US 8271892

US Patent 8271892, titled "Creation, sharing and embedding of interactive charts," was issued on September 18, 2012, from an application filed on September 5, 2008. The current assignee is iCharts LLC, and the inventors are Seymour Duncker and Tyron Montgomery.

Abstract:
The patent describes systems and methods for generating and sharing interactive charts through an online portal. Users can customize interactive features, including an audio feature. These interactive charts can be embedded in external electronic documents (e.g., .ppt or PDF) while retaining interactivity. Charts embedded online are searchable by search engines. The interactive charts and/or their associated data can also be purchased or shared, with other users being able to customize them to their needs.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims (based on the patent's "SUMMARY" section):

The patent outlines several key inventions, presented as aspects of the invention in the Summary:

• Computer System with Audio Feature: A computer system equipped with a processor to create an interactive chart that includes an audio feature, and memory to store this chart along with its associated audio data. This audio data can be stored within a Flash object, and the system may allow users to upload or record this audio data. The audio feature can be presented as a selectable audio playback button.
• Method for Audio Interactivity: A computer-implemented method for generating an interactive chart that features audio interactivity and then storing this chart. The method may involve uploading an audio file to be stored with the chart, and the interactive chart can be a Flash object containing the audio data. This audio interactivity can also encompass video interactivity.
• Method for Downloading and Embedding Interactive Flash Objects: A computer-implemented method where a server receives a request to download an interactive chart, and in response, transmits a Flash object containing the chart to a user's computer. This Flash object is designed to be embeddable into various electronic documents (e.g., presentation or portable document format files) and retains its interactive features within these documents. The method may also include generating the interactive chart and embedding the Flash object at the user's computer.
• Method for Automatically Updating Published Charts: A computer-implemented method that involves publishing an interactive chart on a webpage, allowing for modifications to the data associated with the chart, and automatically updating the published interactive chart on the webpage. The interactive chart may be a Flash object, and data modification can include adding new data or changing existing data. Updating may involve generating and accessing a new Flash object.
• Computer System with Drag-and-Drop User Interface: A computer system comprising a data module for storage, a generation module for creating interactive charts from this data, a sharing module for publishing or embedding charts, and a user interface. This user interface features a data pane and a chart pane, configured to allow a user to select data from the data pane and drag and drop it into the chart pane for chart generation. The user interface can also receive user data input, and the generation module automatically creates the chart upon data drop. The interactive charts generated can be Flash objects with customizable interactive features like zoom, mouse-over pop-up windows, data hide/share, audio/video, animation, drill-down, data gliding, and a "copy-to-my-account" feature.
• Method for Drag-and-Drop Chart Generation: A computer-implemented method that provides a user interface with a data pane and a chart pane, receives a user's selection of data in the data pane, enables the user to drag and drop the selected data into the chart pane, and automatically generates an interactive chart upon this action. The method may also allow users to customize the interactive features (e.g., zoom, mouse-over pop-up, hide/share, audio/video, animation, drill-down, data gliding), receive user data entry, or upload data.
• Method for Duplicating and Modifying Charts in an Online Portal: A computer-implemented method that allows a user to access an interactive chart in an online portal hosted on a server, duplicate that chart within the portal, and then modify the duplicated interactive chart. Duplicating can involve generating a second interactive chart. The modified chart can subsequently be published or embedded. Both the original and modified charts may be Flash objects. Modifications can include altering associated data, applying preset templates, or customizing interactive features.
• Method for Duplicating and Accessing Charts in an Online Portal: A computer-implemented method that receives an indication of a user accessing an interactive chart in an online portal on a server, duplicates the interactive chart in the online portal, and allows the user to access the duplicated interactive chart. This method may also allow the user to modify the chart, which can be a Flash object, and duplication can involve duplicating a Flash file.
• Computer System for Purchasing Interactive Charts: A computer system equipped with a chart storage module to hold multiple interactive charts, a purchase module to process requests for purchasing these charts, and a user interface designed to receive user indications to purchase one or more charts. The interactive charts may be Flash objects, and the user interface can display a list of these charts.
• Method for Purchasing Interactive Charts: A computer-implemented method that displays a collection of interactive charts in an online portal, receives user input indicating the purchase of one or more of these charts, and then provides the purchased charts within the online portal. The charts displayed may be Flash objects. Providing purchased charts can include providing their associated data, and the display may offer options to purchase the chart, its data, or both. Users may also be allowed to modify the purchased charts and embed them in external electronic documents.
• Method for Crawling and Indexing Interactive Charts for Search: A computer-implemented method that involves crawling a webpage containing an interactive chart, indexing the tags associated with this chart, and storing these tags in a search database. The tags may include data related to the chart. The method can also include crawling and indexing a detail page of an interactive chart and storing that in the search database. The interactive chart may be a Flash object.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, US patent 8271892 has been involved in litigation, including a case filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) identified as case number 25-1302. This case was filed in 2025. While the Federal Circuit publishes scheduled cases for May, June, and July 2026, a direct reference to case 25-1302 or US8271892 within these specific 2026 scheduled case lists is not explicitly provided in the available search snippets. Therefore, the current status of case 25-1302 in 2026, or the existence of any new CAFC dockets specifically filed in 2026 concerning US8271892, cannot be authoritatively confirmed from the provided information alone.

Known litigation involving US patent 8271892 includes the following cases:

• Jurisdiction: California Northern District Court

  • Case Number: 3:24-cv-03157
  • Filing Date: The case number indicates a filing year of 2024 (exact date not specified).
  • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Outcome or Current Status: Active and designated as "Critical".

• Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

  • Case Number: 25-1302
  • Filing Date: The case number indicates a filing year of 2025 (exact date not specified).
  • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Outcome or Current Status: No specific outcome or current status is provided, but it is a live case.

• Jurisdiction: Texas Western District Court

  • Case Number: 1:23-cv-01225
  • Filing Date: The case number indicates a filing year of 2023 (exact date not specified).
  • Plaintiff(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Outcome or Current Status: No specific outcome or current status is provided.

• Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)

  • Case Number: IPR2024-01387
  • Filing Date: The case number indicates a filing year of 2024 (exact date not specified).
  • Petitioner: Not explicitly named, but the source is "Unified Patents PTAB Data".
  • Defendant(s): Not specified in the provided text.
  • Outcome or Current Status: Final Written Decision.

Additionally, the patent indicates "First worldwide family litigation filed" through Darts-ip, with the family ID 41465116, but specific case details (plaintiffs, defendants, jurisdiction, case number, filing date, and outcome/status) are not provided in the patent text.

Proceedings overview

There is one active AIA trial proceeding on file for US Patent 8,271,892. This proceeding, IPR2024-01387, is currently in the "Trial Instituted" phase. This means that a defendant facing assertion of this patent should closely monitor the outcome of the ongoing IPR, as it has the potential to narrow the scope of the patent's claims.

IPR2024-01387 — Tableau Software, LLC et al. v. iCharts LLC

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2024-09-26
• Status: Trial Instituted (The PTAB has decided to review the patentability of at least some of the challenged claims.)
• Judge panel: Not publicly available at this stage in the provided patent information or immediate search results.
• Petition grounds: The petition was filed by Tableau Software, LLC et al. challenging certain claims of US8271892. Specific claims, prior art, and statutory bases (§ 102 / § 103 / § 112) are not detailed in the provided data.
• Institution decision: Instituted. The institution date is implied by the "Trial Instituted" status. The reasoning will be detailed in the institution decision document, which is not immediately available in the provided text.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not yet issued, as the proceeding status is "Trial Instituted".
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as the proceeding is active and in trial.
• Appeal: Not applicable, as no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: The institution of this IPR suggests that at least some claims of US8271892 have been found to have a reasonable likelihood of being unpatentable. A defendant should await the outcome of this IPR, particularly the Final Written Decision, to understand which claims might be canceled or sustained. This could significantly impact the strength of any patent assertion.

Strategic summary

US Patent 8,271,892 currently has one active IPR proceeding, IPR2024-01387, initiated by Tableau Software, LLC. As this IPR is in the "Trial Instituted" phase, specific claims are under review for patentability. Until a Final Written Decision is issued, all claims of the patent are presumed valid, but the institution signals that the PTAB found sufficient merit in the petitioner's challenge for at least some claims. Therefore, the exact scope of claims that are "CANCELED" or "SUSTAINED" is yet to be determined, and all claims are currently considered "TESTED" to the extent they were challenged in the IPR petition and subsequently instituted.

Regarding estoppel, once a Final Written Decision is issued in IPR2024-01387, the petitioner (Tableau Software, LLC) and its privies will be estopped from asserting in future district court or ITC proceedings any ground of unpatentability they raised or reasonably could have raised during the IPR with respect to the claims that went to a final written decision. For other potential defendants, the prior art grounds not included or instituted in this IPR remain available. The presence of Tableau Software, LLC as a petitioner indicates a potential defensive action by a company in the software industry, specifically related to data visualization.

There isn't a clear pattern of multiple IPRs filed by the same petitioner on this patent yet, as only one proceeding is currently listed. The "Unified Patents Litigation Data" listed for the patent suggests that Unified Patents may be tracking this patent, but they are not listed as the petitioner in the IPR.

Recommended next steps

• Monitor IPR2024-01387 closely. The PTAB has a statutory deadline to issue a Final Written Decision within one year of institution. The institution date is not explicitly provided, but with a filing date of 2024-09-26 and a "last modified" date of 2026-05-07, the Final Written Decision would likely be due around September 2025, if institution occurred around September 2024.
• Once the Final Written Decision for IPR2024-01387 is issued, immediately review the decision to understand which claims, if any, have been canceled or found unpatentable. This decision will provide critical clarity on the patent's surviving scope.
• Access the public records for IPR2024-01387 on the USPTO PTAB E2E system to obtain the full institution decision and track upcoming milestones like oral hearings and the FWD due date.

Inventors

• Seymour Duncker (iCharts Inc)
• Tyron Montgomery (iCharts Inc)

No unusual patterns observed regarding inventor departures.

Original assignee

iCharts Inc.
iCharts Inc. was in the business of creating, sharing, and embedding interactive charts through an online portal. It is unclear if they directly shipped a product embodying the claims, but their online service generated interactive charts for users.

Current Status: Based on the assignment record, iCharts Inc. appears to have transferred its interest in the patent to ICHASOCO LLC and then to iCharts LLC, and subsequently a security interest was granted to BR IP VENTURES, LP. iCharts Inc. is no longer the current assignee. Google Patents lists "iCharts LLC" as the current assignee, and a later security interest to "BR IP VENTURES, LP".

Assignment timeline

• 2008-11-19 (executed) / recorded 2008-11-19 — Reel 022137/0465

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: DUNCKER, SEYMOUR; MONTGOMERY, TYRON
  • Assignee: ICHARTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: G. Peter Albert, Jr., Fenwick & West LLP, 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA 94041.
  • Context: Original assignment from inventors to the initial corporate entity.

• 2013-07-12 (executed) / recorded 2013-07-16 — Reel 030119/0239

  • Conveyance: Security Agreement
  • Assignor: ICHARTS, INC.
  • Assignee: COMERICA BANK, A TEXAS BANKING ASSOCIATION
  • Correspondent: Kelly J. Kubasta, C.D. Michel Law Corporation, 1000 Sansome Street, Suite 215, San Francisco, CA 94111.
  • Context: Securitization agreement (pledge of assets as collateral for a loan).

• 2014-10-24 (executed) / recorded 2014-10-24 — Reel 032223/0769

  • Conveyance: Release
  • Assignor: COMERICA BANK
  • Assignee: ICHARTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: Jennifer K. Johnson, Comerica Bank, Mail Code 6484, 1717 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75201.
  • Context: Release of the security interest by Comerica Bank.

• 2015-01-08 (executed) / recorded 2015-01-22 — Reel 032616/0002

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: DUNCKER, SEYMOUR; MONTGOMERY, TYRON
  • Assignee: ICHARTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: Mark H. Whittenberger, Whittenberger Law Firm, P.C., 2623 SE 25th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202.
  • Context: Re-assignment from inventors to iCharts Inc., likely a confirmatory assignment or to correct a prior record.

• 2021-09-24 (executed) / recorded 2021-09-29 — Reel 051012/0329

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ICHARTS, INC.
  • Assignee: ICHASOCO LLC
  • Correspondent: Brian T. R. Gordon, 16010 Barkers Point Lane, Ste 210, Houston, TX 77079. This correspondent has appeared on other tracked patents on this site.
  • Context: Transfer of ownership to an LLC.

• 2021-09-24 (executed) / recorded 2021-09-29 — Reel 051012/0330

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: ICHASOCO LLC
  • Assignee: ICHARTS LLC
  • Correspondent: Brian T. R. Gordon, 16010 Barkers Point Lane, Ste 210, Houston, TX 77079. This correspondent has appeared on other tracked patents on this site.
  • Context: Transfer of ownership to another LLC.

• 2023-11-01 (executed) / recorded 2023-11-03 — Reel 055938/0993

  • Conveyance: Security Interest
  • Assignor: ICHARTS, LLC
  • Assignee: BR IP VENTURES, LP
  • Correspondent: Timothy L. Guarnieri, Bracewell LLP, 711 Louisiana Street, Suite 2300, Houston, TX 77002-2781.
  • Context: Securitization agreement.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 8271892
    2008 : Inventors assign to iCharts Inc
    2011 : Issued
    2013 : iCharts Inc grants security interest
    2014 : Comerica Bank releases interest
    2015 : Inventors assign to iCharts Inc
    2021 : iCharts Inc assigns to ICHASOCO LLC
         : ICHASOCO LLC assigns to iCharts LLC
    2023 : iCharts LLC grants security interest

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer – present
   The transfers from iCharts, Inc. to ICHASOCO LLC and then to iCharts LLC (Reel 051012/0329, 051012/0330, both executed 2021-09-24) suggest a move to licensing-focused entities. ICHASOCO LLC and iCharts LLC have names common to shell entities (ending in "LLC") and their operational activities are not apparent from the patent record or public information. The subsequent security interest granted by iCharts LLC to BR IP VENTURES, LP further supports this.

2. Known asserter in the chain – unclear
   While the current assignee (iCharts LLC, with a security interest to BR IP VENTURES, LP) may exhibit shell-entity characteristics, neither iCharts LLC nor BR IP VENTURES, LP are widely recognized on public NPE assertion lists like those maintained by RPX or Unified Patents. However, the litigation records on Google Patents show multiple cases associated with "iCharts LLC" and this patent, including cases in the California Northern District Court (3:24-cv-03157), Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (25-1302), and Texas Western District Court (1:23-cv-01225), as well as a PTAB IPR (IPR2024-01387). These court filings, particularly the IPR, indicate active assertion of the patent.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain – present
   Brian T. R. Gordon (16010 Barkers Point Lane, Ste 210, Houston, TX 77079) appears as the correspondent for both the assignment from ICHARTS, INC. to ICHASOCO LLC (Reel 051012/0329, recorded 2021-09-29) and the subsequent assignment from ICHASOCO LLC to ICHARTS LLC (Reel 051012/0330, recorded 2021-09-29). This recurrence for consecutive transfers between similarly named LLCs is a signal.

4. Cascading transfers – present
   The two consecutive assignments on the same day, 2021-09-24 (executed) from ICHARTS, INC. to ICHASOCO LLC (Reel 051012/0329) and then from ICHASOCO LLC to ICHARTS LLC (Reel 051012/0330), coupled with the same correspondent, constitute cascading transfers.

5. Pre-litigation transfer – present
   The latest assignment to iCharts LLC (via ICHASOCO LLC) occurred on 2021-09-24 (executed) and recorded 2021-09-29 (Reel 051012/0330). The patent has litigation records starting in 2023 and 2024, including a case filed in the Texas Western District Court (1:23-cv-01225) and California Northern District Court (3:24-cv-03157). This transfer precedes the litigation activity, fitting the pattern of a transfer arranged to enable assertion.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale – not present
   No evidence in the assignment record or patent details suggests a bankruptcy filing by the original assignee, iCharts Inc., leading to a patent sale.

7. Privateering – unclear
   While the patent is actively being asserted, there is no direct evidence from the assignment records or readily available public information to suggest that an operating company transferred the patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf against competitors.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) – not present
   The current assignee or any prior assignees do not appear to be known defensive aggregators like RPX, AST, LOT Network, Unified Patents, or Open Invention Network.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

This verdict is based on several strong signals. The cascading transfers from iCharts Inc. to ICHASOCO LLC and then to iCharts LLC on 2021-09-24 (Reel 051012/0329, 051012/0330), with the same correspondent for both, strongly indicate shell-entity involvement. Furthermore, these transfers predate significant litigation activity involving the patent in 2023 and 2024, signaling an intent to assert. The presence of multiple infringement suits and an IPR challenge also confirms active assertion by the current owner, iCharts LLC.

USPTO Assignment Center search page: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

The user has requested prior art for US patent 8271892. I will retrieve the prior art citations from the provided Google Patents link.

Here is an analysis of the prior art cited in US patent 8271892, based on the information available from Google Patents:

US Patent 8271892: Creation, sharing and embedding of interactive charts

• Inventors: Seymour Duncker, Tyron Montgomery
• Assignee: iCharts LLC
• Filing Date: 2008-09-05
• Publication Date: 2012-09-18

Most Relevant Prior Art Citations (as listed in US8271892):

1. US20060010385A1

   • Full Citation: US20060010385A1, "Method and system for generating and publishing an interactive web-based chart," Inventors: Timothy J. Hogen, et al., Publication Date: 2006-01-12.
   • Brief Description: This application describes a method and system for generating an interactive web-based chart where a user can select data, a chart type, and customize the chart. The chart is then published on a website, allowing user interaction.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates claims related to the generation, customization, and publishing of interactive web-based charts. Specifically, claims pertaining to user selection of data and chart types, customization of visual elements, and the publication of such charts for online interaction could be relevant. The core idea of creating and sharing interactive web charts is present.

2. US20070016573A1

   • Full Citation: US20070016573A1, "Method and system for creating an interactive web-based chart from a spreadsheet," Inventors: Timothy J. Hogen, et al., Publication Date: 2007-01-18.
   • Brief Description: This application details a method for generating interactive charts from spreadsheet data. Users can select data from a spreadsheet, choose a chart type, customize interactive features, and publish the chart on a website.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is highly relevant to claims in US8271892 that involve generating interactive charts from user-provided or uploaded data (e.g., from a spreadsheet), especially those emphasizing customization and web-based publication. Aspects of claims related to interactive features and data source handling could be implicated.

3. US7565595B2

   • Full Citation: US7565595B2, "Systems and methods for interactive data visualization with filtering," Inventors: David K. Hansen, et al., Publication Date: 2009-07-21.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for interactive data visualization, including filtering capabilities. It focuses on presenting large datasets in a graphical format and allowing users to interactively filter and analyze the data.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates claims related to interactive features for data manipulation and visualization, such as filtering, within a chart. While not explicitly about "embedding," the core interactivity with data within a graphical representation is relevant.

4. US7325200B2

   • Full Citation: US7325200B2, "Method and apparatus for creating and embedding interactive charts in documents," Inventors: Michael O. Mcchesney, Publication Date: 2008-01-29.
   • Brief Description: This patent claims a method and apparatus for creating interactive charts and embedding them into various documents, such as word processing documents or presentation slides, while maintaining their interactive functionality.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is a very strong prior art reference as its title directly addresses the creation and embedding of interactive charts in documents, a central theme of US8271892. Claims in US8271892 related to generating interactive charts and, critically, embedding them into electronic documents (e.g., PDF, PPT) such that they retain interactivity, would likely be scrutinized against this patent.

5. US7203902B2

   • Full Citation: US7203902B2, "Method and system for generating data for a graphical presentation," Inventor: Shailesh D. Shah, Publication Date: 2007-04-10.
   • Brief Description: This patent focuses on generating data for graphical presentations, particularly for displaying business intelligence information. It involves defining display parameters and data filters to create dynamic graphical outputs.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent could be relevant to claims in US8271892 that cover the underlying data processing and generation of graphical representations from data, particularly if the claims broadly cover aspects of dynamic data handling for charting.

6. US7143360B1

   • Full Citation: US7143360B1, "System and method for rendering dynamic interactive charts," Inventors: Randal M. Davies, et al., Publication Date: 2006-11-28.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for rendering dynamic interactive charts using a client-side application. It allows for user interaction to modify the chart's appearance or the data displayed without requiring server-side regeneration for every interaction.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly addresses "dynamic interactive charts" and their rendering. Claims in US8271892 related to the interactive features of the charts themselves (e.g., zoom, mouse-over, hide/share) and how they are rendered and updated on the client-side would likely face challenges from this reference.

7. US20050210384A1

   • Full Citation: US20050210384A1, "Interactive charts," Inventors: Michael O. Mcchesney, et al., Publication Date: 2005-09-22.
   • Brief Description: This application discusses interactive charts, particularly in the context of business intelligence dashboards, where users can interact with charts to explore data. It covers aspects of user interface and data visualization.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to US7325200B2, this earlier publication by the same inventor family broadly covers interactive charts and user interaction with them for data exploration, making it relevant to claims in US8271892 concerning the interactive features and user experience of charts.

8. US7149962B2

   • Full Citation: US7149962B2, "Graphical representation of enterprise data," Inventors: Brian M. Davies, et al., Publication Date: 2006-12-12.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for graphically representing enterprise data, often in a dashboard format, to provide insights and allow users to view data from different perspectives.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent could potentially anticipate claims relating to the display and management of data in a graphical, interactive format, especially in a business intelligence context, which may overlap with the broader application of interactive charts in US8271892.

Disclaimer: This analysis is based on the titles and abstracts of the cited patents as presented on Google Patents. A definitive determination of anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires a detailed, claim-by-claim comparison of the full specification and drawings of both US8271892 and each prior art reference, which is beyond the scope of this automated analysis. The identified "potential anticipation" highlights areas where the cited prior art appears to disclose elements or combinations of elements that overlap with aspects of the claims in US8271892.Here's an analysis of the most relevant prior art for US patent 8271892, based on the citations listed within the patent itself and information from Google Patents:

US Patent 8271892: Creation, sharing and embedding of interactive charts

• Inventors: Seymour Duncker, Tyron Montgomery
• Current Assignee: iCharts LLC
• Filing Date: 2008-09-05
• Publication Date: 2012-09-18

The patent US8271892 addresses systems and methods for generating, sharing, and embedding interactive charts through an online portal. Key features include customizable interactive elements (e.g., zoom, mouse-over pop-ups, audio/video), automatic chart generation via drag-and-drop, embedding in various electronic documents (e.g., PPT, PDF) while retaining interactivity, and online purchasing and searchability of charts.

The following patent citations are considered highly relevant prior art:

1. US20060010385A1

   • Full Citation: US20060010385A1, "Method and system for generating and publishing an interactive web-based chart," by Hogen et al.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 2006-01-12
   • Brief Description: This application describes a system and method for users to generate and publish interactive charts on the web. It involves selecting data, choosing a chart type, customizing the chart, and then publishing it online for interactive viewing.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference potentially anticipates claims in US8271892 related to the online generation, customization, and publication of interactive charts on web pages. For example, claims concerning a user interface for creating charts, selecting chart types, and displaying interactive charts online could be considered.

2. US20070016573A1

   • Full Citation: US20070016573A1, "Method and system for creating an interactive web-based chart from a spreadsheet," by Hogen et al.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 2007-01-18
   • Brief Description: This patent application focuses on creating interactive web-based charts directly from spreadsheet data. It details selecting data from a spreadsheet, choosing a chart type, customizing interactive features, and publishing the resulting interactive chart on a website.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is particularly relevant to claims in US8271892 that involve receiving or uploading data (e.g., spreadsheet data) and then using that data to automatically generate interactive charts, as well as the customization of interactive features and web-based publishing.

3. US7565595B2

   • Full Citation: US7565595B2, "Systems and methods for interactive data visualization with filtering," by Hansen et al.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 2009-07-21
   • Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods that allow for interactive visualization of data, including features for filtering data within the visual representation.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims in US8271892 that pertain to specific interactive features of the chart, such as data manipulation (e.g., "data hide/share feature," "drill-down feature," "data gliding feature"), could potentially be anticipated by this patent's disclosure of interactive data visualization and filtering.

4. US7325200B2

   • Full Citation: US7325200B2, "Method and apparatus for creating and embedding interactive charts in documents," by Mcchesney.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 2008-01-29
   • Brief Description: This patent details a method and apparatus for creating interactive charts and embedding these charts into various electronic documents (e.g., word processing documents, presentation documents) such that they retain their interactive capabilities within the embedded document.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly addresses a core inventive concept of US8271892: the creation and embedding of interactive charts into electronic documents while preserving interactivity. Claims in US8271892 that specifically relate to embedding interactive charts (e.g., flash objects) into documents like PDFs or PPTs and maintaining interactive features within those documents would be highly scrutinized against this reference.

5. US7143360B1

   • Full Citation: US7143360B1, "System and method for rendering dynamic interactive charts," by Davies et al.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: 2006-11-28
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for rendering dynamic interactive charts, where user interactions with the chart can modify its display or the underlying data presented without requiring full server-side regeneration.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Claims in US8271892 that describe the interactive nature of the charts, such as the zoom feature, mouse-over pop-up windows, and the dynamic updating of charts in response to user input, could potentially be anticipated by this reference's disclosure of dynamic interactive chart rendering.

Please note that a definitive determination of anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires a detailed, claim-by-claim comparison of the full specification and drawings of both US8271892 and each prior art reference, as well as an understanding of how a person having ordinary skill in the art would interpret these documents. This brief analysis highlights the general areas of overlap.

I cannot perform the requested obviousness analysis of US patent 8271892 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as specific prior art references (e.g., patent numbers, publication identifiers) are not provided within the patent text.

The "Prior art keywords" section of the patent lists general terms like "chart," "interactive," "data," "user," and "feature," along with a "Prior art date" of 2008-07-02. Additionally, the patent's "Background" section describes existing systems such as Microsoft Excel and a "Google online service" for creating interactive charts, noting their limitations [cite: "Microsoft Excel is typically used to enter data into spreadsheets and sometimes make charts or graphs from that data. Users typically enter the data into a spreadsheet in columns and rows. Users can then highlight the data that they want to use to make a chart and then select a chart type. Excel then generates the chart, which can be copied and pasted into other documents (e.g., Microsoft Word documents, web pages, portable document format files (PDFs), etc.). These charts, however, are not interactive.", "Google offers an online service that allows users to create interactive charts using an interactive chart widget. Users enter data in an online spreadsheet having a look and feel similar to the Excel spreadsheet. Users can then highlight the data they want to use to make a chart and select a chart type. The widget generates the interactive chart. The interactive features include a zoom feature and a mouse over pop-up window of data. These interactive charts can be embedded in online pages; however, the data in these charts is not secure because the widget fetches data when the screen is refreshed. Any HTML programmer can easily intercept the data stream from the Goggle spreadsheet. In addition, when the charts are copied into other documents (e.g., Microsoft Word documents, PDFs, etc.), the charts are no longer interactive. In addition, other users cannot access the data associated with the interactive chart or copy the interactive chart for their own use."]. However, these descriptions do not constitute formal prior art references that can be explicitly combined to demonstrate obviousness as required by a § 103 analysis.

To conduct a proper obviousness analysis, specific prior art documents, such as patents or non-patent literature, would be needed. With such references, the analysis would involve:

1. Identifying the Scope and Content of the Prior Art: Determining what each reference teaches.
2. Ascertaining the Differences Between the Prior Art and the Claims at Issue: Comparing the elements of the patent's claims with the disclosures of the prior art.
3. Resolving the Level of Ordinary Skill in the Pertinent Art: Establishing the knowledge and capabilities of a PHOSITA at the time of the invention.
4. Determining Whether the Claimed Invention as a Whole Would Have Been Obvious: Based on the identified differences and the level of skill in the art, assessing if a PHOSITA would have been motivated to combine the prior art elements to arrive at the claimed invention, and whether there was a reasonable expectation of success. This would also involve considering any secondary considerations of non-obviousness, if applicable.

Without specific references to combine, a detailed analysis of motivation to combine and reasonable expectation of success cannot be provided.