DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgements
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s correspondence filed on 11/13/24.
The Examiner notes that citations to United States Patent Application Publication paragraphs are formatted as [####], #### representing the paragraph number.
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.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-4 are currently pending.
Claim 3 is objected to.
Claims 1-4 are rejected as set forth below.
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 .
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has not complied with one or more conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 120 as follows:
The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994).
The disclosure of the prior-filed application, Application No. 17/868,552, fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application. Specifically, ‘552 fails to provide support for:
an initial referral enrollment process, wherein: the customer in the sender country chooses to refer a friend or family member in the recipient country, if the referral recipient already has a registered account with the corresponding bank in the recipient country, the customer only needs to enter the recipient's name and account number at the corresponding bank, and if the referral recipient does not have a registered account, the customer can either: a) provide the recipient's basic information, including name, phone number, and any additional information required by the corresponding bank to comply with the regulations of the recipient country, the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor, on behalf of the corresponding bank, contacts the recipient to assist them in enrolling for their own account and setting up a referral account, wherein the contact is made by sending a link via text messaging, mail, or any other means to download the app or open a web page, or b) directly make an initial enrollment of the recipient via an app of the corresponding bank, such that the recipient can later upgrade his account providing additional information as required by the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor; wherein the referral account can be any financial instrument that allows the recipient to transact and move funds within the recipient country, such as a normal bank account, a prepaid debit account, a digital wallet, or a local payment network, with or without an associated physical debit card issued by the corresponding bank on an international or local payment network, such that once the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor verifies that the referral account has been created, it informs the issuing bank or the issuing bank processor, which then registers a new entry on the list of recipients in the customer's front-end device, or list of favorite recipients on a mobile or web application;
optionally, after the referral account is created, the recipient adds one or more service providers or vendors to allow the sender to make fast and easy direct payments in the recipient country for goods and services rendered, such that when the recipient provides information about these accounts, the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor validates the data and reports back to the issuing bank/processor in the sender country, which creates a new entry on the list of direct payments in the customer's front-end device or list of favorite direct bill payments on a mobile or web application, whereby at the end of the referral enrollment process, two accounts in the sender and recipient countries are linked and preapproved for electronic funds transfer, wherein the link can be invoked at any time to transfer funds without any additional third-party intervention, as long as the velocity parameters and amount limits comply with the rules dictated by regulating entities in both countries;
transfer process steps comprising the following steps: the customer logs into their account using the customer front end, navigates to the "move money" section or to a "money transfer app", selects one of the referral accounts from their list of favorite recipients, and enters the desired amount of money to send; the sender country processor verifies if the customer has sufficient balance in their program account to cover the transfer amount and associated fees, and if approved, the collected information for the requested transfer is sent to the recipient country processor; the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data, approves the transfer amount within the allowed limits, and authorizes the transfer to the sender country processor. the sender country processor proceeds with the transfer execution. It debits the transfer amount plus fees from the customer account/sub account, records a debit entry on the program general ledger, and sends the transaction to the recipient country processor; and the recipient country processor receives the transaction, credits the referral account, records a credit entry on the referral account general ledger, makes the amount immediately available to the recipient, and sends a transfer confirmation and receipt showing the amount received by the recipient's account and associated fees back to the customer front end through the sender country processor, whereby the recipient can choose to keep the money in their digital wallet/account or withdraw cash from an available cash-out facility or ATM in the recipient country.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
As per claim 1, the claim limitation “means for enrolling a referral account”, has/have been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because it uses/they use a generic placeholder “means for” coupled with functional language “enrolling a referral account” without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Since the claim limitation(s) invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claim(s) 1 has/have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitation: the customer’s mobile phone or computer. See [0033], [0084].
In addition, the claim limitation “means for transferring money or otherwise sharing funds between the sender user and the enrolled recipient user”, has/have been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because it uses/they use a generic placeholder “means for” coupled with functional language “transferring money or otherwise sharing funds between the sender user and the enrolled recipient user” without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Since the claim limitation(s) invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claim(s) 1 has/have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitation: the server with memory and a programmable processor. See [0049].
If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner’s interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters in response to this Office action.
If applicant does not intend to have the claim limitation(s) treated under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112 , sixth paragraph, applicant may amend the claim(s) so that it/they will clearly not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, or present a sufficient showing that the claim recites/recite sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function to preclude application of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
As per claim 2, the claim limitation “means for international bill payment”, has/have not been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because it is not coupled with functional language.
For more information, see MPEP § 2173 et seq. and Supplementary Examination Guidelines for Determining Compliance With 35 U.S.C. 112 and for Treatment of Related Issues in Patent Applications, 76 FR 7162, 7167 (Feb. 9, 2011).
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim contains multiple sentences and periods: “the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data, approves the transfer amount within the allowed limits, and authorizes the transfer to the sender country processor. the sender country processor proceeds with the transfer execution. It debits the transfer amount plus fees from the customer account/sub account, records a debit entry on the program general ledger, and sends the transaction to the recipient country processor;”. See MPEP 608.01(m): (“Each claim begins with a capital letter and ends with a period.”). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
As per claims 1-4, the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more because:
Claims 1, 3 recites:
A personal cross-border transfer process that enables individuals who are customers of a financial program in a sender country to establish a direct link with the accounts of individuals in a recipient country, thereby facilitating instant fund transfers from the sender country's account to the recipient country's account through a simple click on a digital application on a mobile or other computer device, the process also allowing customers in the sender country to make fast and easy direct payments for goods and services rendered in the recipient country, the transfer process comprising the following steps:
an initial referral enrollment process, wherein: the customer in the sender country chooses to refer a friend or family member in the recipient country, if the referral recipient already has a registered account with the corresponding bank in the recipient country, the customer only needs to enter the recipient's name and account number at the corresponding bank, and if the referral recipient does not have a registered account, the customer can either: a) provide the recipient's basic information, including name, phone number, and any additional information required by the corresponding bank to comply with the regulations of the recipient country, the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor, on behalf of the corresponding bank, contacts the recipient to assist them in enrolling for their own account and setting up a referral account, wherein the contact is made by sending a link via text messaging, mail, or any other means to download the app or open a web page, or b) directly make an initial enrollment of the recipient via an app of the corresponding bank, such that the recipient can later upgrade his account providing additional information as required by the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor; wherein the referral account can be any financial instrument that allows the recipient to transact and move funds within the recipient country, such as a normal bank account, a prepaid debit account, a digital wallet, or a local payment network, with or without an associated physical debit card issued by the corresponding bank on an international or local payment network, such that once the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor verifies that the referral account has been created, it informs the issuing bank or the issuing bank processor, which then registers a new entry on the list of recipients in the customer's front-end device, or list of favorite recipients on a mobile or web application;
optionally, after the referral account is created, the recipient adds one or more service providers or vendors to allow the sender to make fast and easy direct payments in the recipient country for goods and services rendered, such that when the recipient provides information about these accounts, the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor validates the data and reports back to the issuing bank/processor in the sender country, which creates a new entry on the list of direct payments in the customer's front-end device or list of favorite direct bill payments on a mobile or web application, whereby at the end of the referral enrollment process, two accounts in the sender and recipient countries are linked and preapproved for electronic funds transfer, wherein the link can be invoked at any time to transfer funds without any additional third-party intervention, as long as the velocity parameters and amount limits comply with the rules dictated by regulating entities in both countries;
transfer process steps comprising the following steps: the customer logs into their account using the customer front end, navigates to the "move money" section or to a "money transfer app", selects one of the referral accounts from their list of favorite recipients, and enters the desired amount of money to send; the sender country processor verifies if the customer has sufficient balance in their program account to cover the transfer amount and associated fees, and if approved, the collected information for the requested transfer is sent to the recipient country processor; the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data, approves the transfer amount within the allowed limits, and authorizes the transfer to the sender country processor. the sender country processor proceeds with the transfer execution. It debits the transfer amount plus fees from the customer account/sub account, records a debit entry on the program general ledger, and sends the transaction to the recipient country processor; and the recipient country processor receives the transaction, credits the referral account, records a credit entry on the referral account general ledger, makes the amount immediately available to the recipient, and sends a transfer confirmation and receipt showing the amount received by the recipient's account and associated fees back to the customer front end through the sender country processor, whereby the recipient can choose to keep the money in their digital wallet/account or withdraw cash from an available cash-out facility or ATM in the recipient country.
Under Step 1 of the Section 101 analysis, the claim(s) is/are directed to a system and a process, which are statutory categories of invention.
Under Step 2A Prong One of the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance, the claimed invention as drafted includes language (see underlined language above) that recites an abstract idea of transferring funds from a sender country to a recipient country via a cross-border transaction (a certain method of organizing human activity such as a commercial or legal interactions, e.g. including agreements in the form of contracts, sales activities/behaviors, business relations) but for the recitation of additional claim elements. That is, other than reciting using digital applications on a mobile device and contacting the recipient via text message/mail/Internet, nothing in the claim precludes the language from being considered as sales activities/business relations, i.e. transferring funds from a sender country to a recipient country via a cross-border transaction. For example, a bank teller is capable of receiving instructions to initiate an international transfer of funds from a sender’s account to the recipient’s account and processing the transaction.
A similar analysis can be applied to dependent claims 2, 4, which further recite the abstract idea of transferring funds from a sender country to a recipient country via a cross-border transaction.
Under Step 2A Prong Two of the 2019 Revised Patent Subject Matter Eligibility Guidance, the additional claim element(s), considered individually, do not apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception and in a manner that integrates the exception into a practical application of the exception. The additional claim elements(s) merely add the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. For example, the abstract idea is merely implemented on a computer/server and a mobile device with digital applications. Furthermore, the additional claim elements(s) generally link the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. For example, the abstract idea is generally linked to the field of use of text/mail/Internet communications.
A similar analysis can be applied to dependent claims 2, 4, which include additional claim elements that merely add the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. For example, the abstract idea is merely implemented on a computer/server and a mobile device with digital applications.
Under Step 2A Prong Two, the additional claim element(s), considered in combination, do not apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception and in a manner that integrates the exception into a practical application of the exception. The combination of elements is no more than the sum of their parts. Unlike the eligible claims in Diehr and Bascom, in which the elements limiting the exception taken together improve a technical field, the instant claim lacks an improvement to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field.
Under Step 2B, the additional claim element(s), considered individually and in combination, do not provide meaningful limitation(s) to transform the abstract idea into a patent eligible application of the abstract idea such that the claim(s) amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea itself for similar reasons outlined under Step 2A Prong Two. Furthermore, the steps of ### are well-understood, routine conventional activities previously known to the industry, specified at a high level of generality, to the judicial exception. Specifically, the following computer functions have been recognized by the courts as well-understood, routine, and conventional functions: Storing and retrieving information in memory, Versata Dev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc., 793 F.3d 1306, 1334, 115 USPQ2d 1681, 1701 (Fed. Cir. 2015); OIP Techs., 788 F.3d at 1363, 115 USPQ2d at 1092-93; Receiving or transmitting data over a network, e.g., using the Internet to gather data, Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362 (utilizing an intermediary computer to forward information); TLI Communications LLC v. AV Auto. LLC, 823 F.3d 607, 610, 118 USPQ2d 1744, 1745 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (using a telephone for image transmission); OIP Techs., Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (sending messages over a network); buySAFE, Inc. v. Google, Inc., 765 F.3d 1350, 1355, 112 USPQ2d 1093, 1096 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (computer receives and sends information over a network). See MPEP 2106.05(d) and Berkheimer Memo.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-4 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.
As per claims 1-2, the limitations “whereby the sender user in the sender country refers a family member or friend acquaintance”, “wherein the sender user initiates a funds transfer from his financial institution account to the financial institution of the enrolled recipient user in a recipient country”, “wherein individual users who are customers of a financial institution in a sender country establish a direct link with the accounts of individual vendors in a recipient country for instant payment of invoices”, “wherein the sender user initiate a bill payment” render the scope of the claim indefinite because the claim purports to be both an apparatus and the method steps of using the apparatus. One would not know whether possession alone of the claimed system constituted infringement, or if infringement required the use of the system by the sender user. See MPEP 2173.05(p) II; IPXL Holdings LLC v. Amazon.com Inc., 77 USPQ2d 1140 (CA FC 2005); In Re Katz Interactive Call Processing Patent Litigation (Fed. Cir. 2011); Rembrandt Data Technologies LP v. AOL LLC, 98 USPQ2d 1393 (Fed. Cir. 2011); Ex parte Lyell, 17 USPQ2d 1548 (B.P.A.I. 1990).
By virtue of their dependence, the dependent claims are similarly rejected.
As per claims 1, 3, the limitation “an initial referral enrollment process, wherein: the customer in the sender country chooses to refer a friend or family member in the recipient country, if the referral recipient already has a registered account with the corresponding bank in the recipient country, the customer only needs to enter the recipient's name and account number at the corresponding bank” renders the scope of the claim indefinite because it contradicts itself. It is unclear how an initial referral enrollment process can include the step of transferring money to an already registered recipient – an initial referral enrollment process is interpreted as enrolling users (who are not registered) that are referred to be the referrer. For purposes of examination, the limitation will be interpreted as an initial recipient adding process in which the recipient is added to the sender’s list of contacts to send money to.
By virtue of their dependence, the dependent claims are similarly rejected.
As per claims 3, the term "fast and easy direct payments" is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term "fast and easy" is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. See MPEP 2173.05(b). For purposes of examination, the limitation will be interpreted as a direct payment that is processed over the Internet.
By virtue of their dependence, the dependent claims are similarly rejected.
As per claims 3, the limitation “selects one of the referral accounts from their list of favorite recipients” renders the scope of the claim indefinite because the underlined term lacks antecedent basis. The previous instance of a list of favorite recipients doesn’t exist if the new entry is registered on the list of recipients in the customer’s front-end device: which then registers a new entry on the list of recipients in the customer's front-end device, or list of favorite recipients on a mobile or web application”.
By virtue of their dependence, the dependent claims are similarly rejected.
As per claims 3, the limitation “the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data, approves the transfer amount within the allowed limits” renders the scope of the claim indefinite because the underlined term lacks antecedent basis. The previous instance of allowed limits is optional and is not required to exist: “optionally… wherein the link can be invoked at any time to transfer funds without any additional third-party intervention, as long as the velocity parameters and amount limits comply with the rules dictated by regulating entities in both countries”.
By virtue of their dependence, the dependent claims are similarly rejected.
As per claims 4, the limitations “selects one of the service providers or vendors from their list of registered direct payments”, “sends the information for validation and approval to the payment gateway” render the scope of the claim indefinite because the underlined terms lacks antecedent basis. There is no previous instance of the underlined terms.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over United States Patent Application Publication No. 20110131128 to Vaananen in view of United States Patent No. 10127532 to Grassadonia, United States Patent Application Publication No. 20070198404 to Hirka, and United States Patent Application Publication No. 20140244500 to Elias.
As per claims 1, 3, Vaananen teaches:
A personal cross-border transfer process that enables individuals who are customers of a financial program in a sender country to establish a direct link with the accounts of individuals in a recipient country, thereby facilitating instant fund transfers from the sender country's account to the recipient country's account, the process also allowing customers in the sender country to make fast and easy direct payments for goods and services rendered in the recipient country, the transfer process comprising the following steps: ([0167], “FIG. 6B shows an embodiment of the transactions server system 61 of the invention in use where a non-professional financial user, such as a consumer or a small or middle sized company or indeed a large company without a financial markets function, can access global deep liquidity markets from a user interface that is easy to use, available all the time, cheap to install, and most importantly financially transparent, offering low transaction costs that can be verified without fear of unfair arbitrage.”; [0169], “The user will now access his customer account in the transaction server system via connection 2001, which is a electronic connection, typically a secure Internet connection with password and number identifications a PIN (Personal Identification Number) number list and/or other security measures such as data encryption and decryption in place. Especially the user will be shown or the user can select a interface for entering international payment details, such as IBAN number, name of recipient, address of recipient, SWIFT/BIC code, account number, recipient bank, recipient bank address, amount of money being transferred, currency used, reference data or invoice identifier, who pays transaction cost (both their own expenses, sender, or recipient) and other data and options.”)
an initial referral enrollment process, wherein: the customer in the sender country chooses to refer a recipient in the recipient country, if the referral recipient already has a registered account with the corresponding bank in the recipient country, the customer only needs to enter the recipient's name and account number at the corresponding bank, and if the referral recipient does not have a registered account, the customer can either: a) provide the recipient's basic information, including name, phone number, and any additional information required by the corresponding bank to comply with the regulations of the recipient country, the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor, on behalf of the corresponding bank, contacts the recipient to assist them in enrolling for their own account and setting up a referral account, wherein the contact is made by sending a link via text messaging, mail, or any other means to download the app or open a web page, or b) directly make an initial enrollment of the recipient via an app of the corresponding bank, such that the recipient can later upgrade his account providing additional information as required by the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor; wherein the referral account can be any financial instrument that allows the recipient to transact and move funds within the recipient country, such as a normal bank account, a prepaid debit account, a digital wallet, or a local payment network, with or without an associated physical debit card issued by the corresponding bank on an international or local payment network, such that once the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor verifies that the referral account has been created, it informs the issuing bank or the issuing bank processor, which then registers a new entry on the list of recipients in the customer's front-end device, or list of favorite recipients on a mobile or web application; ([0169], “The user will now access his customer account in the transaction server system via connection 2001, which is a electronic connection, typically a secure Internet connection with password and number identifications a PIN (Personal Identification Number) number list and/or other security measures such as data encryption and decryption in place. Especially the user will be shown or the user can select a interface for entering international payment details, such as IBAN number, name of recipient, address of recipient, SWIFT/BIC code, account number, recipient bank, recipient bank address, amount of money being transferred, currency used, reference data or invoice identifier, who pays transaction cost (both their own expenses, sender, or recipient) and other data and options.”, The Examiner notes that the limitations following “if the referral recipient does not have a registered account” are not positively recited if the referral recipient already has a registered account with the corresponding bank in the recipient country.)
optionally, after the referral account is created, the recipient adds one or more service providers or vendors to allow the sender to make fast and easy direct payments in the recipient country for goods and services rendered, such that when the recipient provides information about these accounts, the corresponding bank or the recipient country processor validates the data and reports back to the issuing bank/processor in the sender country, which creates a new entry on the list of direct payments in the customer's front-end device or list of favorite direct bill payments on a mobile or web application, whereby at the end of the referral enrollment process, two accounts in the sender and recipient countries are linked and preapproved for electronic funds transfer, wherein the link can be invoked at any time to transfer funds without any additional third-party intervention, as long as the velocity parameters and amount limits comply with the rules dictated by regulating entities in both countries; (The Examiner notes that the limitations are optional and are not positively recited.)
transfer process steps comprising the following steps: the customer logs into their account using the customer front end, navigates to the "move money" section or to a "money transfer app", selects one of the referral accounts, and enters the desired amount of money to send; if approved, the collected information for the requested transfer is sent to the recipient country processor; the sender country processor proceeds with the transfer execution. It debits the transfer amount plus fees from the customer account/sub account, records a debit entry on the program general ledger, and sends the transaction to the recipient country processor; and the recipient country processor receives the transaction, credits the referral account, records a credit entry on the referral account general ledger, makes the amount immediately available to the recipient, and sends a transfer confirmation and receipt showing the amount received by the recipient's account and associated fees back to the customer front end through the sender country processor, whereby the recipient can choose to keep the money in their digital wallet/account or withdraw cash from an available cash-out facility or ATM in the recipient country. ([0169]-[0171], “The user will now access his customer account in the transaction server system via connection 2001, which is a electronic connection, typically a secure Internet connection with password and number identifications a PIN (Personal Identification Number) number list and/or other security measures such as data encryption and decryption in place. Especially the user will be shown or the user can select a interface for entering international payment details, such as IBAN number, name of recipient, address of recipient, SWIFT/BIC code, account number, recipient bank, recipient bank address, amount of money being transferred, currency used, reference data or invoice identifier, who pays transaction cost (both their own expenses, sender, or recipient) and other data and options. The transaction control server then deducts the payment from the customer account from the customer account system. In addition a fee for the service may be deducted from the customer account. Importantly, the bidding record of the market at the time of the trade will be produced for inspection in the customer account system as explained in embodiment 40. This will allow the user to inspect the service fee reliably. Naturally the customer account system may feature many other internet bank features, such as receipt production, viewing and storage and the like.”; Fig 6, [0159]-[0161], “A user can simultaneously be logged onto his own bank account at say bank 1 and the transaction account associated with the transaction server, e.g. via the Internet in some embodiments. The transaction gets delivered to the target account directly by the transaction server if it has access to that account, or through an intermediary and/or recipient bank.”)
Vaananen does not explicitly teach, but Grassadonia teaches:
thereby facilitating instant fund transfers from the sender country's account to the recipient country's account through a simple click on a digital application on a mobile or other computer device, wherein the customer in the sender country chooses to refer a friend or family member in the recipient country; (col 2 lines 12-25, “The payees can include, for example, a restaurant, a car wash service, a non-profit organization, a personal friend of the payer, etc. In at least some embodiments, the transaction flow technology involves communication between a mobile payment application installed on the payer's mobile device and a remote payment service system (PSS).”)
selects one of the referral accounts from their list of favorite recipients; col 11 line 64-col 12 line 3, “The payer can be identified based on the payer identifier included in the message from the mobile application, and then identify one or more payees associated with the payer. These payees can be specified by the payer, for example, as “Favorites” and stored in association with the payer identifier in an account of the payer with the computer server system 300.”)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Grassadonia to the known invention of Vaananen would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved invention. It would have been recognized that the application of the technique would have yielded predictable results because the level of ordinary skill in the art demonstrated by the references applied shows the ability to incorporate such payment transaction features into a similar invention. Further, it would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifying the invention so the funds transfer is initiated through a mobile application and the recipient account associated with a friend is selected from a list of favorite recipients results in an improved invention because applying said technique makes it easier for the payer to initiate the payment transaction and select a recipient, thus improving the overall usability of the invention.
Vaananen as modified does not explicitly teach, but Hirka teaches:
approving the transfer amount within the allowed limits; verifying if the customer has sufficient balance in their program account to cover the transfer amount and associated fees; ([0013], “The consumer may be assigned a predetermined cumulative limit or maximum daily "open to buy" amount that limits the dollar amount of goods and services that may be purchased against that account, which limit may be independent of the actual cash balance in the account.”; [0035]-[0036], “If the cash account 160 does not contain adequate funds and the authorization is rejected, the authorization server may temporarily suspend use of the card and process the transactions as a credit charge against a credit account 140. The consumer may incur a fee for the use of the credit account 140.”)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Hirka to the known invention of Vaananen as modified would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved invention. It would have been recognized that the application of the technique would have yielded predictable results because the level of ordinary skill in the art demonstrated by the references applied shows the ability to incorporate such payment transaction features into a similar invention. Further, it would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifying the invention so the transfer amount is approved within the allowed limits and modifying the sender country processor to include the step of verifying if the customer has sufficient balance in their program account to cover the transfer amount and associated fees results in an improved invention because applying said technique ensures that the transaction is able to be processed according to available funds and predefined spending limits, thus improving the overall reliability of the invention.
Vaananen as modified does not explicitly teach, but Elias teaches:
the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data, and authorizes the transfer to the sender country processor. ([0042], “A Financial Instrument Holder (2) initiates the transaction by entering the payment data comprising, the Virtual Account Number (3), PIN and the transaction amount into a Transaction Terminal (4) with the said Intermodal Money Application Interface (8), if the Financial Instrument Holder (2) is the sender additional payment data is provided (e.g. receiver information), the Transaction Processor Acquirer (5) validates the transaction and sends the Transaction Request (13) via the Open Loop Financial Network (7) to the Virtual Account Management System (9) which verifies the availability of the funds and either authorizes or denies the transaction; if the transaction is authorized by the Transaction Processor Issuer (6) the Financial Network settles the funds either directly to the acquirer settlement account or the beneficiary temporary virtual account, resulting in a real-time cash or cash equivalent payment that is irreversible by the sender as the originator of the transaction”)
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that applying the known technique of Elias to the known invention of Vaananen as modified would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved invention. It would have been recognized that the application of the technique would have yielded predictable results because the level of ordinary skill in the art demonstrated by the references applied shows the ability to incorporate such payment transaction features into a similar invention. Further, it would have been recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifying the invention so the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data and authorizes the transfer to the sender country processor results in an improved invention because applying said technique ensures that the payment information, i.e. receipt account data, is securely verified, thus improving the overall security of the invention.
As per claims 2, 4, Vaananen teaches:
the customer logs into their account using the customer front end, accesses the "international direct payments" section, selects one of the service providers or vendors from their list of registered direct payments, and enters the payment reference or concept and the payment amount; if approved, the collected information for the requested payment is sent to the recipient country processor; the sender country processor proceeds with the payment execution, it debits the payment amount plus fees from the customer account/sub account, records a debit entry on the program general ledger, and sends the transaction to the recipient country processor; and the recipient country processor receives the transaction, credits the vendor's account through the payment gateway, and upon payment confirmation, sends a payment confirmation and receipt showing the amount paid and associated fees back to the customer front end through the sender country processor. ([0169]-[0171]; [0159]-[0161])
Vaananen as modified teaches
the sender country processor verifies if the customer has sufficient balance in their program account to cover the payment amount and associated fees, (See the rejection of claim 1 above; [0035] of Hirka)
Elias teaches:
the recipient country processor validates the recipient account data, approves the payment amount within the allowed limits, and sends the information for validation and approval to the payment gateway; once the payment is approved, the recipient country processor sends a message to the sender country processor, approving the payment. ([0042])
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20150046331 to Gupta discloses systems and methods include receiving a request for a funds transfer to transfer funds from Sender to a Recipient, the request including a transfer amount and, as an identifier of the recipient, a destination mobile telephone number associated with the recipient; translating, based at least in part on a record of a mapping of the destination mobile telephone number to an account associated with the recipient, the destination mobile telephone number to a destination account number; and routing the funds transfer as a payment transaction using the destination account number.
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/JAY HUANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619