DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
This action is a Final Rejection. This action is in response to the amendment and response filed on November 10, 2025.
Claims 1-3 and 12 have been amended.
Claim 16 has been added.
Claims 1-16 are pending and rejected.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . 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.
Information Disclosure Statements
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on October 6, 2025 and January 12, 2026 have been considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Regarding the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 101, Applicant argues that “the claims are not ‘directed to’ any abstract concept. The focus on the invention is a specific technical configuration that coordinates token-based retrieval of subscriber information, generation of a payment approval request, and real-time rendering of a subscriber-specific image during authorization processing. These recited elements define a technological implementation within a payment terminal and associated with servers, not a rule for conducting business or a presentation of information.” Remarks at 12. Although the claims recite technology, they also recite an abstract idea, as noted in the rejection.
Applicant further argues that “the claims as a whole are integrated into a practical application. The claimed data flows and timing constraints between the terminal, the VAN/PG servers, and the subscriber management server are limited to a particular machine architecture and improve the operation of the payment terminal itself by enabling secure, token-based, subscriber-specific rendering during payment processing. The claimed configuration therefore recites a practical application of any alleged abstract idea in a specific technological context.” Remarks at 12. However, Applicant has not shown that the terminal has been improved. Instead, Applicant is using existing technology to allegedly improve the business process.
Applicant further argues that “the Office Action provides no evidence that the ordered combination of claim elements is well-understood, routine, or conventional.” Remarks at 13. However, the rejection does not allege that the additional elements are well-understood, routine, or conventional.
Applicant further argues that “the claimed invention is analogous to the patent-eligible examples provided in MPEP § 2106 (see, e.g., Example 37 and Example 45), in which computer-implemented systems performing real-time data control and display operations were determined to be directed to a practical application rather than an abstract idea. Likewise, the present claims recite a specific technical configuration and state-dependent control of display and data transmission, and are therefore patent-eligible.” Remarks at 13. However, Applicant has not shown that the claims provide a technological improvement. As such, the rejection is maintained.
Regarding the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103, the rejection has been withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments and Remarks. Although individual claimed concepts are known in the art, the particular combination of limitations, i.e., each independent claim as a whole, was not found in the prior art.
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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Step 1: Does the Claim Fall within a Statutory Category? (see MPEP 2106.03)
Yes, with respect to claims 1-16, which recite a system and, therefore, are directed to the statutory class of machine or manufacture.
Step 2A, Prong One: Is a Judicial Exception Recited? (see MPEP 2106.04(a))
The following claims identify the limitations that recite the abstract idea in regular text and that recite additional elements in bold:
1. A payment system for displaying a subscriber’s setting image, comprising:
a payment terminal including:
a key input module that receives a user operation;
a nonvolatile memory that stores a payment app program code;
a communication module that communicates with a value added network (VAN) company server or a payment gateway (PG) company server;
a built-in display that outputs a payment app execution screen; and
a processor that processes payment by executing a payment app stored in the non-volatile memory according to the user operation through the key input module, generates a payment approval request and transmits the generated payment approval request to the VAN company server or the PG company server through the communication module, and controls the built-in display to display a payment approval result received from the VAN company server or the PG company server through the communication module,
wherein the payment app includes:
a subscriber information processing unit that transmits a card number replacement token to the VAN company server or the PG company server to request subscriber information corresponding to the card number replacement token, and receives the subscriber information, which includes a subscriber's card number corresponding to the card number replacement token and the subscriber's setting image or the subscriber's setting image index identifying the subscriber’s setting image, from the VAN company server or the PG company server;
a payment processing unit that generates a payment approval request message including the subscriber's card number and the payment information included in the subscriber information received by the subscriber information processing unit, transmits the generated payment approval request message to the VAN company server or the PG company server, and receives a payment approval result message from the VAN company server or the PG company server to process the card payment; and
an image processing unit that processes the subscriber’s setting image included in the subscriber information or the subscriber’s setting image identified by the subscriber’s setting image index included in the subscriber information, the subscriber information being received by the subscriber information processing unit, an display the processed subscriber’s setting image on a screen during processing of the payment by the payment processing unit.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing unit processes the subscriber’s setting image and display the processed subscriber’s setting image on the screen through the built-in display.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing unit processes the subscriber’s setting image and display the processed subscriber’s setting image on a screen through an external display provided separately from the built-in display.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the external display is a hologram display or a hologram projector that displays the subscriber’s setting image as a hologram.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber information further includes event information.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the payment processing unit reflects an event included in the event information to process the card payment.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the card number replacement token is the subscriber’s ID, the subscriber’s mobile terminal phone number, the subscriber’s e-mail address, or a one time code (OTC) issued for requesting subscriber information.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is a user’s mobile terminal, a merchant point-of-sale (POS) terminal, or an offline kiosk terminal.
9. The system of claim 1, further comprising the VAN company server or the PG company server that receives the subscriber information request corresponding to the card number replacement token from the payment terminal, checks the subscriber information corresponding to the card number replacement token with a subscriber management server, and transmits the subscriber information, which includes the subscriber’s card number corresponding to the checked card number replacement token and the subscriber’s setting image or the subscriber’s setting image index, to the payment terminal.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the VAN company server or the PG company server receives the payment approval request message, which includes the subscriber’s card number and the payment information included in the subscriber information, from the payment terminal, relays the received payment approval request message to a card company server, receives the payment approval result message from the card company server, and relays the received payment approval result message to the payment terminal.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a subscriber management server that registers and stores the subscriber’s card number and the subscriber’s setting image or the subscriber’s setting image index.
12. A payment system for displaying a subscriber's setting image, comprising:
a payment terminal including:
a key input module that receives a user operation;
a nonvolatile memory that stores a payment app program code;
a communication module that communicates with a value added network (VAN) company server or a payment gateway (PG) company server;
a built-in display that outputs a payment app execution screen; and
a processor that processes payment by executing a payment app stored in the non-volatile memory according to the user operation through the key input module, generates a payment approval request and transmits the generated payment approval request to the VAN company server or the PG company server through the communication module, and controls the built-in display to display a payment approval result received from the VAN company server or the PG company server through the communication module,
wherein the payment app includes:
a subscriber information processing unit that transmits a card number replacement token to the VAN company server or the PG company server to request subscriber information corresponding to the card number replacement token, and receives the subscriber information, which includes a subscriber's card number corresponding to the card number replacement token and the subscriber's setting image or the subscriber's setting image index identifying the subscriber's setting image, from the VAN company server or the PG company server;
a payment processing unit that generates a payment approval request message including the subscriber's card number and the payment information included in the subscriber information received by the subscriber information processing unit, transmits the generated payment approval request message to the VAN company server or the PG company server, and receives a payment approval result message from the VAN company server or the PG company server to process the card payment; and
an image processing unit that processes the subscriber's setting image included in the subscriber information or the subscriber's setting image identified by the subscriber's setting image index included in the subscriber information, the subscriber information being received by the subscriber information processing unit, and display displays the processed subscriber's setting image on a screen during processing of the payment by the payment processing unit,
wherein the payment system further comprises a subscriber management server that registers and stores the subscriber's card number and the subscriber's setting image or the subscriber's setting image index,
wherein the subscriber management server includes:
a member management unit that performs member management including member registration for a subscriber, and matches the subscriber’s card number with subscriber's member information to store the subscriber's card number in a database (DB);
an image management unit that receives the subscriber’s setting image from a subscriber registered as a member by the member management unit and matches the received subscriber’s setting image with the subscriber’s member information to store the received subscriber’s setting image in the DB; and
a subscriber information inquiry unit that searches the DB in response to a subscriber information search request corresponding to the card number replacement token from the VAN company server or the PG company server to acquire the subscriber information that includes the subscriber's card number corresponding to the card number replacement token and the subscriber's setting image or the subscriber's setting image index and provide the acquired subscriber information to the VAN company server or the PG company server.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the subscriber's member information includes the subscriber's name, the subscriber’s ID, the subscriber’s mobile terminal phone number, and the subscriber’s e-mail address.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the subscriber management server further includes a service charge payment processing unit that processes service charge payment for providing a subscriber setting image display service.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the service charge payment processing unit provides a service charge payment user interface (UI) to a user mobile terminal carried by a subscriber, and processes the service charge payment for providing the subscriber setting image display service through the service charge payment UI.
16. A payment system for displaying a subscriber's setting image, comprising:
a payment terminal including:
a key input module that receives a user operation;
a nonvolatile memory that stores a payment app program code;
a communication module that communicates with a value added network (VAN) company server or a payment gateway (PG) company server;
a built-in display that outputs a payment app execution screen; and
a processor that processes payment by executing a payment app stored in the non-volatile memory according to the user operation through the key input module, generates a payment approval request and transmits the generated payment approval request to the VAN company server or the PG company server through the communication module, and controls the built-in display to display a payment approval result received from the VAN company server or the PG company server through the communication module,
wherein the payment app includes:
a subscriber information processing unit that transmits a card number replacement token to the VAN company server or the PG company server to request subscriber information corresponding to the card number replacement token, and receives the subscriber information, which includes a subscriber's card number corresponding to the card number replacement token and the subscriber's setting image or the subscriber's setting image index identifying the subscriber's setting image, from the VAN company server or the PG company server;
a payment processing unit that generates a payment approval request message including the subscriber's card number and the payment information included in the subscriber information received by the subscriber information processing unit, transmits the generated payment approval request message to the VAN company server or the PG company server, and receives a payment approval result message from the VAN company server or the PG company server to process the card payment; and
an image processing unit that processes the subscriber's setting image included in the subscriber information or the subscriber's setting image identified by the subscriber's setting image index included in the subscriber information, the subscriber information being received by the subscriber information processing unit, and displays the processed subscriber's setting image on a screen during processing of the payment by the payment processing unit,
wherein the payment system further comprises:
a subscriber database storing, for each subscriber identified by the card number replacement token, a card number and the subscriber's setting image or the subscriber's setting image index.
Yes. But for the recited additional elements as shown above in bold, the remaining limitations of the claims recite certain methods of organizing human activity. The claims are directed to displaying an image during a payment transaction. This type of method of organizing human activity is a fundamental economic practice because it involves a payment and a commercial interaction such as advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors, and business relations. Thus, the claims recite an abstract idea.
Step 2A, Prong Two: Is the Abstract Idea Integrated into a Practical Application? (see MPEP 2106.04(d))
No. The claims as a whole merely use a computer as a tool to perform the abstract idea. The computing components (i.e., additional elements that are in bold above) are recited at a high level of generality and are merely invoked as a tool to implement the steps. For example, only a programmed general purpose computing device (i.e., processor of payment terminal) is needed to implement the claimed process. Simply implementing the abstract idea on a generic computer is not a practical application of the abstract idea. Additionally, there is no improvement to the functioning of a computer or technology. Therefore, the abstract idea is not integrated into a practical application.
Step 2B: Does the Claim Provide an Inventive Concept? (see MPEP 2106.05)
No. As discussed with respect to Step 2A, Prong 2, the additional elements in the claims, both individually and in combination, amount to no more than tools to perform the abstract idea. Merely performing the abstract idea using a computer cannot provide an inventive concept. Therefore, the claims do not provide an inventive concept.
As such, the claims are not patent eligible.
Relevant Prior Art
The following references are relevant to Applicant’s invention:
Arora, U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2017/0083949 A1. This reference teaches individualized targeted marketing at a point of sale.
Email Communications
Per MPEP 502.03, Applicant may authorize email communications by filing Form PTO/SB/439, available at https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf, via the USPTO patent electronic filing system.
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 ELIZABETH H ROSEN whose telephone number is (571) 270-1850 and email address is elizabeth.rosen@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 10 AM ET - 7 PM ET.
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/ELIZABETH H ROSEN/Primary Examiner, 3693