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 .
DETAILED ACTION
2. The action is responsive to the communications filed on 4/8/2026. Claims 13-26, 29, 32 are pending in the case. Claims 1-12, 27, 28, 30, 31 are cancelled. Claims 13, 15-26, 29, 32 are amended. Claims 13, 20, 21 are independent claims. Claims 13-26, 29, 32 are rejected.
Summary of claims
3. Claims 13-26, 29, 32 are pending,
Claims 1, 7, 9 are amended,
Claims 1-12, 27, 28, 30, 31 are cancelled.
Claims 13, 20, 21 are independent claims,
Claims 13-26, 29, 32 are rejected.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed on 4/8/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 13, 20, 21 on double patenting, since Applicant file Terminal Disclaimed, the double patenting rejection is withdrawn; with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 13-26, 29, 32 under 103 have been fully considered and are not persuasive in view of new rejection ground(s).
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 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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
5. Claims 13-26, 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naohiro Yuasa et al (US Publication 20180218418 A1, hereinafter Yuasa), and in view of and Westley Stringfellow et al (US Publication 20100174620 A1, hereinafter Stringfellow), and Richard Mark Ashcroft et al (US Publication 20210390534, hereinafter Ashcroft).
As for independent claim 13, Yuasa discloses: A server system (Yuasa: Abstract, provided is a transaction system that supports a transaction between a plurality of consumers and a plurality of suppliers, the transaction system including a server computer that is connected to a network, in which a plurality of consumer-side computers of the transaction and a plurality of supplier-side computers of the transaction are connected to the network, in which the server computer includes a processor that performs processing for interposing in a transaction performed between at least one of the plurality of consumer-side computers and at least one of the plurality of supplier-side computers, and a memory that records consumer-side information regarding the transaction which is output from each of the plurality of consumer-side computers and supplier-side information regarding the transaction which is output from each of the plurality of supplier-side computers; Fig. 1 and [0036], a service form management module that manages a service form, the service form is a form for registering information regarding the consumer’s desired service or a service providable by the provider in the server computer 101) comprising: a form management server including a memory that stores information relating to a plurality of forms issued by a first user in relation to transactions between the first user and a second user (Yuasa: [0036], the management system module includes a service form management module that manages a service form, the service form is a form for registering information regarding the consumer’s desired service or a service providable by the provider in the server computer; [0037], user registration information and the service form are registered in a database 107); and … including circuitry configured to: … receive, from the form management server, [audit information] in association with the identifier (Yuasa: [0063], the service form registration module selects and presents the selected service form to the consumer in accordance with the type of business of the user on the basis of a user ID (the identifier) with reference to the tables); transmit, to the communication terminal being the financing source, a request for applying [an audit for financing] and the information relating to the particular form (Yuasa: [0036], the management system module includes a service form management module that manages a service form, the service form is a form for registering information regarding the consumer’s desired service or a service providable by the provider in the server computer; Fig. 7 and [0060], the service form registration module performs a process of receiving a request of a service form from a user (the consumer-side computer 111; [0063], the service form registration module selects a service form suitable for the user and presents the selected service form to the consumer, the service form registration module can give priority to, for example, a service form for which the number of times of presentation to the user is large, meanwhile, the service form may be selected by the user; [0085], the service matching execution module notifies the supplier-side computer (a second terminal) of information including a service form of a consumer-side service; please note a service form requested by a consumer-side computer (the first terminal) is transmitting to a supplier-side computer (the second terminal));
Yuasa discloses transmitting transaction data and form between consumers and suppliers but does not clearly disclose applying an audit for financing, in an analogous art of a financing transaction service tool, Stringfellow discloses: an intermediary server to communicate with a plurality of communication terminals each of which is a candidate of a financing source (Stringfellow: [0051], [0053], [0055], the trusted intermediary system is preferably embodied as a web application server…processing audit data and transaction data)… determine the financing source based on the information relating to the particular form (Stringfellow: [0028], The financial account holder, via the user system U1, is required to specify, for example via selection from a drop-down list or by entering data directly, an identifier of the issuing bank from which payment is to be deducted, e.g. in the form of country code and bank name (e.g. "GB" and "HSBC") or a code such as Bank Identifier Code (BIC), SWIFT code, or a Bank Routing Number (also known as an American Banking Association (ABA) Number), whereupon the trusted intermediary system 4 identifies the relevant issuing bank system 2b (e.g. by lookup of a table holding online banking web site details for a range of issuing banks) and redirects the user system U1 to communicate therewith)…audit information… a request for applying an audit for financing (Stringfellow: [0051], [0053], [0055], the trusted intermediary system is preferably embodied as a web application server…processing audit data and transaction data);
Yuasa and Stringfellow are analogous arts because they are in the same field of endeavor, managing service and transaction data and forms. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the invention of Yuasa using the teachings of Stringfellow to include an intermediary server storing and processing audit data. The motivation is to provide Yuasa’s system with enhanced capabilities of processing the requested financial services and transactions.
Further, Yuasa discloses the service form reference module of the server computer retrieves the service provision table and the service providing table by using service information (service ID) as a retrieval key, and transmits a service form corresponding or similar to the value of the retrieval key to the service form reference module as a retrieval result (Yuasa: [0070]), and Yuasa discloses transmitting the service form including the service ID of the service form requested by a consumer-side computer to the supplier-side computer (Yuasa: [0085]), but does not expressly disclose an identifier of the particular form, in an analogous art of managing service forms data, Ashcroft discloses: an identifier identifying a particular forms selected from the plurality of forms, and information relating to the particular form (Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier);
Yuasa and Ashcroft are analogous arts because they are in the same field of endeavor, managing service form data. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the invention of Yuasa using the teachings of Ashcroft to include storing and transmitting a form identifier. The motivation is to enable the users to uniquely identify a particular form by the identifier.
As for claim 14, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: the circuitry receives the request for applying an audit, via a user interface that allows the first user to request transmission of the particular forms to a destination, the user interface including the identifiers of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0085], transmitting the service form including the service ID of the service form requested by a consumer-side computer to the supplier-side computer; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
As for claim 15, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: the circuitry generates the particular forms issued by the first user, in response to a request from the first terminal (Yuasa: [0039], a service form input module of the consumer-side computer have access to the service form registration module to input service information to a service form; [0053], the service form input module inputs service demand information to the service form).
As for claim 16, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: the circuitry is configured to select, from among a plurality of auditors, one or more of auditors capable of providing the audit to the first user, based on the information relating to the particular forms (Yuasa: [0042], the consumer can select an supplier from among a plurality of suppliers; [0085], the service matching execution module notifies the supplier-side computer (a second terminal) of information including a service form of a consumer-side service; please note a service form requested by a consumer-side computer (the first terminal) is transmitting to a supplier-side computer (the second terminal)).
As for claim 17, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: transmit, to a first terminal, a user interface that allows the first user to input information to be used for the audit, receive the information input by the first user via the user interface from the first terminal (Yuasa: [0039], a service form input module of the consumer-side computer have access to the service form registration module to input service information to a service form; [0053], the service form input module inputs service demand information to the service form), and store, in the memory, the information input by the first user in association with the identifier of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0085], transmitting the service form including the service ID of the service form requested by a consumer-side computer to the supplier-side computer; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
As for claim 18, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: transmit, to a second terminal, a user interface that allows an auditor of the second terminal to input information on a result of the audit that is requested, receive the information on a result of the audit from the second terminal (Yuasa: [0039], a service form input module of the supplier-side computer have access to the service form registration module to input service information to a service form; [0087], the supplier may input a service form in a manner of responding to the consumer’s demand with reference to a service form created by the consumer), and store, in the memory, the information on a result of the audit in association with the identifier of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0085], transmitting the service form including the service ID of the service form requested by a consumer-side computer to the supplier-side computer; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
As for claim 19, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: A communication system comprising: the server system of claim 13 (Yuasa: Abstract, provided is a transaction system that supports a transaction between a plurality of consumers and a plurality of suppliers, the transaction system including a server computer that is connected to a network, in which a plurality of consumer-side computers of the transaction and a plurality of supplier-side computers of the transaction are connected to the network, in which the server computer includes a processor that performs processing for interposing in a transaction performed between at least one of the plurality of consumer-side computers and at least one of the plurality of supplier-side computers, and a memory that records consumer-side information regarding the transaction which is output from each of the plurality of consumer-side computers and supplier-side information regarding the transaction which is output from each of the plurality of supplier-side computers; Fig. 1 and [0036], a service form management module that manages a service form, the service form is a form for registering information regarding the consumer’s desired service or a service providable by the provider in the server computer 101); and the first terminal configured to transmit a request for applying the audit for financing based on the particular forms, to the server system (Stringfellow: [0051], [0053], [0055], the trusted intermediary system is preferably embodied as a web application server…processing audit data and transaction data).
As per Claim 20, it recites features that are substantially same as those features claimed by Claim 1, thus the rationales for rejecting Claim 1 are incorporated herein.
As per Claim 21, it recites features that are substantially same as those features claimed by Claim 1, thus the rationales for rejecting Claim 1 are incorporated herein.
As for claim 22, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: obtaining, from the memory, information relating to the particular forms using the identifier of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0085], transmitting the service form including the service ID of the service form requested by a consumer-side computer to the supplier-side computer; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
As per Claim 23, it recites features that are substantially same as those features claimed by Claim 16, thus the rationales for rejecting Claim 16 are incorporated herein.
As per Claim 24, it recites features that are substantially same as those features claimed by Claim 18, thus the rationales for rejecting Claim 18 are incorporated herein.
As for claim 25, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: the circuitry receives first audit information indicating past transactions between the first user and the second user, based on the request for applying the audit for financing based on the particular forms, from the another server, and stores the first audit information in association with the identifier of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0039], a service form input module of the supplier-side computer have access to the service form registration module to input service information to a service form; [0087], the supplier may input a service form in a manner of responding to the consumer’s demand with reference to a service form created by the consumer; Stringfellow: [0051], [0053], [0055], the trusted intermediary system is preferably embodied as a web application server…processing audit data and transaction data; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
As for claim 26, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: the circuitry receives second audit information indicating transaction information of an account in relation to the first user, based on the request for applying the audit for financing based on the particular forms, and stores the second audit information in association with the form identifier of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0039], a service form input module of the supplier-side computer have access to the service form registration module to input service information to a service form; [0087], the supplier may input a service form in a manner of responding to the consumer’s demand with reference to a service form created by the consumer; Stringfellow: [0051], [0053], [0055], the trusted intermediary system is preferably embodied as a web application server…processing audit data and transaction data; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
claims 27, 28, 30, 31 cancelled
As for claim 29, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft discloses: circuitry configured to transmit, to a second terminal, a request for applying an audit for financing and at least the identifier of the particular forms (Yuasa: [0039], a service form input module of the supplier-side computer have access to the service form registration module to input service information to a service form; [0087], the supplier may input a service form in a manner of responding to the consumer’s demand with reference to a service form created by the consumer; Stringfellow: [0051], [0053], [0055], the trusted intermediary system is preferably embodied as a web application server…processing audit data and transaction data; Ashcroft: [0082] , [0087], a unique form identifier).
6. Claim 32 is are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yuasa, Stringfellow, and Ashcroft as applied on claim 13, and further in view of Ludwig Mochty et al (US Publication 20220351112 A1, hereinafter Mochty).
As for claim 32, Yuasa-Stringfellow-Ashcroft does not clearly disclose the period for evidence information, Mochty discloses: a period for evidence information is a longest period from among a plurality of periods for evidence information that have been read (Mochty: [0019], an interactive user interface module that, when in operation, provides a user with an interactive user interface to enable the user to input a plurality of audit parameters to be employed for the audit evidence, the plurality of audit parameters comprising at least one of: an assurance level to be achieved, a tolerable error, a statistical sampling technique to be employed, a time period for which audit evidence is to be obtained, a level of data aggregation).
Yuasa and Mochty are analogous arts because they are in the same field of endeavor, managing service form data. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the invention of Yuasa using the teachings of Mochty to include user may input a plurality of audit parameters including a time period for which audit evidence is to be obtained. The motivation is to provide user with more flexible choices in the service.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hua Lu whose telephone number is 571-270-1410 and fax number is 571-270-2410. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 7:30 am to 5:00 pm EST. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Scott Baderman can be reached on 571-272-3644. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-273-8300.
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/HUA LU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2118
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