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 .
This communication is in response to Application No. 18896787, filed on 9/25/2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined. Claims 1-20 have been rejected as follows.
Claim Objections
Claims 3 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claim recites “provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and”. The limitation appears to be missing a term/word to complete the limitation. The examiner has interpreted the missing term/word as "after" the remainder based on [0048, 0142] of the specification and claims 4 and 15.
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.
Step 1: The claims 1-11 are a system, claims 12-19 are a method, and claim 20 is a computer readable medium. Thus, each independent claim, on its face, is directed to one of the statutory categories of 35 U.S.C. §101. However, the claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Step 2A Prong 1: The independent claims (1, 12 and 20, taking claim 1 as a representative claim) recite:
A system, comprising: one or more processors; and memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, if executed, cause the one or more processors to:
receive, a plurality of want items from one or more want users, individual want items of the plurality of want items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service desired by the one or more want users;
receive a plurality of property items from one or more property users, individual property items of the plurality of property items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service offered for consumption by the one or more property users;
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible;
determine a first want item of the plurality of want items that satisfies matching criteria for a first property item of the plurality of property items, the matching criteria comprising first tier matching criteria and second tier matching criteria, wherein the second tier matching criteria are optional;
generate an introduction message from a first property user associated with the first property item to a first want user associated with the first want item and enforce a set of privacy restrictions on the introduction message, the set of restrictions comprising removing identifying information of the first property user from the introduction message, wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item;
cause the introduction message to be sent from an account associated with the first property user to an account associated with the first want user;
upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user, make available the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item to the want user, and
upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user, establish a secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item.
These limitations, except for the italicized portions, under their broadest reasonable interpretations, recite certain methods of organizing human activity for managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people (including social activities, teaching, and following rules or instructions) as well as commercial or legal interactions (including agreements in the form of contracts; legal obligations; advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors; business relations). The claimed invention recites steps for generating a message to send between a buyer and seller based on goods/services related postings to enable a transaction. Further detailed for example in [0015] of the instant application as directed to real estate transactions. The steps under its broadest reasonable interpretation specifically fall under sales activities. The Examiner notes that although the claim limitations are summarized, the analysis regarding subject matter eligibility considers the entirety of the claim and all of the claim elements individually, as a whole, and in ordered combination.
Prong 2: This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claims recite the additional elements of
A system, comprising: one or more processors; and memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, if executed, cause the one or more processors to: [claim 1]
A computerized method for securely and anonymously connecting two parties, the computerized method comprising: [claim 12]
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least: [claim 20]
online listing
The additional elements emphasized above are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing a generic computer function of processing data) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. The limitations do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea, and therefore do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application – MPEP 2106.05(f).
Accordingly, these additional elements when considered individually or as a whole do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The independent claims are directed to an abstract idea.
Step 2B: The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed with respect to Step 2A Prong two, the additional elements in the claims amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exception using a generic computer component.
Even when considered as an ordered combination, the additional elements of claim 1, 12, and 20 do not add anything that is not already present when they are considered individually. Therefore, under Step 2B, there are no meaningful limitations in claims 1, 12, and 20 that transform the judicial exception into a patent eligible application such that the claims amount to significantly more than the judicial exception itself (see MPEP 2106.05).
As such, independent claims 1, 12, and 20 are ineligible.
Dependent claims 2-11, 12-19, and 20 when analyzed as a whole, are held to be patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. §101 because the additional recited limitations fail to establish that the claims are not directed to the same abstract idea of Independent Claims 1, 12 and 20 without significantly more.
Claim 2 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user after receiving the introduction message, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 3 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 4 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user after the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 5 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 6 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session.
Claim 7 recites wherein the set of privacy restrictions further comprises removing one or more attributes of the subset of attributes of the property item from the introduction message. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 8 recites wherein the set of privacy restrictions further comprises removing one or more attributes of the subset of attributes of the property item from the introduction message. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 9 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: enforce a second set of privacy restrictions upon making the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item available to the want user, wherein the first set of privacy restrictions are different than the set of privacy restrictions. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claim 10 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: remove the set of privacy restrictions upon establishing the secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user.
Claim 11 recites wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: remove one or more of the set of privacy restrictions or the second set of privacy restrictions upon establishing the secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user. The limitation merely further limits the abstract idea and does not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application.
Claims 13-19 recite substantially parallel claim language to claims 2-11 and therefore are also rejected for the reasons set forth above. For these reasons claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 USC 101.
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, 7, 10-12, 17, 18, 19, and 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lind (US 2017/0132679) in view of Brouze (US 20050165642) in further view of Pan (US 10311493).
Regarding claim 1, Lind discloses:
A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, if executed, cause the one or more processors to: (see sever infrastructure in Figure 4)
receive, a plurality of want items from one or more want users, [0042] Buyers may create one or more buyer list(s) of properties which they would be interested in pursuing if the owners of the properties were to consider selling. Buyers may add properties to their buyer lists from (i) those properties the owners captured previously and stored in the cache or (ii) directly—skipping the capture process entirely—to the extent a buyer is definitive with respect to his or her interest in the property. individual want items of the plurality of want items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service desired by the one or more want users; [0041]In addition to buyer generated notes with respect to a captured property, buyers may also have the option to identify the distinguishing characteristics of captured properties using, for example, structured data drop-down lists. Examples of distinguishing characteristics might include architecture, landscaping, proximity to schools and amenities, topography, etc.
receive a plurality of property items from one or more property users, individual property items of the plurality of property items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service offered for consumption by the one or more property users; [0025] A client application may allow an owner to create a user account, access his or her user account, verify his or her identity, verify his or her ownership nexus to a particular property, register the property to which his or her ownership nexus has been verified, receive a notification from the present platform each time a buyer includes the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), and send and receive messages through the present platform. [0026] A client application may also allow an owner to create a confidential profile for each property he or she registers (each referred to below as a property profile). A property profile may describe the main characteristics of the property (including photographs, traditional video and 360 video). The property profile may be shared with buyers on whose buyer list(s) the property has been included, at the discretion of the owner. And see "Property Registration" starting in [0036]
determine a first want item of the plurality of want items that satisfies matching criteria for a first property item of the plurality of property items, the matching criteria comprising first tier matching criteria[0031] Alternatively, with respect to rare personal property—for example, 1962 Shelby Cobra automobiles or Gulfstream G500 airplanes—a potential purchaser would identify that personal property by object designator, vintage year or other defining characteristics common to the genre on his or her confidential personal property list on the appropriate category-specific user interface (e.g., Collectible Automobiles). A match would occur if and when an owner of one of the rare examples of that personal property registered that personal property on the appropriate category-specific user interface (e.g., Collectible Automobiles). Accordingly, a potential purchaser of a rare example of personal property might receive multiple matches (each to a unique owner) in respect of a single inclusion on his or her confidential personal property list.
generate an introduction message from a first property user associated with the first property item to a first want user associated with the first want item and enforce a set of privacy restrictions on the introduction message, the set of restrictions comprising removing identifying information of the first property user from the introduction message, [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities.
cause the introduction message to be sent from an account associated with the first property user to an account associated with the first want user; [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities. And see "Buyer Profile" and "Property Profile" associated with the owner in [0023] and [0025]
upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user, make available the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item to the want user, and [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
The examiner interprets "established communication" as acceptance of the introduction message. It is noted that the limitation " upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user, establish a secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item. [0048] Once an owner of a registered property has received a matching notification from the present platform informing the owner that a buyer has added the property to one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to review the buyer's buyer profile, if any, and the corresponding buyer profile completeness score. To the extent that the owner deems the buyer credible as a potential purchaser, the owner may elect to contact the buyer via the present platform's internal anonymous communication system and initiate transaction negotiations. And see [0024] and encryption in [0050]
The examiner interprets "established communication" as acceptance of the introduction message. It is noted that the limitation " upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Additionally, "to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item" is intended use language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item, Lind does not disclose:
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible;
and second tier matching criteria, wherein the second tier matching criteria are optional;
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item
However Brouze teaches:
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible; [0093] FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the sellers-and-buyers matching module 20. The module 20 receives "sell advertisements" 68 from selling customers 210 and "want advertisements" 70 from buying customers 211. A module 78 identifies the customers and retrieves their preferences from a customer database 82. The preferences may include for example the customer's address to which an eventual match should be sent, a flag indicating if such a match should be signified, and a time limit after which no further match should be signified. A module 80 searches for matching advertisements. The module 80 compares the data units in one or several fields in "want advertisements" with data units stored in corresponding fields in "sell advertisements". And see [0047] FIG. 2 shows an online capture form for entering advertisement orders and sending them to an advertising management company over the Internet. And [0064]
and second tier matching criteria, wherein the second tier matching criteria are optional; [0093] A match may be mandatory for some fields and only optional for others. Depending on the criteria, an exact match may be requested (for example the same make of car), or an implicit match (for example a job offer in a specific town whereas the candidate has indicated his preferences for a job in a region including the town), or an approximate match (for example a similar, but not identical job description).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buying/selling platform of Lind to include generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible; and second tier matching criteria, wherein the second tier matching criteria are optional, as taught in Brouze, in order to reduce the implementation unwanted advertisements/postings for more targeted responses (see paragraph 0091).
While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers, Lind in view of Brouze does not disclose:
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item
However Pan teaches:
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item (see the response shown in Figure 4B to include a picture and the amount of miles on a seller’s bike)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buying/selling platform of Lind in view of Brouze to include wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item, as taught in Pan, in order to optimize the connection of buyers and seller through improved requests (abstract).
Regarding claim 12, Brouze discloses:
A computerized method for securely and anonymously connecting two parties, the computerized method comprising: (see sever infrastructure in Figure 4)
receiving, a plurality of want items from one or more want users, [0042] Buyers may create one or more buyer list(s) of properties which they would be interested in pursuing if the owners of the properties were to consider selling. Buyers may add properties to their buyer lists from (i) those properties the owners captured previously and stored in the cache or (ii) directly—skipping the capture process entirely—to the extent a buyer is definitive with respect to his or her interest in the property. individual want items of the plurality of want items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service desired by the one or more want users; [0041]In addition to buyer generated notes with respect to a captured property, buyers may also have the option to identify the distinguishing characteristics of captured properties using, for example, structured data drop-down lists. Examples of distinguishing characteristics might include architecture, landscaping, proximity to schools and amenities, topography, etc.
receiving one or more property items from one or more property users, individual property items of the one or more property items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service offered for consumption by the one or more property users; [0025] A client application may allow an owner to create a user account, access his or her user account, verify his or her identity, verify his or her ownership nexus to a particular property, register the property to which his or her ownership nexus has been verified, receive a notification from the present platform each time a buyer includes the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), and send and receive messages through the present platform. [0026] A client application may also allow an owner to create a confidential profile for each property he or she registers (each referred to below as a property profile). A property profile may describe the main characteristics of the property (including photographs, traditional video and 360 video). The property profile may be shared with buyers on whose buyer list(s) the property has been included, at the discretion of the owner. And see "Property Registration" starting in [0036]
determining a first want item of the plurality of want items that satisfies matching criteria for a first property item of the one or more property items; [0031] Alternatively, with respect to rare personal property—for example, 1962 Shelby Cobra automobiles or Gulfstream G500 airplanes—a potential purchaser would identify that personal property by object designator, vintage year or other defining characteristics common to the genre on his or her confidential personal property list on the appropriate category-specific user interface (e.g., Collectible Automobiles). A match would occur if and when an owner of one of the rare examples of that personal property registered that personal property on the appropriate category-specific user interface (e.g., Collectible Automobiles). Accordingly, a potential purchaser of a rare example of personal property might receive multiple matches (each to a unique owner) in respect of a single inclusion on his or her confidential personal property list.
generating an introduction message from a first property user associated with the first property item to a first want user associated with the first want item and enforcing a set of privacy restrictions on the introduction message, the set of restrictions comprising removing one or more of identifying information of the first property user or one or more identifying attributes of the property item the from the introduction message, [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities.
causing the introduction message to be sent from an account associated with the first property user to an account associated with the first want user; [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities. And see "Buyer Profile" and "Property Profile" associated with the owner in [0023] and [0025]
upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user, making available the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item to the want user, and [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
The examiner interprets "established communication" as acceptance of the introduction message. It is noted that the limitation " upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user, establishing a secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item. [0048] Once an owner of a registered property has received a matching notification from the present platform informing the owner that a buyer has added the property to one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to review the buyer's buyer profile, if any, and the corresponding buyer profile completeness score. To the extent that the owner deems the buyer credible as a potential purchaser, the owner may elect to contact the buyer via the present platform's internal anonymous communication system and initiate transaction negotiations. And see [0024] and encryption in [0050]
The examiner interprets "established communication" as acceptance of the introduction message. It is noted that the limitation " upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Additionally, "to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item" is intended use language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item, Lind does not disclose:
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible;
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item
However Brouze teaches:
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible; [0093] FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the sellers-and-buyers matching module 20. The module 20 receives "sell advertisements" 68 from selling customers 210 and "want advertisements" 70 from buying customers 211. A module 78 identifies the customers and retrieves their preferences from a customer database 82. The preferences may include for example the customer's address to which an eventual match should be sent, a flag indicating if such a match should be signified, and a time limit after which no further match should be signified. A module 80 searches for matching advertisements. The module 80 compares the data units in one or several fields in "want advertisements" with data units stored in corresponding fields in "sell advertisements". And see [0047] FIG. 2 shows an online capture form for entering advertisement orders and sending them to an advertising management company over the Internet. And [0064]
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buying/selling platform of Lind to include generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible, as taught in Brouze, in order to reduce the implementation unwanted advertisements/postings for more targeted responses (see paragraph 0091).
While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers, Lind in view of Brouze does not disclose:
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item
However Pan teaches:
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item (see the response shown in Figure 4B to include a picture and the amount of miles on a seller’s bike)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buying/selling platform of Lind in view of Brouze to include wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item, as taught in Pan, in order to optimize the connection of buyers and seller through improved requests (abstract).
Regarding claim 20, Brouze discloses:
One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least: (see sever infrastructure in Figure 4)
receiving, a plurality of want items from one or more want users, [0042] Buyers may create one or more buyer list(s) of properties which they would be interested in pursuing if the owners of the properties were to consider selling. Buyers may add properties to their buyer lists from (i) those properties the owners captured previously and stored in the cache or (ii) directly—skipping the capture process entirely—to the extent a buyer is definitive with respect to his or her interest in the property. individual want items of the plurality of want items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service desired by the one or more want users; [0041]In addition to buyer generated notes with respect to a captured property, buyers may also have the option to identify the distinguishing characteristics of captured properties using, for example, structured data drop-down lists. Examples of distinguishing characteristics might include architecture, landscaping, proximity to schools and amenities, topography, etc.
receiving one or more property items from one or more property users, individual property items of the one or more property items specifying a plurality of attributes of a good or service offered for consumption by the one or more property users; [0025] A client application may allow an owner to create a user account, access his or her user account, verify his or her identity, verify his or her ownership nexus to a particular property, register the property to which his or her ownership nexus has been verified, receive a notification from the present platform each time a buyer includes the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), and send and receive messages through the present platform. [0026] A client application may also allow an owner to create a confidential profile for each property he or she registers (each referred to below as a property profile). A property profile may describe the main characteristics of the property (including photographs, traditional video and 360 video). The property profile may be shared with buyers on whose buyer list(s) the property has been included, at the discretion of the owner. And see "Property Registration" starting in [0036]
determining a first want item of the plurality of want items that satisfies matching criteria for a first property item of the one or more property items; [0031] Alternatively, with respect to rare personal property—for example, 1962 Shelby Cobra automobiles or Gulfstream G500 airplanes—a potential purchaser would identify that personal property by object designator, vintage year or other defining characteristics common to the genre on his or her confidential personal property list on the appropriate category-specific user interface (e.g., Collectible Automobiles). A match would occur if and when an owner of one of the rare examples of that personal property registered that personal property on the appropriate category-specific user interface (e.g., Collectible Automobiles). Accordingly, a potential purchaser of a rare example of personal property might receive multiple matches (each to a unique owner) in respect of a single inclusion on his or her confidential personal property list.
generating an introduction message from a first property user associated with the first property item to a first want user associated with the first want item and enforcing a set of privacy restrictions on the introduction message, the set of restrictions comprising removing one or more of identifying information of the first property user or one or more identifying attributes of the property item the from the introduction message, [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities.
causing the introduction message to be sent from an account associated with the first property user to an account associated with the first want user; [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities. And see "Buyer Profile" and "Property Profile" associated with the owner in [0023] and [0025]
upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user, making available the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item to the want user, and [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
The examiner interprets "established communication" as acceptance of the introduction message. It is noted that the limitation " upon receiving acceptance of the introduction message from the first want user" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user, establishing a secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item. [0048] Once an owner of a registered property has received a matching notification from the present platform informing the owner that a buyer has added the property to one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to review the buyer's buyer profile, if any, and the corresponding buyer profile completeness score. To the extent that the owner deems the buyer credible as a potential purchaser, the owner may elect to contact the buyer via the present platform's internal anonymous communication system and initiate transaction negotiations. And see [0024] and encryption in [0050]
The examiner interprets "established communication" as acceptance of the introduction message. It is noted that the limitation " upon receiving further acceptance of the first property item from the first want user" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Additionally, "to enable a transaction between the first want user and the first property user for the property item" is intended use language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item, Lind does not disclose:
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible;
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item
However Brouze teaches:
generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible; [0093] FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the sellers-and-buyers matching module 20. The module 20 receives "sell advertisements" 68 from selling customers 210 and "want advertisements" 70 from buying customers 211. A module 78 identifies the customers and retrieves their preferences from a customer database 82. The preferences may include for example the customer's address to which an eventual match should be sent, a flag indicating if such a match should be signified, and a time limit after which no further match should be signified. A module 80 searches for matching advertisements. The module 80 compares the data units in one or several fields in "want advertisements" with data units stored in corresponding fields in "sell advertisements". And see [0047] FIG. 2 shows an online capture form for entering advertisement orders and sending them to an advertising management company over the Internet. And [0064]
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buying/selling platform of Lind to include generate and publish an online listing of the plurality of want items, the online listing being publicly accessible, as taught in Brouze, in order to reduce the implementation unwanted advertisements/postings for more targeted responses (see paragraph 0091).
While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers, Lind in view of Brouze does not disclose:
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item
However Pan teaches:
wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item (see the response shown in Figure 4B to include a picture and the amount of miles on a seller’s bike)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buying/selling platform of Lind in view of Brouze to include wherein the introduction message comprises a subset of the plurality of attributes of the first property item, as taught in Pan, in order to optimize the connection of buyers and seller through improved requests (abstract).
Regarding claim 7 and 17, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. Lind further discloses:
wherein the set of privacy restrictions further comprises removing one or more attributes of the subset of attributes of the property item from the introduction message. [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
The examiner interprets the redaction of this information from the original message until the code is provided as "removal" of one or more attributes from the introduction message. Note that the property profile includes [0037]A property profile may describe the main characteristics of a registered property and could include any descriptive information that an owner thinks might be of interest to a buyer, including information that may not be available to the general public. Additionally, the present platform encourages owners to upload photographs, traditional videos and 360 videos of their respective properties' distinguishing characteristics. Property profiles remain confidential unless and until an owner, at his sole discretion, chooses to provide access to a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer's list(s).
Regarding claim 9 and 18, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. Lind further discloses:
wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: enforce a second set of privacy restrictions upon making the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item available to the want user, [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
The examiner interprets the redaction of this information from the original message until the code is provided as "removal" of one or more attributes from the introduction message. Note that the property profile includes [0037]A property profile may describe the main characteristics of a registered property and could include any descriptive information that an owner thinks might be of interest to a buyer, including information that may not be available to the general public. Additionally, the present platform encourages owners to upload photographs, traditional videos and 360 videos of their respective properties' distinguishing characteristics. Property profiles remain confidential unless and until an owner, at his sole discretion, chooses to provide access to a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer's list(s).
wherein the first set of privacy restrictions are different than the set of privacy restrictions. [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities.
Regarding claim 10 and 19, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. Lind further discloses:
wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: remove the set of privacy restrictions upon establishing the secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user. [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing. [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities.
Regarding claim 11, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. Lind further discloses:
wherein the computer-executable instructions that, if executed, further cause the one or more processors to: remove one or more of the set of privacy restrictions or the second set of privacy restrictions upon establishing the secure messaging session between the first want user and the first property user. [0021] This matching and notification process occurs each time a buyer adds a registered property to one of his or her buyer list(s). Once notified, an owner may decide to pursue a particular buyer's interest and initiate contact with the buyer by sending an internal e-mail via the present platform. All e-mail communications between owners and buyers on the present platform remain anonymous and confidential until such time as both parties mutually agree to reveal their identities. [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
Claims 2-6, 8, and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lind (US 2017/0132679) in view of Brouze (US 20050165642) in view of Pan (US 10311493) in view of Goodrich (US20070043770).
Regarding claims 2 and 13, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers and Pan teaches a message from a seller to a user containing attributes related to the desired item, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan does not disclose:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user after receiving the introduction message, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction.
However Goodrich teaches:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user after receiving the introduction message, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction. [0034]At block 380, the method summarizes a notification of each matched property accompanied by a corresponding score or a detailed comparison of the search versus the subject property. The notification is sent to the buyer via suitable communications means, such as e-mail, fax, SMS, mail, phone, and so on, depending upon the arrangement with the buyer. [0035] The buyer can either affirm his continuing interest or withdraw from the process at any point during the information exchange process.
It is noted that the limitation "upon receiving the selection to decline further communications" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buyer/seller communication in Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan to include provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user after receiving the introduction message, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction, as taught in Groodrich, in order to avoid abuse of the solicitation process (paragraph 0017).
Regarding claim 3 and 14, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers and Pan teaches a message from a seller to a user containing attributes related to the desired item, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan does not disclose:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction.
However Goodrich teaches:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction. [0035] The buyer can either affirm his continuing interest or withdraw from the process at any point during the information exchange process. See block 384.[…]The notification can be transmitted using any suitable means, such as mail or e-mail. In the notification, the buyer may provide personal information that may entice the owner to sell the piece of property. For example, if a property looks interesting, the buyer may affirm his interest; but then, if the seller specifies a tentative price in a subsequent communication through the entity operating the system 100, buyer may withdraw or respond with his own price. Until such time (if ever) as the seller elects to engage directly with the buyer, the entity serves as the electronic intermediary, acting as an exchange or clearinghouse for messages between buyers and sellers. The method then terminates execution.
It is noted that the limitation "upon receiving the selection to decline further communications" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buyer/seller communication in Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan to include provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction, as taught in Groodrich, in order to avoid abuse of the solicitation process (paragraph 0017).
Regarding claim 4 and 15, Lind in view of Brouze in view of Pan in further view of Goodrich teaches the limitations set forth above. While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers and Pan teaches a message from a seller to a user containing attributes related to the desired item, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan does not disclose:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction.
However Goodrich teaches:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction. [0035] The buyer can either affirm his continuing interest or withdraw from the process at any point during the information exchange process. See block 384.[…]The notification can be transmitted using any suitable means, such as mail or e-mail. In the notification, the buyer may provide personal information that may entice the owner to sell the piece of property. For example, if a property looks interesting, the buyer may affirm his interest; but then, if the seller specifies a tentative price in a subsequent communication through the entity operating the system 100, buyer may withdraw or respond with his own price. Until such time (if ever) as the seller elects to engage directly with the buyer, the entity serves as the electronic intermediary, acting as an exchange or clearinghouse for messages between buyers and sellers. The method then terminates execution.
It is noted that the limitation "upon receiving the selection to decline further communications" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buyer/seller communication in Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan to include provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property user the remainder of the plurality of attributes of the first property item are made available to the want user, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, cause further communications between the first want user and the first property user to be terminated and cause a notification to be routed to the account associated with the property user terminating the introduction, as taught in Groodrich, in order to avoid abuse of the solicitation process (paragraph 0017).
Regarding claim 5 and 16, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan teaches the limitations set forth above. While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers and Pan teaches a message from a seller to a user containing attributes related to the desired item, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan does not disclose:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session.
However Goodrich teaches:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session. [0035] The buyer can either affirm his continuing interest or withdraw from the process at any point during the information exchange process. See block 384.[…]The notification can be transmitted using any suitable means, such as mail or e-mail. In the notification, the buyer may provide personal information that may entice the owner to sell the piece of property. For example, if a property looks interesting, the buyer may affirm his interest; but then, if the seller specifies a tentative price in a subsequent communication through the entity operating the system 100, buyer may withdraw or respond with his own price. Until such time (if ever) as the seller elects to engage directly with the buyer, the entity serves as the electronic intermediary, acting as an exchange or clearinghouse for messages between buyers and sellers. The method then terminates execution.
It is noted that the limitation "upon receiving the selection to decline further communications" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buyer/seller communication in Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan to include provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session, as taught in Groodrich, in order to avoid abuse of the solicitation process (paragraph 0017).
Regarding claim 6, Lind in view of Brouze in view of Pan in further view of Goodrich teaches the limitations set forth above. While Lind discloses a messaging platform between a buyer seeking an item and seller with the item and Brouze teaches the posting of buyer listings/want ad and matching the want ads to sellers and Pan teaches a message from a seller to a user containing attributes related to the desired item, Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan does not disclose:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session.
However Goodrich teaches:
provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session. [0035] The buyer can either affirm his continuing interest or withdraw from the process at any point during the information exchange process. See block 384.[…]The notification can be transmitted using any suitable means, such as mail or e-mail. In the notification, the buyer may provide personal information that may entice the owner to sell the piece of property. For example, if a property looks interesting, the buyer may affirm his interest; but then, if the seller specifies a tentative price in a subsequent communication through the entity operating the system 100, buyer may withdraw or respond with his own price. Until such time (if ever) as the seller elects to engage directly with the buyer, the entity serves as the electronic intermediary, acting as an exchange or clearinghouse for messages between buyers and sellers. The method then terminates execution.
It is noted that the limitation "upon receiving the selection to decline further communications" is conditional language and not positively recited claim language. Therefore, the limitation is given little patentable weight, however has been addressed with art above.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the buyer/seller communication in Lind in view of Brouze in further view of Pan to include provide a selection to the first want user to decline further communications with the first property within the secure messaging session, and upon receiving the selection to decline further communications, terminate the secure messaging session, as taught in Groodrich, in order to avoid abuse of the solicitation process (paragraph 0017).
Regarding claim 8, Lind in view of Brouze in view of Pan in further view of Goodrich teaches the limitations set forth above. Lind further discloses:
wherein the set of privacy restrictions further comprises removing one or more attributes of the subset of attributes of the property item from the introduction message. [0039] Once an owner has established communication through the present platform with a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer list(s), the owner may decide to provide access to the property profile for his or her property by means of, for example, a digital key or password. Buyer access to a property profile may be limited with respect to the length of time it is available for viewing.
The examiner interprets the redaction of this information from the original message until the code is provided as "removal" of one or more attributes from the introduction message. Note that the property profile includes [0037]A property profile may describe the main characteristics of a registered property and could include any descriptive information that an owner thinks might be of interest to a buyer, including information that may not be available to the general public. Additionally, the present platform encourages owners to upload photographs, traditional videos and 360 videos of their respective properties' distinguishing characteristics. Property profiles remain confidential unless and until an owner, at his sole discretion, chooses to provide access to a buyer who has included the owner's property on one of his or her buyer's list(s).
Relevant Art Not Cited
De Haaff (US 20120166287) discloses the listing of want ads by a user and receiving responses from sellers regarding the want ad placement.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTORIA E. FRUNZI whose telephone number is (571)270-1031. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 7-4 (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Marissa Thein can be reached at (571) 272-6764. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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VICTORIA E. FRUNZI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit TC 3689
/VICTORIA E. FRUNZI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3689 1/22/2026