DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is responsive to the claims filed 02/04/2025.
Claims 1-16 have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 02/04/2025 has been received, considered as indicated, and placed on record in the file.
Claim Interpretation
transaction route – [0021] “…A direct transaction route is a transaction route from the first digital currency system via the first digital currency exchange unit to the target digital currency system. A transaction route from the first digital currency system via the first digital currency exchange unit, to another digital currency exchange (first intermediate) and then to the target digital currency system is a single-intermediate transaction route. A transaction route comprising a still further digital currency exchange, second intermediate, would be a double-intermediate transaction route. Intermediate transaction routes preferably comprise a routing step in an intermediate digital currency.”
Thus, a transaction route is an abstract idea of exchanging one currency to another either directly or by use of an intermediate exchange.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea of currency exchange transactions without significantly more.
Subject Matter Eligibility Standard
When considering subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101, it must be determined whether the claim is directed to one of the four statutory categories of invention, i.e., process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter. If the claim does fall within one of the statutory categories, it must then be determined whether the claim is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., law of nature, natural phenomenon, and abstract idea), and if so, it must additionally be determined whether the claim is a patent-eligible application of the exception. If an abstract idea is present in the claim, any element or combination of elements in the claim must be sufficient to ensure that the claim amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea itself. Examples of abstract ideas include fundamental economic practices; certain methods of organizing human activities; an idea itself; and mathematical relationships/formulas. Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v.CLS Bank International, et al., 573 U.S. _ (2014) as provided by the interim guidelines FR 12/16/2014 Vol. 79 No. 241.
Analysis
Step 1, the claimed invention must be to one of the four statutory categories. 35 U.S.C. 101 defines the four categories of invention that Congress deemed to be the appropriate subject matter of a patent: processes, machines, manufactures and compositions of matter. In this case independent claim 1 and 15 and all claims which depend from it are directed toward a system. As such, all claims fall within one of the four categories of invention deemed to be the appropriate subject matter.
Step 2A Prong 1, Under Step 2 A, Prong 1 of the 2019 Revised § 101 Guidance, it is determined whether the claims are directed to a judicial exception such as a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea (See Alice, 134 S. Ct. at 2355) by identify the specific limitation(s) in the claim that recites abstract idea(s); and then determine whether the identified limitation(s) falls within at least one of the groupings of abstract ideas enumerated in the 2019 PEG.
Specifically, claim 1 comprises inter alia the functions or steps of “A secure digital currency server comprising: an external transaction manager for external digital currency transactions to other digital currency systems, including an external digital currency transaction from a first digital currency system using a first digital currency to a target digital currency system using a target digital currency; wherein the external transaction manager is configured to receive a list of exchange candidates from an exchange directory server and to determine at least a first digital currency exchange unit of the exchange candidates; wherein the external transaction manager is configured to provide a transaction route from the first digital currency system via one or more digital currency exchange units of the exchange candidates, including the first digital currency exchange unit, to the target digital currency system”.
Claim 15 comprises inter alia the functions or steps of “A system comprising: multiple digital currency systems;
digital currency exchange units; an exchange directory server configured to provide a list of exchange candidates; and a secure digital currency server according to claim 1”.
Those claim limits in bold are identified as claim limitations which recite the abstract idea, while those that are un-bolded are identified as additional elements.
The cited limitations as drafted are systems and methods that, under their broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of a method of organizing human activity, but for the recitation of the generic computer components. Further, none of the limitations recite technological implementations details for any of the steps but, instead, only recite broad functional language being performed by the generic use of at least one processor. Currency exchange transactions is a fundamental economic practice long prevalent in commerce systems. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers a fundamental economic principle or practice but for the general linking to a technological environment, then it falls within the organizing human activity grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
Step 2A Prong 2, Next, it is determined whether the claim is directed to the abstract concept itself or whether it is instead directed to some technological implementation or application of, or improvement to, this concept, i.e., integrated into a practical application. See, e.g., Alice, 573 U.S. at 223, discussing Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175 (1981). The mere introduction of a computer or generic computer technology into the claims need not alter the analysis. See Alice, 573 U.S. at 223—24. “[T]he relevant question is whether the claims here do more than simply instruct the practitioner to implement the abstract idea on a generic computer.” Alice, 573 U.S. at 225.
In the present case, the judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. The claim limitations are not indicative of integration into a practical application by claiming an improvement to the functioning of the computer or to any other technology or technical field. Further, the claim limitations are not indicative of integration into a practical application by applying or using the judicial exception in some other meaningful way.
In particular, the claims contain the following additional elements: a secure digital currency server; an external transaction manager; multiple digital currency systems; an exchange directory server. However, the specification description of the additional elements a secure digital currency server ([Figure 2, element 10] [0053-0055]); an external transaction manager ([Figure 2, element 16] [0053-0055]); multiple digital currency systems ([Figure 2] [0050] [0052]); an exchange directory server ([Figure 2, element 7] [0053-0055]) are at a high level of generality using exemplary language or as part of a generic technological environment and are functions any general purpose computer performs such that it amount no more than mere instruction to apply the exception to a particular technological environment. Further, none of the limitations recite technological implementations details for any of the steps but, instead, only recite broad functional language being performed by the generic use of at least one processor. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaning limits on practicing the abstract idea. Thus, the claim is directed toward an abstract idea.
Step 2B, the claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements when considered both individually and as an ordered combination do not amount to significantly more that the abstract idea(s). As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using a processor to perform the abstract idea(s) amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exaction using a generic computer component. Mere instruction to apply an exertion using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. These generic computer components are claimed at a high level of generality to perform their basic functions which amount to no more than generally linking the use of the judicial exception to the particular technological environment of field of use (Specification as cited above for additional elements) and further see insignificant extra-solution activity MPEP § 2106.05 I. A. iii, 2106.05(b), 2106.05(b) III, 2106.05(g). Thus, the claims are not patent eligible.
As for dependent claims 2-14 and 16 these claims recite limitations that further define the same abstract idea using previously identified additional elements noted from the respective independent claims from which they depend. Therefore, the cited dependent claims are considered patent ineligible for the reasons given above.
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 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.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (PGPub Document No. 20200167764) in view of Hamilton (PGPub Document No. 20190236561).
As per claim 1, Lin teaches a secure digital currency server ([0048] [0097] “…Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the application in essence, or a portion thereof making a contribution to the prior art, or all or a portion of the technical solution may be embodied in a form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a memory, and includes a number of instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server or a network device) to perform all or a portion of steps of the method described in each embodiment of the application…”) comprising: an external transaction manager ([Figure 4, elements “a transaction initiator 401, a transaction validator 402 and a digital currency exchanger 403”]) for external digital currency transactions to other digital currency systems, including an external digital currency transaction from a first digital currency system using a first digital currency (digital currency) to a target digital currency system using a target digital currency (native currency) ([0087-0094]); wherein the external transaction manager is configured to provide a transaction route (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers) from the first digital currency system via one or more digital currency exchange units of the exchange candidates, including the first digital currency exchange unit, to the target digital currency system ([0016-0018] [0080]).
Lin further teaches selecting one exchanger … from the multiple exchangers as the digital currency exchanger for recording the transaction. However, the disclosure of Lin does not receive a list of exchangers from and external sources such as exchange servers.
Hamilton teaches a POS system wherein the external transaction manager ([Figure 1, element 125] API) is configured to receive a list of exchange candidates (digital currency exchanges) from an exchange directory server ([Figure 1, element 110]) ([0017] “The POS terminal 120 includes network circuitry for interacting with the interfaces of one or more digital currency exchanges 110 over network connections. The API 125 permits the digital currency transaction manager 122 to establish network connections and communicate directly with a digital currency exchange 110 during cryptocurrency transactions.” [0018] “The API 125 also allows the digital currency transaction manager 122 to expose interfaces of the exchange 110 from the POS terminal 120. Specifically, available types of transactions and transaction interfaces for each type of transaction at the exchange 110 is exposed through the API 125 to the digital currency transaction manager 122”) and to determine at least a first digital currency exchange unit of the exchange candidates ([0020-0021] “When the option is selected to perform a cryptocurrency transactions is selected from the operator-facing interface, the digital currency transaction manager 122 exposes the transaction types through an interface on the POS terminal 120. The interfaces allows the operator to select cryptocurrency transaction types for processing at the POS terminal 120. The selectable transaction types include: 1) purchasing a cryptocurrency (with another different type of cryptocurrency from the cryptocurrency that is being purchased or with a designated government-backed currency) and 2) selling a cryptocurrency (with the funds from the sell being in another different type of cryptocurrency from the cryptocurrency that was sold or with the funds from the sell being in a designated government-backed currency)”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the use on an API which interfaces of one or more digital currency exchanges as in Hamilton with the transaction server of Lin in order to allow retailers to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment and account for price valuation swings that are notorious in the crypto markets. The claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
As per claim 2,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the list comprises for the exchange candidates at least one currency pair for which exchange and routing transactions are provided;and/or routing conditions, in particular for the exchange candidate, the currency and/or the currency pair;and/or an exchange address (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 3,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the received list is a filtered list, the filtered list being filtered for the first digital currency and/or for transaction routes including at most two or at most three digital currency exchange units (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 4,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager is configured to request the list of exchange candidates for the first digital currency and the target digital currency of the external digital currency transaction, the list only comprises exchange candidates providing exchange from/to at least one of the first digital currency and the target digital currency ([0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 5,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, further comprising: a primary transaction manager for first digital currency transactions within the first digital currency system using the first digital currency ([Figure 4, elements “a transaction initiator 401, a transaction validator 402 and a digital currency exchanger 403”]).
As per claim 6,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the transaction route comprises: a first routing transaction from the first digital currency system to the first digital currency exchange unit in the first digital currency; and/or an intermediate routing transaction from the first digital currency exchange unit to a second digital currency exchange unit of the exchange candidates in a second digital currency; and/or a target routing transaction from a digital currency exchange unit of the exchange candidates to the digital currency exchange to a target digital currency system in the target digital currency (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 7,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager uses a transaction property of the external digital currency transaction for providing the transaction route, the transaction property comprising user identity mode, transaction value mode, reversal mode and/or transaction value (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 8,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager uses an exchange property of an exchange candidate for providing the transaction route, the exchange property is determined after receiving the list and/or is a dynamic exchange property (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 9,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager is configured to use the number of exchanges and/or the number of exchange units per route for providing the transaction route, and limits the number to two or three (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 10,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager determines candidate routes based on the list received; and determines the transaction route from the candidate routes based on additional information, such as a transaction property and/or an exchange property; wherein a limit of at most three is applied for the number of exchanges and/or the number of exchange units per route (selects one digital currency exchanger with the lowest exchange rate from the plurality of digital currency exchangers [0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 11,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager is configured to request dynamic exchange properties (exchange rate) for at least one exchange candidate, from the exchange candidate or from a dynamic exchange property service unit ([0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 12,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager is configured to receive a user request for the external digital currency transaction; and/or at least initiate a first routing transaction of the transaction route ([0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 13,
Lin teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager is configured to provide transaction routing and/or reversal data in a first routing transaction of the transaction route ([0016-0018] [0080]).
As per claim 14,
Lin does not teach the claim limits.
Hamilton teaches the secure digital currency server according to claim 1, wherein the external transaction manager provides the transaction route and/or transaction reversal data to a routing/reversal data list accessible by digital currency exchange units ([Figure 1, element 110]) ([0017] “The POS terminal 120 includes network circuitry for interacting with the interfaces of one or more digital currency exchanges 110 over network connections. The API 125 permits the digital currency transaction manager 122 to establish network connections and communicate directly with a digital currency exchange 110 during cryptocurrency transactions.” [0018] “The API 125 also allows the digital currency transaction manager 122 to expose interfaces of the exchange 110 from the POS terminal 120. Specifically, available types of transactions and transaction interfaces for each type of transaction at the exchange 110 is exposed through the API 125 to the digital currency transaction manager 122” [0020-0021] “When the option is selected to perform a cryptocurrency transactions is selected from the operator-facing interface, the digital currency transaction manager 122 exposes the transaction types through an interface on the POS terminal 120. The interfaces allows the operator to select cryptocurrency transaction types for processing at the POS terminal 120. The selectable transaction types include: 1) purchasing a cryptocurrency (with another different type of cryptocurrency from the cryptocurrency that is being purchased or with a designated government-backed currency) and 2) selling a cryptocurrency (with the funds from the sell being in another different type of cryptocurrency from the cryptocurrency that was sold or with the funds from the sell being in a designated government-backed currency)”).
As per claim 15, Lin teaches a system ([0050] “FIG. 1 illustrates a system comprising multiple digital currency systems 1-5 each providing its own digital currency…”]) comprising: multiple digital currency systems ([0045] “… Bitcoin (BTC) … Ethereum blockchain .. Ethereum (ETH)…” [0064] “Preferably, the transaction data is arbitrary data, such as pictures, digital currencies, and financial currencies”); digital currency exchange units ([0047] exchange rate between currencies);
The limits of this claim are rejected using the same prior art and rationale as previously addressed in Claim 1 and 5.
As per claim 16,
Lin teaches the system according to claim 15 further comprising: an external transaction route tracking and/or reversal list; and/or a transaction log ([Figure 2, element S205] record); and/or a dynamic exchange property determination unit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gregory A Pollock whose telephone number is (571) 270-1465. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 4 PM.
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/Gregory A Pollock/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3691
04/03/2026
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