Introduction

Patent law requires precision.

Before an attorney can evaluate a potential case, they need to collect highly technical details, invention disclosures, prior art information, inventor backgrounds, filing history, and supporting documents.

Traditional intake is slow, inconsistent, and often confusing for inventors — especially first-time filers who struggle to explain their invention clearly.

AI tools like Retriever help patent attorneys gather accurate disclosures, organize technical information, review documents, and screen cases for viability automatically.

Challenges in Patent Law Intake

Patent attorneys frequently deal with:

• Inventors who struggle to explain their invention clearly

• Missing diagrams, prototypes, CAD files, or drawings

• Incomplete technical descriptions

• Confusion about prior art

• Long interviews (often 60–120 minutes)

• Complex timelines

• Multiple inventors with different information

• Non-viable ideas consuming hours of attorney time

AI intake solves these bottlenecks.

What Is Retriever?

Retriever is an AI intake and case assessment assistant that conducts the first conversation with inventors, collects structured technical information, reviews uploaded files, and screens the invention for patentability criteria defined by your firm.

How AI Improves Intake for Patent Attorneys

1. Capturing Technical Invention Details

Retriever collects:

• purpose and function

• components

• processes

• improvements over existing solutions

• unique features

• technical specifications

It breaks complex descriptions into structured data.

2. Prior Art Context & Screening

AI helps identify potential issues early:

• similarities to known products

• public disclosures

• competing patents

• novelty/obviousness concerns

• timing issues (first sale, first disclosure)

This saves hours of review.

3. Document Collection & Extraction

Clients can upload:

• drawings

• diagrams

• CAD files

• prototypes

• lab notes

• emails

• previous filings

Retriever extracts relevant facts and links them to the invention description.

4. Multiple-Inventor Coordination

Retriever gathers:

• individual contributions

• background info

• timelines

• communication history

Useful for complex collaborative inventions.