The Figure details an automatic method for assisting in comparing patents
and applications:

a. Decide which comparison to do: Rejection Search, to search for
closest prior art (in order to reject the present claims if possible) or
Acceptance Search, for different inventive concepts among the closest
patents, to support patentability of the present application.
Define comparison parameters, ie whether to only compare claims, or the
present claims with also inventive concepts in prior art, their drawings.
Define parameters for comparisons

b. For each claim in the present application (PA), in Boolean form, do
steps (c) to (e) below.
Manage comparisons to be performed in (c) to (e) and record results

c. find all the patents/applications close to PA, for example in the same
classes/subclasses, including predefined keywords etc.
Find patents and/or applications close to PA

d. for each of the close patents/applications in (c) or - for the whole
patents/applications database:
Manage correlate and recording

1) compare each claim with each claim in PA, both in Boolean form.
Compute a match indicator value, ie in the range 0 (totally different) to 100
(identical) according to the elements in each claim and a predefined
algorithm. Store match values above a predefined threshold, with pointers to
the close patent/application and the claim there, to which it relates, in a
first storage Claims_match.

2) compare each Invention with each claim in PA, both in Boolean form.
Compute a match indicator value, ie in the range 0 (totally different) to 100
(identical) according to the elements in each claim/invention and a
predefined algorithm. Store match values above a predefined threshold, with
pointers to the close patent/application and the Invention there, to which it
relates, in a second storage Inventions_match.

3) compare each drawing with each drawing in PA, both in mathematical
equation form (ie mesh topology).
Compute a match indicator value, ie in the range 0 (totally different) to 100
(identical) according to the elements in each drawing and the connections
between them, and a predefined algorithm. Store match values above a
predefined threshold, with pointers to the close patent/application and the
drawing there, to which it relates, in a third storage Drawings_match.

e. correlate the first, second and third storage values to find
patents which may be close or identical to the present application/patent.
Correlate the first, second and third storage values

Compile a list of "close" patents/applications, and the close elements
therein, for example:

claim no. 6 here is close to claim 22 in patent ....., closeness 77%
claim no. 6 here is close to invention 31 in patent ....., closeness 63%
Fig. 29 here is close to Fig. 7B in patent ....., closeness 61%

In one embodiment - compute cross-correlations among each group (Inventions,
drawings, claims) and between them to compile values of indices of closeness.

f. It is Acceptance Search? [4766] Then goto (h).
Acceptance Search? 4766

g. Present the results to user - display, print and/or store them.
Preferably, the list is arranged in a decreasing order of closeness, to bring
to attention first the most relevant of the prior art. End
Display the R-results (Rejection-related results)

h. Searching for patentable, distinguishable matter of the present
application, in the close prior art patents find above (in the description
and possibly drawings there).
The search may help find and distinguish novel, patentable matter in the
application.
A-Search performance on a subset

i. Display results: The prior art is arranged in a reverse order, with
closest matches last in the list.
Present new matter, that which is different from all the prior art, in a
reverse order: the most different first.
Display the A-results (Acceptance-related results)