System for predicting industrial property cost

Abstract

To more accurately predict industrial property costs.SOLUTION: A cost prediction system includes: a reading unit that reads occurred and incomplete events that have already occurred but are incomplete at a time point of when the prediction is executed; a first prediction unit that predicts costs and cost occurrence timing relating to the occurred and incomplete events; a second prediction unit that predicts costs and cost occurrence timing relating to non-occurred events that are expected to occur after the time point of when the prediction is executed; a counting unit that counts the costs predicted to be incurred for a cost prediction target industrial property right in units of a predetermined period based on the predictions of the first prediction unit and the second prediction unit; and an output unit that outputs the costs counted in units of the predetermined period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial property cost forecasting system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for estimating future costs incurred from filing applications for industrial property rights such as patents, utility models, designs, and trademarks to maintaining those rights. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-42412 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, many companies formulate budgets for intellectual property activities on a fixed basis (for example, annually) and consume the budget within that period.

[0005] However, in order to obtain industrial property rights, various events occur from application to registration, and costs are incurred for these events. In particular, events often occur upon notification from the Patent Office, and it is difficult for applicants to control the timing of events and the costs associated with these events. This can result in applicants exceeding their budget due to the costs incurred for an unexpected event, or in applicants not experiencing an expected event, resulting in costs falling significantly short of the budget.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to more accurately predict costs relating to industrial property rights. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cost prediction system for predicting costs relating to industrial property rights, comprising: a reading unit that can access a storage unit that records identification information for identifying an industrial property right and events that have occurred in relation to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right, and that accesses the storage unit to read an occurred but incomplete event that is an event related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction and that has already occurred but is incomplete at the time of prediction execution; A first prediction unit that predicts costs and cost occurrence timings for the occurred and uncompleted events; a second prediction unit that predicts costs and cost occurrence timing for events that are related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction and that are not yet occurred and are expected to occur after the prediction execution time; a counting unit that counts, based on the predictions of the first prediction unit and the second prediction unit, costs predicted to be incurred with respect to the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction, for each predetermined period of time; an output unit that outputs the costs tallied for each predetermined period; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present invention allows for more accurate prediction of costs relating to industrial property rights. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cost prediction system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 13 is a flowchart of a cost prediction process for an event that has occurred but is not yet completed, which is executed by the control unit. [Diagram 3] This is an example of an unaccounted event list. [Figure 4] 13 is an example of an event-specific cost table. [Diagram 5] 1 is an example of an unaccounted events list with an item for projected costs added. [Figure 6]13 is an example of a table showing event-specific cost occurrence timing. [Figure 7] 13 is an example of an unaccounted event list to which an item regarding the timing of expense recognition has been added. [Figure 8] 13 is an example of a table of event-specific cost incidence rates. [Figure 9] 1 is an example of an unaccounted events list with an adjusted expected cost item added. [Figure 10] 13 is an example of a forecast cost aggregation table for an event that has occurred but not yet accounted for. [Figure 11] 13 is an example of a non-occurrence event occupancy rate table. [Figure 12] This is a forecast cost summary table to which fields for forecast cost of events not yet occurred and final forecast cost have been added. [Figure 13] 13 is a graph showing final projected costs. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart of a calculation process of an unoccupied event occupancy rate executed by a control unit. [Figure 15] 13 is an example of a table showing a cumulative value of the ratio of costs incurred during a period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the cost to the total amount of costs incurred in the past year. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart of a cost prediction process for a not-yet-occurred event executed by a control unit. [Figure 17] 13 is an example of a table showing a cumulative value of costs incurred during a period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the costs, relative to the total amount of costs incurred during a certain period in the past. [Figure 18] 13 is another example of a graph showing final projected costs. [Figure 19] 13 is a graph showing final estimated costs obtained by aggregating estimated costs of unaccounted events and estimated costs of not-occurring events for application events and intermediate events, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] (Cost forecasting system) 1 illustrates a block diagram of a cost prediction system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cost prediction system 1 is configured to predict costs relating to industrial property rights.

[0012] The term "industrial property rights" used in this specification includes not only registered industrial property rights (patent rights, utility model rights, design rights, and trademark rights), but also pending and unregistered industrial property rights (patent applications, utility model applications, design applications, and trademark applications). Hereinafter, industrial property rights, including pending applications, will be referred to simply as industrial property rights.

[0013] The cost estimation system 1 is managed, for example, by an intermediate agent. An intermediate agent is an agent who assists a client, an applicant or right holder, in the process and / or procedure for obtaining or maintaining industrial property rights in his / her own country and / or in other countries. Intermediate agents include domestic agents, local agents, pension management companies, etc.

[0014] The industrial property right to be the subject of cost prediction is designated by, for example, a customer. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, a customer's terminal device 200 is connected to a cost prediction system 1 via a communication network 100 such as the Internet. The terminal device 200 has, for example, an input unit 201 and a display unit 202. The input unit 201 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse provided in the terminal device 200. The display unit 202 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display.

[0015] A customer inputs information about the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction using the input unit 201 of the terminal device 200. The cost prediction system 1 identifies the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction based on the information about the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction received via the communication network 100, predicts the cost related to the industrial property right, and transmits the cost prediction result to the customer's terminal device 200 via the communication network 100. The cost prediction result is displayed on the display unit 202 of the customer's terminal device 200.

[0016] 1, the cost prediction system 1 includes a storage unit 2 and a control unit 3. The control unit 3 is communicatively connected to the storage unit 2 via a communication network 100. The control unit 3 may be configured to form a single device together with the storage unit 2, or may be communicatively connected to the storage unit 2 via an internal network.

[0017] The storage unit 2 stores a management information database 21. Information on industrial property rights managed by the intermediary agent is recorded in the management information database 21. The information on industrial property rights includes identification information and attribute information of the industrial property rights.

[0018] The identification information of the industrial property right is information for identifying the industrial property right, and includes, for example, an application number, a registration number, a customer reference number, an intermediate agent management number, and the like.

[0019] Attribute information of industrial property rights is information associated with industrial property rights, and includes, for example, the applicant, right holder, customer, business division within the customer, jurisdiction (patent, utility model, design, trademark), application country, International Patent Classification (hereinafter also referred to as IPC), application route, etc. Application routes include the Paris route (direct application claiming priority under the Paris Convention), PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) route (international application in accordance with the PCT), etc.

[0020] The management information database 21 further records information about events that have occurred in relation to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights, including, for example, the name of the event, the date the event occurred, the deadline for the procedure for the event, the progress of the event, and the date the event was completed.

[0021] Events occurring in relation to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights include events that start with a notice from the patent office and involve the applicant or right holder taking a prescribed procedure with the patent office in response to the notice. Such events include a letter of instruction and a notice of approval. Events occurring in relation to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights also include events that involve the applicant or right holder taking a prescribed procedure with the patent office on his / her own initiative. Such events include filing an application, a request for examination, an IDS (Information Disclosure Statement), and payment of maintenance fees (so-called annuities). Events occurring in relation to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights may also include events that do not involve the applicant or right holder taking a prescribed procedure with the patent office in response to a notice issued by the patent office. Such events include a notice of publication and a certificate of patent / registration.

[0022] In addition, the expression "an event is completed" used in this specification means, for example, for an event that starts with a notification from the Patent Office, that a specified procedure is performed in response to the notification from the Patent Office, or that the procedure deadline passes without the specified procedure being performed in response to the notification from the Patent Office. Alternatively, "an event is completed" means, for example, for a voluntary procedure event by an applicant or a right holder, that a voluntary procedure is performed at the Patent Office. In other words, the completion date of an event is, for example, the date on which a specified procedure is performed in response to a notification from the Patent Office, the date on which the procedure deadline passes without the specified procedure being performed in response to the notification from the Patent Office, or the date on which a voluntary procedure is performed at the Patent Office.

[0023] Alternatively, "an event is completed" means, for example, that the accrual of expenses incurred for the event is completed, that the invoicing of the accrued expenses is completed, or that the payment of expenses related to the invoice is completed. In other words, the completion date of an event is, for example, the date on which the accrual of expenses incurred for the event is completed, that the invoicing of the accrued expenses is completed, or that the payment of expenses related to the invoice is completed.

[0024] The memory unit 2 further stores an event-specific cost table 22 and an event-specific cost occurrence timing table 23. The event-specific cost table 22 records standard costs incurred for each event. Costs related to each event include office fees, intermediary agency fees, etc. The event-specific cost occurrence timing table 23 records standard timings at which costs related to each event occur. Specifically, for example, standard required periods from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of costs, or standard required periods from the deadline for processing an event to the occurrence of costs, are recorded as standard cost occurrence timings. The required periods are expressed in units of, for example, days or months.

[0025] In addition, the term "expense occurrence" used in this specification means, for example, recording an expense, billing an expense, or paying an expense. In other words, "expense occurrence timing" means, for example, the timing at which an expense is recorded, the timing at which an expense is billed, or the timing at which an expense is paid.

[0026] The standard fees and timing of expenses for each event are calculated based on a large amount of past industrial property rights history and may be updated periodically to reflect the latest situation. The standard fees for each event may also be updated when the official fees are updated in response to changes in the law. Alternatively, the standard fees for each event may be updated periodically to reflect the latest currency rates or fluctuations in attorney fees.

[0027] The storage unit 2 may further store an event-specific cost incidence table 24. The event-specific cost incidence table 24 records the standard rate at which costs are incurred for each event (hereinafter referred to as cost incidence). The cost incidence rate is calculated, for example, by referring to past event history and calculating the number of cases in which costs were incurred for each event / (number of cases in which costs were incurred+number of cases in which costs were not incurred). The standard cost incidence rate for each event may be updated periodically to reflect the most recent situation.

[0028] The storage unit 2 further stores a not-yet-occurred event occupancy table 25. The not-yet-occurred event occupancy table 25 indicates the ratio of the cost of not-yet-occurred events to the cost of events occurring in a predetermined period from the time of prediction execution (hereinafter referred to as not-yet-occurred event occupancy). Here, the cost of events occurring in a predetermined period from the time of prediction execution is the total cost of events that have occurred but are not yet completed and events that have not yet occurred. An event that has occurred but is not yet completed is an event related to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights that has already occurred but is not yet completed at the time of prediction execution. An event that has not yet occurred is an event related to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights that is expected to occur after the time of prediction execution.

[0029] Therefore, the unoccurred event occupancy rate is the ratio of the cost of unoccurred events to the total cost of the occurred and incomplete events occurring in a predetermined period unit. The unoccurred event occupancy rate is calculated, for example, using statistical data of the cost of unoccurred events statistically calculated in a predetermined period unit.

[0030] The control unit 3 has a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and one or more processors constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like. The ROM is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which a computer program for executing the processes described below is stored. The processor specifies at least a part of the computer program stored on the ROM, deploys it on the RAM, and executes the above-mentioned processes in cooperation with the RAM. The control unit 3 may be a physical computer, or may be realized by a virtual computer (Virtual Machine: VM), a container, or a combination of these.

[0031] The control unit 3 has a reading unit 31, a first prediction unit 32, a second prediction unit 33, a counting unit 34, and an output unit 35. The reading unit 31, the first prediction unit 32, the second prediction unit 33, the counting unit 34, and the output unit 35 are functional blocks realized by the processor of the control unit 3 executing a computer program.

[0032] The reading unit 31 accesses the management information database 21 of the storage unit 2 and reads the occurring and uncompleted events related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction.

[0033] The first prediction unit 32 predicts the cost of an event that has occurred but is not yet completed. For example, the first prediction unit 32 predicts the cost of an event that has occurred but is not yet completed by accessing the event-specific cost table 22. Alternatively, the first prediction unit 32 may further access the event-specific cost incidence rate table 24 and predict the cost of an event that has occurred but is not yet completed by multiplying the amount calculated based on the event-specific cost table 22 by the cost incidence rate.

[0034] In addition, the first prediction unit 32 predicts the timing of occurrence of costs for an event that has occurred but is not yet completed. For example, the first prediction unit 32 accesses the event-specific cost occurrence timing table 23 to predict the timing of occurrence of costs for an event that has occurred but is not yet completed.

[0035] The second prediction unit 33 predicts the cost and the timing of occurrence of the cost for the event that has not yet occurred, which is related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction. For example, the second prediction unit 33 predicts the cost and the timing of occurrence of the cost for the event that has not yet occurred, by using statistical data on the cost for the event that has not yet occurred, which is statistically calculated for each predetermined period.

[0036] The tallying unit 34 tally up the costs predicted to occur for the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction in the cost prediction period in units of a predetermined period based on the predictions of the first prediction unit 32 and the second prediction unit 33. The period for predicting the costs may be specified by the client, or a standard period set in the cost prediction system 1 may be used. The period for predicting the costs is set, for example, to six months, one year, or several years. The predetermined period, which is the unit of tallying up, may be specified by the client, or a standard period set in the cost prediction system 1 may be used. The predetermined period is set, for example, in units of days, months, or years. For example, when the period for predicting the costs is set to a period from several months to one year, the predetermined period may be set in units of days or months.

[0037] The output unit 35 outputs the expenses tallied for each predetermined period. The tallied expenses output by the output unit 35 are transmitted as an expense prediction result to the customer's terminal device 200 via the communication network 100. The expense prediction result is displayed on the display unit 202 of the terminal device 200. For example, the expense prediction result is displayed in the form of numerical values ​​or a graph.

[0038] Next, the cost prediction of an event that has occurred but is not completed, which is executed by the control unit 3, will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 2 to 10. In this example, an event that has occurred but is not yet accounted for will be described as an example of an event that has occurred but is not yet completed. That is, the completion of the accounting of the costs is regarded as the completion of the event, and the management information database 21 records the date on which the accounting of the costs incurred for the event is completed as the completion date of the event.

[0039] (Expense forecast for events that have occurred but not yet been accounted for) 2 is a flowchart of the cost prediction process for an event that has occurred but not yet been recorded, which is executed by the control unit 3. In this embodiment, the prediction execution time is set to December 31, 2023.

[0040] First, when the control unit 3 receives information on the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction from the customer via the communication network 100, the control unit 3 accesses the management information database 21 by the reading unit 31, and creates a list of events that have occurred in the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction, but for which costs have not been recorded (hereinafter referred to as an unrecorded event list), based on the information on the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction (STEP 1 in FIG. 2). The unrecorded event list is stored, for example, in the memory unit 2. The information on the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction includes, for example, identification information and attribute information of the industrial property right.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an example of an unaccounted event list. In this example, the unaccounted event list includes the items of the intermediate agent's management number, the application country, the event name, and the deadline. The deadline item shows the event procedure deadline, such as a deadline set based on a notification from the Patent Office, a deadline automatically set upon completion of the application, and a deadline arbitrarily set by the applicant. In this example, the industrial property right for which the client is the applicant is the industrial property right for which the cost is to be predicted.

[0042] In FIG. 3, for example, an unrecorded event of an industrial property right with a management number of 0055 is an event of a non-final office action in the United States (US), and the response procedure deadline set based on the notification of the event is February 15, 2024. For example, an unrecorded event of an industrial property right with a management number of 0092 is an event of a new application in the United States (US), and the application procedure deadline set by the customer is March 30, 2024. For example, an unrecorded event of an industrial property right with a management number of 0020 is an event of a request for examination in China (CN), and the examination request procedure deadline set automatically based on the application date is March 27, 2025. For example, an unrecorded event of an industrial property right with a management number of 0040 is an event of a notice of publication in the United States (US), and since no procedure is required for the Patent Office, no procedure deadline is set, and the deadline item is blank. The items in the unaccounted event list are not limited to those in FIG. 3, and may include items such as a customer management number and an application number.

[0043] Next, the control unit 3 accesses the event-specific cost table 22 via the first prediction unit 32, and performs cost prediction for each event included in the unrecorded event list (STEP 2 in FIG. 2).

[0044] 4 shows an example of the event-specific cost table 22. In this example, the event-specific cost table 22 includes fields for the filing country, the event name, and the estimated cost. The estimated cost field shows standard costs, including the official fee and intermediate attorney fee, incurred for the event.

[0045] The first prediction unit 32 refers to the event-specific cost table 22, predicts the cost of each event included in the unrecorded event list, and writes the predicted costs in the unrecorded event list.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows an example of an unaccounted event list to which an item of estimated costs has been added. For example, in the event-specific cost table 22 of FIG. 4, the standard cost incurred in the event of a new application in the United States (US) is 550,000 yen. Therefore, in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 5, 550,000 yen is written in the item of estimated costs for the industrial property right with the management number 0092. For example, in the event-specific cost table 22 of FIG. 4, the standard cost incurred in the event of a publication notice in the United States is 12,000 yen. Therefore, in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 5, 12,000 yen is written in the item of estimated costs for the industrial property right with the management number 0040. The cost incurred in the event of a publication notice is an intermediate agent's cost incurred when the intermediate agent delivers the publication notice to the client.

[0047] Next, the control unit 3 accesses the event-specific cost occurrence timing table 23 via the first prediction unit 32, and predicts the cost occurrence timing of each event included in the unrecorded event list (STEP 3 in FIG. 2).

[0048] FIG. 6 shows an example of the event-specific cost occurrence timing table 23. In this example, the event-specific cost occurrence timing table 23 includes the items of the application country, the event name, and the predicted number of days. The predicted number of days indicates the standard timing at which costs related to an event occur. In this example, the predicted number of days is the number of days from the deadline for the procedure of the event to the date when the costs incurred by the event are recorded. In addition, for an event for which a deadline for the procedure is not set, such as a publication notice, the predicted number of days is the number of days from the time when the event occurs to the date when the costs incurred by the event are recorded. For example, for a new application event in the United States (US), the predicted number of days is 7 days, and the costs are predicted to be recorded 7 days after the deadline for the procedure of the event. In addition, for a Notice of Allowance / Allowability event in the United States (US), the predicted number of days is -13 days, and the costs are predicted to be recorded 13 days before the deadline for the procedure of the event. In addition, for a publication notice event in the United States (US), the predicted number of days is 10 days, and the costs are predicted to be recorded 10 days after the occurrence of the event (for example, the day when the intermediate attorney receives the publication notice).

[0049] The first prediction unit 32 refers to the event-specific expense occurrence timing table 23, predicts the expense occurrence timing of each event included in the unaccounted event list, and writes the predicted expense occurrence timing of each event in the unaccounted event list.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows an example of an unaccounted event list to which an item for the timing of expense recording has been added. For example, in the event-specific expense generation timing table 23 of FIG. 6, the timing of expense recording for the event of a new application in the United States (US) is 7 days after the deadline for the procedure of the event. Therefore, in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 7, April 7, 2024, 7 days after the deadline for the procedure of the event (March 30, 2024), is written in the column for the predicted date of the industrial property right with the management number 0092. For example, in the event-specific expense generation timing table 23 of FIG. 6, the timing of expense recording for the event of the public notice in the United States (US) is 10 days after the event occurrence. Here, if the occurrence date of the event is December 25, 2023, January 4, 2024, 10 days after that, is written in the column for the predicted date of the industrial property right with the management number 0040 in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 7. If the predicted date is in the past at the time of making the prediction, the predicted date may be adjusted to be in the future by adding a predetermined number of days or the like.

[0051] Next, the control unit 3 accesses the event-specific cost incidence table 24 via the first prediction unit 32, and adjusts the amount of the cost prediction based on the cost incidence of each event included in the unaccounted event list (STEP 4 in FIG. 2).

[0052] 8 shows an example of the event-specific cost incidence table 24. In this example, the event-specific cost incidence table 24 includes items of application country, event name, and billing rate. The billing rate is the rate at which costs are incurred for an event (cost incidence rate), and in this example, it is the standard rate at which an intermediate agent records or bills costs to a client.

[0053] The first prediction unit 32 refers to the event-specific cost incidence rate table 24, calculates an amount by multiplying the predicted cost of each event included in the unaccounted event list by the billing rate, and writes this amount in the unaccounted event list as the adjusted predicted cost.

[0054] FIG. 9 shows an example of an unaccounted event list to which an item of adjusted expected cost has been added. For example, in the event-specific cost incidence table 24 of FIG. 8, the billing rate of the event of new application in the United States (US) is 100%. Therefore, in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 9, 100% of 550,000 yen, or 550,000 yen, is written in the adjusted expected cost column of the industrial property right with the management number 0092. Alternatively, for example, in the event-specific cost incidence table 24 of FIG. 8, the billing rate of the event of public notice in the United States (US) is 20%. Therefore, in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 9, 20% of 12,000 yen, or 2,400 yen, is written in the adjusted expected cost column of the industrial property right with the management number 0040.

[0055] It should be noted that STEP 4 may be omitted.

[0056] Next, the control unit 3, through the aggregation unit 34, aggregates the expenses predicted to be incurred for events that have occurred but not been recorded during the period for which expenses are predicted, based on the prediction by the first prediction unit 32 of the expenses and the timing of recording expenses for events that have occurred but not been recorded (STEP 5 in Figure 2).

[0057] FIG. 10 shows an example of a forecasted cost aggregation table for an event that has occurred but not yet been accounted for. The forecasted cost aggregation table is stored, for example, in the storage unit 2. In this example, the forecasted cost aggregation table shows forecasted cost aggregation results in which the period for forecasting costs is four months and the predetermined period for aggregation is in months. Specifically, the forecasted cost aggregation table shows forecasted costs for each forecast month from January to April 2024.

[0058] For example, the cost predicted to occur in January 2024 is 15,000,000 yen. This cost is the total amount of adjusted predicted costs of events whose predicted cost recording dates fall within the period from January 1, 2024 to January 31, 2024 in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 9. If STEP 4 is not performed in FIG. 2, this cost is the total amount of predicted costs of events whose predicted cost recording dates fall within the period from January 1, 2024 to January 31, 2024 in the unaccounted event list of FIG. 9.

[0059] The cost prediction process for an occurred but incomplete event executed by the control unit 3 is not limited to the above example. For example, the control unit 3 identifies all occurred but unaccounted events and creates an unaccounted event list in STEP 1 of Fig. 2, and then performs cost prediction and cost occurrence timing prediction in STEP 2 to STEP 4. However, the control unit 3 may be configured to identify one occurred but unaccounted event in STEP 1, and then perform cost prediction and cost occurrence timing prediction for the one occurred but unaccounted event identified in STEP 2 to STEP 4, and repeat STEP 1 to STEP 4 until cost prediction and cost occurrence timing prediction for all occurred but unaccounted events are completed.

[0060] Furthermore, the processing of STEP 3 may be performed before the processing of STEP 2. That is, the control unit 3 may be configured to predict the timing of occurrence of each event included in the unaccounted event list before predicting the cost of each event included in the unaccounted event list. In this case, the calculation of the predicted cost in STEP 2 may be performed only for events whose predicted date of the cost occurrence timing predicted in STEP 3 belongs to the period for predicting the cost. This reduces the processing load of the control unit 3.

[0061] (Cost projections for events that have not yet occurred) Next, the cost prediction of a not-yet-occurred event by the control unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0062] 11 shows an example of the not-occurred event occupancy rate table 25. In this example, the not-occurred event occupancy rate table 25 shows the not-occurred event occupancy rate for each month from the time of prediction execution. Specifically, the not-occurred event occupancy rate table 25 shows the not-occurred event occupancy rate for each month from one month to four months from the time of prediction execution. The not-occurred event occupancy rate is calculated in advance by the control unit 3, for example, and recorded in the not-occurred event occupancy rate table 25.

[0063] The control unit 3 accesses the not-yet-occurrence event occupancy rate table 25 via the second prediction unit 33, and predicts the cost and the cost occurrence timing for the not-yet-occurrence event using the not-yet-occurrence event occupancy rate.

[0064] Specifically, the control unit 3 predicts the cost and the timing of cost occurrence for an unoccurred event based on the predicted cost for an occurred but uncompleted event and the unoccurred event occupancy rate calculated in STEP 5 of Figure 2 using the second prediction unit 33.

[0065] Specifically, the cost A of an occurred incomplete event, the cost B of an unoccurred event, the occurred incomplete event share a, and the unoccurred event share b are A:B=a:b. Therefore, the cost B of an unoccurred event can be calculated by B=A*(1 / a)*b. Note that since the events for which costs are predicted are only occurred incomplete events and unoccurred events, the sum of the occurred incomplete event share a and the unoccurred event share b is 1. Therefore, the occurred incomplete event share a can be calculated by a=1-b.

[0066] For example, in the unoccurred event occupancy rate table 25 in Fig. 11, the unoccurred event occupancy rate for the first month from the prediction execution date is 20%. Also, in the predicted cost summary table in Fig. 10, the predicted cost for an occurred but incomplete event for January 2024, which is one month from the prediction execution date, is 15,000,000 yen. Therefore, the predicted cost for an unoccurred event for January 2024 is 15,000,000*(1 / 0.8)*0.2=3,750,000 yen.

[0067] FIG. 12 shows a forecast cost summary table to which the items of forecast cost for events that have not yet occurred and final forecast cost have been added. Note that here, any decimals that arise when calculating the costs have been rounded off. FIG. 13 shows a graph showing the final forecast cost. In FIG. 13, the horizontal axis represents the forecast month and the vertical axis represents the final forecast cost, and the final forecast cost for each forecast month is shown in a bar graph.

[0068] The final forecast cost is the sum of the forecast cost of unrecorded events and the forecast cost of events that have not yet occurred. The final forecast cost is calculated by aggregating the costs of events (unrecorded events and events that have not yet occurred) that are predicted to occur in the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost forecast from the time the forecast is made during the period for which the costs are predicted, for each specified period.

[0069] According to the cost prediction system 1 of the present embodiment, since not only the cost prediction of unrecorded events but also the cost prediction of events that have not yet occurred are taken into consideration, the costs relating to industrial property rights can be predicted more accurately. In addition, the costs predicted to occur can be grasped for a predetermined period of time.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the expense prediction system 1 of this embodiment, the expense and expense occurrence timing for an unaccounted event are predicted based on the standard expense and the standard expense occurrence timing, so that accurate expense prediction can be easily performed.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the cost prediction system 1 of this embodiment, since there are cases where no costs are incurred during an event, the costs for unaccounted events predicted based on standard costs are multiplied by the cost occurrence rate, thereby making it possible to predict costs more accurately.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the cost prediction system 1 of the present embodiment, the cost of an event that has not yet occurred is predicted using the occupancy rate of the event that has not yet occurred, so that the cost can be predicted easily. Also, the occupancy rate of the event that has not yet occurred is calculated based on past statistical data, so that the cost can be predicted accurately.

[0073] (Calculation method for the share of unoccurred events) Next, a method of calculating the unoccurred event occupancy rate by the control unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a calculation process of the occupancy rate of a not-yet-occurred event executed by the control unit 3. The occupancy rate of a not-yet-occurred event is calculated in advance before the cost is predicted, or is calculated when the cost of a not-yet-occurred event is predicted.

[0074] First, the control unit 3 acquires data for each of a plurality of events for which costs were incurred during a certain period in the past, using the second prediction unit 33, including the costs incurred at the event and the period of time required from the occurrence of the event to the cost being incurred (STEP 11).

[0075] Specifically, the second prediction unit 33 accesses the management information database 21 and obtains cost information for each of a plurality of events for which costs were incurred during a certain period of time in the past. The cost information includes information on costs incurred at the event and information on the period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of costs. The information on the period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of costs includes the period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of costs, or the event occurrence date and the cost occurrence date for calculating the period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of costs. The period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of costs is expressed in days, months, or years.

[0076] Next, the control unit 3 calculates, via the second prediction unit 33, a total amount of expenses incurred during each period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the expenses, and calculates the ratio of the total amount to the total amount of expenses incurred during the certain period (STEP 12).

[0077] Next, the control unit 3 calculates, by the second prediction unit 33, a cumulative value of the ratio of the total amount of expenses incurred up to a certain period to the total amount of expenses incurred in that period for each period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of expenses (STEP 13). The cumulative value is an example of statistical data of expenses related to events that have not yet occurred, statistically calculated for each predetermined period.

[0078] 15 is a table showing the cumulative ratio of the combined amount of expenses incurred during the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the expenses to the total amount of expenses incurred in the past year. In this example, the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the expenses is expressed in days, and the cumulative value is shown for events for which expenses were incurred in 2020 for an industrial property right (in this example, an industrial property right with the client as the applicant) having the same attribute information as the industrial property right subject to the expense prediction.

[0079] For example, a day count of 0 means that the cost of the event was recorded on the day the event occurred. The cumulative value for day count 0 is 3.87%. In other words, the ratio of the total cost of the event for which the cost was incurred in the year of 2020 to the total cost of the event for which the cost was incurred in the year of 2020 is 3.87%. For example, a day count of 1 means that the cost of the event was recorded on the day after the event occurred. The cumulative value for day count 1 is 4.58%. In other words, the ratio of the total cost of the event for which the cost was recorded on the day after the event occurred to the total cost of the event for which the cost was incurred in the year of 2020 is 0.71%. And the cumulative value of the ratio of the total amount of the event for which the cost was incurred in the year of 2020 to the total cost of the event for which the cost was incurred in the year of 2020 is 4.58% (= 3.87% + 0.71%).

[0080] Next, the second prediction unit 33 regards the cumulative value calculated for the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of costs, which is equivalent to the period that elapses in a specified unit of time from the time the prediction is executed, as the occupancy rate of unoccurred events in the specified period (STEP 14).

[0081] For example, in this example, the period for predicting the cost is four months as shown in FIG. 12, and the predetermined period for which the cost is collected is in months. Therefore, the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the cost, which is equivalent to the period elapsed in the predetermined period unit from the time of prediction execution, is 30 days, which is equivalent to the period elapsed in one month from the time of prediction execution, 60 days, which is equivalent to the period elapsed in two months from the time of prediction execution, 90 days, which is equivalent to the period elapsed in three months from the time of prediction execution, and 120 days, which is equivalent to the period elapsed in four months from the time of prediction execution. Therefore, in FIG. 15, the cumulative values ​​for the periods elapsed in the predetermined period unit from the time of prediction execution, which are 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, and 120 days, are regarded as the occupancy rate of the unoccurred event in the first month, second month, third month, and fourth month from the time of prediction execution.

[0082] In this example, the cumulative values ​​for the period of 30, 60, 90, and 120 days elapsed in predetermined units from the time of prediction execution are rounded off in 5% units for simplicity. Specifically, 20% of the value obtained by rounding off the cumulative value of 21.51% for 30 days shown in FIG. 15 in 5% units is set as the occupancy rate of unoccurred events one month from the time of prediction execution shown in FIG. 11. Similarly, 35% of the cumulative value for 60 days shown in FIG. 15 is set as the occupancy rate of unoccurred events two months from the time of prediction execution shown in FIG. 11. 50% of the cumulative value for 47% for 90 days shown in FIG. 15 is set as the occupancy rate of unoccurred events three months from the time of prediction execution shown in FIG. 11. 85% of the cumulative value for 120 days shown in FIG. 15 is set as the occupancy rate of unoccurred events four months from the time of prediction execution shown in FIG. 11. When creating a table of the share of unoccurred events at the number of days level, it is not necessary to convert the number of days into the number of months that is equivalent to the number of days. In this case, the cumulative value corresponding to the number of days is set as the share of unoccurred events.

[0083] According to the cost prediction system 1 according to the present embodiment, the occupancy rate of the unoccurred event is calculated based on past statistical data, so that an accurate occupancy rate of the unoccurred event can be calculated.

[0084] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the components in the above embodiment may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the predicted cost of the unoccurred event is calculated using the predicted cost of the occurred uncompleted event and the unoccurred event occupancy rate. However, the predicted cost of the unoccurred event may be calculated by other methods.

[0086] For example, FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of a cost prediction process for a not-yet-occurred event executed by the control unit 3. In FIG.

[0087] First, the control unit 3 acquires data including the cost incurred at each of a plurality of events for which a cost was incurred in a certain period of time in the past and the period from the occurrence of the event to the cost being incurred (STEP 21) by the second prediction unit 33. Specifically, the second prediction unit 33 accesses the management information database 21 and acquires cost information for each of a plurality of events for which a cost was incurred in a certain period of time in the past.

[0088] Next, the control unit 3 calculates, by the second prediction unit 33, a cumulative value of the total amount of expenses incurred up to each period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the expense (STEP 22). The cumulative value is an example of statistical data of expenses related to events that have not yet occurred, statistically calculated for each predetermined period.

[0089] Next, the control unit 3 considers the cumulative value calculated by the second prediction unit 33 for the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of costs, which is equivalent to the period that elapses in predetermined units from the time the prediction is made, as the cost related to a not-yet-occurring event that is predicted to occur within the specified period (STEP 23).

[0090] For example, FIG. 17 is a table showing the cumulative value of the sum of the costs incurred during the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the cost relative to the total amount of costs incurred during a certain period in the past. In this example, the period from the occurrence of an event to the occurrence of the cost is expressed in days, and the cumulative value is shown for events for which costs were incurred in the year 2020. In FIG. 17, the cumulative values ​​for periods of 30, 60, 90, and 120 days that have elapsed in predetermined units from the time of prediction execution are considered to be the predicted costs of events that have not yet occurred that are predicted to occur in the first, second, third, and fourth months from the time of prediction execution.

[0091] According to the cost prediction system 1 of this modification, it is not necessary to calculate the occupancy rate of the not-yet-occurred event, so that the predicted cost of the not-yet-occurred event can be calculated more easily. Also, the predicted cost of the not-yet-occurred event is calculated based on past statistical data, so that the accurate cost prediction can be performed.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the final forecast cost is displayed without distinguishing between the forecast cost of an unaccounted event and the forecast cost of an unoccurred event, as shown in Fig. 13. However, as shown in Fig. 18, the final forecast cost may be displayed such that the forecast cost of an unaccounted event and the forecast cost of an unoccurred event are visually distinguished from each other.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the final predicted cost is the sum of the predicted costs of unaccounted events and the predicted costs of unoccurred events for all events, as shown in Figures 12 and 13. However, the final predicted cost may be summed for a single event or multiple events.

[0094] For example, Figure 19 shows the final estimated costs for application events and intermediate events, which are calculated by aggregating the estimated costs of unrecorded events and the estimated costs of unoccurred events for application events and intermediate events. Application events are events related to application procedures. Intermediate events refer to a group of events that include events that occur after application and before rights are granted.

[0095] 2, the control unit 3 causes the counting unit 34 to count, by predetermined period, the costs predicted to occur in the application events that have occurred but not yet accounted for during the period for which the costs are predicted. The control unit 3 also causes the counting unit 34 to count, by predetermined period, the costs predicted to occur in the intermediate events that have occurred but not yet accounted for during the period for which the costs are predicted.

[0096] Furthermore, the control unit 3 calculates a predicted cost for an application event that has not yet occurred, using the not-occurred event occupancy rate for the application event, by the second prediction unit 33. Furthermore, the control unit 3 calculates a predicted cost for an intermediate event that has not yet occurred, by the second prediction unit 33, using the not-occurred event occupancy rate for the intermediate event.

[0097] The not-yet-occurred event share for an application event is calculated based on data on a plurality of application events for which costs were incurred within a certain period of time in the past. That is, the statistical data used to calculate the not-yet-occurred event share for an application event is calculated based on costs incurred in an application event that has been completed and the timing of the cost occurrence. Also, the not-yet-occurred event share for an intermediate event is calculated based on data on a plurality of intermediate events for which costs were incurred within a certain period of time in the past. That is, the statistical data used to calculate the not-yet-occurred event share for an intermediate event is calculated based on costs incurred in an intermediate event that has been completed and the timing of the cost occurrence.

[0098] Alternatively, the final predicted cost may be calculated by the attribute information unit of the industrial property right instead of or in addition to the calculation by the single or multiple event unit. Examples of the attribute information unit to be calculated include the application route such as PCT application or Paris route application, the applicant, the IPC, the business field, and the jurisdiction (patent, utility model, design, trademark). For example, the final predicted cost may be calculated by calculating the predicted cost of unrecorded events and the predicted cost of unoccurred events for the industrial property right of the PCT application and the industrial property right of the Paris route application.

[0099] In this case, too, when calculating the predicted cost for the not-yet-occurred event, the not-yet-occupancy rate for the attribute information to be aggregated is used. Specifically, the not-yet-occupancy rate for the attribute information to be aggregated is calculated based on data on a plurality of events for which costs were incurred in a certain past period for the industrial property right having the attribute information to be aggregated. In other words, the statistical data used to calculate the not-yet-occupancy rate for the attribute information to be aggregated is calculated based on the costs incurred in the completed events for the industrial property right having the attribute information to be aggregated and the timing of the cost occurrence.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the control unit 3 calculates the predicted costs for the occurred, incomplete, and not yet occurred events for all events in the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction. However, the control unit 3 can be configured to calculate the predicted costs for the occurred, incomplete, and not yet occurred events for a specific event in the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction.

[0101] The event to be forecasted may be a single event or multiple events, for example, an application event, an interim event, or individual events included in these events.

[0102] The event for which cost prediction is to be performed is specified by, for example, a customer. For example, the customer inputs information on the industrial property right for which cost prediction is to be performed, including information on the event for which cost prediction is to be performed, using the input unit 201 of the terminal device 200.

[0103] For example, in STEP 1 of Fig. 2, when information on an event that is the subject of cost prediction is included in information on the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction received from the client, the control unit 3 creates a list of events that are the subject of cost prediction and have occurred for the industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction, but for which costs have not been recorded.The control unit 3 then calculates the predicted costs for events that have occurred but are not yet completed based on the list.

[0104] Alternatively, in STEP 5 in FIG. 2, the control unit 3 may calculate the predicted cost for an event that has occurred but is not yet completed, using only the adjusted predicted cost or the predicted cost of the event that is the subject of the cost prediction in the unaccounted event list in FIG.

[0105] The control unit 3 also calculates the predicted cost for the not-yet-occurred event based on the predicted cost for the occurred but incomplete event and the not-yet-occurred event occupancy rate. At this time, the not-yet-occurred event occupancy rate used to calculate the predicted cost for the not-yet-occurred event is calculated based on the data of the same event as the event targeted for cost prediction among multiple events for which costs have been incurred in a certain past period. In other words, the statistical data used to calculate the not-yet-occurred event occupancy rate is calculated based on the cost incurred and the cost occurrence timing of the event that is the same as the event targeted for cost prediction and has been completed.

[0106] Events to be subject to cost prediction may be set for each of events that have occurred but are not yet completed and events that have not yet occurred. For example, for events that have occurred but are not yet completed, all events may be set as cost prediction targets, and for events that have not yet occurred, a specific event may be set as cost prediction targets.

[0107] For example, for events that have not yet occurred, intermediate events can be set as events for which cost prediction is to be performed. Intermediate events have a higher occupancy rate of not yet occurred events than application events, making them more difficult to predict. Application events, on the other hand, can be controlled by the applicant (customer). Therefore, the customer can grasp the predicted costs of not yet occurred intermediate events that are difficult to predict, and the processing burden on the control unit 3 can be reduced.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the industrial property right for which the client is the applicant is set as the industrial property right for which the cost prediction is to be performed. However, for example, instead of or in addition to the applicant, an industrial property right having specific attribute information may be set as the industrial property right for which the cost prediction is to be performed. The attribute information for which the cost prediction is to be performed is specified, for example, by the client. For example, the client uses the input unit 201 of the terminal device 200 to input information on the industrial property right for which the cost prediction is to be performed, which includes the specific attribute information.

[0109] For example, if the attribute information of the cost prediction target indicates a PCT application (or a Paris route application), predicted costs for events that have occurred but not yet occurred and predicted costs for events that have not yet occurred for an industrial property right filed through a PCT application (or a Paris route application) are calculated.

[0110] The share of unoccurred events used to calculate the predicted cost for the unoccurred events is calculated based on the data of a plurality of events for which costs were incurred in a certain period of time in the past for an industrial property right having the same attribute information as the attribute information of the cost prediction target. In other words, the statistical data used to calculate the share of unoccurred events is calculated based on the costs incurred and the cost occurrence timing of events that occurred and have been completed for an industrial property right having the same attribute information as the attribute information of the cost prediction target.

[0111] The attribute information of the cost prediction target may be set for each of an occurred but incomplete event and an event not yet occurred.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the completion of the event is regarded as the completion of the event cost, however, the completion of the event cost may be regarded as the completion of the event cost invoice or the completion of the event cost payment by the customer.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the cost prediction system 1 performs cost prediction when it receives information on an industrial property right that is the subject of cost prediction from a client, and provides the client with the cost prediction result. However, the cost prediction system 1 may be configured to, for example, perform cost prediction periodically and provide the client with the cost prediction result.

[0114] In the above embodiment, the unaccounted list in Fig. 3 lists events up to the granting of an industrial property right. However, for example, if the intermediate agent is a pension management company, the unaccounted list in Fig. 3 may include events after the granting of an industrial property right, i.e., events of the payment procedures for the maintenance costs (so-called annuities) for maintaining the industrial property right after the granting of the right. When annuities are predicted using the expense prediction system 1, for example, the period for predicting expenses may be set to several years, and the predetermined period, which is the unit of calculation, may be set to years.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the cost prediction system 1 is managed by an intermediary agent. However, the cost prediction system 1 may be managed by a cost prediction company that only predicts the costs of industrial property rights. In this case, the control unit 3 can be configured to access an external industrial property right information database 300 (FIG. 1) via the communication network 100 and acquire information on occurred but incomplete events that are related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction and that have already occurred but are incomplete at the time of executing the prediction. The industrial property right information database 300 is an example of a storage unit.

[0116] The industrial property information database 300 may be a free database such as J-PlatPat (registered trademark) provided by the National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training, Espacenet (registered trademark) provided by the European Patent Office and patent offices of member countries of the European Patent Convention, WIPO Patentscope (registered trademark) provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization, or the Patent Full-Text and Image Database provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or it may be a commercial database provided by a private company.

[0117] The industrial property information database 300 stores, for example, the completion date of an event, such as the date on which a prescribed procedure was carried out in response to a notification from the Patent Office, the date on which a set period has elapsed without a prescribed procedure being carried out in response to a notification from the Patent Office, or the date on which a voluntary procedure was carried out with the Patent Office.

[0118] Alternatively, the cost prediction system 1 may be managed by a customer. In this case, the terminal device 200 may be configured to be a single device together with the cost prediction system 1, or may be communicatively connected to the cost prediction system 1 via an internal network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1. Cost Prediction System 2 Storage section 3. Control Unit 21 Management Information Database 22 Event Cost Table 23 Event-specific cost occurrence timing table 24 Cost Incidence Table by Event 25 Unoccurred Event Occupancy Rate Table 31 Reading unit 32 First Prediction Department 33 Second Prediction Department 34 Counting Department 35 Output section 100 Communication Network 200 Terminal Equipment 201 Input section 202 Display section 300 Industrial Property Information Database

Claims

1. A cost prediction system for predicting costs relating to industrial property rights, comprising: a reading unit that can access a storage unit that records identification information for identifying an industrial property right and events that have occurred in relation to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right, and that accesses the storage unit to read an occurred but incomplete event that is an event related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction and that has already occurred but is incomplete at the time of prediction execution; A first prediction unit that predicts costs and cost occurrence timings for the occurred and uncompleted events; a second prediction unit that predicts costs and cost occurrence timing for events that are related to the acquisition or maintenance of the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction and that are not yet occurred and are expected to occur after the prediction execution time; a counting unit that counts, based on the predictions of the first prediction unit and the second prediction unit, costs predicted to be incurred with respect to the industrial property right that is the subject of the cost prediction, for each predetermined period of time; an output unit that outputs the costs tallied for each predetermined period; A cost forecasting system comprising:

2. The storage unit records standard costs and standard cost occurrence timings for events related to the acquisition or maintenance of industrial property rights, The cost prediction system according to claim 1 , wherein the first prediction unit accesses the storage unit and predicts the cost and the cost occurrence timing for the occurred, uncompleted event based on the standard cost and the standard cost occurrence timing.

3. The storage unit records a standard cost incidence rate, which is a rate at which costs are incurred with respect to events related to the acquisition or maintenance of an industrial property right; 3. The cost prediction system of claim 2, wherein the first prediction unit predicts the cost for the occurred but incomplete event by multiplying an amount calculated based on the standard cost of the occurred but incomplete event by the standard cost occurrence rate of the occurred but incomplete event.

4. 3. The cost prediction system according to claim 1, wherein the second prediction unit predicts the cost and the timing of occurrence of the cost related to the not-yet-occurring event using statistical data of the cost related to the not-yet-occurring event statistically calculated on a per-prescribed-period basis.

5. The cost prediction system according to claim 4 , wherein the statistical data is statistical data regarding events occurring in an industrial property right having attribute information associated with the industrial property right and / or statistical data regarding a specific event.

6. The cost prediction system of claim 5, wherein the second prediction unit calculates the statistical data based on the costs and the timing of cost occurrence for a completed event that occurred in an industrial property right having attribute information identical to the attribute information of the industrial property right and has been completed and / or a completed event that is the same event as the specific event and has been completed.

7. The second prediction unit, Calculating an unoccurred event occupancy rate indicating a ratio of a cost related to an unoccurred event to a total cost related to an occurred uncompleted event and a cost related to an unoccurred event occurring within the predetermined period based on the statistical data; The cost prediction system according to claim 4 , further comprising: predicting a cost relating to the unoccurred event based on the cost relating to the occurred uncompleted event predicted by the first prediction unit and the unoccurred event occupancy rate.

8. The second prediction unit, For a plurality of events for which costs were incurred during a certain period in the past, a total amount of costs incurred during each period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the costs is calculated, and the ratio of the total amount to the total amount of costs incurred during the certain period is calculated. For each period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the expense, a cumulative value of the ratio of the total amount incurred up to that period to the total amount of expenses incurred during the certain period is calculated; The cost prediction system of claim 7, wherein the cumulative value calculated for the period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the cost, which is equivalent to the period that elapses from the time the prediction is executed in the specified unit of time, is regarded as the occupancy rate of unoccurred events in the specified period.

9. The second prediction unit, For multiple events that incurred costs during a certain period in the past, calculate the total amount of costs incurred during each period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the costs, For each period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the expense, calculate the cumulative total amount incurred up to that period.

5. The cost prediction system of claim 4, wherein the cumulative value calculated for the period from the occurrence of the event to the occurrence of the cost, which is equivalent to the period that elapses in the specified unit of time from the time the prediction is executed, is regarded as the cost related to the not-yet-occurring event that is predicted to occur in the specified period.

Images