Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 18/586,223

System and method to determine out of balance conditions

Non-Final OA §101§112
Filed
Feb 23, 2024
Examiner
RINES, ROBERT D
Art Unit
3625
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Bank of America Corporation
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
38%
Grant Probability
At Risk
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 3m
Est. Remaining
85%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants only 38% of cases
38%
Career Allowance Rate
204 granted / 532 resolved
-13.7% vs TC avg
Strong +47% interview lift
Without
With
+46.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 9m
Avg Prosecution
29 currently pending
Career history
572
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
34.1%
-5.9% vs TC avg
§103
38.7%
-1.3% vs TC avg
§102
8.1%
-31.9% vs TC avg
§112
15.2%
-24.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 532 resolved cases

Office Action

§101 §112
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status [1] The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 [2] A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6 April 2026 has been entered. Notice to Applicant [3] This communication is in response to the Amendment and the Request for Continued Examination (RCE) filed 6 April 2026. Claims 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, and 17 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. [4] Previous rejection(s) of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention has/have not been overcome and are maintained. Claim 8 as presented by recites: “…training the computing algorithm by inputting the one or more cause agents from the cause agent library and the historical data of previously investigated OOB tickets to generate a trained computing algorithm, wherein the trained computing algorithm when executed is configured to generate a plurality of scenarios that caused the received OOB ticket, wherein each scenario includes the one or more cause agents that caused the received OOB ticket…” While the Specification as originally filed disclose the use of natural language processing to “obtain information contained in the OOB ticket” and further disclose use of Retrieval-Augments Generation (RAG and Statistical model is trained on the input reference library and historical data (Specification page 11), disclosure of an algorithm or a process for training an algorithm to “…generate a plurality of scenarios that caused the received OOB ticket, wherein each scenario includes the one or more cause agents that caused the received OOB ticket…” is not presented. Accordingly, the limitation of training the computing algorithms to generate output of a plurality of new scenario types is not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. For purposes of further examination, Examiner assumes the recited functions are performed by generic, commercially available training processes and algorithms available at the time of the invention. Independent claims 1 and 15 recite the limitations addressed above with respect to claim 8 and are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. Dependent claims 2-7, 9-15, and 16-20 inherit and fail to remedy the deficiencies of their respective independent claims and are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. 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. [5] Previous rejection(s) of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter, specifically an abstract idea without significantly more has/have not been overcome by the amendments to the subject claims and is/are maintained. The revised statement of rejection presented below is necessitated by amendment and addresses the present amendments to the pending claims. The following analysis is based on the framework for determining patent subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101 established in the decisions of the Supreme Court in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Labs., Incorporated and Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al. (See MPEP 2106 subsection III and 2106.03-2106.05) the 2024 Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Including Artificial Intelligence (2024 AI SME Update) published in the Federal Register, 17 July 2024 and further clarified in the Reminders on Evaluating Subject Matter Eligibility of claims under 35 U.S.C. 101 guidance memorandum published 4 August 2025. Claim(s) 1-20 as a whole is/are determined to be directed to an abstract idea. The rationale for this determination is explained below: Abstract ideas are excluded from patent eligibility based on a concern that monopolization of the basic tools of scientific and technological work might serve to impede, rather than promote, innovation. Still, inventions that integrate the building blocks of human ingenuity into something more by applying the abstract idea in a meaningful way are patent eligible (See MPEP 2106.04). Consistent with the findings of the Supreme Court in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Labs., Incorporated and Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al. ineligible abstract ideas are defined in groups, namely: (1) Mathematical Concepts (e.g., mathematical relationships, mathematical formulas or equations, and mathematical calculations; (2) Mental Processes (e.g., concepts performed or performable in the human mind including observations, evaluations, judgements, or opinions); and (3) Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity. Groupings of Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity include three sub-categories within the group, namely: (1) fundamental economic principles or practices; (2) commercial or legal interactions (e.g., agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors, and business relations); (3) managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people (e.g., social activities, teaching, and following rules or instructions) (See MPEP 2106.04(a). Eligibility Step 1: Four Categories of Statutory Subject Matter (See MPEP 2106.03): Independent claims 1, 8, and 15 are directed to a system, a method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, respectively, and are reasonably understood to be properly directed to one of the four recognized statutory classes of invention designated by 35 U.S.C. 101; namely, a process or method, a machine or apparatus, an article of manufacture, or a composition of matter. While the claims, generally, are directed to recognized statutory classes of invention, each of method/process, system/apparatus claims, and computer-readable media/articles of manufacture are subject to additional analysis as defined by the Courts to determine whether the particularly claimed subject matter is patent-eligible with respect to these further requirements. In the case of the instant application, each of claims 1, 8, and 15 are determined to be directed to ineligible subject matter based on the following analysis/guidance: Eligibility Step 2A prong 1: (See MPEP 2106.04): In reference to claim 1, the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter because the claim(s) as a whole, considering all claim elements both individually and in combination, do/does not amount to significantly more than an abstract idea. The claim(s) is/are directed to the abstract idea of identifying an imbalance concerning product information and determining potential causes and calculating probable scenarios for the imbalance and further identifying remedial actions to correct the imbalance, which is reasonably considered to be method of limited to claimed ineligible steps/processes performable by Human Mental Processing (e.g., concepts performed or performable in the human mind including observations, evaluations, judgements, or opinions). In particular, the general subject matter to which the claims are directed illustrates a sequence of events/functions in which an out-of-balance condition is observed concerning a product (e.g., a banking or financial product such as cash or securities) and probabilities related to cause and scenarios which may have given rise to the condition are calculated, which is an ineligible inventive process limited to human mental observations and evaluations. The courts have previously identified subject matter limited to steps/processes performable by Human Mental Processing and/or by a human using pen and paper to be ineligible abstract ideas (See CyberSource Corp v. Retail Decisions, Inc., 654 F.3d 1366, 1373 (Fed. Cir. 2011). Further, mental processes or concepts performed in the human mind including observation and evaluation are considered to be ineligible abstract ideas. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for a recitation of generic computer components, then the claim is still to be grouped as a mental process unless the limitation cannot practically be performed in the human mind (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)). With respect to functions/steps limited to processes performable by Human Mental Processing and/or by a human using pen and paper, representative claim 8 recites: “…a plurality of scenario types…wherein each scenario type comprises at least one or more cause agents, wherein each cause agent indicates an action that caused one or more out-of-balance conditions; receiving an out-of-balance (OOB) ticket that is generated when an out-of-balance condition occurs in relation to a mismatch between two or more data logs associated with a product;…extract the one or more cause agents from a cause agent library and from historical data of previously investigated OOB tickets…generate a plurality of scenarios that caused the received OOB ticket, wherein each scenario includes the one or more cause agents that caused the received OOB ticket; generating the plurality of scenario types based at least in part upon the generated plurality of scenarios and the extracted one or more cause agents; accessing product information related to the OOB ticket, wherein the product information comprises a plurality of features associated with the product associated with the OOB ticket; extracting a subset of features from the product information, wherein the extracted subset of features are specific to the product associated with the OOB ticket; determining relationships between the one or more cause agents and the product associated with the OOB ticket, wherein the relationships are determined based at least in part upon the subset of features extracted from the product information; generating a plurality of new scenario types based on new cause agents, wherein the new cause agents are different from the one or more cause agents and the plurality of new scenario types are different from the plurality of scenario types; adding the plurality of new scenario types to the plurality of scenario types…upon adding the plurality new scenario types to the plurality of scenario types, applying the determined relationships to the plurality of scenario types stored in the memory including the plurality new scenario types to determine a probability value for each of the plurality of scenario types including the plurality new scenario types, wherein each probability value indicates a likelihood that a corresponding scenario type caused the out-of-balance (OOB) condition associated with the product; determining a scenario type associated with a highest probability value; outputting the determined scenario type with the highest probability value; and generating one or more remedial actions for each scenario type based on user defined rules, and wherein: the one or more remedial actions remedy the OOB condition; each scenario type identifies a primary cause of the OOB condition; and the identified primary cause is based on multiple cause agents, and the one or more remedial actions are performed based at least in part upon the identified primary cause…” Respectfully, absent further clarification of the processing steps executed by any underlying technology employed in the inventive method, one of ordinary skill in the art would reasonably be relied upon to analyze account conditions and determine or estimate potential causes/scenarios and an associated probability and select a scenario or cause of the condition based comparing the probabilities and selecting the scenario associated with the highest probability using pen and paper and/or employing by the human mental processing (See CyberSource Corp v. Retail Decisions, Inc., 654 F.3d 1366, 1373 (Fed. Cir. 2011) (“a method that can be performed by human thought alone is merely an abstract idea and is not patent eligible under 35 U.S.C 101). Eligibility Step 2A prong 2: (See MPEP 2106.04(d)): Under step 2A prong two, Examiners are to consider additional elements recited in the claim beyond the judicial exception and evaluate whether those additional elements integrate the exception into a practical application. Further, to be considered a recitation of an element which integrates the judicial exception into a practical application, the additional elements must apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes meaningful limits on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception. As presented by amendment, additional elements of claim 8 that potentially integrate the claimed ineligible subject matter into a practical application are limited to: “memory”, “natural language processing algorithm”, and “computing algorithm”. Claims 1 and 15, directed to a system and computer-readable medium introduce a “processor” and processor-executable “instructions” With respect to these potential additional elements: (1) The “memory”, “processor”, and “instructions” are identified as engaged in an unspecified, general manner in the performance of each of the recited steps/functions. (2) The “natural language processing algorithm” is identified as being executed on the OOB ticket to extract the one or more cause agents from a cause agent library and from historical data of previously investigated OOB tickets. (3) The “computing algorithm” is identified as being trained to generate a plurality of scenarios that caused the received OOB ticket by inputting the one or more cause agents from the cause agent library and the historical data of previously investigated OOB tickets. With respect to the above noted functions attributable to the identified additional elements, MPEP 2106.05 stipulates that: Adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea – see MPEP 2106.05(f); Adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception – see MPEP 2106.05(g); and/or Generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use – see MPEP 2106.05(h) serve as indications that the use of the technology recited does not indicate integration into a practical application of the judicial exception. With respect to the identification of the computing algorithm and general training processes, and for purposes of further prosecution, Examiner notes the 2024 Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Including Artificial Intelligence (2024 AI SME Update) published in the Federal Register on 17 July 2024. In particular, Examiner respectfully directs Applicant’s attention to Example 47, claim 2. Specifically, the instant recitation of “training an algorithm” is analogous to the training of an artificial neural network based on input data and receiving continuous training data of Examiner 47. Reasonably, the training data and feedback data are limited to mere data gathering and generating an output at a high level of generality and, by extension, are reasonably understood to constitute insignificant extra solution activity (See MPEP 2106.05(g)). The recited training process is limited to a recitation of the inputs and outputs to be applied to an undefined training process absent any technical specificity regarding actual training and/or particular machine learning models. Accordingly, the recited machine-learning processes and associated training are reasonably understood to be generic machine learning processes. Each of the above noted limitations states a result (e.g., out-of-balance conditions are identified, probabilities of causal scenarios are determined, remedial actions are determined, information extracted from text/tickets, and scenarios are identified etc.) as associated with a respective “processor”, “instructions”, or “algorithm”. A recitation of “by a processor” absent clarification of particular processing steps executed by the underlying technology to produce the result are reasonably understood to be an equivalent of “apply it”. The identified functions performed by the recited technology are limited to: (1) receiving and sending data via a computer network (e.g., data); (2) storing and retrieving information and data from a generic computer memory (e.g., scenario types); and (3) performing mental observations using the obtaining information/data (e.g., determining probabilities and identifying scenarios/causes based on an observation of a highest probability) (See MPEP 2106.05(f)). Accordingly, claim 8 is reasonably understood to be conducting standard, and formally manually performed process of identifying an imbalance concerning product information and determining potential causes and calculating probable scenarios for the imbalance and further identifying remedial actions to correct the imbalance using the generic devices as tools to perform the abstract idea. The identified functions of the recited additional elements reasonably constitute a general linking of the abstract idea to a generic technological environment. The claimed identifying an imbalance concerning product information and determining potential causes and calculating probable scenarios for the imbalance and further identifying remedial actions to correct the imbalance benefits from the inherent efficiencies gained by data transmission, data storage, and information display capacities of generic computing devices, but fails to present an additional element(s) which practical integrates the judicial exception into a practical application of the judicial exception. Eligibility Step 2B: (See MPEP 2106.05): Analysis under step 2B is further subject to the Revised Examination Procedure responsive to the Subject Matter Eligibility Decision in Berkheimer v. HP, Inc. issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (19 April 2018). Examiner respectfully submits that the recited uses of the underlying computer technology constitute well-known, routine, and conventional uses of generic computers operating in a network environment. In support of Examiner’s conclusion that the recited functions/role of the computer as presented in the present form of the claims constitutes known and conventional uses of generic computing technology, Examiner provides the following: In reference to the Specification as originally filed, the Specification provides listings of generic computing systems, e.g., a general computing platform including exemplary servers, network configurations and various processor configuration which are identified as capable and interchangeable for performing the disclosed processes. The disclosure does not identify any particular modifications to the underlying hardware elements required to perform the inventive methods and functions. Accordingly, it is reasonably understood that this disclosure indicates that the hardware elements and network configurations suitable for performing the inventive methods are limited to commercially available systems at the time of the invention. Absent further clarification, it is reasonably understood that any modifications/improvements to the underlying technology attributable to the inventive method/system are limited to improvements realized by the disclosed computer-executable routines and the associated processes performed. While the above noted disclosure serves to provide sufficient explanation of technical elements required to perform the inventive method using available computing technology, the disclosure does not appear to identify any particular modifications or inventive configurations of the underlying hardware elements required to perform the inventive methods and functions. Accordingly, it is reasonably understood that the disclosure indicates that the hardware elements and network configurations suitable for performing the inventive methods are limited to commercially available systems at the time of the invention. Further, absent further clarification, it is reasonably understood that any modifications/improvements to the underlying technology attributable to the inventive method/system are limited to improvements realized by the disclosed computer-executable routines and the associated processes performed. The claims specify that the above identified generic computing structures and associated functions/routines include: (1) The “memory”, “processor”, and “instructions” are identified as engaged in an unspecified, general manner in the performance of each of the recited steps/functions. (2) The “natural language processing algorithm” is identified as being executed on the OOB ticket to extract the one or more cause agents from a cause agent library and from historical data of previously investigated OOB tickets. (3) The “computing algorithm” is identified as being trained to generate a plurality of scenarios that caused the received OOB ticket by inputting the one or more cause agents from the cause agent library and the historical data of previously investigated OOB tickets. While Examiner acknowledges that the noted limitations are computer-implemented, Examiner respectfully submits that, in aggregate (e.g., “as a whole”) they do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea/ineligible subject matter to which the claimed invention is primarily directed. While utilizing a computer, the claimed invention is not rooted in computer technology nor does it improve the performance of the underlying computer technology. The computer-implemented features of the claimed invention noted above are reasonably limited to: (1) receiving and sending data via a computer network (e.g., data); (2) storing and retrieving information and data from a generic computer memory (e.g., scenario types); and (3) performing mental observations using the obtaining information/data (e.g., determining probabilities and identifying scenarios/causes based on an observation of a highest probability). The above listed computer-implemented functions are distinguished from the generic data storage, retrieval, transmission, and data manipulation/processing capacities of the generic systems identified in the Specification solely by the recited identification of particular data elements that are of utility to a user performing the specific method of identifying an imbalance concerning product information and determining potential causes and calculating probable scenarios for the imbalance and further identifying remedial actions to correct the imbalance. In summary, the computer of the instant invention is facilitating non-technical aims, i.e., identifying an imbalance concerning product information and determining potential causes and calculating probable scenarios for the imbalance and further identifying remedial actions to correct the imbalance, because it has been programmed to store, retrieve, and transmit specific data elements and/or instructions that is/are of utility to the user. The non-technical functions of identifying an imbalance concerning product information and determining potential causes and calculating probable scenarios for the imbalance and further identifying remedial actions to correct the imbalance benefit from the use of computer technology, but fail to improve the underlying technology. In support, the courts have previously found that utilization of a computer to receive or transmit data and communications over a network and/or employing generic computer memory and processor capacities store and retrieve information from a computer memory are insufficient computer-implemented functions to establish that an otherwise unpatentable judicial exception (e.g. abstract idea) is patent eligible. With respect to the determinations of the Courts regarding using a computer for sending and receiving data or information over a computer network and storing and retrieving information from computer memory, see at least: receiving or transmitting data over a network, e.g., using the Internet to gather data, Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362; sending messages over a network OIP Techs., Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (sending messages over a network); receiving and sending information over a network 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); storing and retrieving information in memory, Versata Dev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc., 793 F.3d 1306, 1334, 115 USPQ2d 1681, 1701 (Fed. Cir. 2015); OIP Techs., 788 F.3d at 1363, 115 USPQ2d at 1092-93 and see performing repetitive calculations, Flook, 437 U.S. at 594, 198 USPQ2d at 199; and Bancorp Services v. Sun Life, 687 F.3d 1266, 1278, 103 USPQ2d 1425, 1433 (Fed. Cir. 2012) with respect to the performance of repetitive calculations does not impose meaningful limits on the scope of the claims. Independent claims 1 and 15, directed to an apparatus/system and computer-executable instructions stored on computer-readable media for performing the method steps are rejected for substantially the same reasons, in that the generically recited computer components in the apparatus/system and computer readable media claims add nothing of substance to the underlying abstract idea. Dependent claims 2-7, 9-14, and 16-20, when analyzed as a whole are held to be ineligible subject matter and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the additional recited limitation(s) fail(s) to establish that the claimed invention is not directed to an abstract idea. Viewed as a whole, these additional claim element(s) do not provide meaningful limitation(s) to transform the abstract idea into a patent eligible application of the abstract idea such that the claim(s) amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea itself. Therefore, the claim(s) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter. In accordance with all relevant considerations and aligned with previous findings of the courts, the technical elements imparted on the method that would potentially provide a basis for meeting a “significantly more” threshold for establishing patent eligibility for an otherwise abstract concept by the use of computer technology fail to amount to significantly more than the abstract idea itself. For further guidance and authority, see Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al. 573 U.S.____ (2014)) (See MPEP 2106). Response to Remarks/Amendment [6] Applicant's remarks filed 6 April 2026 have been fully considered and are addressed as follows: [i] Applicant’s remarks in response to previous rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter as set forth in the previous Office Action mailed 14 January 2026 are reasonably considered to have been fully addressed in the context of the revised rejection of the claims presented above responsive to the amendments to the subject claims and in consideration of the framework for determining patent subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101 established in the decisions of the Supreme Court in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Labs., Incorporated and Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al. (See MPEP 2106 subsection III and 2106.03-2106.05) and the 2024 Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Including Artificial Intelligence (2024 AI SME Update), published in the Federal Register, 17 July 2024. Examiner further notes the maintained rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and the reasonable interpretation of the claimed limitations as being directed to generic training and application of a generic computing algorithm and a generic natural language algorithm. Further, Examiner notes that the claims as constructed do not actually apply the recited “trained computing algorithm” to the recited functions of generating scenarios and new scenarios and cause agents, but rather merely indicate that the “trained algorithm, when executed is configured to generate a plurality of scenarios that caused the received OOB ticket”. The execution of the trained algorithm in the subsequent steps/functions presented in the claim, and on which Applicant’s remarks rely, is not performed in the subsequent generating scenarios functions presented in the claim. Accordingly, claims 1-20 remain rejected in consideration of the framework for determining patent subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101 established in the decisions of the Supreme Court in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Labs., Incorporated and Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al. (See MPEP 2106 subsection III and 2106.03-2106.05) and the 2024 Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Including Artificial Intelligence (2024 AI SME Update), published in the Federal Register, 17 July 2024. Conclusion [7] The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cited NON-PATENT Literature: Ahmed et al., Security in Next Generation Mobile Payment Systems: A Comprehensive Survey, 2021-01-01, IEEE Access (Volume: 9, 2021, Page(s): 115932-115950): Relevant Teachings: Ahmed discloses a survey of a mobile payment system including account reconciliation practices in a mobile payment environment. The publication establishes that at least using digital currency and/or token-based payment system to enable and track transactions and account ledgers is common practice in the art. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT D RINES whose telephone number is (571)272-5585. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Beth V Boswell can be reached at 571-272-6737. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ROBERT D RINES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3625
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 3 earlier events
Dec 12, 2025
Examiner Interview Summary
Dec 17, 2025
Response Filed
Jan 14, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §101, §112
Mar 24, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Mar 24, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Apr 06, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Apr 21, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jun 17, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §101, §112 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
38%
Grant Probability
85%
With Interview (+46.6%)
4y 9m (~2y 3m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 532 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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