@jonah-soundhound-com
Agreed! I have a task to "Pay foreign associate," although it could be more generally "Pay vendor," such as draftsman. I'd like to be able to store the vendor's invoice number and invoice amount in the Task, then use those fields in generating e-mail messages. It would be even more useful if Tasks were augmented to be able to Create Form Letters (for example, as Matter Detail pages can do). Then, I could print the vendor's check from the Task, and print a payment cover letter from the Task, and send the vendor a payment advice via e-mail, all from the Task. Some of this would require expanding the number of fields that return values in Tasks. For example, currently {Matter.ForeignAssociate} returns a value, but {Matter.ForeignAssociate.Company} and {Matter.ForeignAssociate.Street} do not return values within a Task.

This situation is a reason to support multi-level fields, such as {Task.Matter.ForeignAssociate} or {Task.Matter.ForeignAssociate.Company} or {Task.Matter.ForeignAssociate.Street}.

Another useful user field would be check number, to record the check with which I paid the vendor. All these fields could, of course, be user-defined, as Jonah suggests. But, the number of fields that return values in Tasks needs to be expanded, and Tasks need to be able to Create Form Letters. (I will post these as separate suggestions.)

Creating really powerful templates requires an ability to embed calculations, "if-then" logic, and database queries in fields.

1. For example, when reporting paying an issue fee, it is nice to provide at least an estimated expiration date. If all maintenance fees are timely paid, the patent is scheduled to expire on {Matter.ExpiredDate(MMMM d, yyyy)} or {Matter.FilingDate(+20y MMMM d, yyyy)} + {Matter.PatentTermAdjustment(0)} days, assuming no terminal disclaimer is involved. It would be very nice to be able to perform that arithmetic automatically, along the lines of:

{Matter.ExpiredDate(+{Matter.PatentTermAdjustment}d MMMM d, yyyy)}

2. The only current logic capability I am aware of is to specify alternative text to be inserted when a field is empty:

{!No Client Ref Specified!Matter.ClientRef}

It would be great to expand this logic capability.

For example, the due date to file an Article 19 Amendment is the later of {Task.RespondBy(-1m MMMM d, yyyy)} or {Matter.PriorityDate(+16m MMMM d, yyyy)}. It would be better if a template could include something like:

The due date to file an Article 19 Amendment is {LaterOf {Task.RespondBy(-1m MMMM d, yyyy)}, {Matter.PriorityDate(+16m MMMM d, yyyy)} }.

Although the prior example refers to dates, numerical comparisons might be useful, too.

3. To report when the next European (3rd to nth) annuity payment will be due requires concatenating: (a) the application filing month, (b) the last day of that month, and (c) the current year (if the month has not yet occurred this year) or the next year (if the month has already occurred this year). But, I know of no way to do anything close to this with the present template document field syntax. I suggest adding support for syntax along the lines of:

{Matter.FilingDate(MMMM dlast)}, {if {Matter.FilingDate(MonthDayOf)} < {General.Now(MonthDayOf)} then {General.Now(yyyy)} else {General.Now(+1y yyyy)} }

or

{Matter.FilingDate(MMMM LastDayOf)}, ...

I realize this is asking for a significant addition to the capability of the syntax parser, essentially turning it into an interpreter. But, we would be able to write really useful templates.

Thanks,
George

I don't like to retype or copy/paste when I don't have to. Recording assignments requires LOTS of error-prone and mind numbing typing and/or copying and pasting. However, most of the information required by ePAS is already in a Matter Detail record. So, why not have AppColl generate an XML file that ePAS (USPTO Electronic Patent Assignment System) will ingest? Since AppColl now supports TXT files, and an XML file is just a TXT file with a different filename extension, it can be done.

The attached file (actually, a PDF of a TXT file, because the forum does not allow uploading TXT files) does almost everything that I need. Store the TXT file as a Form Letter in AppColl, then generate a document in the Matter Details page, and almost all of the information needed to record the assignments goes into the generated TXT file. Lightly edit the TXT file with a text editor (if you use a word processor, be careful to output a TXT file), and you can then upload the TXT file into ePAS. (ePAS accepts TXT and XML files.) See instructions in the comments section at the beginning of the attached document about what you have to edit in the TXT file. I have lobbied AppColl to add some capabilities, such as per-inventor assignment execution dates, but until these are implemented, you will have to enter the execution dates manually. You have to be fastidious, because ePAS is notoriously finicky, and in some places inconsistent. So, pay attention to the instructions.

The attached document is built to handle up to 20 assignors and one assignee, but you can extend that, if you want.

I provide this file FYI, without support or warranty.

ePAS Assignment Recordation Upload.pdf

@MarkW5689 I can't remember where I found them, but here are some invoice fields:

Invoice Balance
Invoice BillTo
ex. {Invoice.BillTo.First} {Invoice.BillTo.Last} {Invoice.BillTo.Company} {Invoice.BillTo.EmailCC} {Invoice.BillTo.EmailNoCC}
These values are determined by the “Bill To” field in an invoice. This field accepts a Contact, so the subfields are determined from the Contact record.
Invoice Client
ex. {Invoice.Client.Name} {Invoice.Client.IntakeEmailAddress}
(See notes re BillTo.)
Invoice Comments
Invoice CutoffDate
Invoice Description
Invoice DueDate
Invoice Expenses
Invoice Fees
Invoice InvoiceAmount
Invoice InvoiceDate
Invoice InvoiceNos
Invoice LEDESFile
Invoice Locked
Invoice Modified
Invoice PaidOnDate
Invoice Payment
Invoice PaymentTerms
Invoice PDFFile
Invoice RemitTo
ex. {Invoice.RemitTo.Name} {Invoice.RemitTo.EmailNoCc
(See notes re BillTo.)
Invoice SendToQuickBooks
Invoice StartDate
Invoice Status
Invoice WriteOffs

Each contact has a "role," such as inventor, employee, client, or company. For contacts that have relationships to entities, for example, inventors, employees, or paralegals, who are associated with clients or foreign associates, it would be nice to have the option to specify the contact's preferred contact information (mailing address, phone number, etc.) is the same as for the corresponding entity, maybe via check boxes next to these fields. Otherwise, when an entity moves, I have to change the addresses of all the people associated with that entity. I realize I could use the address, etc. fields for people to store only their personal contact information, but that defeats automatic generation of reporting letters, such as those that must be sent via paper (ex. original Letters Patent). It would also make it easier to be consistent in the way correspondence gets addressed. For example, it would avoid sending one contact's correspondence to "The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc." and sending another contact's correspondence to "Draper Laboratory."
Thanks.
George

I like to address my reporting and instruction letters using nicknames, if the recipients have nicknames. The contacts module conveniently has a Nickname field, so my letter template could include something like:

Dear {Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.Nickname}:

However, many contacts do not have nicknames, so their Nickname fields are empty. It would be very nice if I could put something like:

{!{Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.First}!Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.Nickname}

in my letter template to use the Nickname field if it is not blank, but use the First field if the Nickname field is blank. I suspect this syntax would also be very handy in relation to other fields.

I realize I could go through all my contacts and, for those who don't have nicknames, copy their first names into their respective Nickname fields, but being a former software developer, I'm lazy.

Is there another way to accomplish my goal?

Thanks,
George

@gregg_appcoll Perfect! Thanks.

I can now automatically address e-mail correspondence to examiners, such as to request interviews. In the "To" field, I put:

{Matter.Examiner} <{Matter.Examiner(FirstWord)}.{Matter.Examiner(LastWord ToTitleCase)}@USPTO.gov>

and in the salutation, I put:

Dear Examiner {Matter.Examiner(LastWord ToTitleCase)}:

-George

The Manage Invoices module generates a Balance (current amount due plus past due invoices). However, this does not seem to be a field I can access, which is unfortunate. It would be nice to be able to include this in a cover e-mail message when I send an invoice.
Would anyone else find such a field useful?

I'd like to resurrect this thread.
As @RichardS3059 noted, there are several instances where we would like to include text from a first field (if that field is not blank), but include text from a second field (if the first field is blank), and some of us prefer "a programmatic way to accomplish the result over fields that have field-specific logic embedded into them, because they allow a more generalized result."
Examples of this situation include PTO filings (responses to Office Actions, etc.) and client correspondence that reference:

1. a client-specific USPTO customer number (if the client has one), or the firm's customer number (if the client doesn't have one) (Some of my clients want me to use their customer number, rather than mine.)
2. a client-specific USPTO deposit account number (if the client has one), or the firm's deposit account number (if the client doesn't have one)
3. actual filing date vs official filing date vs priority date.

Please consider adding syntax that enables run-time selection of alternative text, such as when a first field is blank.

@RichardS3059 posted a possible syntax:
{{Matter.ClientContact.Nickname},{Matter.ClientContact.FirstName}}
and he suggested a more generalized IF syntax be created, which is a great idea.

I suggested syntax along the lines of:
{!{Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.First}!Matter.Client.PrimaryContact.Nickname}

Thanks,
George

@SadiqA2304 I believe you are referring to the Notifications email template editing UI. I believe @JasonP2345 is requesting an addition to the "Send Email" editing UI. In a matter detail page or a task detail page, there is an email icon (yellow envelope) in the upper-right corner. Clicking that icon brings up a dialog box ("Send Email"), which allows a user to "Select Template" (from a pull-down list), "Create Template," or "Edit Template," as follows:

It would be great if an email message generated from one of these templates could automatically inherit copies of documents that are attached to the task being displayed.

For example, I suggest adding a check box ("Attach any documents linked to task") to the "Send Email" dialog box, as mocked-up below.

This would, for example, make preparing reporting messages easier, because relevant documents, or perhaps a superset of them, would already be attached to the draft reporting message AppColl generates.

Alternatively, the Edit Template UI could be augmented to include a similar checkbox, as mocked up below.

For each EP case, AppColl includes a checkbox for "Unitary Effect" on its matter details page. I suggest adding a second checkbox for "Opted-Out of UPC."

Most of my EP applications are opted out, so such a check box would be helpful. I considered creating a custom matter field, but custom fields do not support checkboxes. So, optionally or alternatively, please add support for checkbox custom fields.

Thanks,
George

@SadiqA2304 I believe you are referring to the Notifications email template editing UI. I believe @JasonP2345 is requesting an addition to the "Send Email" editing UI. In a matter detail page or a task detail page, there is an email icon (yellow envelope) in the upper-right corner. Clicking that icon brings up a dialog box ("Send Email"), which allows a user to "Select Template" (from a pull-down list), "Create Template," or "Edit Template," as follows:

It would be great if an email message generated from one of these templates could automatically inherit copies of documents that are attached to the task being displayed.

For example, I suggest adding a check box ("Attach any documents linked to task") to the "Send Email" dialog box, as mocked-up below.

This would, for example, make preparing reporting messages easier, because relevant documents, or perhaps a superset of them, would already be attached to the draft reporting message AppColl generates.

Alternatively, the Edit Template UI could be augmented to include a similar checkbox, as mocked up below.

@KozueL5421 This is but one of may shortcomings of Patent Center. Several groups and individual practitioners have complained to the USPTO about abandoning EFS-Web and Private PAIR in favor of Patent Center, at least until Patent Center is capable of reliably providing all the services of the prior systems, and about the PTO's plan to require DOCX submissions. See, for example:

https://www.aipla.org/detail/news/2023/10/30/aipla-comments-on-patent-center-and-the-retirement-of-efs-web-and-private-pair

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/national-association-of-patent-practitioners_members-of-the-napp-board-met-with-senior-activity-7127684464964448256-ctgM/

https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/11/05/patent-community-slams-usptos-rush-retire-old-software-systems-despite-patent-center-problems/id=169221/

https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/11/07/uspto-delays-transition-patent-center/id=169435/

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4620375 (Letter of 82 Intellectual Property Professionals to OIRA and Commerce IG relating to non-readiness of Patent Center, requesting delay of retirement of EFS-Web and Private PAIR, Nov. 1, 2023)

https://www.aipla.org/detail/news/2023/10/31/aipla-comments-to-omb-on-docx

https://blog.oppedahl.com/an-open-letter-to-uspto-director-vidal-about-patent-center/

https://blog.oppedahl.com/napp-met-with-uspto-about-patent-center-yesterday/#comment-10049

AppColl nicely generates USPTO filled-in forms from a matter detail page, including generating Application Data Sheets (ADSs).

There are two USPTO Customer Number fields in an ADS: one in the "Correspondence Information" box and another in the "Representative Information" box. AppColl apparently uses the client's customer number (if there is one) for the matter to fill in the first box, but AppColl apparently uses the law firm's customer number for the second box. Thus, it is possible for AppColl to generate an ADS with two different customer numbers. This does not inherently pose a problem, but for AppColl users who have multiple customer numbers, such as some customer numbers they share with clients, care should be exercised.

According to a customer service representative at the USPTO, the difference between the two ADS fields is as follows: The PTO will send correspondence to the address associated to the "Correspondence Information" customer number and give that customer number access to the application via Patent Center. The PTO will accept prosecution instructions, such as amendments, from practitioners associated with the customer number in the "Representative Information" field. While these two things seem quite similar, the representative noted that the Representative Information customer number can be used to provide access to the application by a number of practitioners, such as via a power of attorney (if the PoA lists a customer number), although the PTO would not necessarily send correspondence to these practitioners.

This came up, because I have a client that wants me to use a customer number that includes in-house counsel. So, I have a special customer number for just this client's work. I put that customer number in the client's contact record, and AppColl puts this number in the Correspondence Information customer number field of ADSs. But, AppColl puts my firm's customer number in the other ADS field (Representative Information). So, if I don't manually change it to the client-specific customer number, the generated ADS has two different customer numbers. Again, this doesn't necessarily pose a problem, but AppColl users should be aware of how these two ADS fields are filled.

-George

@gregg_appcoll Thanks, Gregg.
-George

I also would like a link to a patent office web page in my matter details page. However, it would be nice if such a link were not limited to the USPTO. For example, links to EPO and WIPO pages would be handy, but that probably would require the user to populate the field, since AppColl probably can't predict all the different formats required for all "foreign" patent offices.

Examples:

European Register - https://register.epo.org/application?number=EPxxxxxxxx

ePCT Workbench - https://pct.wipo.int/ePCT/private/iaSearch.xhtml?iaNo=PCT/ccyyyy/xxxxxx

Currently, I have a user (custom) matter field called "PatentOfficeLink," in which I store a URL. This, of course, works for any patent office that allows direct access to an application. However, I must copy the field's contents to a browser address box to view the page. AppColl supports several types of matter user fields, including TextBox, PullDown, and MultiSelect. It would be nice if AppColl added a matter user field type of "URL," so one could click the field contents to invoke the link.

-George

When a To, Cc, or Bcc field in an e-mail template is populated with a comma, such as by a field code, AppColl replaces the comma with a semicolon. On the surface, this makes sense, since it allows a user to use commas to enter a list of e-mail address field codes in the template and in contact detail records, and the resulting string (with semicolons, instead of commas, separating the addresses) is acceptable to e-mail agents.

However, when a client name includes a comma, for example between the first part of the client’s name and “Inc.,” the resulting string causes an unwanted character, i.e., a semicolon, to be included in the address, which needs to be manually edited before sending the message.

For example, I have a client whose name is of the form “Xxxxxx (USA), Inc.” If I use a field code, such as {Invoice.BillTo.Company}, in the “To:” or “Cc:” field, the comma gets replaced with a semicolon. Worse, if I send the message without manually deleting the semicolons, the display names in the sent message header get messed up.

My Default Invoice Email template includes the following in the "To:" address:

{Invoice. BillTo. First} {Invoice. BillTo Last} {Invoice. BillTo. Company} <(Invoice. BillTo.EmailNoCC}>

to create a nice display name in the delivered e-mail message.

However, in the case of my client with a comma in its name, AppColl generates something like:

Nicole Sxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx (USA); Inc. <nicole@xxxxxxxx.com>

"Nicole Sxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx (USA)" is considered to be an e-mail address, because it is separated from following text by a semicolon. However, "Nicole Sxxx..." is not a valid e-mail address, so it gets dropped, and the display name ends up being simply "Inc." which isn't very pretty.

I realize that AppColl has been replacing commas with semicolons for quite a while now, and many users may have templates that rely on such behavior. However, the behavior causes problems for client names that include commas. I'm not sure what to suggest.

-George

A matter details page has a very nice "Create Form Letters" button, which generates a DOCX, RTF, etc. document using a pre-defined template, which has access to {Matter...} fields populated from the matter of the opened matter details page. Please provide a similar capability from the invoice details page. One of my clients wants to receive a paper invoice via the US Postal Service. I can print a PDF invoice easily enough, but I need to generate a cover letter. For the cover letter, I would like access to invoice fields, such as {Invoice.BillTo.Address} and {Invoice.InvoiceAmount}.
The invoice detail page already has an "Email to Client" button. Generating an e-mail message with this facility can take advantage of the "Show Form Fields" panel. So, it would seem that generating a form letter should not be that difficult to implement, but that is easy for me to say.
Thanks,
George

@gregg_appcoll Perfect! Thanks.

I can now automatically address e-mail correspondence to examiners, such as to request interviews. In the "To" field, I put:

{Matter.Examiner} <{Matter.Examiner(FirstWord)}.{Matter.Examiner(LastWord ToTitleCase)}@USPTO.gov>

and in the salutation, I put:

Dear Examiner {Matter.Examiner(LastWord ToTitleCase)}:

-George

Custom (user-defined) fields for matters are very handy. A particularly handy feature is the ability to use a matter or contacts database query to define a list of selectable values for a drop-down list. Such a query returns the contact(s) or matter(s) that match the query. For example, (Role = "Inventor") returns a list of contacts who are inventors. (The parentheses are not necessary. I used them here merely for clarity. Custom fields are described in this AppCol help article.)

Custom fields would be even more powerful if the query could specify some other field(s) in the matching record(s) to populate the drop-down list.

For example, I have several USPTO customer numbers, because some of my clients want me to use specific customer numbers for their work, so they can access their applications via Private PAIR or Patent Center. I can create a custom field called USPTOCustomerNumber and manually populate it with a list of my customer numbers.

However, this field would be much more powerful if it could be defined via a contacts database query, such as (USPTOCustNum <> ""), that returns not the contact, but {Contact.USPTOCustNum}. That way, the pull-down list would automatically include all client-specific customer numbers.

I suggest a syntax along the lines of:

(USPTOCustNum <> "") (Returns {Contact.USPTOCustNum})

Bonus points if the "Returns" clause accepts syntax to concatenate several fields and format returned values.

When pulled down, a custom pull-down field defined with a database query currently displays some handy context information (name or client code, role), which helps in choosing an appropriate entry from the list.

Additional bonus points for syntax to control what gets displayed in the pull-down list, for example:

(USPTOCustNum <> "") (Displays {Contact.Company} {Contact.USPTOCustNum}) (Returns {Contact.USPTOCustNum})

In contrast, a plain pull-down list of customer numbers (without a database query) does not provide any context information.

Further bonus points to add a "Displays" feature to the List-type of drop-down custom field definition syntax.

Thanks,
George