Boolean algebra for claim mapping and analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10628744-B2
Application number	US-201415114521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Some aspects of this specification describe the use of Boolean algebra for patent claim mapping and analysis. In some instances, characteristics of a collection of technologies are represented as binary variables, and each of the technologies has a respective subset of the characteristics. The collection of technologies is represented as a collection of binary functions, and each binary function includes a respective subset of the binary variables. A patent claim is generated based on inverting the binary functions according to Boolean algebra.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
representing limitations of existing patent claims as binary variables by mapping linguistic expressions of the limitations to the binary variables, wherein each of the existing patent claims includes a respective subset of the limitations;
representing the existing patent claims as a plurality of Boolean expressions, wherein each of the Boolean expressions is a subset of the binary variables that are concatenated using Boolean operators;
inverting the Boolean expressions by negating the Boolean expressions; and
translating the inverted Boolean expressions to a subject matter that is not claimed by the existing patent claims, wherein said translating includes reverting the binary variables to the linguistic expressions based on the mapping, modifying the linguistic expressions based on Boolean operators of the inverted Boolean expressions, and excluding at least some of the linguistic expressions that are outside of the subject matter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said inverting includes algebraically simplifying the inverted Boolean expressions.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a new patent claim based on the subject matter, wherein the new patent claim differs in scope from the existing patent claims.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
comparing the new patent claim to a second patent claim; and
detecting, based on the comparison, that the second patent claim was generated based on Boolean algebra.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the binary variables define a concept domain, the existing patent claims correspond to a first subspace within the domain, and the new patent claim corresponds to a second, non-overlapping subspace within the domain.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of Boolean expressions residing in the first subspace comprises a first plurality of Boolean expressions, and generating the new patent claim comprises:
identifying a second plurality of Boolean expressions outside the first subspace; and
converting at least one of the second plurality of binary functions to the new patent claim.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising generating a graphical representation of the concept domain, the graphical representation comprising a visual indication of the first and second subspaces within the domain.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modifying includes negating at least one of the linguistic expressions when the at least one linguistic expression is followed by a negation operator, combining the linguistic expressions when the linguistic expressions are connected using a conjunction operator, and separating the linguistic expressions when the linguistic expressions are connected using a disjunction operator.

9. A computer system comprising:
memory storing instructions that are executable; and
one or more processors adapted to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
representing limitations of existing patent claims as binary variables by mapping linguistic expressions of the limitations to the binary variables, wherein each of the existing patent claims includes a respective subset of the limitations;
representing the existing patent claims as Boolean expressions, wherein each of the Boolean expressions is a subset of the binary variables that are concatenated using Boolean operators;
inverting the Boolean expressions by negating the Boolean expressions; and
translating the inverted Boolean expressions to a subject matter that is not claimed by the existing patent claims, wherein said translating includes-reverting the binary variables to the linguistic expressions based on the mapping, modifying the linguistic expressions based on Boolean operators of the inverted Boolean expressions, and excluding at least some of the linguistic expressions that are outside of the subject matter.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein said inverting includes algebraically simplifying the inverted Boolean expressions.

11. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further include generating a new patent claim based on the subject matter, and the new patent claim differs in scope from the existing patent claims.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the binary variables define a concept domain, the existing patent claims correspond to a first subspace within the domain, and the new patent claim corresponds to a second, non-overlapping subspace within the domain.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further include generating a graphical representation of the concept domain, the graphical representation comprising a visual indication of the first and second subspaces within the domain.

14. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the modifying includes negating at least one of the linguistic expressions when the at least one linguistic expression is followed by a negation operator, combining the linguistic expressions when the linguistic expressions are connected using a conjunction operator, and separating the linguistic expressions when the linguistic expressions are connected using a disjunction operator.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction that are operable, when executed by data processing apparatus, to perform operations comprising:
representing limitations of existing patent claims as binary variables by mapping linguistic expressions of the limitations to the binary variables, wherein each of the existing patent claims includes a respective subset of the limitations;
representing the existing patent claims as a plurality of Boolean expressions, wherein each of the Boolean expressions is a subset of the binary variables that are concatenated using Boolean operators;
inverting the Boolean expressions by negating the Boolean expressions; and
translating the inverted Boolean expressions to a subject matter that is not claimed by the existing patent claims, wherein said translating includes reverting the binary variables to the linguistic expressions based on the mapping, modifying the linguistic expressions based on Boolean operators of the inverted Boolean expressions, and excluding at least some of the linguistic expressions that are outside of the subject matter.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein said inverting includes algebraically simplifying the inverted Boolean expressions.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further include generating a new patent claim based on the subject matter, and the patent claim differs in scope from the existing patent claims.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
comparing the new patent claim to a second patent claim; and
detecting, based on the comparison, that the second patent claim was generated based on Boolean algebra.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the binary variables define a concept domain, the existing patent prior art claims correspond to a first subspace within the domain, and the new patent claim corresponds to a second, non-overlapping subspace within the domain.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the operations further include generating a graphical representation of the concept domain, the graphical representation comprising a visual indication of the first and second subspaces within the domain.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Surjaatmadja Jim B
• Funkhouser James Douglas

Classifications

• G06Q50/184

  Intellectual property management · CPC title

• G06N5/02 Primary

  Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation · CPC title

• G06F17/18

  for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} · CPC title

• G06Q50/00

  Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism (healthcare informatics G16H) · CPC title

• G06F17/10 Primary

  Complex mathematical operations {(function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544)} · CPC title