13. A computer-implemented method for rating or ranking the relative quality or value of a first patent document based at least in part on determining a relative probability that a direct citational relationship exists between said first patent document and a second patent document, the method comprising: determining by a computer system one or more indirect citational relationships that may exist between said first patent document and said second patent document; analyzing by the computer system said one or more indirect citational relationships by determining for each said indirect citational relationship the number of citation links or generations separating said first patent document from said second patent document and counting or aggregating said indirect citational relationships into generational citation counts according to said determined number of citation links or generations; applying by the computer system a probability transform function to said one or more determined generational citation counts to determine or quantify the relative probability that said first patent document directly cites said second patent document or said second patent document directly cites said first patent document; wherein the applying a probability transform function comprises providing said one or more determined generational citation counts as input predictor variables to a multi-variable event prediction model, said model being selected and adjusted to determine a relative event probability that said first document directly cites said second document or said second document directly cites said first document based on said one or more determined generational citation counts; and providing by the computer system said determined relative probability to a computer-implemented patent rating system and causing said computer-implemented patent rating system to thereby rate or rank the relative quality or value of said first patent document based at least in part on said determined relative probability, wherein the computer system comprises at least a processor and a storage device.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the applying a probability transform function comprises providing said one or more determined generational citation counts as input predictor variables to a multi-variate regression model, said model being selected and adjusted to determine a relative event probability that said first patent document directly cites said second patent document or said second patent document directly cites said first patent document based on said one or more determined generational citation counts.