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 Claims
• This action is in reply to the Application Number 18/590,245 filed on 02/28/2024.
• Claims 1-19 are currently pending and have been examined.
• This action is made FINAL in response to the amendments and Remarks filed on 02/05/2026.
• The amendments have overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
The certified copy has been filed in Application No. 18/590,245 filed on 02/28/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/01/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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, 9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The complete step-by-step analysis under 35 U.S.C. 101 is provided below:
STEP One: Do Claims 1, 9 and 17 Fall Within One of The Statutory Categories?
Yes, Claims 1 is directed towards a method (process), and Claim 9 and 17 are directed towards a machine.
STEP Two A , Prong One: Is a Judicial Exception Recited?
Yes, Claim 1 recites an online ride-hailing method by receiving a first ride-hailing request sent by a user terminal, sending one or more second ride-hailing requests by the server to one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, receiving one or more second ride-hailing response messages returned by one or more of the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, and returning a first ride-hailing response message by the server to the user terminal based on the one or more second ride-hailing response messages. These steps are managing personal behavior. For example, a customer can call the dispatch center phone number and request a taxi service, and a dispatcher can check and reserve a vehicle in the dispatch system or any online ride-hailing service platforms, then return a call back to the customer to response the customer’s request. Claim 9 and 17 merely recite the same function in claim 1 as a system. Thus, claim 9 and 17 is managing personal behavior as well.
STEP Two A , Prong Two: Is the Abstract Idea integrated into a Practical Application?
No, the claim recites additional elements of receiving, by a server, a first ride-hailing request sent by a user terminal, and returning, by the server, a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal based on the one or more second ride-hailing response messages. The receiving steps from the external source is recited at a high level of generality (i.e. as a general means of gathering request data for use in the evaluating step), and amounts to mere data gathering, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity. The returning results step is also recited at a high level of generality (i.e. as a general means of displaying the response message from the evaluating step), and amounts to mere post solution displaying, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity. The “server” merely describes how to generally “apply” the otherwise mental judgements in a generic or general purpose ride-hailing environment. The server is recited at a high level of generality and is merely automates the evaluating step. .
STEP Two B: Does the Claim as a whole amount to significantly more than the Judicial Exception?
No, as stated previously, the inventive aspect of these claims amount to no more than abstract ideas that are being applied on generic components performing routine, well-understood functions. The inclusion of generic components merely amounts to instructions for applying the abstract ideas and add no meaningful limitations to the claims.
Dependent claims 2-8,10-16 and 18-19 do not recite any further limitations that cause the claims to be patent eligible. Rather, the limitations of the dependent claims are directed toward additional aspects of the judicial exception and/or well-understood, routine and conventional additional elements that do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application. Therefore, dependent claims 2-8,10-16 and 18-19 are not patent eligible under the same rational as provided for the rejection of claims 1, 9 and 17.
Claims 2 and 10 merely further specifies how to determine the vehicle types and send the ride-hailing request to the online ride-hailing service platforms.
Claims 3 and 12 merely further specifies how to parse out the one or more user-selected services and the online ride-hailing service provider in the first ride-hailing request to obtain all vehicle types of each of the online ride- hailing service providers and send the ride-hailing request to the online ride-hailing service platforms.
Claims 4 and 13 merely further specifies how many user-selected services and online ride-hailing service providers for each transport capacity type.
Claim 5 merely further specifies how to determine, from a preset configuration table of user-selected services and vehicle types of online ride-hailing service providers, the one or more vehicle types that provide at least one of the one or more corresponding user-selected services.
Claims 6 and 14, 18 merely further specifies what steps of second ride-hailing request comprises.
Claims 7 and 15, 19 merely further specifies what steps of returning a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal comprises.
Claims 8 and 16 merely further specifies what information of returning a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal comprises.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN107920096A to Song in view of CN106778216A to Huang, further in view of CN108038774A to Ning.
Regarding claims 1, 9 and 17:
Song teaches:
An online ride-hailing method, comprising: (See Song, Para [0002],” This invention relates to the field of computer processing technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus and server for displaying ride-hailing prediction information”)
receiving, by a server, a first ride-hailing request sent by a user terminal, wherein the first ride-hailing request includes one or more user-selected services, and one or more online ride-hailing service providers providing the one or more user-selected services; (See Song, para [19], “Send travel information to the server of the current ride-hailing platform”, and Para [0014],” obtain the ride-hailing prediction information from the current ride-hailing platform and other ride-hailing platforms”, and para[15], “the travel information may also include: the type of vehicle used”)
sending, by the server, one or more second ride-hailing requests to one or more online ride-hailing service platforms corresponding to the one or more online ride-hailing service providers according to the one or more user-selected services and the one or more online ride-hailing service providers, wherein the sending comprises: (See Song, Para [0067],” the server can also send the received travel information to other ride-hailing platforms to obtain their ride-hailing prediction information…the travel information also includes: the type of vehicle used.”)
in response to one of the online ride-hailing service platforms receiving ride-hailing requests for all vehicle types using a single interface, sending one second ride-hailing request to the single interface of the one online ride-hailing service platform, wherein the second ride-hailing request includes a vehicle type; (See Song, Para [0067],” the server can also send the received travel information to other ride-hailing platforms to obtain their ride-hailing prediction information…the travel information also includes: the type of vehicle used”, and para[68], “the type of vehicle used (such as express car, taxi, private car, etc.)”, and para[75], “After receiving the estimated ride-hailing information from multiple ride-hailing platforms sent by the Didi Chuxing platform server, the user equipment (UE) will directly display the estimated ride-hailing information of the current ride hailing platform in the ride-hailing application interface”)
and in response to one of the online ride-hailing service platforms receiving ride-hailing requests for different vehicle types using separate interfaces, sending a number of second ride-hailing requests to the separate interfaces of the one online ride-hailing service platform, wherein the number of the second ride-hailing requests is the same as a number of the vehicle types, (See Song, Para [0067],” the server can also send the received travel information to other ride-hailing platforms to obtain their ride-hailing prediction information”, and para[68], “It should be noted that ride-hailing platforms use different methods to calculate ride-hailing prediction information depending on the type of vehicle used (such as express car, taxi, private car, etc.).”) Examiner note: Song teaches sending a number of ride-hailing request to the separate interfaces of the multiple ride-hailing service platform, including the type of vehicle used. It would be a design choice to set up the number of the second ride-hailing requests is the same as a number of the vehicle types.
receiving, by the server, one or more second ride-hailing response messages returned by one or more of the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms in response to the one or more second ride-hailing requests; (See Song, Para [0072],”Receive ride-hailing prediction information from multiple ride-hailing platforms sent by the server, wherein the ride-hailing prediction information from the multiple ride-hailing platforms is obtained by the server based on the travel information”)
and returning, by the server, a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal based on the one or more second ride-hailing response messages. (See Song, para[74], “S23: Displays ride-hailing prediction information from various ride-hailing platforms”, and para[75], “the user equipment (UE) will directly display the estimated ride-hailing information of the current ride hailing platform”)
Song does not teach, but Huang teaches:
for each of the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, determining an interface type used by the online ride-hailing service platform to receive the ride-hailing request comprising the one or more user-selected services, (See Huang, para[70], “users can enter their travel information into the application interface of a third party application. After clicking to confirm, the third-party application can receive the ride hailing command corresponding to the user's operation, and thus obtain the corresponding travel information, including the departure point, destination, and travel type”, and para [69], “The mobile terminal can obtain the user's selected travel type, which may include express car, taxi, ride-sharing, or private car, etc.”)
and formatting the one or more second ride-hailing requests to conform to the determined interface type, wherein the formatting comprises: (See Huang, Fig. 4 depicts one or more second ride-hailing requests to conform to the determined interface type which indicating the user-selected service is express car, and para[87], “S203. When the mobile terminal receives a permission granting instruction for the second ride-hailing application, the permissions of the second ride-hailing application are configured to be open. The second ride-hailing application is any one of the installed ride-hailing applications”)
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Song so as to include for each of the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, determining an interface type used by the online ride-hailing service platform to receive the ride-hailing request comprising the one or more user-selected services, and formatting the one or more second ride-hailing requests to conform to the determined interface type in view of Huang. Those having ordinary skill in the art would understand that including for each of the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, determining an interface type used by the online ride-hailing service platform to receive the ride-hailing request comprising the one or more user-selected services, and formatting the one or more second ride-hailing requests to conform to the determined interface type to one or more online ride- hailing service providers in view of Huang as required by the claim. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to combine Song and Huang because this would have achieved the desirable result of providing the one or more user-selected services in the first ride-hailing request, specifically the mobile terminal can quickly obtain the tariff information of the taxi application so that the user can select the optimal travel mode.
Song does not teach, but Ning teaches:
and the second ride-hailing requests exclude a vehicle type; (See Ning, Para [0040]-[0042],” Further, the background server is also used for… sending the starting point, end point and travel distance of the ride to the online car-hailing platform to request an estimated price”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Song so as to include the second ride-hailing requests exclude a vehicle type in view of Ning. Those having ordinary skill in the art would understand that including one or more user-selected services in the request to one or more online ride- hailing service providers in view of Ning as required by the claim. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to combine Song and Ning because this would have achieved the desirable result of providing the one or more user-selected services in the first ride-hailing request, specifically the mobile terminal can quickly obtain the tariff information of the taxi application so that the user can select the optimal travel mode.
Regarding claims 2, 10 and 18:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending the one or more second ride-hailing requests to the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms further comprises: (See Song, Para [0067],” the server can also send the received travel information to other ride-hailing platforms to obtain their ride-hailing prediction information”)
in response to one of the online ride-hailing service platforms receiving ride-hailing requests for two or more vehicle types using a first interface and receiving ride-hailing requests for one vehicle type using a second interface, sending a second ride-hailing request that includes a vehicle type to the first interface of the one online ride-hailing service platform (See Song, Para [0067],” the server can also send the received travel information to other ride-hailing platforms to obtain their ride-hailing prediction information…the travel information also includes: the type of vehicle used”, and para[68], “the type of vehicle used (such as express car, taxi, private car, etc.)”,
Song does not teach, but Ning teaches:
and sending another second ride-hailing request that does not include a vehicle type to the second interface. (See Ning, Para [0040]-[0042],” Further, the background server is also used for… sending the starting point, end point and travel distance of the ride to the online car-hailing platform to request an estimated price”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Song so as to the second ride-hailing requests exclude a vehicle type in view of Ning. Those having ordinary skill in the art would understand that including one or more user-selected services in the request to one or more online ride- hailing service providers in view of Ning as required by the claim. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to combine Song and Ning because this would have achieved the desirable result of providing the one or more user-selected services in the first ride-hailing request, specifically the mobile terminal can quickly obtain the tariff information of the taxi application so that the user can select the optimal travel mode.
Regarding claims 3, 11 and 19:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: parsing out the one or more user-selected services and the online ride-hailing service providers in the first ride-hailing request to obtain all vehicle types of each of the online ride-hailing service providers.” Song, Para [0076-0077],”enables the direct acquisition of ride-hailing prediction information from various ride-hailing platforms under the same conditions on a single ridehailing platform… , the travel information also includes: the type of vehicle used”)
Regarding claims 4 and 13:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, wherein: the first ride-hailing request includes two or more user-selected services and at least one online ride-hailing service provider for each transport capacity type. (See Song, Para [0067],” the server can also send the received travel information to other ride-hailing platforms to obtain their ride-hailing prediction information…the travel information also includes: the type of vehicle used”, and para[68], “the type of vehicle used (such as express car, taxi, private car, etc.)”
Regarding claims 5 and 12:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, further comprising: parsing out the online ride-hailing service providers and the one or more user-selected services from the first ride-hailing request; and determining, from a preset configuration table of user-selected services and vehicle types of online ride-hailing service providers, the vehicle types that provide at least one of the corresponding user-selected services. (See Song, Para [0068],” Passengers select the type of vehicle in the ride-hailing application on the user equipment (UE), enabling the server to obtain ride-hailing prediction information based on the departure point, destination, ride time, and vehicle type”, and para[68], “the type of vehicle used (such as express car, taxi, private car, etc.)”
Regarding claims 6 and 14:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, wherein returning a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal comprises: in response to that the one or more second ride-hailing response messages consist of one second ride-hailing response message, returning the one second ride-hailing response message to the user terminal as the first ride-hailing response message. (See Song, Para [0072],”Receive ride-hailing prediction information from multiple ride-hailing platforms sent by the server, wherein the ride-hailing prediction information from the multiple ride-hailing platforms is obtained by the server based on the travel information”, and para [74], “S23: Displays ride-hailing prediction information from various ride-hailing platforms”, and para[75], “the user equipment (UE) will directly display the estimated ride-hailing information of the current ride hailing platform”)
Regarding claims 7 and 15:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, wherein returning a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal comprises: in response to that the one or more second ride-hailing response messages include two or more second ride-hailing response messages, selecting a preset quantity of second ride-hailing response messages from the received second ride-hailing response messages according to a preset recommendation policy, ( See Song, Para [0054],“ “The method for displaying estimated taxi-hailing information in an embodiment of the present disclosure receives the travel information sent by the user equipment UE; obtains the estimated taxi-hailing information of multiple taxi-hailing platforms according to the travel information;”)
and returning the selected second ride-hailing response messages to the user terminal as the first ride-hailing response message. ( See Song, Para [0055],“S13: Send the estimated taxi-hailing information of the plurality of taxi-hailing platforms to the user equipment UE, so that the user equipment UE displays the estimated taxi-hailing information of each taxi hailing platform.”)
Regarding claims 8, 16:
Song in view of Huang and Ning as shown in the rejection above, discloses the limitations of claims 1. Song teaches:
The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more transportation capacity types include one or more of taxi, economy, comfort, luxury, or business. (See Song, Para [0068],” Passengers select the type of vehicle in the ride-hailing application on the user equipment (UE), enabling the server to obtain ride-hailing prediction information based on the departure point, destination, ride time, and vehicle type”, and para[68], “the type of vehicle used (such as express car, taxi, private car, etc.)”
RESPONSE TO ARGUMENTS
112 (b) Rejection. The amendments have overcome the 35 USC 112 (b) rejections.
101 Rejections. Applicant argued that the independent claim 1 is not directed to “managing personal behavior” or a mental process. Examiner respectively disagrees. Claim 1 recites an online ride-hailing method by receiving a first ride-hailing request sent by a user terminal, sending one or more second ride-hailing requests by the server to one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, receiving one or more second ride-hailing response messages returned by one or more of the one or more online ride-hailing service platforms, and returning a first ride-hailing response message by the server to the user terminal based on the one or more second ride-hailing response messages. These steps are managing personal behavior. For example, a customer can call the dispatch center phone number and request a taxi service, and a dispatcher can check and reserve a vehicle in the dispatch system or any online ride-hailing service platforms, then return a call back to the customer to response the customer’s request. Claim 9 and 17 merely recite the same function in claim 1 as a system. Thus, claim 9 and 17 is managing personal behavior as well. the claim recites additional elements of receiving, by a server, a first ride-hailing request sent by a user terminal, and returning, by the server, a first ride-hailing response message to the user terminal based on the one or more second ride-hailing response messages. The receiving steps from the external source is recited at a high level of generality (i.e. as a general means of gathering request data for use in the evaluating step), and amounts to mere data gathering, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity. The returning results step is also recited at a high level of generality (i.e. as a general means of displaying the response message from the evaluating step), and amounts to mere post solution displaying, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity. The “server” merely describes how to generally “apply” the otherwise mental judgements in a generic or general purpose ride-hailing environment. The server is recited at a high level of generality and is merely automates the evaluating step. As stated previously, the inventive aspect of these claims amount to no more than abstract ideas that are being applied on generic components performing routine, well-understood functions. The inclusion of generic components merely amounts to instructions for applying the abstract ideas and add no meaningful limitations to the claims.
103 Rejections. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-19 (See applicant’s response, page 11, “Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103”) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 Kai Wang whose telephone number is (571) 270-5633. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30 Eastern.
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