Prior art

For US patent 11036371, the most relevant prior art consists primarily of its own family members, explicitly cited and incorporated by reference within the patent document itself. These applications form the direct lineage of the patent and disclose highly similar subject matter.

Here is an analysis of the key prior art references derived from the "RELATED APPLICATIONS" section of US11036371B2:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US11036371

1. U.S. Patent No. 9,817,562

   • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 9,817,562, titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Granted November 14, 2017 (based on application Ser. No. 15/243,497, filed Aug. 22, 2016).
   • Brief Description: This patent describes methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects (IOs) and information views (IVs). It focuses on packaging and visualizing information in a standardized format, allowing IOs to be viewed and modified differently on various IVs, and enhancing collaborative use of information through functions like object-based communication. Given that US11036371 is a continuation of this patent's application chain, the subject matter is highly similar.
   • Potential Claim Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As a direct parent in the continuation chain, U.S. Pat. No. 9,817,562 likely discloses much, if not all, of the subject matter claimed in US11036371. Therefore, it potentially anticipates many or all claims of US11036371, depending on the specific scope and new matter introduced (if any) in the later application.

2. U.S. Patent No. 9,524,090

   • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 9,524,090, titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Granted December 20, 2016 (based on application Ser. No. 14/664,178, filed Mar. 20, 2015).
   • Brief Description: This patent also covers methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects (IOs). It details the use of IOs as data files including other data files and metadata, and information views (IVs) for visualization, emphasizing customized formats and environments for specific tasks and collaboration. Being another direct parent, its disclosure is integral to the subsequent applications.
   • Potential Claim Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to U.S. Pat. No. 9,817,562, this patent is a direct ancestor and its comprehensive disclosure of information objects and views, and their management and exchange, very likely anticipates a significant portion of, or potentially all of, the claims in US11036371.

3. U.S. Patent No. 8,499,248

   • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,248, titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Granted July 30, 2013 (based on application Ser. No. 12/563,416, filed Sep. 21, 2009).
   • Brief Description: This patent further describes methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects. It introduces the core concepts of IOs and IVs for organizing and identifying information sources in various formats, incorporating advanced graphical user interfaces and functions for collaborative use, such as object-based communication and synchronized IOs across views.
   • Potential Claim Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As an earlier patent in the family, U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,248 contains foundational disclosures directly relevant to the core invention. It is highly probable that many, if not all, of the claims in US11036371 are anticipated by the disclosure of US8499248.

4. U.S. Patent No. 7,640,511

   • Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,511, titled "Methods and apparatus for managing and inferring relationships from information"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Granted December 29, 2009 (based on application Ser. No. 11/118,301, filed Apr. 29, 2005).
   • Brief Description: This patent details methods and apparatus for managing and inferring relationships from information. This is particularly relevant as US11036371 also discusses analyzing relations between information objects. It addresses deficiencies in conventional systems by analyzing relations (e.g., spatial, collaborative, chronological) between information sources associated with icons arranged by a user to determine other relevant information. This patent forms the basis for the relation manager (150) and related algorithms (155) described in US11036371.
   • Potential Claim Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is a critical ancestor, particularly for claims in US11036371 related to the analysis and inference of relationships between information objects. It very likely anticipates claims pertaining to the system's ability to analyze spatial, contextual, and chronological relationships between IOs and to identify related information.

5. U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,723

   • Full Citation: U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,723, titled "METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING AND INFERRING RELATIONSHIPS FROM INFORMATION"
   • Publication/Filing Date: Filed April 29, 2004.
   • Brief Description: This is the earliest priority document in the chain. It would have introduced the initial concepts for managing and inferring relationships from information, forming the fundamental disclosure upon which the entire patent family is built.
   • Potential Claim Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): As the priority document, this provisional application is fundamental. Any subject matter disclosed within this provisional application and carried forward into the subsequent non-provisional and continuation applications, including US11036371, would be considered anticipated by this earliest filing date. Therefore, it has the potential to anticipate a broad range of claims in US11036371, particularly those related to the core mechanisms of information management and relationship inference using information objects.