DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgments
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 in reply to the application filed on 11/13/2025.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2- 13, 15-18, and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-patent eligible subject matter because the claim(s) as a whole, considering all claim elements both individually and in combination, do not amount to significantly more than an abstract idea.
Step 1:
The claims recite a process, system, apparatus, article of manufacture, and/or a nontransitory storage medium with instructions, each of which are proper statutory categories.
Step 2A (prong 1):
Claim 1 (representative of claims 14 and 19):
The claim limitations are grouped as shown immediately following:
A method for managing financial services, the method comprising: (Certain Methods Of Organizing Human Activity - fundamental economic principles or practices including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk; commercial or legal interactions including agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors)
receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a voice command from a user representing a request for a financial service associated with a financial services platform, the processing system being part of a vehicle communication system of a vehicle; (Certain Methods Of Organizing Human Activity - fundamental economic principles or practices including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk; commercial or legal interactions including agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors)
providing, by the processing system via an Application Programming Interface (API), an authentication request to an authentication platform; (Certain Methods Of Organizing Human Activity - fundamental economic principles or practices including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk; commercial or legal interactions including agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors)
responsive to a successful authentication of the user by the authentication platform, determining, by the processing system, whether the financial service is authorized for the user during transit; (Certain Methods Of Organizing Human Activity - fundamental economic principles or practices including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk; commercial or legal interactions including agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors)
in response to a determination that the financial service is not authorized for the user during transit, presenting, by the processing system, a notification to stop the vehicle to continue with the financial service. (Certain Methods Of Organizing Human Activity - fundamental economic principles or practices including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk; commercial or legal interactions including agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors)
Additional dependent claims 5 and 12 appear remedy the deficiency.
Step 2A (prong 2):
Claim 1 (representative of claims 14 and 19):
…a processing system including a processor
…a vehicle communication system of a vehicle
…a server
…a memory
…a non-transitory machine-readable medium
These remaining claim limitations are delineated as shown immediately preceding. The abstract idea is not integrated into a practical application. There are no improvements to the functioning of a computer, other technology or technical field, a particular machine is not cited, nothing is transformed to a different state or thing, the abstract idea is not more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the abstract idea. The claim merely uses a computer as a tool to perform the abstract idea, which is generally linked to a particular field of use, in this case, marketing and advertising. Thus, these limitations are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor and memory performing a generic computer function of processing and storing data) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component – MPEP 2106.05(f). Further, receiving data, evaluating data and distributing data are data gathering and data outputting, which has no effect on technology and does no more than generally link the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use – see MPEP 2106.05(h).
Step 2B:
The claim limitations do not provide an Inventive Concept. The claim limitations do not recite additional elements that amount to significantly more that the abstract idea because the additional elements of the system comprising a computer processor, computer readable storage medium with instructions, and a memory configured to store information, each recited at a high level of generality in a computer network which only perform the universal computer functions of accessing, receiving, storing, and processing data, transmitting and presenting information. Taking the elements both individually and as an ordered combination, the function performed by the computer at each step of the process is purely orthodox. Using a computer to obtain and display data are some of the most basic functions of a computer. As shown, the individual limitations claimed are some of the most rudimentary functions of a computer. The technical solution described in this invention does not alter hardware structure or its routine, does not transform the character of the information being processed, does not identify a novel source or type of data, does not advance the functionality of a computer as a tool, and does not incorporate specific rules enabling the computer to accomplish innovative utilities. In summary, the individual step and/or component does no more than require a general computer to perform standard computer functions. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of a computer devices amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component - requiring the use of software to tailor information and provide it to the user on a generic computer, Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Capital One Bank (USA), 792 F.3d 1363, 1370-71, 115 USPQ2d 1636, 1642 (Fed. Cir. 2015);
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 of this title, 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, 14, and 19 are rejected under U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sharp (USPGP 2016/00124654 A1) hereinafter SHARP, in view of Johnson (USPGP 2024/0383440 A1), hereinafter JOHNSON.
Claims 1, 14, 19:
SHARP as shown below discloses the following limitations:
A method for managing financial services, the method comprising: (see at least paragraphs 0062, 0068, 0082, 0083)
receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a voice command from a user representing a request for a financial service associated with a financial services platform, the processing system being part of a vehicle communication system of a vehicle; (see at least paragraphs 0062, 0068, 0082, 0083, 0118)
providing, by the processing system via an Application Programming Interface (API), an authentication request to an authentication platform; (see at least paragraphs 0062, 0068, 0082, 0083, 0118)
responsive to a successful authentication of the user by the authentication platform, determining, by the processing system, whether the financial service is authorized for the user during transit; (see at least paragraphs 0062, 0068, 0082, 0083, 0118, 0511, 0543, 0778)
SHARP does not specifically disclose:
in response to a determination that the financial service is not authorized for the user during transit, presenting, by the processing system, a notification to stop the vehicle to continue with the financial service.
However, JOHNSON, in at least paragraphs 0081-0084 does. In this case, each of the elements claimed are all shown by the prior art of record but not combined as claimed. However, the technical ability exists to combine the elements as claimed and the results of the combination are predictable. Therefore, when combined, the elements perform the same function as they did separately. (KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S. Ct. 1727 (2007)). Consequently, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the filing date to combine/modify the method of SHARP with the technique of JOHNSON because, “…the cards disclosed herein, when used in combination with a mobile device, may be utilized to make both personal and gift purchases, as well as funds transfers without secondary human interaction, and without dialing a number, in otherwise untraditional venues or locations such as outdoor areas (e.g., baseball stadiums, gas stations, highways while driving, at rest stops, while eating at food establishments, or while walking around a mall or outlet) and other non-conventional points of sale (such as while watching a TV commercial, listening to the radio, watching a puck pass an advertisement board at a hockey game, or looking at discardable food packaging). With certain embodiments, a single person may be able to buy and send several items or amounts of funds to any one of their contacts, relatives, or friends in seconds. Added security may be achieved by combining unique SIM-card data information with unique card data and security codes..” Additionally, there is a recognized problem or need in the art including market pressure, design need, etc., and there are a finite number of identified predictable solutions. Accordingly, those in the art could have pursued known solutions with reasonable expectation of success. (KSR v. Teleflex, 127 S. Ct. 1727 (2007)). Fundamentally, in the competitive business climate, there is a profit-driven motive to maximize the profitability of goods and services that are provided or marketed to customers. Enterprises typically use business planning to make decisions in order to maximize profits.
CONCLUSION
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Non-Patent Literature:
Bartlett. “In Car Payment Systems.” (August 29, 2024). Retrieved online 08/17/2026. In Car Payment Systems - Innovative technology
Relevancy: “At its core, an in-car payment system allows transactions from the vehicle’s infotainment screen. This technology integrates your debit or credit card details, allowing payments for fuel, parking, tolls, and other services directly through the car’s interface. Major car manufacturers including Mercedes and BMW are already leading the way, embedding these systems into their latest models.” (Abstract/Introduction)
Cat Dow. “What is an in-car-payment system (ICPS) and why should you care? (O7 December 2023). Retrieved online 08/17/2026. What is an in-car-payment system (ICPS) and why should you care? | Top Gear
Relevancy: “Just like in-game purchases and credits, in-car payments are – in their simplest terms – exactly that: payments you make in the car. Unlike video-gaming, the money spent isn’t earned driving, though we wish it was. Instead, your own debit or credit card details can be input (and in most cases, saved) into the brand's integrated in-car payment systems (ICPS).” (Abstract/Introduction)
Hyundai Motor Group. “From a Form of Transportation to a New Form of Living.” (2021.12.27). Retrieved online 08/17/2026. From a Form of Transportation to a New Form of Living | Journal | Hyundai Motor Group
Relevancy: “Not too long ago, listening to music or controlling indoor temperature was all we could do with our car infotainment system. But the recent development in our infotainment system changed all this; it now connects people to their vehicles. Media contents and services including navigation systems using IT technologies, Augmented Reality(AR) and artificial intelligence-related voice recognition systems are now available in store. Cars, once only used as a means of transportation, are now becoming a mobile living space and office where passengers can ‘sit back and relax’. Hyundai Motor Group is developing its infotainment system to easily control everyday functions through the user experience (UX).” (Abstract/Introduction)
Foreign Art:
CAO et al. “Method For Navigating Autonomous Charging Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Used In E.g. Industrial Service, Involves Using Estimated Pose As Input Of PID Control Process To Control Unmanned Aerial Vehicle To Move To Target Charging Position.” (CN 115752464 A)
Relevancy: “The method involves scanning environmental information to obtain laser radar data (S1). (S2) A charging pile is identified from the data to establish a coordinate system. (S3) The coordinate system is processed through an inter-integral convolutional neural network (ICC) technique to obtain pose gain. (S4) Odometer information corresponding to the pose gain is obtained. (S5) The odometer information is fused with the pose gain by extended Kalman filtering process to obtain an estimated pose. (S6) The estimated pose is used as an input of PID control process to control an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to move to a target charging position.” (Abstract/Introduction)
GERBAN et al. “Method For Executing Electronic Financial Transaction By User As Occupant Of Vehicle Such As Car, Involves Transmitting Reader Together With Payment Data To Payment Service Provider, Which Authorizes Financial Transaction Relating To Payment Data Or Transmits Data About Payment And Initiates Payment.” (DE 102024001374 A1).
Relevancy: “The method involves identifying and authenticating a user to a reader (5) of a vehicle (1) by using a physical electronically readable identity card (3) or a virtual identity card displayed in a mobile device. The reader is connected to a central computer (7) through an Internet. The reader receives a security token from the reader after successful identification and authentication. The reader is transmitted together with payment data to a payment service provider (9), which authorizes a financial transaction relating to the payment data and/or transmits data about the payment and initiates the payment. The payment data is entered by the user at an input interface of the vehicle.” (Abstract/Introduction)
HWANG et al. “In-vehicle Payment System For Conducting A Transaction With A Merchant Outlet, Comprises A Circuit To Scan And Transmit An Image To A Device Mounted On The Vehicle For Receiving, Processing An Image.” (IN 201811027937 A)
Relevancy: “The in-vehicle payment system comprises a circuit configured to scan and transmit an image to a device mounted on the vehicle for receiving, processing an image from the rear-view camera and transmitting a signal. The device mounted on the vehicle is provided for indicating the proposal, initiation and completion of a financial transaction.” (Abstract/Introduction)
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to James A. Reagan (james.reagan@uspto.gov) whose telephone number is 571.272.6710. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, John Hayes, can be reached at 571.272.6708.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/pair . Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866.217.9197 (toll-free).
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
PO Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
or faxed to 571-273-8300.
Hand delivered responses should be brought to the United States Patent and Trademark Office Customer Service Window:
Randolph Building
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314.
/JAMES A REAGAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3697
james.reagan@uspto.gov
571.272.6710 (Office)
571.273.6710 (Desktop Fax)
Prosecution Insights