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"Visualize" Patent Statistics Through New USPTO Site

By Peter Zura

The Office announced today the launch of the beta version of a USPTO Data Visualization Center on its Web site that introduces the"patents dashboard."  This tool is intended to give the public access to traditional measures of pendency as well as several new pendency tracking measures.

The dashboard introduces six new measures of pendency designed to give a better overall picture of the contributions of different parts of the examination process to application pendency.  For example, the traditional measure of total pendency measure ends with the filing of an RCE.  Now a new measure, called ?Traditional Total Pendency Including RCEs,? looks at pendency of applications from filing of the original application to ultimate disposal of that same application, including any additional time attributable to RCE filings.  Similar measures are provided relative to divisional applications and other types of continuation practice.  The site also provide information about pendency for applications in appeal practice. 

While a work in progress, the site will be a very handy tool for those looking to get PTO statistics for research and/or client counseling.  Ironically, the "dashboard" presents statistics in the likeness of a speedometer gauge, which gives the impression that the "faster" you go, the "slower" the USPTO operates.  This observation is not lost on Director Kappos, who remarked in his blog

We hope you find the car dashboard metaphor helpful and attractive.  While we recognize that data visualization experts may prefer other formats, the dashboard metaphor conveys information succinctly, and gives us all something to start with.  However we appreciate that all metaphors have their limits -- for instance the speedometer format is certainly not intended to convey that a higher backlog is better.  

 The PTO intends to further refine the dashboard and is seeking input about ways we can improve it.  A dedicated mailbox has been set up for comments and the Office intends to monitor all feedback carefully.   

Visit The USPTO Data Visualization Center

Read remarks from Director Kappos in his recent blog entry.

Full post as published by Two-Seventy-One Patent Blog on September 07, 2010 (boomark / email).