides a common language and a hierarchical model for geography and for jurisdictions; a legal references library (LRL) module contains applicable legal references; a legal references policy mapping (LRPM) module maps legal references to policies; and a requirements cross-checking (RCC) module cross-checks information in the legal references policy mapping module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Deidre Paknad, Pierre Raynaud-Richard
  • Patent number: 8145690
    Abstract: Information collections defining a common subject such as a codified or uncodified body of law are stored on a computer readable medium in association with temporal information indicating the state or status with respect to time of parts of the information collection, including different versions of the same part. Parts that are different versions of each other have different temporal information associated therewith and can be accessed based on the temporal information. Thus, the temporal information may be used to control access to and display of parts of the subject in a computer system based on time as a search or request parameter. Parts of the common subject may be organized and stored according to various schemes, including hierarchical schemes such as topic trees, a relational database, a file system or a structured document system (e.g., using XML). Parts of the common subject and temporal and other information may be associated in various ways, including linking (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Inventors: Fred C. Mitchell, Peter Mosca, James Michael Snyder
  • Patent number: 8090754
    Abstract: Software for managing relationships between heterogeneous objects is operable to identify a target object. The software automatically determines related objects using at least one object type application programming interface (API) for an object type associated with the target object. The software is further operable to populate a relationship data structure based on the determined relationships. The software can then provide the relationship data structure to a requesting module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Olaf Schmidt, Martin P. Fischer
  • Patent number: 8066565
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a computer network system that allows a user to register for games of chances throughout the country and in accordance with national, state and local laws and ordinances. This system analyses the geographical location and residency information of a user in relation to the geographical access and participation areas permitted, excluded, and restricted for a game of chance as governed by jurisdictional laws, statutes, rules, and regulations. If the user is not located within a permitted area or falls within an excluded or restricted area, the user will not be allowed to access or participate in the game of chance. The ability of the system to limit participation by geographical location is based on user input, data, and variable analysis, and the comparison between the areas where games of chance are permitted, excluded, restricted, and user location and residency, filters data to determine user accessibility to a game of chance, listings, and advertising.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Nemisys Networks, LLC
    Inventor: David Fotevski
  • Patent number: 8032533
    Abstract: With conventional print and electronic tools, researching statutory material is difficult and time-consuming. So, to facilitate this type of research, the present inventors devised systems, methods, and software that promise to improve the ability of researchers to find, verify, read, and/or interpret statutory information. One exemplary system provides options for users to access statutory information by citation, by table of contents, by index, and/or by popular name; presents specific statutory information in combination with visual indicators, such as red or yellow flags, that indicate the validity or status of the information; and provides requested statutory information in context of links to related information, such as tables of contents, other versions of a statute, case law, scholarly materials, legislative history, cross-referenced statutes, and administrative-law materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
    Inventors: David Howard Spencer, Darla Renae Agard
  • Patent number: 8019769
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for comparing portions of document text with potential citation components, determining if individual portions correspond to a citation component, and determining if a set of portions correspond to a valid citation pattern. A set of valid citation patterns is provided. Each citation pattern may include a specified combination of citation components. The invention further relates to identifying potential citation components from text in a document, analyzing a pattern of the identified citation components by comparing the pattern to a set of stored citation patterns to determine if the potential citation is a type of citation, and if so, is it a valid (and/or invalid) citation pattern. Once citation patterns have been determined in the document, annotations may be inserted into the document, and subsequent action may be taken, for example, generating a list of citations, providing research services, error-handling, and/or providing other options related to the citations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Litera Corp.
    Inventor: Tony Rollé
  • Patent number: 8005875
    Abstract: Automatic transmission of information is generated when the content of a posted electronic form matches a predefined criteria. An interface allows the user to create a criterion template to specify the match criterion without requiring the user to have the skills of a professional programmer. The person to be notified and the form and content of the notification can also be defined by the user and can be dependent on the content of the posted form. In one application, individuals associated with an institution of higher learning are automatically notified when a student submits an electronic profile form showing that the student meets a pre-specified criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: CollegeNet, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew W. Hickey, James H. Wolfston, Susan E. Malveau
  • Patent number: 7958085
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems and/or devices for managing content are disclosed. Briefly, in accordance with one particular embodiment, managing content includes presenting one or more references to one or more digital media assets. A request to reserve one or more of the referenced digital media assets is received, and the references to one or more digital media assets are updated such that the references include data indicating that one or more of the referenced digital media assets have been reserved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: James Alexander, Mark Richards
  • Patent number: 7941412
    Abstract: The invention concerns the presentation of evidentiary information on computer generated interfaces within secure user groups. For example presenting evidence a courtroom to the judge, witness and legal representatives of the plaintiff and defendant simultaneously on computer display screens. All presenting of evidence is done using a website interface where each user logs in and their log in provides them with functionalities that reflect their role in the legal proceedings. The invention makes presenting evidence easier by allowing evidence to be ordered, facilitating private data, being able to hold on to evidence or to cause evidence to be presented to a particular user or team of users. Aspects of the invention include a set of interfaces, computer systems, methods and application software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Inventors: Monica Mary Dunne, Ian Chivers
  • Patent number: 7860880
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing instant access to notices for any notice-triggering event which may occur on a specific construction project. More specifically, the present invention is essentially a system and method for managing problems and risks associated with a wide range of construction projects using a project-specific software, system, method and process, usually accompanied by “hard copy” printouts of the relevant notices, forms and letters and the specific contract provisions that require a specific notice to be given by the construction company. In one embodiment, a customized CD-ROM package of notice documents that fully comply with a particular contract is prepared, which software package is then utilized to bring up appropriate notice document on a computer screen, which notice document is then completed by a user by inserting relevant information in open fields of the draft notice document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Peckar & Abramson, A Professional Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Drucker
  • Patent number: 7836072
    Abstract: An information processing system P3 is communicably connected with multiple controlling systems P2 that promote the growth or health of living organisms by controlling at the least the light irradiated on such living organisms by a light irradiating means X1, and the environmental data produced by one controlling system P1 and concerning the beneficial environmental parameters including the light irradiated on the living organisms are transmitted to and administered by the information processing system P3 so that the environmental data from one of the controlling systems P2 is delivered from the information processing system P3 to any of the other controlling systems P2, and royalty data concerning royalties is produced in relationship to a controlling system identifier that uniquely identifies the one controlling system P1 when the information processing system P3 receives or delivers the environmental data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: CCS Inc.
    Inventor: Kenji Yoneda
  • Patent number: 7792848
    Abstract: A method for performing a modularization of an arbitrary structured hypertext with a physical structure and an organizational structure description is disclosed. The hypertext is decomposed into a set of separate modules with specific definable boundaries based on both, the physical structure and the organizational structure description, each module of the set of modules is computed methodically and gradually with respect to coaction with the other modules until forming a completed functional unit reusable and invocable separately. Furthermore, a corresponding hypertext, a module, a computer system, a computer program product and a computer program are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Theilmann
  • Patent number: 7783619
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention comprises a computer system for searching databases and displaying search results, comprising databases storing information regarding publications and authors comprising author, title, date of publication, cited references, and citing references data; and Internet servers in communication with those databases; wherein at least one of those Internet servers is in communication with and operable to transmit data to a Web browser resident on a user's computer, and wherein the data is sufficient to enable the browser to display a citation overview page comprising: (a) a list of one or more titles of publications or names of authors, and (b) one or more displayed numerals representing how many publications in one or more specified categories cite to each of the publications, or, for author names, how many publications in one or more specified categories cite to publications on which those names are listed as authors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Elsevier B.V.
    Inventors: Darin McBeath, Stephan Stipdonk, M'Hamed El Aisati, Robbertjan Kalff, IJsbrand Jan Aalbersberg
  • Patent number: 7765205
    Abstract: A landmark case identification system and method in which the user is presented with a set of the most relevant documents on a selected topic. This set, which is dynamic and asserted to be inclusive at any point in time, is presented to the user in a Virtual Digest and initially sorted by court/date order. The user has an option to resort the answer set using a Frequently Cited sort option, which causes the system to dynamically analyze the answer set for references between the documents. Landmark cases are identified by their peers in the domain as they will be referenced and relied upon most often. The user is presented with the resorted answer set, and information detailing how many other cases in the domain referenced them is now included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: LexisNexis
    Inventors: David James Miller, Harry R. Silver, Andrew L. Freisthler
  • Patent number: 7761427
    Abstract: A system, apparatus, method, and computer program product for electronically stored file profiling and conversion including converting printable files to images, supported by meta-data, and one or more searchable master text files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Cricket Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Martin, Jennifer St. James Cody, Christopher Shepley