LexisNexis Unveils Next Generation of Intellectual Property Research Technology With New Semantic Search "Brain"

LONDON, April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LexisNexis, a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions, today announced the debut of an innovative new semantic search "brain" for its full complement of intellectual property (IP) research products.

The next-generation semantic search technology identifies the meaning of multiple concepts within a single search query to help users zero in on core concepts faster and make fewer revisions to their search queries.

The technology will power the patent research and retrieval service LexisNexis(R) TotalPatent(TM), the automated patent application and analysis product LexisNexis(R) PatentOptimizer(TM), and IP research across patent and non-patent literature conducted on the flagship lexis.com(R) online legal research service.

Semantic search uses the science of meaning in language ("semantics") to produce highly relevant search results. LexisNexis launched its semantic search technology 18 months ago, significantly enhancing the search process for patent researchers through technology that delivers results based on an analysis of the meaning of the language used in search queries - not just the words themselves.

The new semantic search technology takes this science to the next level by enhancing its ability to identify multiple concepts contained within a single search query. Thus, if a patent researcher asks the LexisNexis search engine to find information about a complex subject, the new semantic brain will actually identify various possible ideas contained in that request and return related concepts for each idea in their query. The researcher can then review the concepts suggested, assign relative importance by weighting them, eliminate concepts that aren't related, and even add more concepts they think might be useful to the search project.

"We believe that the most important brain in the patent research process is the researcher's own brain," said Steven Errick, vice president of Research Information at LexisNexis. "When the user experience is combined with the semantic search capability, it becomes a powerful tool that can deliver the most precise and relevant patent search results available in the industry."

LexisNexis also introduced a series of enhancements to its award-winning TotalPatent service. The most notable addition is a new "Visualize & Compare" tool that allows users to compare and analyze any two or three result sets or lists of patents, regardless of the underlying search mechanism, for example a comparison between a Boolean search result and a semantic search result.

The new comparison capability not only highlights documents that were uniquely surfaced in one query or list versus another, but also serves as an important tool to assist researchers in analyzing and improving their overall search strategy and queries to find the most precise documents. The comparison tool will also give patent researchers greater confidence that they have executed the most comprehensive search possible, thereby lowering the risk of missing crucial documents.

To learn more about TotalPatent, please visit http://corporate.lexisnexis.com/totalpatent/.

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis(R) (http://www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions designed specifically for professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting, and academic markets. LexisNexis originally pioneered online information with its Lexis(R) and Nexis(R) services. A member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK] (http://www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis serves customers in more than 100 countries with 15,000 employees worldwide.