7. A method in a computer comprising: automatically parsing a dependent claim to obtain one or more claim strings, each claim string comprising words within a dependent claim element; automatically determining a number of claim strings within the dependent claim; automatically generating a number of claim strings score by merging the number of claim strings with a first factor; automatically initializing a dependent claim score to the number of claim strings score; for each claim string parsed from the claim: automatically computing a word count for the words within the claim string; automatically determining a weighted word count based on the word count and a second factor; automatically merging the weighted word count with the dependent claim score; automatically determining a parent claim score associated with a parent claim of the dependent claim; automatically merging the parent claim score with the dependent claim score; displaying the dependent claim and the dependent claim score in a hierarchical display.
7. A method in a computer comprising: automatically parsing a dependent claim to obtain one or more claim strings, each claim string comprising words within a dependent claim element; automatically determining a number of claim strings within the dependent claim; automatically generating a number of claim strings score by merging the number of claim strings with a first factor; automatically initializing a dependent claim score to the number of claim strings score; for each claim string parsed from the claim: automatically computing a word count for the words within the claim string; automatically determining a weighted word count based on the word count and a second factor; automatically merging the weighted word count with the dependent claim score; automatically determining a parent claim score associated with a parent claim of the dependent claim; automatically merging the parent claim score with the dependent claim score; displaying the dependent claim and the dependent claim score in a hierarchical display. 9. The method in the computer of claim 7 , further comprising generating output data that comprises one or more rows, where each row comprises a claim and the claim score for the claim, the rows ordered from broadest claim to narrowest claim according to the claim score.