Automatic patent claim reader and computer-aided claim reading method

A method of analyzing a claim in a patent or patent application is disclosed, comprising retrieving a patent claim which has been rendered into a format parsable by a computer program into a computer memory; parsing the claim into a set of discrete elements; categorizing each element in the set of elements according to a predetermined rule; and storing a set of categorized elements in a data store. A parsing program executable in a computer may be used to parse the patent claim and, optionally, to identify one or more keyword sets in the parsed claim. A rating program may also be used to assign a rating weight to each categorized element. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.