Best practices for patent prosecution quality control require, at a minimum, proofing cover pages and claims, as well as independently verifying patent term adjustments (PTA). But short deadlines and an overwhelming list of administrative or paralegal tasks can make it easy for these basic considerations to slip through the cracks.
The most effective quality controls, however, don’t depend on someone “finding time” to complete them. When accuracy is paramount, it’s essential to automate patent proofing and automate PTA verification as much as possible. When you automate patent proofing, you eliminate the manual performance checks that often lead to costly errors.
Black Hills AI’s Pipeline™ platform is designed to automate quality assurance in the patent grant process at every possible stage. The platform triggers proofing and PTA verification workflows upon patent grant, and the deliverables—signature-ready filing packages—are designed to minimize the back-and-forth that makes traditional review of newly granted patents slow, expensive, and easy to deprioritize.
The IP firms and corporate departments we work with are already integrating automated patent proofing and PTA verification into their workflows—and you can too.
Step 1: Connect Your Data Source
If your firm already uses Black Hills AI for docketing or for DocketSaver™, your patent grant data is already flowing through the Pipeline™ platform. No additional setup is required.
For firms using other patent efficiency tools or docketing systems, the platform can be configured to pull data directly from the USPTO or accept data feeds from your IP management software of choice, including Foundation IP, Patricia, CPI, AppColl, Memotech, Anaqua, and AltLegal. Data can also be pushed manually or via email notification.
Step 2: Automatic Triggers at Patent Grant
When the Pipeline™ platform receives a patent grant, both the proofing workflow and the PTA verification workflow are triggered automatically.
The system identifies the newly granted patent, retrieves the relevant documents and prosecution history, and queues both reviews without any human intervention. This automated patent proofing catches issues like missing antecedents or incorrect claim dependencies with proprietary OCR technology that is faster and more reliable than human review.
There is no manual initiation, no email request, and no risk of the review being overlooked during a busy week.
Step 3: Review Consolidated Results & Signature-Ready Packages
Results from both workflows are delivered through the Pipeline™ portal.
If errors are identified through the patent proofing workflow, the standard deliverable—a detailed proofing report—also includes a draft certificate of correction and a complete, signature-ready filing package.
If the PTA verification workflow identifies a discrepancy, the deliverable includes a signature-ready filing package with a petition requesting reconsideration of patent term adjustment.
In both cases, the signature-ready format is designed to eliminate the drafting and revision cycles that slow down traditional workflows. The practitioner receives a package that is ready for review and signature—not a list of issues that require additional work before filing. These packages virtually eliminate the need for additional revision cycles, increase the timeliness of corrections, and control costs by reducing internal paralegal hours.
For teams looking for more comprehensive patent drafting and prosecution tools, Black Hills’ Otto IP™ Suite integrates these workflows with many other solutions for complex legal challenges.
Step 4: Sign and File—or Let Black Hills AI Handle the Filing
At this stage, firms can review, sign, and file the signature-ready packages. And if you prefer a fully hands-off experience, the Black Hills AI paralegal team can assist and complete the filings once the packages have been signed—handling submission, confirmation, and follow-up.
This fully managed option means the entire process, from grant notification through correction or petition filings, can be handled by Black Hills AI with only the practitioner’s signature required.
By choosing to automate patent proofing, the process becomes streamlined, auditable, and consistent across your entire portfolio.
The Result: Best-Practice Compliance at Scale
By automating both patent proofing and PTA verification workflows at the patent grant receipt stage, your firm doesn’t just receive signature-ready filing packages. You’ll empower your team to maintain quality control best practices without adding staff or increasing internal process burdens.
When you automate patent proofing, human errors are caught while they’re still easy to fix, and PTA discrepancies are flagged while reconsideration is still available. Every granted patent gets the same level of scrutiny, regardless of volume or staffing levels.
Our exhaustive claim dependencies review and detailed client reports provide peace of mind for every grant.
Ready to See It in Action?
Black Hills AI is offering a free trial of both services for up to five recently granted patents. You can start a free trial today to see how our patent drafting tools and automated workflows can transform your practice. Visit www.blackhills.ai or contact the team (sales@blackhills.ai) to get started.