DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
This is a first office action on the merits, in response to the claims filed on August 26, 2025.
Claims 1-14 are pending.
Claims 1-14 have been examined.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities. Claim 1 recites the phrase “the transaction” in limitation b (line 10). Claim 1 further recites the phrase “transaction” in limitation c (line 12). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities. Claim 1 recites the phrase “the user ID” in limitation e (line 14). Claim 1 further recites the phrase “user ID” in limitation f (line 15). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities. Claim 1 recites the phrase “a crypto transfer” in limitation g (line 16). Claim 1 further recites the phrase “the transferred crypto” in limitation i (line 20). The phrases are not consistent throughout the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 13 recites subject matter similar to that discussed above in connection with claim 1. Accordingly, claim 13 is objected under a similar rationale as claims 1.
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 of transferring crypto coins/assets without significantly more.
Examiner has identified claim 1 as the claim that represents the claimed invention presented in independent claims 1 and 13.
In the instant case, claims 1-12 are directed to a system comprising a user interface (UI) and processing unit, and claims 13 and 14 are directed to a method. Therefore, these claims fall within the four statutory categories of invention. (Step 1: YES).
Claim 1 is directed to a system for transferring crypto coins between a crypto wallet and a pool wallet, the system comprising a user interface (UI) for interacting with an application and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit executes an application code, which is configured to perform a series of steps: “receive, from an individual beneficiary of the application, a transaction request, wherein the individual beneficiary is assigned a user ID representing one or more user details and wherein the transaction request comprises a plurality of transaction details comprising: a crypto currency, an amount and a pool wallet address; b. receive a signing and approval of the transaction by a crypto wallet of the individual beneficiary; c. receive a validation of transaction by a Blockchain; d. obtain and/or retrieving a transaction ID from the Blockchain; e. associate the transaction ID with the user ID; f. store the associated transaction ID and user ID; g. receive into the pool wallet a crypto transfer with its associated transaction ID from the Blockchain; h. match the transaction ID of the crypto transfer with the stored transaction ID; i. label the transferred crypto in the pool wallet with the associated user ID upon confirming a match between the stored transaction ID and the transaction ID of the crypto transfer.” These series of steps describe the abstract idea of transferring crypto coins/assets (with the exception of the bold italicized terms above), which correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity: commercial interactions because it describes a process for carrying out commercial interactions between parties that involves communicating data needed to complete a transaction to the parties. The system limitations, e.g., a user interface (UI), processing unit, crypto wallet, pool wallet and Blockchain do not necessarily restrict the claim from reciting an abstract idea. Thus, claim 1 recites an abstract idea. (Step 2A-Prong 1: YES).
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the additional elements of claim 1 such as a user interface (UI), processing unit (e.g., processor), crypto wallet (e.g., digital wallet), pool wallet (e.g., digital wallet) and Blockchain (e.g., database/datastore) are no more than simply applying the abstract idea using generic computer elements. Specifically, the user interface (UI), processing unit, crypto wallet, pool wallet and Blockchain performs the steps or functions of: “receive, from an individual beneficiary of the application, a transaction request, wherein the individual beneficiary is assigned a user ID representing one or more user details and wherein the transaction request comprises a plurality of transaction details comprising: a crypto currency, an amount and a pool wallet address; b. receive a signing and approval of the transaction by a crypto wallet of the individual beneficiary; c. receive a validation of transaction by a Blockchain; d. obtain and/or retrieving a transaction ID from the Blockchain; e. associate the transaction ID with the user ID; f. store the associated transaction ID and user ID; g. receive into the pool wallet a crypto transfer with its associated transaction ID from the Blockchain; h. match the transaction ID of the crypto transfer with the stored transaction ID; i. label the transferred crypto in the pool wallet with the associated user ID upon confirming a match between the stored transaction ID and the transaction ID of the crypto transfer.” The additional elements listed above are all recited at a high level of generality and under their broadest reasonable interpretation comprises a generic computing arrangement. The presence of a generic computer arrangement is nothing more than to implement the claimed invention (MPEP 2106.05(f)). Therefore, the recitations of additional elements do not meaningfully apply the abstract idea and hence do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. Thus, claim 1 does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. (Step 2A-Prong 2: NO).
Claim 1 does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements of claim 1 such as a user interface (UI), processing unit, crypto wallet, pool wallet and Blockchain limitations are recited at a high level of generality in that it results in no more than simply applying the abstract idea using generic computer elements. The additional elements when considered separately and as an ordered combination do not amount to add significantly more as these limitations provide nothing more than to simply apply the exception in a generic computer environment. Thus, claim 1 is not patent eligible. (Step 2B: NO).
Similar arguments can be extended to the independent claim 13 and hence, claim 13 is rejected on similar grounds as claim 1.
Regarding dependent claims
Dependent claims 2-12 and 14 have also been considered for subject matter eligibility. However, these claims also fail to recite patent-eligible subject matter for the following reasons:
Claims 2 and 14 recite: “The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes a code further configured to indicate in the pool wallet a crypto balance of the individual beneficiary” and further define the abstract idea that is present in their respective independent claims 1 and 13; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claims 2 and 14, such as a processing unit (e.g., processor) and pool wallet (e.g., digital wallet) are recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 3 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes a code further configured to transfer labelled crypto of the individual beneficiary from the pool wallet to a third party” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 3, such as a processing unit (e.g., processor) and pool wallet (e.g., digital wallet) are recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 4 recites: “The system of claim 3, wherein the third party is a second beneficiary in the pool wallet and wherein the transferred crypto is relabelled in the pool wallet with the second beneficiary's user ID” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 4, such as a pool wallet (e.g., digital wallet) is recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 5 recites: “The system of claim 3, wherein the third party is not a beneficiary in the pool wallet and wherein the transferring comprises transferring the labelled crypto to an external wallet which is not associated with the pool wallet” further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 5, such as a pool wallet (e.g., digital wallet) and external wallet (e.g., digital wallet) are recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 6 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the crypto currency comprising: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, BNB, USD coin, XRP, Binance USD, Cardano, Dogecoin, Polygon and Solana” which represents additional types of crypto currency and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. Claim 6 does not include additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or that provide significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 7 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction details further comprise transaction time” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. Claim 7 does not include additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or that provide significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 8 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein upon receiving the transferred crypto in the pool wallet with transaction details, the application is configured to keep the transaction details of the transfer to the pool wallet in an Internal ledger of the application” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 8, such as a pool wallet (e.g., digital wallet) is recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 9 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the UI comprises at least one of a group consisted of: a touch screen, a screen connected to a keyboard and/or a mouse, a joystick, VR interface and metaverse interface, and AR device or any combination thereof” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 9, such as a UI (i.e., user interface), touch screen, a screen connected to a keyboard/mouse, joystick, VR interface, metaverse interface, and AR device are recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 10 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes the application code which is further configured to: receive a request from the individual beneficiary to subscribe to the application; assign a user ID to the individual beneficiary; and connect one or more crypto wallet of the individual beneficiary to the application; thereby, subscribing the individual beneficiary to the application” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 10, such as a processing unit (e.g., processor) and crypto wallet (e.g., digital wallet) are recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 11 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the crypto wallet is a non-custodial wallet” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 11, such as a crypto wallet (e.g., digital wallet) is recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claim 12 recites: “The system of claim 1, wherein the pool wallet is a custodial wallet or a joint custodial wallet” and further define the abstract idea that is present in its respective independent claim 1; and thus, correspond to “Certain Methods of Organizing Human Activity, grouping of abstract ideas. The additional element(s) of claim 12, such as a crypto wallet (e.g., digital wallet) is recited at a high level of generality such that they amount to no more than instructions to apply the exception using generic computer components. Therefore, the identified additional elements fail to recite a practical application or significantly more than the abstract idea.
Thus, claims 1-14 are not patent-eligible.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites in line 10 “the transaction”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites subject matter similar to that discussed above in connection with claim 1. Accordingly, claim 13 is rejected under a similar rationale as claims 1.
Dependent claims 2-12 and 14 depends on their respective independent claims 1 and 13. Accordingly, claim 2-12 and 14 are also rejected.
Statement Regarding Prior Art for claims
Regarding claims 1 and 13: Nonni (US 20240257237 A1) discloses: A system for transferring crypto coins between a crypto wallet and a pool wallet, the system comprising a user interface (UI) for interacting with an application and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit executes an application code which is configured to (Nonni [0009]: A sender transfers cryptocurrency from the sender's wallet to a custodial wallet held by a cloud-based service that pools cryptocurrencies of registered users in service-based wallet within a sending country associated with the sender. A user interface to the service permits the user to designate conditions associated with a sender's remittance transaction. The conditions can include a financial fiat-currency account associated with the recipient of the remittance), (see Fig. 1 and related texts):
a. receive, from an individual beneficiary of the application, a transaction request, wherein the individual beneficiary is assigned a user ID (e.g., sender identity is registered and associated with a wallet/ledger account) representing one or more user details and wherein the transaction request comprises a plurality of transaction details comprising: a crypto currency, an amount and a pool wallet address (Nonni [0009]: A sender transfers cryptocurrency from the sender's wallet to a custodial wallet held by a cloud-based service that pools cryptocurrencies of registered users in service-based wallet within a sending country associated with the sender. A user interface to the service permits the user to designate conditions associated with a sender's remittance transaction. The conditions can include a financial fiat-currency account associated with the recipient of the remittance; [0022]: During a sender registration, a user-facing interface of remittance app 124 permits sender registration information to be collected from the sender and provided to remittance manager 115 of cloud 110. Any governmental compliance data can also be obtained during registration when required such as citizenship status for the sender in source country 130A, full legal name of sender, full social-security number (SSN) or last 4 digits of sender's SSN (which can be used to automatically verify and obtain the sender's SSN by remittance manager 116; [0024]: The user interface of remittance app 124 permits a sender to initiate a remittance from source country 130A to a recipient in a target country 130B. Remittance manager 115 obtains the details regarding the remittance, such as recipient name, fiat currency amount to transfer to the recipient, recipient contact addresses or phone numbers, and a recipient financial account including routing number for the proper FI that manages and controls the recipient's account; [0026]: When the sender is providing the funds to a remittance via cryptocurrency through wallet app 123, wallet manager 113 uses the wallet identifier of the sender to inspect the BC for the transfer);
b. receive a [sender with a cryptocurrency wallet app 123 can independently perform BC operations. Thus signing and approving] of the transaction by a crypto wallet of the individual beneficiary (Nonni [0025]: Next, the sender transfers the amount of funds being sent to the recipient directly to cloud 110… and/or via wallet app 123 to cloud 110 using a wallet identifier associated with cloud 110 and provided to the sender by remittance manager 115; [0030]: Any BC operations that are performed on-chain by wallet manager 113 are processed by BC manager 116. Optionally, a sender with a cryptocurrency wallet app 123 can independently perform BC operations on the BC via the corresponding wallet app 123), (see paragraphs [0025]-[0026], [0060]);
c. [monitor] a validation of transaction by a Blockchain (e.g., wallet manager 113 uses the wallet identifier of the sender to inspect the BC for the transfer) (Nonni [0019]: Each distributed BC device/server 140 includes one or more processors 141 and medium 142, which includes instructions for BC APIs 143. The instructions when executed by processor 141 cause processor 141 to perform BC operations using the BC APIs 143; [0027]: Wallet manager 113 maintains a single wallet for cloud 110 and within that single wallet maintains a plurality of custodial wallets for senders managed by a ledger. Since the funds for the custodial wallets are pooled together within the single cloud wallet for cloud 110, wallet manager 113 can monitor the wallet-to-wallet transfer for completion on the BC), (see paragraphs [0026]-[0027] and [0031]);
d. […];
e. […];
f. […];
g. receive into the pool wallet a crypto transfer with its associated transaction ID from the Blockchain (Nonni [0062]: At 340, the second instance transfers the value funds in a fiat currency associated with the target country to a financial account of the recipient within the target country based on 330. Thus, as soon as the custodial wallet for the sender is credited with the value funds, the second instance processes to transfer the target country's fiat currency on behalf of the sender), (see paragraphs [0026]-[0027] and [0032]);
h. […];
i. […] transferred crypto in the pool wallet […] (Nonni [0027]: Wallet manager 113 maintains a single wallet for cloud 110 and within that single wallet maintains a plurality of custodial wallets for senders managed by a ledger. Since the funds for the custodial wallets are pooled together within the single cloud wallet for cloud 110, wallet manager 113 can monitor the wallet-to-wallet transfer for completion on the BC; [0032] In an embodiment, each cloud instance 110 and 150 maintains its own separate pooled custodial accounts. During a remittance wallet manager 113 performs a wallet-to-wallet transfer of the sender's BTC in the single wallet of cloud 110 to a single wallet of cloud 150.
As indicated above, Nonni discloses, the sender sends an amount of cryptocurrency from a sender's wallet to a custodial wallet of the sender that is maintained by the first instance in a pooled wallet (see abstract).
Nonni does not specifically disclose, however, FAY (US 20160292672 A1) discloses:
d. [monitors / identifies] a [trades] from the Blockchain (FAY [0056]: In step 262, the exchange computer system 100 monitors (e.g., continuously monitors) the blockchain of the blockchain computer system 214 for trades that are pending (e.g., marked as pending by the exchange computer system 100) and have been submitted to the trading parties for completion on the blockchain. For example, when a new block of the blockchain is completed (and thus published to all nodes of the blockchain system), the exchange computer system 100 determines if the earlier provided hashed wallet information, which may now be part of the new block of the blockchain is present therein; [0057]: In step 264, the exchange computer system 100 determines if both trading parties have exchanged the correct assets. In other words, the exchange computer system 100 determines if transactions exist in the blockchain 116 that show transactions that correspond the previously matched orders), (see paragraph [0082]);
e. [match] the [orders] with the user ID (FAY [0018]: These identifiers are used by the respective clients associated with the matched orders to generate and submit blockchain transactions to a blockchain for verification thereon), (see paragraphs [0060-[0068] and Fig. 3);
f. store the associated [electronic data messages / orders] (FAY [0045]: In step 246, should the newly received order (or a current order in the order book) be identified to match another order stored in the order book (e.g., based upon order handling and matching rules implemented by the exchange computer system 100 for the asset(s) being traded for), then the exchange computer system 100 notifies (in steps 248 and 249) each trading party (e.g., a computer device associated with users that corresponds to the trading parties; [0026] Order book 106 stores electronic data messages that have been received from order submitting clients (such as clients controlling a remote computing device such as user device 1 or 2). In certain example embodiments, order book 106 stores a list of electronic data messages. In certain implementations, two separately ordered lists are stored and maintained per type identifier (e.g., per ticker symbol or other asset identifier). The two lists may correspond to the buy and sell or bid and ask “sides” of an order book for a ticker symbol.) that a match has been identified and a trade will/is going to take place.), (see paragraphs [0065]-[0075]/[0072] and Fig. 3);
h. match [orders] with the stored [orders] (FAY [0049]: Should step 244, which includes the match process, fail to find a valid match for the order submitted by trading party 210, then the exchange computer system 100 may add the order to the order book 106 at step 252 and send an acknowledgement data message to computing device A 120A that the order is booked in the order book 106 of the exchange computer system 100 at step 254 where the process ends and the exchange computer system 100 may return to waiting for another order to be submitted (e.g., to step 236 or 238)), (see paragraphs [0049]-[0050] and [0093]);
i. [marks the trade complete] upon [a match is identified for the order in the order book] (FAY [0061]: In step 272, if the correct assets have been exchanged, the electronic exchange computer system 100 removes the pending trades associated with this completed trade from the order book 106, marks the trade complete, produces market data indicated the trade (e.g., step 243), and/or reports clearing and settlement to the depository of the given asset(s); [0093]: In step 405, a match is identified for the order in the order book (or the order book being matched against a newly received order). A matching process may be executed by a matching engine running on exchange 100 to identify the match in step 405.)
However, prior art does not disclose, neither singly nor in combination all of the specific combination of claims limitations which includes:
e. associate the transaction ID with the user ID;
f. store the associated transaction ID and user ID;
h. match the transaction ID of the crypto transfer with the stored transaction ID;
i. label the transferred crypto in the pool wallet with the associated user ID upon confirming a match between the stored transaction ID and the transaction ID of the crypto transfer
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are the following:
AZGAD-TROMER et al. (US 20240104521 A1) discloses, a computer-implemented compliance system is provided, configured to manage transactions over a digital asset network according to a compliance policy. The digital asset network is configured to enforce rules governing recording transactions on a public ledger. The compliance system is configured to determine that a requested transaction is in compliance with the compliance policy, generate at least partially encrypted compliance relevant auxiliary information (CRAI), the CRAI comprising information configured to facilitate independent verification of the compliance, and associate at least a portion of the CRAI with transaction information stored on the public ledger and store the associated CRAI in a storage location accessible via the digital asset network.
Ahmad (US 20230069875 A1) discloses, a self-custody wallet combination payment card includes an electronic component with storage, a processor, and a near field communications interface. Two programs are stored at the electronic component and, once provisioned, the electronic component stores one or more blockchain addresses and security keys. The two programs can include a payment application which can interface with point of sale terminals (e.g., following EMV specifications) and a crypto application which has the capability to securely store keys and return a signature for blockchain transaction.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAHED ALI whose telephone number is (571)270-1085. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 - 5:00 M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Neha Patel can be reached on (571) 270-1492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JAHED ALI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3699
Prosecution Insights