DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
This action is in reply to Application 19/104,322 filed on 17 February 2025.
Claims 1-14 are currently pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed 17 March 2026 has been considered. An initialed copy of the Form 1449 are enclosed herewith.
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an --abstract idea without significantly more.
In the instant case, representative method claim 13 is directed towards facilitating balance synchronization of monetary values shared between terminal apparatuses used in payment processing. Claim 13 recites the abstract idea of using rules and/or instructions in order to facilitate monetary value sharing among payment devices associated with performing a commercial transaction comprising the steps of merely managing a balance obtained by totaling electronic money balances held by a plurality of terminal apparatuses each being equipped with an electronic money function, as one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses; and updating an amount of money obtained by subtracting an amount of used money in the electronic payment from the one balance, as a latest record of the one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, which is grouped under the certain methods of organizing human activity – fundamental economic principles, practices or concepts; sales activity; following set of instructions; commercial or legal interactions (agreements in the form of contracts; business relations); managing interactions between people (including social activities, teachings, following rules or instructions), grouping, in step 2A prong one, inasmuch as the claimed method as a whole is directed towards managing shared value amounts balances associated with the performance of a financial and/or commercial transaction, involving steps merely based on rules and/or instructions, but for the recitation of computer components.
Managing share value balances between payment devices and/or apparatuses associated with performing a financial/commercial transaction falls within the certain methods of organizing human activity grouping of abstract ideas. Other than the mere nominal recitation of the computer-related devices, nothing in the claim element precludes the steps from the organizing human interactions grouping. Accordingly, for these reasons, the claim recites an abstract idea.
Claim 13 recites:
“a management step of managing a balance obtained by totaling electronic money balances held by a plurality of terminal apparatuses each being equipped with an electronic money function, as one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses; and
an update step of updating balance such that, in a case where electronic payment with the electronic money has been made using one terminal apparatus controlled to be in an electronic payment communication enabled mode among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the update step updates an amount of money obtained by subtracting an amount of used money in the electronic payment from the one balance, as a latest record of the one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses”.
Based on the underlined elements above, abstract ideas and/or concepts are identified. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because, when analyzed under step 2A prong two, the additional elements of the claim such as a “management unit”, “update unit”, “terminal apparatus”, represent the use of a computer-related devices as a tool (intermediary) to perform an abstract idea and/or does no more than generally apply the abstract idea to a particular field of use. Therefore, the additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application as they do no more than represent a computer performing functions that correspond to (i.e. automate) implement the acts of using rules and/or instructions in order to facilitate monetary value sharing among payment devices associated with performing a commercial transaction comprising the steps of merely managing a balance obtained by totaling electronic money balances held by a plurality of terminal apparatuses each being equipped with an electronic money function, as one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses; and updating an amount of money obtained by subtracting an amount of used money in the electronic payment from the one balance, as a latest record of the one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses.
When analyzed under step 2B, the claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception itself. Viewed as a whole, the combination of elements recited in the claims merely describe the concept of using rules and/or instructions in order to facilitate monetary value sharing among payment devices associated with performing a commercial transaction comprising the steps of merely managing a balance obtained by totaling electronic money balances held by a plurality of terminal apparatuses each being equipped with an electronic money function, as one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses; and updating an amount of money obtained by subtracting an amount of used money in the electronic payment from the one balance, as a latest record of the one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses using computer computer-related technology and/or devices that merely perform as designed to function. Therefore, the use of these additional elements does no more than employ a computer as a tool to automate and/or implement the abstract idea, which cannot provide significantly more than the abstract idea itself (MPEP 2106.05(I)(A)(f) & (h)). Hence, claim 1 is not patent eligible.
Independent claim 1 recites substantially the same limitations as claim 13 above and are ineligible for the same reasons. The subject matter of claim 1 corresponds to the subject matter of claim 13 in terms of an apparatus (e.g., manufacture). Therefore the reasoning provided for claim 13 applies to claim 14accordingly.
Independent claim 14 recites substantially the same limitations as claim 13 above and are ineligible for the same reasons. The subject matter of claim 14 corresponds to the subject matter of claim 13 in terms of an information processing program (e.g., manufacture). Therefore the reasoning provided for claim 13 applies to claim 14 accordingly.
Dependent claims 3-12 add further details and contain limitations that narrow the scope of the invention. However, these details do not result in significantly more than the abstract idea itself. As explained in the December 16, 2014 Interim Eligibility Guidance from the USPTO (in reference to the BuySAFE, Inc. v. Google, Inc. decision), further narrowing the details of an abstract idea does not change the § 101 analysis since a more narrow abstract idea does not make it any less abstract.
Viewed individually and in combination, these additional elements do not provide meaningful limitations to transform the abstract idea such that the claims amount to significantly more than the abstraction itself.
Accordingly, the present pending claims are not patent eligible and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Miller et al., US 2024/0403081 A1 (“Miller”).
Re Claim 1: Miller discloses an information processing apparatus comprising:
a management unit configured to manage a balance obtained by totaling electronic money balances held by a plurality of terminal apparatuses each being equipped with an electronic money function, as one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses; ([0510] “device 900 optionally limits sharing of a first type of account data (e.g., account details, account type, payment info, account balances, transaction history, merchant information, spending activity) while allowing the sharing of a second type of account data different from the first type of account data ( e.g., account details, account type, payment info, account balances, transaction history, merchant information, spending activity)”)
an update unit configured to update balance such that, in a case where electronic payment with the electronic money has been made using one terminal apparatus controlled to be in an electronic payment enabled mode among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the update unit updates an amount of money obtained by subtracting an amount of used money in the electronic payment from the one balance, as a latest record of the one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses. ([0486] “After receiving the return resource transfer for the first item, the computer system updates the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on the return resource transfer (e.g., 2056 is updated to account for the return amount of $73.22 of 2058; 2056 includes a total 30.21 that accounts for the return amount and the purchase amount; 2060, 2062, 2074, and/or 2064). In some embodiments, the return resource transfer is displayed as a separate resource transfer (e.g., is displayed in a representation that is different from the representation of the first resource transfer). Updating the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on return resource transfer after receiving the return resource transfer for the first item provides visual feedback of the state of the return”)
Re Claim 2: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1. Miller further discloses:
wherein, in accordance with an operation by a user of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the management unit manages the following to be linked with each other: electronic money ID identifying the electronic money; the one balance corresponding to the electronic money; and terminal ID identifying each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses. ([0492] “Sync interface 2310i includes sync affordance 2330 to initiate a process to activate and/or deactivate the link with the external account. Sync interface 2310i also includes application sharing region 2332a that includes an indication of what applications have access to data ( e.g., transfers) of the memory account. Sync interface 2310i further includes application sharing region 2332b that includes an indication of what applications are enabled to receive data of the memory account”; [0582] “In some embodiments, the process to transfer credentials of the stored-value account includes displaying an identifier (e.g., name) of the external (old) computer system (e.g., "Johnny's Phone 12") on which the stored-value account is current provisioned and displaying a value (e.g., amount of funds) currently stored on the stored-value account”)
Re Claim 3: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1. Miller further discloses:
a reception unit configured to receive selection of one terminal apparatus to be validated to enable the electronic payment among the plurality of terminal apparatuses; and
a payment control unit configured to control the selected terminal apparatus to be in an electronic payment enabled mode and control the other unselected terminal apparatuses to be in an electronic payment disabled mode.
([0575] “At FIGS. 27Q-27S, computer system 2700 detects one or more user inputs to select multiple external devices (e.g., 2720A-2720C) from among the plurality of external devices 2720A-2720C that are logged into the same user account of the service as computer system 2700. At FIG. 27S, computer system 2700 detects activation of the add option and, in response, initiates a process to provision the account (e.g., AA account) onto the selected external devices”)
Re Claim 4: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 3. Miller further discloses:
wherein the reception unit receives selection of switching one terminal apparatus to be validated to enable the electronic payment from a current terminal apparatus to another terminal apparatus, and the payment control unit controls the terminal apparatus being a switching destination to be in an electronic payment enabled mode, and controls the terminal apparatus other than the terminal apparatus being the switching destination among the plurality of terminal apparatuses to be in an electronic payment disabled mode. ([0549] “While displaying the first user interface of the first application, the computer system detects (2604), via one or more input devices, a first input (e.g., 2550bl and/or 2550c; input 2550b2 to switch to an account that is used to initiate a resource transfer; input 2550b2 to place account 2 in the arming location; and/or an input directed account representation 2508 so as to select account 1) ( e.g., a gesture to select a first account followed by a tap input on a continue option), directed at the first user interface, to initiate a resource transfer using the first account selected (e.g., account 1 of FIG. 25B and/or account 2 of FIG. 25C) ( e.g., via user input from among a plurality of accounts at a user interface ( e.g., the first user interface) of the first application) via the first application”)
Re Claim 5: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 3. Miller further discloses:
wherein the reception unit further receives an access from a terminal apparatus as a validation target, being a terminal apparatus to be validated, ([0549] “While displaying the first user interface of the first application, the computer system detects (2604), via one or more input devices, a first input (e.g., 2550bl and/or 2550c; input 2550b2 to switch to an account that is used to initiate a resource transfer; input 2550b2 to place account 2 in the arming location; and/or an input directed account representation 2508 so as to select account 1) ( e.g., a gesture to select a first account followed by a tap input on a continue option), directed at the first user interface, to initiate a resource transfer using the first account selected (e.g., account 1 of FIG. 25B and/or account 2 of FIG. 25C) ( e.g., via user input from among a plurality of accounts at a user interface ( e.g., the first user interface) of the first application) via the first application”)
when the access is received, the payment control unit determines whether an electronic money balance held by the terminal apparatus that have made the access has been updated as the latest record of the one balance. ([0486] “After receiving the return resource transfer for the first item, the computer system updates the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on the return resource transfer (e.g., 2056 is updated to account for the return amount of $73.22 of 2058; 2056 includes a total 30.21 that accounts for the return amount and the purchase amount; 2060, 2062, 2074, and/or 2064). In some embodiments, the return resource transfer is displayed as a separate resource transfer (e.g., is displayed in a representation that is different from the representation of the first resource transfer). Updating the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on return resource transfer after receiving the return resource transfer for the first item provides visual feedback of the state of the return”)
Re Claim 6: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 5. Miller further discloses:
wherein the payment control unit controls the terminal apparatus that has made the access to be in the electronic payment enabled mode only in a case where the payment control unit has determined that the electronic money balance has been updated as the latest record of the one balance. ([0486] “After receiving the return resource transfer for the first item, the computer system updates the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on the return resource transfer (e.g., 2056 is updated to account for the return amount of $73.22 of 2058; 2056 includes a total 30.21 that accounts for the return amount and the purchase amount; 2060, 2062, 2074, and/or 2064). In some embodiments, the return resource transfer is displayed as a separate resource transfer (e.g., is displayed in a representation that is different from the representation of the first resource transfer). Updating the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on return resource transfer after receiving the return resource transfer for the first item provides visual feedback of the state of the return”)
Re Claim 7: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 3. Miller further discloses:
wherein the payment control unit controls an access privilege corresponding to the electronic money function. ([0545] “In some embodiments, because the second wallet application is a trusted and/or first-party application and has access to the secure element, transactions performed using the second wallet application do not use the assistances of the first wallet application (e.g., the third-party wallet application)”).
Re Claim 8: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1. Miller further discloses:
wherein the one terminal apparatus controlled to be in the electronic payment enabled mode transmits payment information related to the electronic payment to the information processing apparatus in accordance with the electronic payment, ([0485] “While displaying the first representation, detecting, via the one or more input devices, a request to transmit (e.g., 2066) (e.g., communicate, share, and/or send) a representation of the first resource transfer ( e.g., with a respective computer system different from the computer system). In response to detecting the request to transmit the representation of the first resource transfer, the computer system transmits a second representation ( e.g., image and/or text, a map, a receipt number, time of order, an order number, and/or a description of items associated with the first resource transfer) corresponding to the first resource transfer”)
when the update unit has acquired the payment information, the update unit provides an amount of money obtained by subtracting the amount of used money from the one balance to the one terminal apparatus being the terminal apparatus being controlled to be in the electronic payment enabled mode, and to other terminal apparatuses, being the terminal apparatuses other than the terminal apparatus controlled to be in the electronic payment enabled mode, among the plurality of terminal apparatuses, so as to allow the terminal apparatuses to hold the obtained amount of money, as the latest record of the one balance. ([0486] “After receiving the return resource transfer for the first item, the computer system updates the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on the return resource transfer (e.g., 2056 is updated to account for the return amount of $73.22 of 2058; 2056 includes a total 30.21 that accounts for the return amount and the purchase amount; 2060, 2062, 2074, and/or 2064). In some embodiments, the return resource transfer is displayed as a separate resource transfer (e.g., is displayed in a representation that is different from the representation of the first resource transfer). Updating the representation of the first resource transfer to include an update to the first resource transfer based on return resource transfer after receiving the return resource transfer for the first item provides visual feedback of the state of the return”)
Re Claim 9: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1. Miller further discloses:
a linking unit configured to link terminal apparatuses having the electronic money function with each other in accordance with an operation of a user, wherein the management unit manages the balance obtained by totaling the electronic money balances held by each of the plurality of terminal apparatuses linked with each other and each being equipped with the electronic money function, as a record of one balance to be shared among the plurality of terminal apparatuses linked with each other. ([0045] “detecting, via the one or more input devices, a request to link the first account with a first external account; and while the first account is linked with the first external account: displaying, via the display generation component: the first set of one or more resource transfers in the first user interface of the electronic wallet; and the second set of one or more resource transfers in the first user interface of the electronic wallet, wherein the second set of one or more resource transfers were not performed via the first account provisioned on the electronic wallet; and enabling the first set of one or more resource transfers and the second set of one or more resource transfers for sharing with the respective application”; [0293] “…transcript) first information (e.g., 656a and/or 756a) (e.g., an account number of an account providing the transfer amount, a PIN, and/or a verification code) associated with a first recurring resource transfer (e.g., transfer associated with 654a and/or 756a) (e.g., a recurring transfer of allocated memory, data, a balance, and/or funds) (e.g., a repeated resource transfer and/or persistent resource transfer) … In some embodiments, the first information is received from an external computer system. In some embodiments, the first information is generated by the computer system”)
Re Claim 10: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 9. Miller further discloses:
wherein, in an initial state where the terminal apparatuses are not linked with each other, the linking unit receives, in accordance with an operation of the user, an initial setting start request from individual terminal apparatuses to be linked for the first time, ([0045] “detecting, via the one or more input devices, a request to link the first account with a first external account; and while the first account is linked with the first external account: displaying, via the display generation component: the first set of one or more resource transfers in the first user interface of the electronic wallet; and the second set of one or more resource transfers in the first user interface of the electronic wallet, wherein the second set of one or more resource transfers were not performed via the first account provisioned on the electronic wallet; and enabling the first set of one or more resource transfers and the second set of one or more resource transfers for sharing with the respective application”)
when the request for starting initial setting has been received from the individual terminal apparatuses, the linking unit executes authentication processing of authenticating identity of the user between the individual terminal apparatuses. ([0544] “In some embodiments, account details associated with account 3 are transferred to terminal 1506 in response authenticating the user”)
Re Claim 11: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 10. Miller further discloses:
wherein, in a state where the terminal apparatuses having the electronic money function are already linked with each other, the linking unit receives, in accordance with an operation of the user, a start request for an additional setting from another terminal apparatus to be additionally linked with a terminal apparatus group in which mutual linkage has been completed, and when the start request for the additional setting has been received, the linking unit executes authentication processing of authenticating identity of the user between the another terminal apparatus and the terminal apparatus group. ([0045] “detecting, via the one or more input devices, a request to link the first account with a first external account; and while the first account is linked with the first external account: displaying, via the display generation component: the first set of one or more resource transfers in the first user interface of the electronic wallet; and the second set of one or more resource transfers in the first user interface of the electronic wallet, wherein the second set of one or more resource transfers were not performed via the first account provisioned on the electronic wallet; and enabling the first set of one or more resource transfers and the second set of one or more resource transfers for sharing with the respective application”; [0544] “In some embodiments, account details associated with account 3 are transferred to terminal 1506 in response authenticating the user”)
Re Claim 12: Miller discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11. Miller further discloses:
wherein, when the identity of the user has been successfully authenticated by the authentication processing, the linking unit associates the identification information of each of the terminal apparatuses as linkage targets with account information of the user. [0582] “In some embodiments, the process to transfer credentials of the stored-value account includes displaying an identifier (e.g., name) of the external (old) computer system (e.g., "Johnny's Phone 12") on which the stored-value account is current provisioned and displaying a value (e.g., amount of funds) currently stored on the stored-value account”)
Re Claim 13: Claim 13, as best understood by the Examiner, encompasses the same or substantially the same scope as claim 1. Accordingly, claim 13 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 1.
Re Claim 14: Claim 14, as best understood by the Examiner, encompasses the same or substantially the same scope as claim 1. Accordingly, claim 14 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art(s) made of record and not relied upon is/are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Butler, IV (US 10,762,496 B2) discloses providing payment account information associated with a digital wallet account to a user at a merchant point of sale device. In an example embodiment, the user initiates a digital wallet transaction at a point of sale ("POS") terminal of a merchant system. The POS terminal receives payment account information options associated with the user's digital wallet
account from the account management system to display to the user. The user selects one or more payment account information options via a user interface of the POS terminal.
YANG et al. (US 2016/0239838 A1) discloses an information processing systems, apparatuses, and methods. An information processing system including one or more information processing apparatus, includes a first credit inquiry unit performing a credit inquiry on a credit card to be used for a transaction related to a desired commercial transaction when a request, which requests an approval of paying for the desired commercial transaction, is transmitted to a terminal apparatus and a response to the request is received from the terminal apparatus; and a payment instruction unit, in a case where the response to the request includes separate checks information, which indicates the payment is to be made by a plurality of users, and content of the desired commercial transaction has been changed within a desired time period since performing the credit inquiry, instructing payment of the changed commercial transaction.
Claims 1-14 are rejected.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Clifford Madamba whose telephone number is 571-270-1239. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Thu 7:30-5:00 EST Alternate Fridays.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ryan Donlon, can be reached at 571-272-3602. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CLIFFORD B MADAMBA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3692
