# How to Read the Portfolio Manager Charts in the TIP Tool™

Source: https://help.triangleip.com/knowledge-base/how-to-read-the-portfolio-manager-charts-in-the-tip-tool/
Category: Patent Portfolio Manager
Last updated: 2025-09-09

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Managing a patent portfolio can quickly become overwhelming. Especially when you’re dealing with hundreds of applications at different stages of prosecution, across multiple examiners and law firms.

That’s why the **Portfolio Manager** in the TIP Tool™ includes two powerful visualizations right at the top:

- **Status Distribution Chart**
- **Prosecution Efficiency Scatter Plot**

Together, these charts give you a birds-eye view of your portfolio’s health and help identify where applications are stalling — so you can take informed action, fast.

## Where to Find These Charts

Step 1: Log into the TIP Tool™

Step 2: Choose any portfolio from your list

Step 3: Go to the **Portfolio Manager** tab

Step 4: The visual graphs will load automatically at the top of the page

These charts are auto-generated and updated in real-time based on the most recent data synced from the USPTO (via Private PAIR).

## Graph 1: Status Distribution Chart (Donut Chart)

This chart breaks your patent portfolio into five high-level status categories:

| **Status** | **Meaning** |
| --- | --- |
| 🟩 Patented | Applications that have been granted |
| 🟨 Pending | Still under USPTO examination |
| 🟥 Abandoned | Discontinued or rejected without appeal |
| ⬛ Expired | Patents that have reached the end of term |

**Click on any slice** to filter your portfolio and view the corresponding applications below.

**Pro Tip**: This gives you a quick status snapshot across all your filings. Are too many applications getting abandoned? Are enough being granted? This chart helps answer that at a glance.

## Graph 2: Prosecution Efficiency Scatter Plot

This is where things get really interesting.

This 2×2 scatter plot maps every granted (or pending) U.S. application in the portfolio based on two factors:

- **X-axis**: Examiner’s **average** number of rounds to grant
- **Y-axis**: The **actual** number of rounds your application went through

Each dot = one application
Dot color = filing status (e.g., green means granted, yellow means pending, read are abandoned)

### How to Read the Chart

There’s a diagonal line across the chart.

It represents **parity** between your prosecution and the examiner’s average.

- 🔼 **Dots above the line** = your application took more rounds than average (potential red flags)
- 🔽 **Dots below the line** = your team got the grant faster than average (great performance)

### Click Any Dot to Investigate Further

When you click on a dot, it automatically brings that case in the list as you scroll down to the full case record.

From there, you can further open the application and review:

- The examiner assigned
- Argument history
- Office actions
- Predicted vs. actual cost
- Whether the delay was due to examiner, counsel, or claim strategy

### Common Use Cases:

| **What You Want to Know** | **What to Look For** |
| --- | --- |
| Are some applications dragging on longer than they should? | Look for pending dots above the diagonal |
| Which filings had smoother prosecution than average? | Find granted dots below the diagonal |
| Are your attorneys doing a good job? | Check how filings compare to examiner averages |
| Is the examiner slow or strict? | Use the X-axis to assess average difficulty |

## Final Thoughts

The Portfolio Manager charts are more than just data visualizations — they’re **strategic dashboards**. They help IP teams and decision-makers:

- Spot patterns
- Catch inefficiencies early
- Allocate resources smartly
- Make better filing, pruning, or continuation decisions

Use them during portfolio review meetings or when reporting to R&D or executive teams. Once you get used to this two-graph interface, you’ll never go back to static spreadsheets again.

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