I'm going to profile the HowTo. I think with the results we will see which steps are most time-consuming, and thus we'll know where we can help most effectively. I'll also take into account which steps could be automated and which not.
I'll try to write down the steps such a way, so that we can see which steps are repetitive, which steps take longer and which are quickly done. I'll omit all explanations here, please take a look to the HowTo itself if you don't understand what I'm doing here.
Look up the patent at USPTO Patent Search (or European Patent Search)
If you know the patent-number, this could be completely automated
very depending on the patent and you. You should not hurry here!
no automation possible
no automation possible, havily depends on who does this. Possible aids are: Tools to aid your search, Osapa:Publication Categorization, Osapa:Request for Prior Art Mailinglist and Osapa:Tagging Prototype
depending on how much categories you found
could be partly automated, especially determining the publication date can be aided with Prior Art meta-search engine
can be aided with Prior Art meta-search engine and Prior Art meta-search engine
no automation possible
A.1(); // 10 minutes -- partly automation possible
A.2(); // 30 minutes to 5 hours -- no aid possible
list1 = B.1(); // 30 minutes to days -- partly automation possible
foreach( list1 )
{
list2 += B.2(); // 15 minutes -- partly automation possible
}
foreach( list2)
{
C.1(); // 10 - 30 minutes -- partly automation possible
C.2(); // 1 hour to days -- no automation possible
}