Patent Claim Term Mapping for Raw Material Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

In patent searches, it is challenging to extract relevant patent documents when the name of a raw material in a product is described using superordinate or equivalent terms in the claims, making it difficult to match potentially infringing products with patent rights.

Innovation Solution

A database is created that associates terms associated with raw materials in patent claims with the corresponding raw materials, along with an acquiring unit to gather patent information and an extracting unit to identify products containing matching raw materials, facilitating the extraction of relevant patents or products.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If patent claims use superordinate terms or equivalent terms for raw materials, then patent coverage is broader and more flexible, but the ability to extract and match specific raw materials becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatent coverage flexibilityVSAvoidraw material matching accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent claim text is segmented into individual terms, and each term is separately processed to identify its corresponding raw material. This segmentation allows the system to handle superordinate terms by breaking them down into manageable units for individual matching against product ingredient lists.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A database is introduced as an intermediary between patent claims and product ingredients. This database stores the correspondence between terms in patent claims and their actual raw materials, enabling accurate matching even when the claim uses superordinate or equivalent terms instead of exact raw material names.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If exact raw material names are used in patent claims, then matching with product ingredients is more accurate, but the patent becomes more rigid and less adaptable to equivalent terms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveraw material matching accuracyVSAvoidterm variation accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-processing patent claims to identify and map terms to their corresponding raw materials before actual matching occurs. This preliminary mapping stores the relationships in a database, enabling the system to accommodate various term variations when matching against product ingredients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of term representation by transforming patent claim terms into their corresponding raw material identifiers through the database. This parameter transformation allows the system to maintain flexibility in accepting different term forms while ensuring accurate matching with product ingredients.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If manual search methods are used for patent searches, then search simplicity is maintained, but search efficiency and completeness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch operation simplicityVSAvoidsearch efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by automatically processing patent claims and product ingredients through the database matching mechanism. The extraction unit autonomously identifies relevant patents and products without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining operational simplicity while significantly improving search efficiency and completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual search operations are replaced with an automated information processing system that uses database queries and algorithmic matching. This substitution eliminates the need for manual comparison of patent claims with product ingredients, dramatically improving search efficiency while keeping the user interface simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12204589B2Information processing system, method, program and data structure

Publication Date: 2025.01.21 SHISEIDO CO LTD

AI summary

An information processing system facilitates the extraction of a product relating to a patent or to facilitate the extraction of a patent relating to a product. An information processing system includes a database in which a term associated with a raw material recited in a claim of a patent document and a raw material that corresponds to the term are associated with each other, an acquiring unit configured to acquire patent information, and an extracting unit configured to extract a product containing a raw material that corresponds to a term recited in a claim that is identified by the patent information, with reference to the database and a correspondence between a product and a raw material contained in the product, based on whether the raw material that corresponds to the term and the raw material contained in the product match.