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 . This office action is in response to applicant's communication of November 12, 2024. The rejections are stated below. Claims 1-7 and 9-16 are pending and have been examined.
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.
2. Claims 1-7 and 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea of processing payments without significantly more.
The Examiner has identified independent Claim 1 as the claim that represents the claimed invention for analysis.
Claim 1 is directed to an apparatus which is one of the four statutory categories of invention (Step 1: YES).
3. Claim 1 recites “a vehicle-mounted payment control method, applied to a …, comprising:
scanning a surrounding environment to obtain reference picture information;
performing recognition processing on the reference picture information to obtain a target payment two-dimensional code; and
performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information”. These limitations describe an abstract idea of processing payments and corresponds to Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity (commercial or legal interactions). Accordingly, the claim 1 recites an abstract idea (Step 2A: Prong 1: YES).
4. The claim also recites as additional elements such as “vehicle-mounted payment control system“ which do no more than implement the abstract idea and/or provide a particular technological environment. Therefore, claim 1 recites an abstract idea without a practical application (Step 2A - Prong 2: NO).
5. Further, as the additional elements of claim 1 do no more than serve as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or provide a particular technological environment, they do not improve computer functionality or improve another technology or technical field. Thus, claim 1 is not patent eligible (Step 2B: NO).
6. Claims 9-10 also recite the abstract idea of idea of processing payments and corresponds to Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity (commercial or legal interactions) step one of step 2A (MPEP 2106.04). Claim 9 includes the additional elements of “vehicle-mounted payment control device, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, causes the processor …, vehicle-mounted payment control system”. Claim 10 includes the additional elements of “a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured …, vehicle-mounted payment control system”. The additional elements do no more than serve as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or link the abstract idea a particular technological environment. The additional elements do not improve computer functionality or improve another technology or technical field.
7. Claims 2 and 11 each recite “vehicle-mounted payment control method, applied to a vehicle-mounted payment control system, comprising: scanning a surrounding environment to obtain reference picture information; performing recognition processing on the reference picture information to obtain a target payment two-dimensional code; and performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information” which further describe the abstract idea.
8. Claims 3 and 12 each recite “performing recognition processing on the two-dimensional code information and the text information to obtain candidate two-dimensional code information and a number of candidate two- dimensional codes; and determining the target payment two-dimensional code according to the candidate two- dimensional code information and the number of candidate two-dimensional codes” which further describe the abstract idea.
9. Claims 4 and 13 each recite “in response to the number of candidate two-dimensional codes being equal to 1, determining the candidate two-dimensional code as the target payment two-dimensional code; or in response to the number of candidate two-dimensional codes being greater than 1, determining the target payment two-dimensional code from among the plurality of candidate two- dimensional codes according to a user selection instruction” which further describe the abstract idea.
10. Claims 5 and 14 each recite “acquiring payment correlated information; obtaining a payment correlation degree of the text information according to the payment correlated information and the text information; selecting text information which corresponds to the highest payment correlation degree according to the payment correlation degree; and determining two-dimensional code information which corresponds to the text information having the highest payment correlation degree as the candidate two-dimensional code, and acquiring the number of candidate two-dimensional codes” which further describe the abstract idea.
11. Claims 6 and 15 each recite “scanning the target payment two-dimensional code to enter a payment interface corresponding to the target payment two-dimensional code; and … and performing payment processing” which further describe the abstract idea. The claim lists “automatically filling in the preset user information in the payment interface” as additional elements. The additional elements do no more than serve as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or link the abstract idea a particular technological environment. And, as the additional elements do no more than serve as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or provide a particular technological environment, they do not improve computer functionality or improve another technology or technical field.
12. Claims 7 and 16 each recite “wherein the … further comprises: receiving an information correction notification sent by the … after the preset user information is automatically filled in the …; receiving user-corrected information which is input according to the information correction notification; and filling in the user-corrected information in the payment interface” which further describes the abstract idea. The claim lists “automatically filling in the preset user information in the payment interface” as an additional element. The additional element does no more than serve as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or link the abstract idea a particular technological environment. And, as the additional elements do no more than serve as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or provide a particular technological environment, it does not improve computer functionality or improve another technology or technical field.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC §112
13. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
14. Claims 5 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
15. Claims 5 and 14 each recite “acquiring payment correlated information;" "obtaining a payment correlation degree of the text information according to the payment correlated information and the text information". The claims fail to particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention. The terms "payment correlated information" and "payment correlation degree" are highly ambiguous and lack a clear, objective meaning in the context of the claims. The use of "functional language without any structural context for how the function is performed" can render a claim indefinite. Here, the functional terms "correlated information" and "correlation degree" provide no structural or algorithmic context, making it impossible for a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine the metes and bounds of the claim with reasonable certainty.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC 102
16. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
form the rejections under this section made in this Office action.
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless -
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
17. Claims 1 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yi [WO-2018035641-A1].
18. Regarding claim 1, Yi discloses a vehicle-mounted payment control method, applied to a vehicle-mounted payment control system (pages 2 and 4, claim 9), comprising:
scanning a surrounding environment to obtain reference picture information (pages 2 and 4, claim 9);
performing recognition processing on the reference picture information to obtain a target payment two-dimensional code (pages 2 and 4, claim 9); and
performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information (pages 2 and 4, claim 9).
19. Regarding claim 9, Yi discloses a vehicle-mounted payment device, a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to implement a vehicle-mounted payment control method, applied to a vehicle-mounted payment control system (pages 2 and 4, claim 9), comprising:
scanning a surrounding environment to obtain reference picture information (pages 2 and 4, claim 9);
performing recognition processing on the reference picture information to obtain a target payment two-dimensional code (pages 2 and 4, claim 9); and
performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information (pages 2 and 4, claim 9).
20. Regarding claim 10, Yi discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured for implementation of a vehicle-mounted payment control method, applied to a vehicle-mounted payment control system (pages 2 and 4, claim 9), comprising:
scanning a surrounding environment to obtain reference picture information (pages 2 and 4, claim 9);
performing recognition processing on the reference picture information to obtain a target payment two-dimensional code (pages 2 and 4, claim 9); and
performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information (pages 2 and 4, claim 9).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
21. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
22. Claims 6-7 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Yi [WO-2018035641-A1] in view of Zhang et al. [CN 109886673 A].
23. Regarding claim 6, Yi does not disclose however Zhang teaches wherein the performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information comprises:
scanning the target payment two-dimensional code to enter a payment interface corresponding to the target payment two-dimensional code (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1); and
automatically filling in the preset user information in the payment interface and performing payment processing (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1). At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Yi to include the teachings of Zhang. The rationale to combine the teachings a new generation wireless payment solution based on account of system, at the payment scheme, merchant account number, goods price and other transaction information into a two dimensional code.
24. Regarding claim 7, Yi does not disclose however Zhang teaches wherein the automatically filling in the preset user information in the payment interface further comprises:
receiving an information correction notification sent by the payment interface after the preset user information is automatically filled in the payment interface;
receiving user-corrected information which is input according to the information correction notification (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1); and
filling in the user-corrected information in the payment interface. (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1). At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Yi to include the teachings of Zhang. The rationale to combine the teachings a new generation wireless payment solution based on account of system, at the payment scheme, merchant account number, goods price and other transaction information into a two dimensional code.
25. Regarding claim 15, Yi does not disclose however Zhang teaches wherein the performing payment processing according to the target payment two-dimensional code and preset user information comprises:
scanning the target payment two-dimensional code to enter a payment interface corresponding to the target payment two-dimensional code (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1); and
automatically filling in the preset user information in the payment interface and performing payment processing (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1). At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Yi to include the teachings of Zhang. The rationale to combine the teachings a new generation wireless payment solution based on account of system, at the payment scheme, merchant account number, goods price and other transaction information into a two dimensional code.
26. Regarding claim 16, Yi does not disclose however Zhang teaches wherein the automatically filling in the preset user information in the payment interface further comprises:
receiving an information correction notification sent by the payment interface after the preset user information is automatically filled in the payment interface;
receiving user-corrected information which is input according to the information correction notification (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1); and
filling in the user-corrected information in the payment interface. (pages 4, 6-7, claim 1). At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the disclosure of Yi to include the teachings of Zhang. The rationale to combine the teachings a new generation wireless payment solution based on account of system, at the payment scheme, merchant account number, goods price and other transaction information into a two dimensional code.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure [2006/0136318, 2025/0124414, 2020/0387880, 2024/0154926, 2019/0124030, 2004/0236662, 2012/0084191, 2009/0281954, 2015/0052244, 2010/0191640, 7653584, 12182867, 11182852].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN T POE whose telephone number is (571)272-9789. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:30am through 6pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ryan Donlon can be reached on 571-270-3602. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.T.P/Examiner, Art Unit 3692 /KEVIN T POE/
/RYAN D DONLON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3692