FORM - 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(Section 10, rule 13)
CONTRACT AUTHORING SYSTEM AND METHOD
Zycus Infotech Pvt. Ltd
an Indian Company registered under the provisions of the Companies Act. 1956,
with our Corporate office at
GJ-07, SEEPZ++, SEEPZ $EZ, Andheri (East),
Mumbai - 400096., Maharashtra, India.
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE NATURE OF THE INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED:
FIELD OF INVENTION:
Present invention relates to computer based system and method for contract authoring.
More particularly, the present invention provides techniques for contract authoring.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Contracts are often required in business-to-business transactions. As merely example, contracts are often required during procurement of materials and services. As another example, contracts are often required during sales process. As a result, enhanced techniques for contract authoring are desirable, which can facilitate business functions involving contracts. The present invention provides such techniques.
PRIOR ART:
US patent no. 5.794,053 relates to a software system that dynamically defines interface contracts for extracting data from a host system containing the data and transmitting the data to one of a plurality of external systems requesting the data. Said method and system is for dynamically creating user defined contracts between a host application and a receiving application requiring host data. Said invention is applicable to any situation where there is a need to establish a gateway between a host system and a plurality of external systems requiring data from the host system.
US patent application no. 20070226116 relates to a computer based system for use in managing a service level associated with resources in an information technology (IT) system based on financial terms comprising an automated electronic contract authoring

system (ecAuthoring system) operatively coupled to the manager module, operative to construct one or more electronic contracts that contain information pertaining to descriptions of one or more business transactions in IT terms, financial implications of one or more business transaction service levels, and reporting to be performed in the one or more financial terms wherein the plurality of ecAgents are respectively located in the plurality of elements or components through number of ecAgents and elements managed by the network being managed by the inventive system.
US patent application no. 20090216545 relates to contract authoring template creation and is directed generally to document processing, and in particular to contract authoring. Said invention system allows a contract administrator to define the attributes of a contract template, and then generates a user interface. The contract administrator modifies the contract template user interface attributes, and then the system creates and stores a modified contract template. Said modified contract template is subsequently rendered into a modified deal sheet user interface used by an end user to author a contract. Said invention method of authoring a contract provides a computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to author a contract by generating a contract template designer user interface that comprises a plurality of attributes; receives a request to modify one or more of the attributes; and creates a modified contract template based on the request.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
An object of the present invention is to provide a computer based system and method for
contract authoring.

Another object of the present invention is to provide techniques for contract authoring based on the contract documents received from external parties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
It is an object of the present invention is to provide a computer based system and method for contract authoring. More particularly, the present invention provides techniques for contract authoring which are based on the contract documents which are received from external parties. For example, these contract documents can be provided by the supplier (for procurement contract), the customer (for sales contract) and the like.
In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a computer based system for contract authoring is provided. The system comprises a processor unit. The system also comprises a computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor unit to perform (he step of receiving an external contract document in electronic form. The external contract document can comprise a plurality of text portions relating to a plurality of contract component types, respectively. Any contract component type can be a contract title, a section, a clause title, or a clause text. Moreover, the instructions are executable to perform the steps of accessing a knowledge base describing a plurality of text patterns which identify with the plurality of the contract component types, respectively; and processing the external contract document utilizing the knowledge base to automatically identify the plurality of the contract component types for the plurality of the text portions in the contract document, respectively. The instructions are also executable to perform the steps of displaying the external contract document on a

computer screen; and displaying indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified and that are associated with the plurality of the text portions in the contract document, respectively.
The present invention also provides associated methods for information extraction from the external contract document. Method and system for authoring the new contract document based upon the extracted information from the external contract document are also provided.
Conventionally, the computer assisted contract authoring techniques utilize pre-existing contract templates provided in the computer system. These conventional techniques have a drawback that they cannot utilize the contract documents which are received from the external parties as basis to author new contracts, because the templates for the external contract documents may not be pre-existing in the computer system. However, in practice it is often required to prepare a contracts based upon the contract documents received from the external parties. An aspect of the present invention is that it overcomes this drawback of the conventional techniques.
According to this invention, there is provided a computer based system for contract authoring, the system comprises:
a processor unit;
a computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor .
said medium further comprising:

document receiving means adapted for receiving an external contract document in
electronic form, the external contract document comprising a plurality of text portions relating to a plurality of contract component types, respectively, wherein a contract component type being a contract title, a section, a clause title, or a clause text;
accessing means adapted for accessing a knowledge base describing a plurality of text patterns which identify with the plurality of the contract component types. respectively;
processing means adapted for processing the external contract document utilizing the knowledge base to automatically identify the plurality of the contract component types for the plurality of the text portions in the contract document. respectively:
first display means adapted for displaying the external contract document on a computer screen; and
second display means adapted for displaying indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified and that are associated with the plurality of the text portions in the contract document, respectively.
Typically, said processing means includes font based processing means adapted for processing the external contract document based at least upon a font style and a relative frequency of the font style in the external contract document.
Typically, said processing means includes frequency based processing means adapted for processing the external contract document is based at least upon a relative frequency of a

font style that is different from the font style of the clause text and that precedes the clause text.
Typically, said processing means includes text based processing means adapted for processing the external contract document to identify clause text is based at least upon identifying a font style that occurs most in the contract document.
Typically, said processing means includes identification based processing means for processing the external contract document to identify section title based at least upon identifying a font style that is different from the font style of the clause text and that precedes the clause text most in the contract document.
Typically, said processing means includes font based identification processing means for processing the contract document to identify contract title comprises identifying a font style with the biggest font size in the contract document.
Typically, said display means includes pre-defined structure based indication means for indication, which indication comprises a tree structure showing separate component types and their inter-relations.
Typically, said indication means further comprises counting means for presenting a count of each separate component type that is identified in the external contract document.

Typically, said indication means further comprised reference means for presenting a reference to a specific portion of text that is identified with a specific instance of a component type.
Typically, said computer readable medium includes storage means adapted to store further instructions executable by the processor unit to perform the step of receiving user input to re-classify at least one portion of text in the contract document from a first component type to a second component type.
Typically, said computer readable medium includes storage means adapted to store further instructions executable by said processor unit to receive an action input to prepare a new contract document.
Typically, said computer readable medium includes selection means to select an action input, which action input comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of selecting a portion of text, deleting a portion of text, modifying a portion of text, and adding a portion of text.
Typically, said computer readable medium includes selection means to select an action input, which action input is provided by user utilizing the indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified in the external contract document.

These and other various objects, features, advantages, and benefits of the present invention can be more fully appreciated with reference to the detailed description and accompanying drawings that follow,
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings. These figures are exemplary and they should not unduly limit the scope of the invention. The figures are provided to aid thorough understanding of the invention. Based on the present teachings, person of ordinary skill in the art can contemplate various alternatives, variations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments within the scope of the invention disclosed herein.
Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary computer network environment appropriate for a specific embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary computer apparatus that can provide a computing platform to practice specific embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary schematic of a system for contract authoring according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary flow of steps in a method for contract authoring according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary computer screenshot which facilitates receiving external contract documents into the contract authoring system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary computer screenshot which facilitates presentation of information extracted from the contract document to user, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:
The following detailed description of the invention refers at various places to the accompanying drawings and specific environments, applications, platforms, examples, computer screenshots, and implementations. The detailed description is provided for thorough understanding of the present invention and is illustrative rather than limiting.
Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary networked computer system 100 which can provide an environment to practice certain specific embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, multiple end user computer systems 104 and multiple server computer systems 106 can be coupled to a computer network 102. For example, the computer network 102 can be a private network of the organization. In alternative embodiment, the computer network 102 can include the local area network (LAN); and in yet an alternative embodiment it can include the Internet. The end user computer systems 104 can include without limitation desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistant (PDAs), and smart phones. The computer systems 104. 106 etc. can exchange information using the computer network 102.

The servers 106 store digitized content which can be accessed (e.g., read, downloaded, searched, changed etc. as appropriate) over the computer network. A specific portion of the content is often identified using a hyperlink.
The content stored in one server can also be accessed by another server and by the end user computer system. Popular techniques for accessing the content include HTTP and (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (HypterText Transfer Protocol Secure), though other techniques can also be used. Access to some portions of the content may require authentication and/or authorization for access.
Depending upon embodiments of the present invention, the servers 106 and the computer systems 104 can be configured to perform certain acts. For example, the servers 106 and the computer systems 104 can incclude software which can facilitate performing these acts. These acts can include various acts performed by the "user interaction module", by the "information extraction module", by the "contract authoring module", for interaction between the "user interaction module" and the "information extraction module" and similar kind.
Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary implementation of any of the servers 106 or any of the end user computer system 104, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bus 202 permits communication among the components. The processor unit 204 may include one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, RISC processors, CISC processors etc. The processor unit can interpret and execute instructions. The memory unit 206 may include any type of one or more volatile storage devices, for example. random access memory (RAM). The memory unit 206 may in addition or alternatively include any type of one or more persistent storage devices, for example read only

memory (ROM), read write memory, hard disc, flash memory etc. The memory unit stores information and instructions for execution by the processor unit 204. The input devices 208 may include one or more mechanisms that permit an operator to input information, such as a keyboard, mouse, pen, magnetic drives, optical drives etc. The output devices 210 may include one or more mechanisms that output information to the operator, including a display, a printer, a speaker etc. The communication interface 212 may include any transceiver mechanism that enables communication with other devices and systems via a network. For example, the communication interface can include Ethernet interface, optical network interface, wireless interface etc.
Figure 3 illustrates an exemplarv schematic 300 of a system for contract authoring according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3. the system 300 comprises various modules. Each of these modules can be a hardware module, a software module, or combination thereof. Moreover, depending upon the embodiment, each of the modules can reside on a single computer system or can be distributed across a plurality of interconnected computers. The user interaction module 310 provides interface between user and machine, and performs acts such as receiving input from user and providing output to the user. In a specific embodiment, the user interaction modules implements user interface using a web browser. The information extraction module 320 can process the contract documents to extract and classify the portions of information in the documents. The contract authoring module 330 can perform various acts associated with assembling or preparing a contract.

An exemplary flowchart 400 illustrating steps in a method for contract authoring according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the method can receive a contract document in electronic form, at step 410. Preferably, the contract document is received from the external party. Notably, the template of the contract document is not pre-existing in the system. The template for a document in this context refers to a knowledge base of different portions of text in the document, which are classified into types such as clause, clause title, section title, contract title, definition etc. Preferably, the template facilitates selecting various portions of text from (he knowledge base to construct the contract document. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the receiving of the external contract document can be facilitated by way of input from the user in a computer screen (for example, as facilitated by the user interaction module 310). For example, the user can input reference to location in the computer memory (e.g., file path) or to location in the computer network (e.g., URL) from where the external contract document can be received.
An exemplary computer screenshot to facilitate receiving the external contract document is illustrated in Figure 5. Preferably, the received contract document is in a text readable form such as Microsoft Word document, PDF document. Rich Text Format (RTF), Text Format (txt), etc. Alternatively, techniques such as optica! character recognition (OCR) can be employed to convert the received contract document into text readable form.
The received external contract document typically comprises a plurality of clauses arranged in flowing paragraphs spanning multiple pages. The clauses can include

contractual terms, payment terms, references to other documents, etc. In an embodiment. the clauses are organized into sections and titles for improved readability.
An exemplary contract illustrated in Figure 6. shows contract title (610), section title (620). clause title (630). and clause text (640). In alternative embodiments, there may not be such organization and the clauses may be free flowing.
At step 420, the method can process the received contract document in order to extract clauses, sections and titles from it. In an embodiment of the present invention, the information extraction module (320) performs this extraction task. For the purpose of information extraction, the present invention utilizes certain heuristics. The heuristics can be pre-configured in the system. Users can also provide their own heuristics or alter the pre-configured heuristics to suit particular contract document.
An exemplary technique for information extraction based is described below:
1. The smallest unit of the contract is a clause.
2. One or more clauses may have clause titles.
3. Clauses may or may not be grouped into sections. The section may have a title.
4. A contract as a whole may have a title.
5. Clauses, clause titles, section titles, and contract title can be distinguished on the basis of font style. The font style can comprise one or more of font face, font family, font size. and font texture (bold, underlined, italics, and the like).
6. The text style that is found most frequently can be considered as clause text.
7. The text style that is found to precede the clause text most frequently can be
considered as the clause title.

8. If there is no specific text style preceding the clause text, check if the clause title is a
group of words in capita! case at beginning of the clause text.
9. If clause title is found, then the text style that is found to precede the clause title most
' of the times can be considered to be the section title.
10. The contract title can be the text which is found at the beginning of the document, or
it can be the text with the largest font size in the document.
Note that the specific heuristics described above is exemplary only. Alternative heuristics can also be used in addition to or in lieu of the specific technique described above. For example, in an embodiment, to the text string pattern matching can include identifying specific key words (as WHEREAS, Definitions, Indemnification. Payment, and the like) in the contract document to identify types for certain portions of text in the document. In an embodiment, the system can log various text string patterns that are manually classified by the user, based on which the system can generate new or modified versions of the existing heuristics.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the extracted information can be presented to user in a classified form. An exemplary computer screenshot of such information presentation is illustrated in Figure 6. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment the structure of the contract that is extracted or interpreted as described above is presented in the form of tree structure (650).
At step 430, the method facilitates the user to review the extracted information. It provides for the user to review the classification of text, rectify any mis-classified text, assign category to unclassified text and like.

Moreover, at step 440, the method facilitates contract authoring. For contract authoring, user can select, delete, and modify portions of text that are extracted and classified as above. User can also add additional portions of text to the contract template. Advantageously, the extraction and classification performed on external contract documents according to the present invention makes such contract authoring efficient, for example, compared to directly working with original external contract document. Such templates can also facilitate creation of future contracts which, for example, resemble to present contracts.
Accordingly, the present invention provides contract authoring system and method which can use external contract documents as basis. While specific embodiments are described herein, alternative embodiments will be apparent to person of ordinary skill in the art, in which one or more acts described herein can be modified, performed in different order, or omitted; without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, one or more acts can be added to those described herein. Such obvious alternatives and modifications are included within the scope of the present invention.

We claim;
1. A computer based system for contract authoring, the system comprising: a processor unit;
a computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor , said medium further comprising:
document receiving means adapted for receiving an external contract document in electronic form, the external contract document comprising a plurality of text portions relating to a plurality of contract component types, respectively, wherein a contract component type being a contract title, a section, a clause title, or a clause text;
accessing means adapted for accessing a knowledge base describing a plurality of text patterns which identify with the plurality of the contract component types. respectively;
processing means adapted for processing the external contract document utilizing the knowledge base to automatically identify the plurality of the contract component types for the plurality of the text portions in the contract document. respectively;
first display means adapted for displaying the external contract document on a computer screen; and
second display means adapted for displaying indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified and that are associated with the plurality of the text portions in the contract document, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing means includes font based processing means adapted for processing the external contract document based at least upon a font style and a relative frequency of the font style in the external contract document.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said processing means includes frequency based processing means adapted for processing the external contract document is based at least upon a relative frequency of a font style that is different from the font style of the clause text and that precedes the clause text.
4. The system of claim 1. wherein said processing means includes text based processing means adapted for processing the external contract document to identify clause text is based at least upon identifying a font style that occurs most in the contract document.
5. The system of claim 4. wherein said processing means includes identification based processing means for processing the external contract document to identify section title based at least upon identifying a font style that is different from the font style of the clause text and that precedes the clause text most in the contract document.
6. The system of claim 5. wherein said processing means includes font based
identification processing means for processing the contract document to identify contract
title comprises identifying a font style with the biggest font size in the contract document.

7. The system of claim 1. wherein said display means includes pre-defined structure based indication means for indication, which indication comprises a tree structure showing separate component types and their inter-relations.
8. The system of claim 7. wherein said indication means further comprises counting means for presenting a count of each separate component type that is identified in the external contract document.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein said indication means further comprised reference means for presenting a reference to a specific portion of text that is identified with a specific instance of a component lype,

10. The system of claim 7. wherein said computer readable medium includes storage means adapted to store further instructions executable by the processor unit to perform the step of receiving user input to re-classify at least one portion of text in the contract document from a first component type to a second component type.
11. The system of claim 1. wherein said computer readable medium includes storage means adapted to store further instructions executable by said processor unit to receive an action input to prepare a new contract document.
12. The system of claim 11. wherein said computer readable medium includes selection means to select an action input, which action input comprises at least one selected from

the group consisting of selecting a portion of text, deleting a portion of text, modifying a portion of text, and adding a portion of text.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said computer readable medium includes selection means to select an action input, which action input is provided by user utilizing the indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified in the external contract document.
14. A computer based method for contract authoring, the method comprising:
receiving an external contract document in electronic form, the external contract document comprising a plurality of text portions relating to a plurality of contract component types, respectively, wherein a contract component type being a contract title, a section, a clause title, or a clause text;
accessing a knowledge base describing a plurality of text patterns which identify with the plurality of the contract component types, respectively;
processing the external contract document utilizing the knowledge base to automatically identify the plurality of the contract component types for the plurality of the text portions in the contract document, respectively;
displaying the external contract document on a computer screen; and displaying indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified and that are associated with the plurality of the text portions in the contract document, respectively.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing the external contract document is based at least upon a font style and a relative frequency of the font style in the external contract document.
16. The method of claim 15. wherein the processing the external contract document is based at least upon a relative frequency of a font style that is different from the font style of the clause text and that precedes the clause text.
17. The method of claim 14. wherein the indication comprises a tree structure showing separate component types and their inter-relations.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the indication further comprises a count of each separate component type that is identified in the external contract document.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indication further comprises a reference to a specific portion of text that is identified with a specific instance of a component type.
20. The method of claim 14. further comprising authoring a contract document utilizing the indication of the plurality of the contract component types that are identified in the external contract document.