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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination. Applicant filed provisional application on 12/30/2022 and instant application on 12/22/2023. Examiner has established objection for claims 2-5, 7, 10-11, 13, 15, 17, and 19-20; § 101 rejection for claims 1-20; and § 103 rejection for claims 1-20 in the instant Office action.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informality:
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining and storing financial data for the individual . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “comprising” and “obtaining.” Applicant could amend claim 2 to recite:
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining and storing financial data for the individual . . .
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informality:
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the current gift data . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “comprising” and “communicating.” Applicant could amend claim 3 to recite:
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
communicating the current gift data . . .
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informality:
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing to the user device for display. . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “comprising” and “providing.” Applicant could amend claim 4 to recite:
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
providing to the user device for display. . .
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informality:
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a subset of the family members comprises a plurality of individuals . . .
There should be the definite article “the” before “subset of the family member” because it has appeared in the claim 1 before and claim 5 depends from claim 1. Applicant could amend claim 5 to recite:
5. The method of claim 1, wherein [[a]] the subset of the family members comprises a plurality of individuals . . .
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informality:
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing to the user device for display a lifetime interface . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “comprising” and “providing.” Applicant could amend claim 7 to recite:
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
providing to the user device for display a lifetime interface . . .
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informality:
10. A financial management system, comprising memory comprising instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memory . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “comprising” and “memory.” Applicant could amend claim 10 to recite:
10. A financial management system, comprising:
memory comprising instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memory . . .
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informality:
11. The financial management system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the stored instructions to provide to the user device for display . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “to” and “provide.” Applicant could amend claim 11 to recite:
11. The financial management system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the stored instructions to:
provide to the user device for display . . .
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informality:
13. The financial management system of claim 12, wherein the second graphical illustration reflects an estimate future gift value of the future gift.
There should be an indefinite article “a” in front of “future gift” because this limitation has not appeared in the claims before. Applicant could amend claim 13 to recite:
13. The financial management system of claim 12, wherein the second graphical illustration reflects an estimate future gift value of [[the]] a future gift.
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informality:
15. The financial management system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the stored instructions to obtain and store the demographic data . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “to” and “obtain.” Applicant could amend claim 15 to recite:
15. The financial management system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the stored instructions to:
obtain and store the demographic data . . .
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informality:
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the one or more processors to obtain and store financial data . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “to” and “obtain.” Applicant could amend claim 17 to recite:
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the one or more processors to:
obtain and store financial data . . .
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informality:
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the cumulative gift data comprises historical gift data and future gift data and the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the one or more processor to provide to the user device . . .
There should be colon (“:”) between “to” and “provide.” Applicant could amend claim 19 to recite:
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the cumulative gift data comprises historical gift data and future gift data and the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the one or more processor to:
provide to the user device . . .
Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informality:
. . . execute a future gift in response to a future gift request received from the user device via the future gifting strategy interface . . .
There should be an indefinite article “a” in front of “future gifting strategy interface” because this limitation has not appeared in the claims before. Applicant could amend claim 20 to recite:
. . . execute a future gift in response to a future gift request received from the user device via [[the]] a future gifting strategy interface . . .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. § 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 USC § 101 because they are directed to non-statutory subject matter. The rationale for this finding is explained below.
The Supreme Court in Mayo laid out a framework for determining whether an applicant is seeking to patent a judicial exception itself or a patent-eligible application of the judicial exception. See Alice Corp., 134 S. Ct. at 2355,110 USPQ2d at 1981 (citing Mayo, 566 U.S. 66, 101 USPQ2d 1961). This framework, which is referred to as the Mayo test or the Alice/Mayo test (“the test”), is described in detail in Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (”MPEP”) (see MPEP § 2106(III) for further guidance). The step 1 of the test: It need to be determined whether the claims are directed to a patent eligible (i.e., statutory) subject matter under 35 USC § 101. Step 2A of the test: If the claims are found to be directed to a statutory subject matter, the next step is to determine whether the claims are directed to a judicial exception i.e., law of nature, natural phenomenon, and abstract idea (Prong 1). If the claims are found to be directed to an abstract idea, it needs to be determined whether the claims recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application (Prong 2). Step 2B of the test: If the claims are directed to a judicial exception, the next and final step is to determine whether the claims recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
Step 1 of the Test:
When considering subject matter eligibility under 35 USC § 101, it must be determined whether the claim is directed to one of the four statutory categories of invention, i.e., process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. Here, the claimed invention of claims 1-9 is a series of steps, which is method (i.e., a process) and, thus, one of the statutory categories of invention. Further, the claimed invention of claims 10-15 is a system, which is also one of the statutory categories of invention. Still further, the claimed invention of claims 16-20 is a non-transitory computer readable medium, which is also one of the statutory categories of invention.
Conclusion of Step 1 Analysis: Therefore, claims 1-20 are statutory under 35 USC § 101 in view of step 1 of the test.
Step 2A of the Test:
Prong 1: Claims 1-20, however, recite an abstract idea of managing gifting strategies. The creation of managing gifting strategies, as recited in the independent claims 1, 10, and 16, belongs to certain methods of organizing human activity (i.e., managing personal behavior) that are found by the courts to be abstract ideas. The limitations in independent claims 1, 10, and 16, which set forth or describe the recited abstract idea, are found in the following steps:
“executing a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a second one of the identities, wherein the second one of the identities is associated with one of the subset of the family members” (claim 1);
“execute a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a first one of a plurality of identities of the family members, wherein the first one of the identities is associated with one of the subset of the family members” (claim 10); and
“automatically adjusting the first graphical illustration to reflect, and updating the cumulative gift data based on, the executed current gift” (claims 1, 10, and 16).
Prong 2: In addition to abstract steps recited above in Prong 1, independent claims 10 and 16 recite additional elements:
“memory comprising instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions” (claim 10);
“a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions comprising executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to [perform method steps]” (claim 16);
“communication networks” (claim 16); and
“an application programming interface (API)” (claim 16).
These additional elements are recited at a high level of generality (e.g., as a generic processor performing a generic computer functions) such that they amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer components. Further, the following limitations recite insignificant extra solution activity (for example, data gathering):
“obtaining and storing demographic data and cumulative gift data for an individual, wherein the demographic data comprises identities of family members of, and a relationship of the family members to, the individual and the gift data comprises an amount and a first one of the identities for gifts made by the individual” (claim 1);
“providing to a user device for display a current gifting strategy interface following authentication of login credentials corresponding to the individual, wherein the current gifting strategy interface is generated based on at least the demographic data and the cumulative gift data and comprises a first graphical illustration of a respective monetary value of a subset of the gifts made by the individual to a subset of the family members” (claim 1);
“provide to a user device for display a current gifting strategy interface following authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual, wherein the current gifting strategy interface is generated based on at least demographic data and cumulative gift data for the individual and comprises a first graphical illustration of a monetary value of each of a subset of gifts made by the individual to a subset of family members of the individual” (claim 10);
“provide to a user device for display a current gifting strategy interface following authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual, wherein the current gifting strategy interface is generated based on at least demographic data and cumulative gift data for the individual and comprises a first graphical illustration of a monetary value of each of a subset of gifts made by the individual to a subset of family members of the individual” (claim 16); and
“communicate current gift data to a financial institution server or an investment management server to execute a current gift and facilitate a transfer of electronic funds in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a first one of a plurality of identities of the family members and the first one of the identities is associated with one of the subset of the family members” (claim 16).
These additional limitations do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose a meaningful limit on the judicial exception. The additional elements/limitations of independent claims 1, 10, and 16, here do not render improvements to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field (see MPEP § 2106.05(a)), nor do they integrate the abstract idea into a practical application under MPEP § 2106.05(b) (particular machine); MPEP § 2106.05(c) (particular transformations); or MPEP § 2106.05(e) (other meaningful limitations). Further, the combination of these additional elements/limitations is no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic device. Accordingly, even in combination, these additional elements/ limitations do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
Conclusion of Step 2A Analysis: Therefore, independent claims 1, 10, and 16, are non-statutory under 35 USC § 101 in view of step 2A of the test.
Step 2B of the Test: The additional elements of independent claims 10 and 16 (see above under Step 2A - Prong 2) are described by Applicant’s Specification in following terms:
[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary network environment 100 is illustrated that includes a financial management system 102, with a web server 104 coupled to a backend database 106, which is coupled via communication network(s) 108 to user devices 110(1)- 110(n), at least one financial institution server 112, and/or at least one investment management server 114. The network environment 100 may include other network devices such as one or more routers or switches, for example, which are known in the art and thus will not be described herein. This technology has a number of advantages including methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and systems that provide improved graphical interfaces that integrate with external data sources to provide aggregated data to inform, and facilitate implementation of, gifting strategies, particularly for high-net-worth individuals.
[0037] The processor(s) 200 of the financial management system 102 may execute programmed instructions stored in the memory 202 of the financial management system 102 for any number of the functions described and illustrated herein. The processor(s) 200 may include one or more general purpose processors with one or more processing cores, one or more central processing units (CPUs), and/or one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), for example, although other types of processor(s) can also be used.
[0038] The memory 202 stores these programmed instructions for one or more aspects of the present technology as described and illustrated herein, although some or all of the programmed instructions could be stored elsewhere. A variety of different types of storage devices, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, solid state drives, flash memory, or other computer readable medium which is read from and written to by a magnetic, optical, or other reading and writing system that is coupled to the processor(s) 200, can be used for the memory 202.
[0039] Accordingly, the memory 202 can store applications that can include computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor(s) 200, cause the financial management system 102 to perform actions, such as to transmit, receive, or otherwise process network messages and requests, for example, and to perform other actions described and illustrated below. The application(s) can be implemented as components of other applications, operating system extensions, and/or plugins, for example.
[0047] The investment management server 114 can be associated with an investment management firm, for example, and can store and provide information regarding investment income, investment assets, trusts, and/or historical gifts, for example. The financial institution server 112 and/or investment management server 114 can provide an API to facilitate implementation of gifts via a dashboard provided by the financial management system 102, as explained in more detail below.
[0052] The examples of this technology may also be embodied as one or more non- transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon, such as in the memory 202 of the financial management system 102, for one or more aspects of the present technology, as described and illustrated by way of the examples herein. The instructions in some examples include executable code that, when executed by one or more processors, such as the processor(s) 200 of the financial management system 102, cause the processors to carry out steps necessary to implement the methods of the examples of this technology that will now be described and illustrated herein.
This is a description of general-purpose computer. Thus, individually, the additional elements of independent claims 1, 10, and 16, are well-understood, routine, and conventional elements that amount to no more than implementing the abstract idea with a computerized system. Further, the additional limitations of “obtaining,” “storing,” “providing,” and “communicating” information amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. For the same reason these additional limitations are not sufficient to provide an inventive concept. The additional limitations of “obtaining,” “storing,” “providing,” and “communicating” were considered as insignificant extra-solution activity in Step 2A - Prong 2. Re-evaluating here in Step 2B, they are also determined to be well-understood, routine, and conventional activity in the field. Similarly to OIP Techs., Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (sending messages over a network), and buySAFE, Inc. v. Google, Inc., 765 F.3d 1350, 1355, 112 USPQ2d 1093, 1096 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (computer receives and sends information over a network), the additional limitations of independent claims 1, 10, and 16 “obtain,” “provide,” and “communicate” information. Further, similarly to Versata Dev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc., 793 F.3d 1306, 1334, 115 USPQ2d 1681, 1701 (Fed. Cir. 2015) and OIP Techs., 788 F.3d at 1363, 115 USPQ2d at 1092-93, the additional limitation of independent claim 1 “store” information. The courts have recognized “obtaining,” “storing,” “providing,” and “communicating” information functions as well-understood, routine and conventional when claimed in a merely generic manner. Therefore, the additional limitations of independent claims 1, 10, and 16, are well-understood, routine, and conventional. Further, taken as combination, the additional elements/limitations add nothing more than what is present when the additional elements/limitations are considered individually. There is no indication that the combination provides any effect regarding the functioning of the computer or any improvement to another technology.
Conclusion of Step 2B Analysis: Therefore, independent claims 1, 10, and 16, are non-statutory under 35 USC § 101 in view of step 2B of the test.
Dependent Claims: Dependent claims 2-9 depend on independent claim 1; dependent claims 11-15 depend on independent claim 10; and dependent claims 17-20 depend on independent claim 16. The elements in dependent claims 2-9, 11-15, and 17-20, which set forth or describe the abstract idea or insignificant extra solution activity, are:
“obtaining and storing financial data for the individual, wherein the financial data comprises indications of assets of the individual and the current gift data comprises one of the indications corresponding to a source of the current gift” (claim 2: insignificant extra solution activity);
“communicating the current gift data via one or more communication networks and a provided application programming interface (API) to a financial institution server or an investment management server to execute the current gift and facilitate a current or future transfer of electronic funds” (claim 3: insignificant extra solution activity);
“providing to the user device for display a unified credit interface generated based on the financial data and the cumulative gift data and comprising a second graphical illustration of historical unified credit utilization of the individual” (claim 4: insignificant extra solution activity);
“a subset of the family members comprises a plurality of individuals within the family members or one or more subfamilies of a family that comprises the family members” (claim 5: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“the cumulative gift data comprises historical gift data and future gift data” (claim 6: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“providing to the user device for display a lifetime interface comprising a second graphical illustration of a wealth of the individual over a period time, wherein the wealth is determined based on the financial data and the cumulative gift data and the second graphical illustration reflects an impact of a gifting strategy reflected in the cumulative gift data” (claim 7: insignificant extra solution activity);
“generating a family tree graphically illustrating the relationship of the family members to the individual determined from the demographic data; and providing to the user device for display a family tree interface comprising the generated family tree and an indication of a cumulative monetary value of one or more of the gifts to each of the family members determined from the cumulative gift data” (claim 8: where “generating” step is further narrowing the recited abstract idea; and “proving” step is insignificant extra solution activity);
“the family tree interface is further configured to generate an overlay in response to a selection from the user device of one of the family members, wherein the overlay comprises selectable trust needs associated with the one of the family members and a breakdown of the cumulative monetary value of the one or more of the gifts to the one of the family members” (claim 9: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“provide to the user device for display a future gifting interface comprising a second graphical illustration and a plurality of future gifting input fields comprising one or more of a future gift amount, a retirement age, an inflation rate, a gift frequency, or a gift duration” (claim 11: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“the future gifting interface is configured to automatically adjust the second graphical illustration in response to a received modification of a value associated with one or more of the future gifting input fields” (claim 12: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“the second graphical illustration reflects an estimate future gift value of the future gift” (claim 13: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“execute a future gift in response to a future gift request received from the user device via the future gifting strategy interface, wherein the future gift request comprises a third one of the identities and future gift data obtained via the future gifting input fields; and update the cumulative gift data based on the executed future gift” (claim 14: further narrowing the recited abstract idea);
“obtain and store the demographic data and the cumulative gift data for the individual, wherein the demographic data comprises the identities and a relationship of the family members to the individual and the gift data comprises an amount and a second one of the identities for gifts made by the individual” (claim 15: insignificant extra solution activity);
“obtain and store financial data for the individual, wherein the financial data comprises indications of assets of the individual and the current gift data comprises one of the indications corresponding to a source of the current gift” (claim 17: insignificant extra solution activity);
“generate a family tree graphically illustrating a relationship of the family members to the individual determined from the demographic data; and provide to the user device for display a family tree interface comprising the generated family tree and an indication of a cumulative monetary value of one or more of the gifts to each of the family members determined from the cumulative gift data” (claim 18: where “generating” step is further narrowing the recited abstract idea; and “providing” step is insignificant extra solution activity);
“the cumulative gift data comprises historical gift data and future gift data and the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the one or more processor to provide to the user device for display a lifetime interface comprising a second graphical illustration of a wealth of the individual over a period time, wherein the wealth is determined based on the financial data and the cumulative gift data and the second graphical illustration reflects an impact of a gifting strategy reflected in the cumulative gift data” (claim 19: further narrowing the recited abstract idea, except the “providing” step is insignificant extra solution activity); and
“provide to the user device for display a future gifting interface comprising a second graphical illustration and a plurality of future gifting input fields; execute a future gift in response to a future gift request received from the user device via the future gifting strategy interface, wherein the future gift request comprises a third one of the identities and future gift data obtained via the future gifting input fields; and update the cumulative gift data based on the executed future gift” (claim 20: further narrowing the recited abstract idea, except the “providing” step is insignificant extra solution activity).
Conclusion of Dependent Claims Analysis: Dependent claims 2-9, 11-15, and 17-20, do not correct the deficiencies of independent claims 1, 10, and 16, and they are, thus, rejected on the same basis.
Conclusion of the 35 USC § 101 Analysis: Therefore, claims 1-20 are rejected as directed to an abstract idea without “significantly more” under 35 USC § 101.
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 § 102 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Ball (US 8,930,253 B1) in view of Butler (US 2019/0392425 A1).
As to independent claim 1
Ball shows:
obtaining and storing demographic data and cumulative gift data for an individual, wherein the demographic data comprises identities of family members of, and a relationship of the family members to, the individual and the gift data comprises an amount and a first one of the identities for gifts made by the individual (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-12; col. 52, lines 31-56; and col. 58, lines 45-49);
providing to a user device for display a current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gifting strategy interface is generated based on at least the demographic data and the cumulative gift data and comprises a first graphical illustration of a respective monetary value of a subset of the gifts made by the individual to a subset of the family members (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-12; col. 52, lines 31-56; and col. 58, lines 45-46);
gift data comprises the second one of the identities associated with one of the subset of the family members (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-62); and
automatically adjusting the first graphical illustration to reflect, and updating the cumulative gift data based on, the executed current gift (Ball: col. 15, lines 12-18; and col. 46, lines 32-34).
Ball does not show:
authentication of login credentials corresponding to the individual; and
executing a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient].
Butler shows:
authentication of login credentials corresponding to the individual (Butler: pages 7-8, ¶ 50); and
executing a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient] (Butler: page 11, ¶ 71; and page 12, ¶¶ 76-77).
Motivation to combine Ball and Butler:
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Ball by authentication of login credentials corresponding to the individual; and executing a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient] of Butler in order to allow gifter to provide a financial gift having customizable redemption conditions (Butler: page 1, ¶ 4).
As to claim 2: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 1. Ball also shows obtaining and storing financial data for the individual, wherein the financial data comprises indications of assets of the individual and the current gift data comprises one of the indications corresponding to a source of the current gift (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-9).
As to claim 3: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 1. Ball also shows communicating the current gift data via one or more communication networks and a provided application programming interface (API) to a financial institution server or an investment management server to execute the current gift and facilitate a current or future transfer of electronic funds (Ball: col. 19, lines 2-23);.
As to claim 4: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 2. Ball also shows providing to the user device for display a unified credit interface generated based on the financial data and the cumulative gift data and comprising a second graphical illustration of historical unified credit utilization of the individual (Ball: col. 17, lines 42-53; col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-9).
As to claim 5: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 1. Ball also shows that a subset of the family members comprises a plurality of individuals within the family members or one or more subfamilies of a family that comprises the family members (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-63).
As to claim 6: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 2. Ball also shows that the cumulative gift data comprises historical gift data and future gift data (Ball: col. 17, lines 42-53; col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-9; and col. 58, lines 45-46).
As to claim 7: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 6. Ball also shows providing to the user device for display a lifetime interface comprising a second graphical illustration of a wealth of the individual over a period time, wherein the wealth is determined based on the financial data and the cumulative gift data and the second graphical illustration reflects an impact of a gifting strategy reflected in the cumulative gift data (Ball: col. 17, lines 42-53; col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-9; and col. 58, lines 45-46).
As to claim 8: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 1. Ball also shows
generating a family tree graphically illustrating the relationship of the family members to the individual determined from the demographic data (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-9); and providing to the user device for display a family tree interface comprising the generated family tree and an indication of a cumulative monetary value of one or more of the gifts to each of the family members determined from the cumulative gift data (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-9).
As to claim 9: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 8. Ball also shows the family tree interface is further configured to generate an overlay in response to a selection from the user device of one of the family members, wherein the overlay comprises selectable trust needs associated with the one of the family members and a breakdown of the cumulative monetary value of the one or more of the gifts to the one of the family members (Ball: col. 2, lines 33-39; col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-12).
As to independent claim 10
Ball shows:
memory comprising instructions stored thereon and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions (Ball: col. 19, lines 24-44) to:
provide to a user device for display a current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gifting strategy interface is generated based on at least demographic data and cumulative gift data for the individual and comprises a first graphical illustration of a monetary value of each of a subset of gifts made by the individual to a subset of family members of the individual (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-12; col. 52, lines 31-56; and col. 58, lines 45-49);
gift data comprises a first one of a plurality of identities of the family members, and the first one of the identities is associated with one of the subset of the family members (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-62); and
automatically adjust the first graphical illustration to reflect, and update the cumulative gift data based on, the executed current gift (Ball: col. 15, lines 12-18; and col. 46, lines 32-34).
Ball does not show:
authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual; and
executing a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient].
Butler shows:
authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual (Butler: pages 7-8, ¶ 50); and
execute a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient] (Butler: page 11, ¶ 71; and page 12, ¶¶ 76-77).
Motivation to combine Ball and Butler:
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Ball by authenticating of login credentials corresponding to an individual; and executing a current gift in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient] of Butler in order to allow gifter to provide a financial gift having customizable redemption conditions (Butler: page 1, ¶ 4).
As to claim 11: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 10. Ball also shows providing to the user device for display a future gifting interface comprising a second graphical illustration and a plurality of future gifting input fields comprising one or more of a future gift amount, a retirement age, an inflation rate, a gift frequency, or a gift duration (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-12).
As to claim 12: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 11. Ball also shows the future gifting interface is configured to automatically adjust the second graphical illustration in response to a received modification of a value associated with one or more of the future gifting input fields (Ball: col. 15, lines 12-18; and col. 46, lines 32-34).
As to claim 13: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 12. Ball also shows the second graphical illustration reflects an estimate future gift value of the future gift (Ball: col. 15, lines 12-18; and col. 46, lines 32-34).
As to claim 14: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 11. Ball also shows
execute a future gift in response to a future gift request received from the user device via the future gifting strategy interface, wherein the future gift request comprises a third one of the identities and future gift data obtained via the future gifting input fields (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-34); and update the cumulative gift data based on the executed future gift (Ball: col. 46, lines 10-34).
As to claim 15: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 10. Ball also shows obtaining and storing the demographic data and the cumulative gift data for the individual, wherein the demographic data comprises the identities and a relationship of the family members to the individual and the gift data comprises an amount and a second one of the identities for gifts made by the individual (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-9).
As to independent claim 16
Ball shows:
provide to a user device for display a current gifting strategy interface following gifting strategy interface is generated based on at least demographic data and cumulative gift data for the individual and comprises a first graphical illustration of a monetary value of each of a subset of gifts made by the individual to a subset of family members of the individual (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-12; col. 52, lines 31-56; and col. 58, lines 45-49);
communicate current gift data via communication networks and a provided application programming interface (API) to a financial institution server or an investment management server (Ball: col. 19, lines 2-23);
gift data comprises a first one of a plurality of identities of the family members and the first one of the identities is associated with one of the subset of the family members(Ball: col. 45, lines 49-62); and
automatically adjust the first graphical illustration to reflect, and update the cumulative gift data based on, the executed current gift (Ball: col. 15, lines 12-18; and col. 46, lines 32-34).
Ball does not show:
authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual; and
execute a current gift and facilitate a transfer of electronic funds in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient].
Butler shows:
authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual (Butler: pages 7-8, ¶ 50); and
execute a current gift and facilitate a transfer of electronic funds in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient] (Butler: page 11, ¶ 71; and page 12, ¶¶ 76-77).
Motivation to combine Ball and Butler:
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the non-transitory computer readable medium of Ball by authentication of login credentials corresponding to an individual; and execute a current gift and facilitate a transfer of electronic funds in response to a current gift request received from the user device via the current gifting strategy interface, wherein the current gift request comprises current gift data obtained via current gifting input fields of the current gifting strategy interface and comprising at least a current gift amount and a [recipient] of Butler in order to allow gifter to provide a financial gift having customizable redemption conditions (Butler: page 1, ¶ 4).
As to claim 17: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 16. Ball also shows
obtaining and storing financial data for the individual, wherein the financial data comprises indications of assets of the individual and the current gift data comprises one of the indications corresponding to a source of the current gift (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-9).
As to claim 18: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 16. Ball also shows
generating a family tree graphically illustrating a relationship of the family members to the individual determined from the demographic data (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-9); and providing to the user device for display a family tree interface comprising the generated family tree and an indication of a cumulative monetary value of one or more of the gifts to each of the family members determined from the cumulative gift data (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-9).
As to claim 19: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 17. Ball also shows
the cumulative gift data comprises historical gift data and future gift data (Ball: col. 17, lines 42-53; col. 45, lines 49-67; col. 46, lines 1-9; and col. 58, lines 45-46); and providing to the user device for display a lifetime interface comprising a second graphical illustration of a wealth of the individual over a period time, wherein the wealth is determined based on the financial data and the cumulative gift data and the second graphical illustration reflects an impact of a gifting strategy reflected in the cumulative gift data (Ball: col. 46, lines 10-32; col. 52, lines 31-56; and col. 58, lines 45-46).
As to claim 20: Ball in view of Butler shows all the elements of claim 16. Ball also shows
provide to the user device for display a future gifting interface comprising a second graphical illustration and a plurality of future gifting input fields (Ball: col. 45, lines 49-67; and col. 46, lines 1-34); execute a future gift in response to a future gift request received from the user device via the future gifting strategy interface, wherein the future gift request comprises a third one of the identities and future gift data obtained via the future gifting input fields (Ball: col. 46, lines 10-34); and update the cumulative gift data based on the executed future gift (Ball: col. 46, lines 10-34).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kermalli (US 2022/0245611 A1) discloses: “The method involves receiving, at a server 110, a gift request from a gifting user, and retrieving, via the server, gift information stored on a database 120 on the server. The gift information includes potential gifts provided by vendor users. The gift information is displayed to the user, and a selection of a gift is received at the server from the user. A data input form is displayed. Recipient information from the gifting and recipient users is received. An order request including the gift and the recipient information is generated, and sent to a chosen vendor user.”
Porto Arentes (US 2021/0256596 A1) discloses: “The apparatus has a processor (200) which defines multiple gift giving groups based on multiple unique registrations and respective user accounts. The processor transmits a request to confirm the payment information with a remote payment service system. The processor assigns the respective user account to one of the gift giving groups based on a demographic, interest, or location associated with the respective user account and the gift giving group responsive to confirming the payment information with the remote payment service system. The processor correlate pairs of user accounts within each gift giving group in giver/recipient pairs. The processor provides through the user interface, information regarding the gift giving group and the respective giver/recipient pair in which the respective user account is correlated.”
Carney (US 2020/0104763 A1) discloses: “[0065] Sharing your wealth—when considering tax efficient strategies, this area can include estate and trust planning, intergenerational planning, and philanthropic planning. This may require information such as charitable giving/gifting plan, estate amount, and whole life insurance. This also enables the client to establish a well-constructed estate plan, tailored to their needs, that allows a client's legacy to endure by supporting the causes important to them.”
Isaacson (US 2017/0316440 A1) discloses: “A method for rule-based gift giving method collects information about life events of one or more friends from one or more social network systems and/or from one or more online profiles. The gathered information may be organized in a news stream format or a calendar items format. The user creates rules including parameters such as monetary value of the gift, identity of the recipient and the life event on which to send the gift. The user may generate a default list of friends who will automatically receive user-selected gifts on user-selected life events. According to another embodiment, the user may generate an on-demand list of friends who will receive gifts on selected life events upon user's approval.”
Haberman (WO 00/63813) discloses: “In a computer-related apparatus that includes a programmable controller (102), input device (104), a graphical user interface displayed on the display device provides a numerical illustration of the net dollar amount available to heirs if a specified dollar amount of assets each year is allocated to each of several estate planning strategies. The annual dollar amount of contribution and other values associated with the estate assets are input into the apparatus. Computations are then generated which show the net after-tax dollar amount available to the heirs under each alternative at two future dates up to the year of life expectancy and up to a specified year after life expectancy.”
Sommer, Eric. Wealth transfers and tax planning: evidence for the German bequest tax. No. 11120. IZA Discussion Papers, 2017.
Gale, William G., and John Karl Scholz. "Intergenerational transfers and the accumulation of wealth." Journal of Economic Perspectives 8.4 (1994): 145-160.
Joulfaian, David