PATENT-IPR

Modern frontend for intellectual property workflow management, built with Next.js App Router. The project includes:

• Marketing website (landing sections, FAQ, contact CTA)
• Client dashboard shell (cases, documents, timeline, payments, profile)
• Auth pages (login, signup)
• New patent filing flow
• Floating IPR chatbot widget integrated

Tech Stack

• Next.js 16 (App Router)
• React 19
• Tailwind CSS 4
• ESLint 9

Main Routes

• / - marketing website
• /login - user login
• /signup - user registration
• /dashboard - dashboard overview
• /dashboard/cases - case list
• /dashboard/cases/new - new patent filing form
• /dashboard/cases/success - filing success page
• /dashboard/documents - documents section
• /dashboard/messages - messages section
• /dashboard/payments - payments section
• /dashboard/profile - profile section
• /dashboard/timeline - timeline section
• /dashboard/cost-estimator - cost estimator
• /api/chatbot - Next.js proxy endpoint for chatbot backend

Project Structure

src/
	app/
		api/chatbot/route.js        # Chatbot proxy route
		dashboard/                  # Dashboard pages
		login/page.jsx
		signup/page.jsx
		layout.jsx                  # Root layout, mounts chatbot widget
		page.jsx                    # Landing page
	components/
		ChatbotWidget.jsx           # Floating chatbot UI
		dashboard/
			Sidebar.jsx
			Topbar.jsx
	lib/
		api.js                      # API base URL helper

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+
• npm 10+

Local Setup

1. Install dependencies:

npm install

2. Create .env.local in project root:

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://your-main-backend-domain.com
CHATBOT_BACKEND_URL=http://127.0.0.1:10000/chat

3. Start development server:

npm run dev

4. Open http://localhost:3000

Environment Variables

• NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL Used by frontend auth and filing requests via src/lib/api.js.

• CHATBOT_BACKEND_URL Used by src/app/api/chatbot/route.js to forward chatbot requests. Must point directly to the chatbot POST endpoint, usually ending with /chat.

Example for deployed Flask chatbot:

CHATBOT_BACKEND_URL=https://your-flask-domain.com/chat

Chatbot Integration

The chatbot UI is rendered globally from src/app/layout.jsx through src/components/ChatbotWidget.jsx.

Flow:

1. User sends message from widget.
2. Widget calls POST /api/chatbot.
3. Next.js route forwards request to CHATBOT_BACKEND_URL.
4. Response is returned to the widget and displayed.

This keeps your backend URL hidden from browser code and avoids direct cross-origin setup in the widget.

Scripts

• npm run dev - start local development server
• npm run build - create production build
• npm run start - run production server
• npm run lint - run ESLint checks

Deployment Notes

Set the same environment variables in your hosting platform:

• Vercel: Project Settings -> Environment Variables
• Netlify/Render/Azure: site/app environment variable settings

After changing env vars, redeploy or restart the app.

Current Status

• Core UI and routing are implemented.
• Several dashboard sections currently show placeholder or empty-state data until backend sync is completed.

Troubleshooting

• Chatbot says backend unavailable: Check CHATBOT_BACKEND_URL and confirm the Flask service is reachable.

• Auth/fetch requests fail: Check NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL and backend CORS/security config.

• Environment changes not reflected: Restart local dev server or redeploy production build.