DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgements
The amendment filed on 02/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 2-21 are pending.
Claims 2-21 have been examined.
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 .
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 2-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Analysis
In the instant case, claims 2-11 are directed to a method and claims 12-21 are directed to a CRM. Therefore, these claims fall within the four statutory categories of invention.
The claim(s) recite(s) processing transaction request. Specifically, the claims recite “incorporating a reference to an anchor, associated with a token, into a token-based software application, wherein the anchor is configured to interface with the token-based software application; and
wherein the reference to the anchor is embedded into the token-based software application by configuring an executable file to have access to an element of the anchor; associating the token with an entity using the anchor, wherein associating the token comprises generating and embedding an anchor identifier, into the reference to the anchor; receiving a request for a transfer attempt initiated for the token; and
when the anchor identifier matches an entity identifier corresponding to the entity, rejecting the request.”, which is “commercial or legal interactions” within the “certain methods of organizing human activity” grouping of abstract ideas in prong one of step 2A of the Alice/Mayo test (See MPEP 2106) because the claims involve a series of steps for processing transaction request. Accordingly, the claims recite an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because, when analyzed under prong two of step 2A of the Alice/Mayo test (See MPEP 2106), the additional element(s) of the claim(s) such as the use of processors and computer-readable medium merely use(s) a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. The processors and computer-readable medium are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing a generic computer function of performing a transfer request) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer components. Accordingly, the additional elements do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea, and the claims are directed to an abstract idea.
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using processors and computer-readable medium steps amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer components. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer components cannot provide an inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible.
Dependent claims 3 and 13 describe element of the anchor. Dependent claims 4 and 14 describe the entity. Dependent claims 5 and 15 describe event. Dependent claims 6-7 and 16-17 describe the token. Dependent claims 8-9 and 18-19 describe specified rights. Dependent claims 10 and 20 describe verification. Dependent claims 11 and 21 describe the anchor. These claims further recite the abstract idea of certain methods of organizing human activity. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the additional element(s) of the claim(s) such as the use of processors and computer-readable medium merely use(s) a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. The claims are not patent eligible.
Viewed as a whole, the combination of elements recited in the claims simply recite the concept of processing transaction request. The claims do not, for example, purport to improve the functioning of the computer itself. Nor do they effect an improvement in any other technology or technical field.
The use of a processors and computer-readable medium as tools to implement the abstract idea does not render the claim patent eligible because it does not provide meaningful limitations beyond generally linking the use of an abstract idea to a particular technological environment and requires no more than a computer performing functions that correspond to acts required to carry out the abstract idea.
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 2-21 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.
Unclear
Claims 2 and 12 recite limitation “when the anchor identifier matches an entity identifier corresponding to the entity, rejecting the request.” This renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear to one of ordinary skill in the art that why the identifier match would reject the request. For the purpose of the examination, the limitation is interpreted as “the request is rejected based on rules.”
Claims 3-11 and 13-21 are also rejected as each depends from claims 2 and 12 respectively.
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 2-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Application Publication US20200005284A1 (“Vijayan”).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Vijayan discloses:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to perform operations for changes in access rights, the operations comprising: (¶0011)
incorporating a reference to an anchor, associated with a token, into a token-based software application, (¶0011 and ¶0048)
wherein the anchor is configured to interface with the token-based software application; and (¶0107)
wherein the reference to the anchor is embedded into the token-based software application by configuring an executable file to have access to an element of the anchor; (¶0107)
associating the token with an entity using the anchor, wherein associating the token comprises generating and embedding an anchor identifier, into a reference to the anchor; (¶0073)
receiving a request for a transfer attempt initiated for the token; and (¶0087)
when the anchor identifier matches an entity identifier corresponding to the entity, rejecting the request.(¶0087)
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein the element of the anchor comprises at least one of: a library reference configured with respect to the anchor identifier, a sequence of code instructions referencing the anchor identifier, or a binary to be integrated with the token-based software application. (¶0120)
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein the entity corresponds to at least one selected from the group consisting of a person, a physical entity, a consumer product, a software application, a piece of computer hardware, and a digital wallet. (¶0068)
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
detecting that a triggering event has taken place; and (¶0074)
disassociating the token from the entity, wherein, after disassociation, future requests are no longer rejected based on the anchor. (¶¶0074-75 and ¶0088)
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein the token is associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of a specified capability, a policy, a set of demographic data, a set of health data corresponding to at least one user, a set of activities corresponding to at least one user, or a set of biometric data corresponding to at least one user. (¶0068)
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein associating the token with the entity grants specified rights to the entity. (¶0068)
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein the specified rights are allowed until at least one of:
revocation by a certifying party; or (¶0093)
a specified expiration date.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein the specified rights correspond to access rights for at least one of ownership rights, usage rights, or lessee rights. (¶0071)
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein:
incorporating the reference to the anchor into the token-based software application comprises receiving a verification from a server that the token is compatible with the token-based software application; and (¶0075 and ¶0120)
the verification comprises determining that the anchor identifier matches a token identifier for the token. (¶0075)
Regarding claims 11 and 21, Vijayan discloses all limitations as described above. Vijayan further discloses:
wherein:
the anchor comprises a digitally signed value; and (¶0023)
and the token is a non-fungible token (NFT). (¶0023)
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US20190220836A1 (“Caldwell”) discloses methods and systems are provided that distribute media content using a distributed ledger maintained by a plurality of nodes. Specifically, first data is stored in the distributed ledger. The first data represents a purchase contract that transfers a digital token associated with a particular digital media content item to a first user in return for payment by the first user. Second data is also stored in the distributed ledger. The second data represents a resale contract that transfers the digital token associated with the particular digital media content item as stored in the first data from the first user to a second user in return for payment by the second user. The digital token associated with the particular digital media content item as part of the first data can be used to grant only the first user permission to access the particular digital media content item unless such digital token is transferred from the first user to another user by data representing a resale contract that is stored in the digital ledger. The digital token associated with the particular digital media content item as part of the second data can be used to grant only the second user permission to access the particular digital media content item unless such digital token is transferred from the second user to another user by data representing a resale contract that is stored in the digital ledger.
US20230073859A1(“Matthews et al.”) discloses listing NFTs associated with physical items. Input specifying at least one obligation to be performed as a condition for transferring an NET from a first digital wallet to a second digital wallet is received. A listing for the NFT is then generated with information that describes the NET and the at least one obligation. A smart contract template is also generated, which includes instructions that are configured to ensure performance of the at least one obligation and transfer the NET from the first digital wallet to the second digital wallet. Responsive to purchase of the NFT via the listing, a smart contract is generated by updating the smart contract template with an identifier of the second digital wallet, and the NFT is transferred by executing the smart contract using a distributed state machine implemented on a blockchain.
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/YINGYING ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3697
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