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
This Final office action is in response to the application filed on August 23, 2024 and the amendments to the claims filed on November 26, 2025.
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.
Claims 21-40 are 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. The recitations, “selecting a transaction inference machine learning model from a plurality of machine learning models based on the dispute classification; and utilizing the transaction inference machine learning model to analyze additional transaction metadata associated with additional transaction for the user account with an indication of the dispute classification category to output the one or more potential transactions” in lines 16-21 of claim 21, similarly recited in claims 28 and 35, and, “utilizing the transaction inference machine learning model to process an encoding of the dispute classification” in lines 1-2 of claim 25, similarly recited in claims 32 and 39, is not supported by the specification. While there is support in the specification for, “particular embodiments, the inter-network facilitation system 104 may include one or more of the following: a web server, action logger, API-request server, transaction engine, cross-institution network interface manager, notification controller, action log, third-party-content-object-exposure log, inference module, authorization/privacy server, search module, user-interface module, user-profile (e.g., provider profile or requester profile) store, connection store, third-party content store, or location store” in paragraph [0153] and numerous recitations for machine learning models, the specification is silent regarding, “a transaction inference machine learning model”. Claims 22-24, 26, 27, 29-31, 33, 34, and 36-38, and 40 are considered to be rejected by virtue of their dependencies. Appropriate correction is required.
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 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claims 21-40 are directed to a system, method, or product which are/is one of the statutory categories of invention. (Step 1: YES).
The Examiner has identified independent method Claim 21 as the claim that represents the claimed invention for analysis and is similar to independent product Claim 28 and system Claim 35. Claim 21 recites the limitations of receiving, from a client device, a dispute request comprising transaction data corresponding to an initial disputed transaction for a user account associated with the client device; based on receiving the dispute request, initiating an interactive query flow that comprises providing one or more queries for display on the client device and receiving one or more responses from the client device; determining a dispute classification for the initial disputed transaction by analyzing, utilizing one or more dispute classification machine learning models or heuristic models, (i) transaction metadata associated with the initial disputed transaction and (ii) the one or more responses to generate the dispute classification, the dispute classification corresponding to a dispute classification category from a plurality of dispute classification categories; identifying one or more potential transactions within the user account to generate a multi- transaction dispute package comprising the initial disputed transaction and the one or more potential transactions by: selecting a transaction inference machine learning model from a plurality of machine learning models based on the dispute classification; and utilizing the transaction inference machine learning model to analyze additional transaction metadata associated with additional transactions for the user account with an indication of the dispute category to output the one or more potential transactions; and based on receiving, from the client device, an indication of a selection of at least one additional disputed transaction from the one or more potential transactions, generating the multi-transaction dispute package comprising the initial disputed transaction and the at least one additional disputed transaction.
These limitations, under their broadest reasonable interpretation, cover performance of the limitation as certain methods of organizing human activity. Generating a multi-transaction dispute package recites a commercial or legal interaction. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation as a commercial or legal interaction, then it falls within the “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea. The client device in Claims 21 and 28 and at least one processor and client device in Claim 35 is just applying generic computer components to the recited abstract limitations. The one or more dispute classification machine learning models or heuristic models and transaction inference machine learning model selected from a plurality of machine learning models in Claims 21, 28, and 35 appears to be just software. Claims 28 and 35 are also abstract for similar reasons. (Step 2A-Prong 1: YES. The claims are abstract)
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claims only recite client device in Claims 21 and 28 and at least one processor and client device in Claim 35 and the one or more dispute classification machine learning models or heuristic models and transaction inference machine learning model selected from a plurality of machine learning models in Claims 21, 28, and 35. The computer hardware is recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing a generic computer function) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Accordingly, these additional elements, when considered separately and as an ordered combination, do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Therefore, claims 21, 28, and 35 are directed to an abstract idea without a practical application. (Step 2A-Prong 2: NO. The additional claimed elements are not integrated into a practical application)
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because, when considered separately and as an ordered combination, they do not add significantly more (also known as an “inventive concept”) to the exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using a computer hardware amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. See Applicant’s specification para. [0126-0131] about implementation using general purpose or special purpose computing devices and MPEP 2106.05(f) where applying a computer as a tool is not indicative of significantly more. In addition, performing the judicial exception steps using machine learning merely confines the use of the abstract idea to a particular technological environment and thus fails to add an inventive concept to the claims. See MPEP 2105(h). Accordingly, these additional elements, when considered separately and as an ordered combination, do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. Thus claims 21, 28, and 35 are not patent eligible. (Step 2B: NO. The claims do not provide significantly more)
Dependent claims 22-27, 29-34, and 36-40 further define the abstract idea that is present in their respective independent claims 21, 28, and 35 and thus correspond to Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity and hence are abstract for the reasons presented above. Claims 22, 29, and 36 further determine if a dispute qualifies for the multi-transaction dispute package; Claims 23, 30, and 37 further determine the dispute classification; Claims 24, 31, and 38 further define the classification categories; Claims 25, 32, and 39 further define identifying the transactions; Claims 26, 27, 33, 34, and 40 further detail the displaying and selecting of potential transactions. The dependent claims do not include any additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when considered both individually and as an ordered combination. Therefore, the claims 22-27, 29-34, and 36-40 are directed to an abstract idea. Thus, the claims 21-40 are not patent-eligible.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21-40 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.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the 35 USC 101 rejection of record (Remarks, pages 11-16) are acknowledged, however they are not persuasive. Specifically, Applicant’s arguments that the claims are analogous to those found statutory in DDR, (Remarks, pages 11-13), are not found persuasive. The claims in DDR were rooted in computer technology because they modified the way the internet functioned to address a problem that was created by the invention of the internet. DDR dealt with a problem unique to the Internet whereby owners of one web site did not want to redirect users away to a different web site. The claimed solution in DDR created a hybrid web page incorporating look and feel elements from the host web site with commerce objects from the third-party web site. This feature, which was neither a generic computer function nor a conventional network operation, qualified as an inventive concept. But Applicant’s claims do not address redirecting problems unique to the Internet and do not use hybrid web sites. So DDR has no applicability.
Applicant’s arguments that the claims are similar to those found eligible in Amdocs (Remarks, pages 13-14), are acknowledged, however the examiner is of another opinion. Amdocs was drawn to an unconventional technological solution (enhancing data in a distributed fashion) to a technological problem (massive record flows which previously required massive databases). The enhancing limitation requires generic components to operate in an unconventional manner to achieve an improvement in computer functionality. The current claims do not purport to have an unconventional technological solution to a technological problem nor do they require generic components to operate in an unconventional manner to improve computer functionality. Hence, Amdocs does not apply.
Applicant’s arguments that the amended claim limitations provide significantly more (Remarks, pages 14-18) are acknowledged, however they are not persuasive. Specifically, the claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception when considered separately and as an ordered combination. The additional element of using a computer hardware amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component which cannot provide an inventive concept. See MPEP 2106.05(f) where applying a computer as a tool is not indicative of significantly more and See MPEP 2105(h) where performing the judicial exception steps using machine learning merely confines the use of the abstract idea to a particular technological environment and thus fails to add an inventive concept to the claims. Accordingly, these additional elements, when considered separately and as an ordered combination, do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LINDSAY M MAGUIRE whose telephone number is (571)272-6039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 8:30 to 5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at (571) 270-3614. 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.
Lindsay Maguire
1/12/26
/LINDSAY M MAGUIRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619