Add Your Own References to a Patent File History on Patent Workbench®!

The References Module of the  Patent Workbench^® Reader gives patent attorneys a variety of tools for accessing, annotating, and requesting services for references related to a patent file history.   Directly from the References Module, users can:

• Add notes to reference sections
• Attach notes to user-added references
• Re-sort patent references by number or inventor name
• Request translations for non-US patents, published applications, and non-patent literature (NPL)

All electronically available US patent references are included for free in PDF format with any patent file history ordered in Patent Workbench^® format, and users can easily order PDFs of any listed non-US patent references or NPL references directly through the References screen on the Patent Workbench^® Reader.   One of the most useful features of the References Module is that any user can upload their own references to a patent file history.  The user-added references in OCR’ed PDF format can then be searched along with the rest of the file history papers utilizing the advanced search features on the Patent Workbench^® Reader.

Continue reading to learn how to add your own references to a patent file history through the Patent Workbench^®  Reader,  and learn about the benefits of this innovative feature!

Patent Workbench® Featured In World Intellectual Property Review!

The Patent Workbench^® service was recently featured in the January/February 2012 issue of the World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR).  The article is titled “Patent Workbench: A Nail Gun, Not a Hammer,” and it explains how “a new productivity tool promises to make managing reviews of a US patent file’s history a painless, efficient process.”  Landon IP CEO David Hunt and Vice President of Business Management Julie Cook describe the many unprecedented features of Patent Workbench^® that will revolutionize how patent attorneys work with patent file histories. Continue reading to learn how the Patent Workbench^® service was developed and the many ways that Patent Workbench^® features can simplify the claims construction and file history review process for patent practitioners.

Patent Workbench® in World Intellectual Property Review.

Key Features of Patent Workbench®

After getting answers to your basic questions about the Patent Workbench^® service, you’ll want to know about some key features that make the Patent Workbench^® Reader such a revolutionary navigation and analysis tool for patent attorneys. Patent attorneys have said the following when describing the benefits of using Patent Workbench^® while working with a patent file history:

• Using Patent Workbench^® gives me an edge over opposing counsel and a deeper understanding of the file history and references.
• It allowed me to complete my tasks in a shorter period of time with a higher level of confidence.

After the jump, read about the key features of Patent Workbench^® that make these benefits possible!

Basic Questions about Patent Workbench®: What is it, and how does it work?

We’ve looked at how Patent Workbench^® Reader can help a patent attorney review a patent file history and complete the claim construction process in a faster, more efficient manner.  A patent file history viewed through the Patent Workbench^® Reader provides patent attorneys with a range of analysis, search, export, navigation, and collaboration tools that wouldn’t be available through a normal paper or electronic patent file history.  But how exactly does the Reader and associated Patent Workbench^® file history package function together, and how can you obtain these products?

After the jump, we’ll answer some basic questions about how Patent Workbench^® works and how you can order a patent file history in Patent Workbench^® format.

Features of Patent Workbench® that Patent Attorneys Love

Patent attorneys all over the world are discovering how the Patent Workbench^® file history service can save them time and increase the quality and efficiency of the U.S. patent file history review process. We’ve already looked at the video testimonial of Marc S. Kaufman, Partner at Reed Smith LLP, who summed up how useful Patent Workbench^® can be to a busy lawyer:

It’s very time consuming to fully understand a prosecution history and review and analyze it…Patent Workbench^® was really the first tool that really revolutionized that process, made it faster and more accurate.

Many patent attorneys have already commented on how specific features of the  Patent Workbench^® Reader improve the speed and quality of their patent file history review process.  Read on to see real quotes from patent attorneys who’ve used the Patent Workbench^® service and appreciate the utility of specific features available only through the Patent Workbench^® Reader!

Get All the Patent File History Services You Need Directly Through the Patent Workbench® Reader!

Patent attorneys often need additional services when they review a patent file history. You may need to access a cited reference or related US application, or you may need a reference document translated professionally. Instead of ordering these services through multiple providers, the Patent Workbench^® Reader allows you to order any additional documents or professional translations directly through the Reader interface! All services are provided by Landon IP, the global leader in professional patent-related support. You’ll save time by quickly requesting any document or service related to the file you’re currently reviewing through one central order form, and you’ll be guaranteed a high-quality final product from the patent professionals at Landon IP.

Continue reading to learn about the variety of services that you can request directly through the Patent Workbench^® Reader!

Patent Workbench®: So Much More than an Electronic File History

When you first work with Patent Workbench^®, you’ll realize that it’s nothing like an electronic patent file history.  By analyzing a patent file through the Patent Workbench^® Reader, you gain the following features that you wouldn’t have access to when analyzing a normal electronic or paper patent file history:

• A detailed Claims Matrix.
• Advanced search capabilities.
• Advanced navigation capabilities.
• A text comparison algorithm that allows you to compare claims in a variety of ways.

Continue reading to learn about each of these unique features that make Patent Workbench^® much more than just an electronic patent file history.

Secure Collaboration Options on Patent Workbench®

Attorneys working with patent file histories continuously need to share information with  colleagues and clients, and the Patent Workbench^® Reader fills this need through a variety of note and export functions:

• Anyone with access to Patent Workbench® Reader can add notes to the  PDF of the file history, Claims Matrix, file history information, and references, and users can view all notes centrally in the Notebook.
• Create a customized PDF of selected papers.
• Export a customized view of information about the file history.
• Export a Claim Tree into DOC format.
• Export a variety of Claims Reports.

Best of all, users of Patent Workbench^® Reader can easily collaborate through notes and document exports within a secure environment.  After the jump, learn how the information shared through Patent Workbench^® will only reach the eyes of trusted colleagues and clients.

A Multitude of Search Options on Patent Workbench® Reader

The Patent Workbench^® Reader provides you with a wide variety of search features, ranging from simple keyword searches to advanced command line search options, so that you can quickly locate any keyword or phrase within any section of the patent file history, attached references, user-added references, patent file history information, or user-added notes.  Keyword search options are available on almost every Patent Workbench^® Reader screen, so you can quickly locate terms of interest within the customized file history information views or the Claims Matrix.  The Patent Workbench^® Search Module allows you to search through some or all PDF documents (including the annotated file history and all references) and all user-added notes simultaneously, and you can view the results in a simple expandable list format of sentence fragments, organized by paper and section.  You can also view the highlighted results directly in the PDF viewer.  These search options on Patent Workbench^® Reader help you complete the claim construction and patent file history analysis process in a much quicker, more efficient manner.  Continue reading for a round-up of all search options included with the Patent Workbench^® Reader, and see how the search features can help you improve your patent file history analysis process!

Export A Variety of Claims Reports on Patent Workbench®

We’ve looked at the Claims Tools on the Patent Workbench^® Reader, which help patent attorneys to analyze all versions of the claims in a patent file history in a variety of ways:

• Construct a matrix comparing every version of all or selected claims through the Claims Matrix.
• View all changes that occurred to the claim from the time it was introduced until the time it became a patented claim or was cancelled in the Evolved Claim™ Report.
• Compare the text of two versions of the same claim or two completely different claims through the Claim Comparison tool.

Each of these Claims Tools allow the user to export various reports to Excel or Microsoft Word, which can then be easily shared with colleagues or clients. After the jump, read a round-up of all available export options from the Claims Tools!