a. The Figure details a method for educating the user and presenting him/her
with various choices in the time/cost domain. An educated user may make
better choices, so the process is more effective and possibly lower cost.
The menu and method may guide a user through the patenting process.
The user interface has a dual purpose: to provide information to the user,
and to receive a user's choice once the inventor has made his mind.

The system will then advise the user, by displaying the stages of filing a
patent application and pursuing the invention, further offering the user a
choice of activities to do and their cost, as a bidimensional Time/Cost
matrix (Stages to be performed in a Time 212 vs Cost 211 domain).

The info in the Figure may be displayed to the user as a computer menu.
The system thus presents a recommended action plan, with consecutive stages
to be performed, pending user's agreement.

b. The Stage axis displays recommended stages required to achieve a
user's goals. The stages are not mandatory, rather the user may choose
whether to perform or not each stage.

c. The Cost axis indicates various cost-related approaches. The user
indicates his basic approach for each stage, according to the importance he
attaches to that stage.
For example, for the Preliminary search stage, the options may be:

a. Do not search at all - the user may do it himself or may skip it

b. Free search - The system will indicate links for the user to search there

c. Search with our assistance in free databases - The patent agent's system
will assist the user, during free searches on the Internet

d. Search with our assistance in for-a-fee databases; search done by user

e. Search performed by patent agent's office, on a per-hour basis

f. The User is directed to a Search for a fee performed by another party,
such as the UK IPO or the European Patent Office EPO.

d. Each cell in the table may be an Internet link - by pressing it, the
presentation changes to display details for that option. For example,
Preliminary search - Free will display links to sites which offer this service.
Furthermore, explanations may be also displayed, to educate the inventor and
guide him/her through the complex patenting process.

As the user points to a specific Stage/Cost rectangle, a window will open
with more details: explanations, warnings, examples, cost estimates (range),
time to perform it estimates (range), etc.

e. The user, after choosing a suitable Stage/Cost rectangle, activates it to
Submit a Request for price quotation to the Patent agent's site.
Alternately, the Request may include a complete plan with a plurality of
activities chosen from the bidimensional display.

f. The agent may refuse to accept a specific work, for various reasons.
Methods for implementing a preliminary filtering may be automatically
performed at the inventor's computer (using software received from the agent)
or at the agent's site. If the agent does not accept the case, the dialog is
terminated. This may happen for example if the invention is outside of
specific criteria defined by that agent.

For example, an agent may not handle specific areas in which he does not
specialize or to prevent a conflict of interest; the agent may refuse to
accept a perpetual motion invention, etc.
This initial screening prevents an invention's unnecessary and premature
disclosure where it may not benefit the inventor.

The initial screening may be performed automatically at the agent's site,
using predefined criteria and a questionnaire presented to the inventor.

g. Further steps may be performed for the inventor and agent to get acquainted
with each other, as detailed in the present disclosure and, if both parties
agree, to disclose the invention and start work together according to a plan.

h. The patent agent's site (system) receives the Request and other relevant
info, such as details about the work to do, the invention and the inventor;
A price quotation is prepared accordingly and is sent to the user.

i. The user, if he accepts the price quotation, indicates his agreement,
which is then transformed into a specific work order for the Patent agent.