Detailed Action
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments and amendments filed 11/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to applicant’s contentions, regarding claims 1, 10 & 14, Griffin (US 2022/0067698 A1) has been clarified to disclose a computer-implemented method, system & non-transitory computer readable storage media, for use in verifying a location associated with an entity, based on device-level data, the method comprising, system comprising a processing network computing device, comprising:
identifying, by a computing device (see computing device, fig. 8), an entity form a data structure including a group of entities, each associated with an unconfirmed location (see abstract merchant is determined based on the location of user device), wherein the computing device is included as part of a payment (see payment system [0099], inter alia) processing network (see multiple processing devices [0100]) coupled in communication with multiple financial institutions (see “electronically with one or more financial institutions” [0100]);
transmitting, by the computing device of a delivery user, to a mobile device (see “delivery”, [0189], therefore, the intended use of a delivery user is highly anticipated), a request to identify a physical location of the entity (see [0014], determining, by the server, a user account associated with the wireless communication device based on a user ID associated with a user of the wireless communication device, the user ID received from the wireless communication device; determining a merchant account associated with the merchant ID; generating, by the server, a request for user input confirming payment of the bill based on the billed amount and the location), the request including the unconfirmed location of the entity (see [0104], received information which includes location is improved to include greater specifics like merchant name or table number, therefore the initial location by mobile user is unconfirmed), the entity included in a course of delivery of the delivery user (see “delivery”, [0189], which would imply the intended use scenario of delivery user, however how it is used is intended use rather than patentable subject matter);
receiving, by the computing device, from the mobile device based on an input to the mobile device (user input [0006]), by the delivery user, a response to the request (see [0014], “wherein the request causes a visual user interface (VUI) screen to be displayed on a display of the wireless communication device, the VUI including an element for receiving user input for confirming payment of the bill; sending, by the server, the request to the wireless communication device; receiving, by the server, user input confirming payment of the bill from the wireless communication device, the user input indicating a payment amount; generating, by the server, an electronic payment instruction in response to receiving user input confirming payment of the bill from the wireless communication device, the electronic payment instruction being based on payment information associated with the user account, payment information associated with a merchant account of the merchant and the payment amount, wherein the electronic payment instruction includes the location of the merchant establishment determined from the bill”), the response including at least (i) an identifier associated with the entity and/or the delivery user (see “deliver”, therefore delivery intended use scenario is anticipated) associated with the mobile device (see user ID [0104]) and (ii) a location of the mobile device at a time of the input of the entity (see [0155], see location and time at which the digital image was captured, which requires user input);
storing, by the computing device, in a memory (see memory [0069]), the location of the mobile device (see stored [0122]) in association with the identifier (databases...user ID [0142]);
matching, by the computing device, the location to a transaction record for a transaction at the entity based on the transaction record including the identifier from the response, thereby confirming a presence of the mobile device at the physical location of the entity (see match [0156]); and
Griffin does not disclose however Sheikh discloses in response to a match, assigning, by the computing device, the location to the entity and publishing, by the computing device, the assigned location of the entity (see [0032] published information, related to “merchant location”);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Griffin with that of Sheikh. Doing so would improve efficiency (see [0012], Sheik 2012/0036015 A1) specifically for promotions and advertising.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-10, 12-16, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffin et al. (US 2022/0067698 A1) in view of Sheikh (US 2012/0036015 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 10 & 14, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method, system & non-transitory computer readable storage media, for use in verifying a location associated with an entity, based on device-level data, the method comprising, system comprising a processing network computing device, comprising:
identifying, by a computing device (see computing device, fig. 8), an entity form a data structure including a group of entities, each associated with an unconfirmed location (see abstract merchant is determined based on the location of user device), wherein the computing device is included as part of a payment (see payment system [0099], inter alia) processing network (see multiple processing devices [0100]) coupled in communication with multiple financial institutions (see “electronically with one or more financial institutions” [0100]);
transmitting, by the computing device of a delivery user, to a mobile device (see “delivery”, [0189], therefore, the intended use of a delivery user is highly anticipated), a request to identify a physical location of the entity (see [0014], determining, by the server, a user account associated with the wireless communication device based on a user ID associated with a user of the wireless communication device, the user ID received from the wireless communication device; determining a merchant account associated with the merchant ID; generating, by the server, a request for user input confirming payment of the bill based on the billed amount and the location), the request including the unconfirmed location of the entity (see [0104], received information which includes location is improved to include greater specifics like merchant name or table number, therefore the initial location by mobile user is unconfirmed), the entity included in a course of delivery of the delivery user (see “delivery”, [0189], which would imply the intended use scenario of delivery user, however how it is used is intended use rather than patentable subject matter);
receiving, by the computing device, from the mobile device based on an input to the mobile device (user input [0006]), by the delivery user, a response to the request (see [0014], “wherein the request causes a visual user interface (VUI) screen to be displayed on a display of the wireless communication device, the VUI including an element for receiving user input for confirming payment of the bill; sending, by the server, the request to the wireless communication device; receiving, by the server, user input confirming payment of the bill from the wireless communication device, the user input indicating a payment amount; generating, by the server, an electronic payment instruction in response to receiving user input confirming payment of the bill from the wireless communication device, the electronic payment instruction being based on payment information associated with the user account, payment information associated with a merchant account of the merchant and the payment amount, wherein the electronic payment instruction includes the location of the merchant establishment determined from the bill”), the response including at least (i) an identifier associated with the entity and/or the delivery user (see “deliver”, therefore delivery intended use scenario is anticipated) associated with the mobile device (see user ID [0104]) and (ii) a location of the mobile device at a time of the input of the entity (see [0155], see location and time at which the digital image was captured, which requires user input);
storing, by the computing device, in a memory (see memory [0069]), the location of the mobile device (see stored [0122]) in association with the identifier (databases...user ID [0142]);
matching, by the computing device, the location to a transaction record for a transaction at the entity based on the transaction record including the identifier from the response, thereby confirming a presence of the mobile device at the physical location of the entity (see match [0156]); and
Griffin does not disclose however Sheikh discloses in response to a match, assigning, by the computing device, the location to the entity and publishing, by the computing device, the assigned location of the entity (see [0032] published information, related to “merchant location”);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Griffin with that of Sheikh. Doing so would improve efficiency (see [0012], Sheik 2012/0036015 A1) specifically for promotions and advertising.
Regarding claims 2 and 15, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 1 and non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein transmitting the request to the mobile device includes transmitting the request to the mobile device via a source computing device (see request [0006]); and
wherein the source computing device is associated with a delivery source, whereby the delivery user is an employee of the delivery source (see delivery options, thereby implying delivery source and an intended us).
Regarding claims 3 and 16, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 2 and non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the identifier includes at least one of: a merchant ID associated with the entity, an acquirer ID associated with the entity, and/or an account number for an account associated with the delivery user (see merchant ID, [0006]) and/or the a delivery source of the delivery user.
Regarding claims 4, 12, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 1, system of claim 10, wherein the response from the mobile device further includes supplemental data associated with the entity (see additional supplemental data in [0105]); and wherein assigning the location to the entity further includes assigning the supplemental data from the response to the entity (see additional supplemental data in [0105]).
Regarding claims 5 and 18, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 4 and non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the supplemental data includes at least one of: an image of the entity, a name of the entity, contact information associated with the entity and/or a category of the entity (merchant establishment name, [0105]).
Regarding claims 6 and 19, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 1 and non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, further comprising receiving the transaction record from a payment processing network (see payment processing system [0099]) computing device; and storing, by the computing device, the transaction record in the data structure, prior to matching the response to the transaction record (see [0147] discloses storing user transaction data); and
wherein the input includes the delivery user (see [0189], see delivery, therefore, delivery user as intended use is anticipated) tapping the mobile device at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal of the entity, thereby passing a credential to the POS terminal to initiate a transaction represented by the transaction record (see POS [0094]).
Regarding claim 7, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a computing device included as part of a processing network (see computer devices in fig. 1).
Regarding claims 8 & 20, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 7 and non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14.
Griffin explicitly discloses payment processing network and one of the multiple financial institutions [0100]
Griffin does not specifically disclose however Sheikh discloses wherein publishing the assigned location includes publishing the assigned location within the processing network and institutions coupled in communication associated with the payment processing network (see [0032] published information, related to “merchant location”);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Griffin with that of Sheikh. Doing so would improve efficiency (see [0012], Sheik 2012/0036015 A1) specifically for promotions and advertising.
Regarding claim 9, Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 1,
Griffin does not specifically disclose however Sheikh discloses wherein publishing the assigned location includes publishing the assigned location to one of the multiple financial institutions (see [0100] financial institutions) which is associated with the entity (see [0032] published information, related to “merchant location”);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Griffin with that of Sheikh. Doing so would improve efficiency (see [0012], Sheik 2012/0036015 A1) specifically for promotions and advertising.
Regarding claim 13, Griffin discloses system of claim 10. Griffin discloses a computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the computing device is configured to publish the assigned location of the entity to an institution associated with the entity (see [0032] published information, related to “merchant location”);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to combine the teachings of Griffin with that of Sheikh. Doing so would improve efficiency (see [0012], Sheik 2012/0036015 A1) specifically for promotions and advertising.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to K. WILFORD SHAHEED whose telephone number is (469) 295-9175. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9 am-6pm; CST; ALT Friday. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. The examiner’s Supervisor, Jinsong Hu, can be reached at (571)272-3965, where attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful.
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/KHALID W SHAHEED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643