I ended my last post saying that there was a bunch of “ho hum” opinions that I would get to later. Turns out after a bit of sleep I don’t think some of them are as “ho hum” as I originally thought, so here is one last post on this topic. All opinions discussed in the last two weeks (as well as the briefs and answers and the final rejections) are in the knowledge base.
Three more reversals under the 2019 Guidance that somewhat surprised me
What It think these claims have in common is a bit more detail on the technical aspects, as compared to all the affirmances at the bottom of this post.
12/950,103 (PTAB says: “claim 1 goes beyond merely comparing input data in a conventional manner or performing scan and OCR operations on a printed receipt.”):
1. A proof-of-performance verification system for providing
purchase incentives to customers over a computerized telecommunications-based system utilizing electronic transmission of images of paper purchase receipts, the system comprising:
a selected-offers storage facility, storing a plurality of reward offers selected by a registered user of the verification system, each of said selected reward offers being selected at a respective time of selection;
a receipt processing facility that receives a receipt image, the receipt image being an image representing a paper receipt issued to the registered user in a product or service purchase transaction as a record of said transaction, the receipt processing facility being operative to convert the receipt image to a text representation of the receipt image, and to match the text representation of the receipt image to a product or service description maintained in a terminology database, the image having been captured by the registered user via an imaging facility of a handheld device, the receipt image including a representation of a date and time of the purchase transaction; the receipt processing facility receiving, in association with said receipt image, device-specific information that identifies said handheld device, the device-specific information associated with the registered user;
the receipt processing facility identifying said registered user from the device-specific information;
a proof processor that electronically matches one of said stored reward offers selected by the identified registered user against the product or service description to facilitate offer redemption, the proof processor verifying that the date and time of the purchase transaction as represented by the received image is later than the respective time of selection of the matched one of said stored reward offers selected by the identified registered user;
said proof processor informing the identified registered user of all offers matched to the receipt image;
said proof processor receiving an indication from the identified registered user as to at least one selected offer that should have been matched to the receipt image but was not matched to the receipt image, said indication including an identification of a receipt item in the receipt image that should have been matched to one of said at least one selected offer;
said proof processor including a database of images of paper purchase receipts;
at least one off:
a payment facility that distributes the offer redemption funds; and
a rewards facility that communicates incentive rewards to a central location;
said proof processor further operative to:
identify a retail store that issued the paper receipt; and
detect a font and/or printed art element in the paper receipt as represented in the receipt image to ensure validation against a known font and/or printed art element utilized by the identified retail store.
This one is the most surprising of the bunch because “detecting a font and/or printed art element” — the part which the PTAB hung its hat on — does not seem to be inherently technical.
13/331,288 (PTAB says: Examiner didn’t show that the claims fall into one of the 3 groups of the 2019 Guidance):
a processor circuit configured to:
receive an indication of cardiac filling pressure of a subject;
receive an indication of thoracic fluid status of the subject;
receive an indication of cardiac output of the subject;
classify the indication of cardiac filling pressure into one of at least first and second cardiac filling pressure states by comparing the indication of cardiac filling pressure to at least one pressure threshold;
classify the indication of thoracic fluid status into one of at least first and second thoracic fluid status states by comparing the indication of thoracic fluid status to at least one fluid status threshold;
classify the indication of cardiac output into one of at least first and second cardiac output states by comparing the indication of cardiac output to at least one cardiac output threshold;
generate a multi-dimensional heart failure decompensation status indication classifying the subject as having one of a plurality of discrete types of heart failure events and indicating a need for therapy, the multi-dimensional heart failure decompensation status indication including, in separate dimensions, the classified cardiac filling pressure state, the classified thoracic fluid status state, and the classified cardiac output state; and
generate a multi-dimensional heart failure decompensation status alert based on the multi-dimensional heart failure decompensation status indication, the multi¬dimensional heart failure decompensation status alert displayed as a representation of a collection of at least two categorical descriptors among the classified indication of cardiac filling pressure, the classified indication of thoracic fluid status, and the classified indication of cardiac output.
The key here was specific, and at least facially unique, details about the interface.
14/062,126 (PTAB says: “when evaluated under the Memorandum, the claim limitations of claim 1 do not recite a method of organizing human activity.”):
1. A computer-implemented purchased part order data management system, comprising:
[A.] a database management computer hosting a purchased part order database;
[B.] an automated data collection and review computer having a purchased part order data (PPOD) repository and having a computer-implemented messaging system including a message routing data structure;
[C.] the automated data collection and review computer being coupled to said database management computer to support data transfer from the automated data collection and review computer to the database management computer through an iterative validating interface that automatically tests data transferred to the database management computer for conformance and that uses the messaging system to issue prompts requesting correction when data transferred to the database management computer is nonconforming based on the automatic testing by the iterative validating interface;
[D.] the automated data collection and review computer having an interface supporting interaction with the data repository and with the messaging system by a PPOD creating user and by a plurality of different PPOD reviewing users;
[E.] the messaging system having populated in said message routing data structure the identity of different PPOD reviewing users according to a predefined reviewing sequence;
[F.] the messaging system automatically monitoring interaction by said PPOD creating user and by said PPOD reviewing users and issuing prompts to PPOD reviewing users based on the predefined reviewing sequence, the prompts to PPOD reviewing users including referential link to a record in the PPOD repository;
[G.] the messaging system automatically issuing a prompt to said database management computer to ingest information based on the PPOD data subject to having been found conforming by the iterative validating interface when, based on the predefined reviewing sequence, all pending reviews have been completed with approval.
Here the key seemed to be the inclusion of a fair amount of technical detail such as the “referential link” and the automated prompting to “ingest information.” I would say this one is a good example of how draftsman’s skill was the primary determinant in getting past 101. No matter what any PTAB or Fed. Cir. or Supreme Court judge says, I firmly believe that 80% of the time clever drafting can avoid 101. The other 20% of the time would be where the disclosure is too thin. (I am not saying, that the claims which get around 101 would be what the applicant needs for its business goals, I am just saying that no 101 test will every be immune from drafting skill/creativity.
Reversals that didn’t surprise me
Looking at the claims below, I can’t say I am much surprised by any of them being affirmed. The reasoning, however, is often a bit sloppy / ad hoc (IMHO). I think this is ultimately because it is still very much a squishy, “you know it when you see it” test.
13/412,451 (PTAB says: “the “generating” step applies or uses the abstract idea in a meaningful way such that the claim as a whole is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception”):
1. A method for normalizing point of sale (POS) sales data, the method comprising:
aggregating, by a computer system, point of sale (POS) datasets from a plurality of POS terminals, each POS terminal being configured to collect transaction data as a function of transactions effectuated via the POS terminal, wherein the POS datasets for each transaction comprise a transaction amount, a merchant classifier, and a transaction time, and wherein the POS datasets comprise a percentage of transactions effectuated within an overall market;
obtaining, by the computer system, an industry subset of the aggregated POS datasets for a given timeframe based on the merchant classifier, wherein the industry subset comprises transactions for a given industry;
calculating a reliable portion of the industry subset, the reliable portion comprising only data having a statistically insignificant variability from a baseline;
calculating, by the computer system, a sales value for the reliable portion of the industry subset;
applying, by the computer system, a time-based fluctuation factor to the sales value to account for sales fluctuations that are related at least in part to seasonality;
applying a normalization factor to the sales value based on a percentage of the sales value in terms of dollars relative to a size of the overall market to obtain an indexed sales value for the given timeframe;
generating an interactive formatted graphical report showing one or more of a trend of the indexed sales value or a projected sales volume based on the indexed sales value,
wherein the interactive formatted graphical report is automatically formatted using auto-graphics zones, and wherein the interactive formatted graphical report comprises a plurality of selectable views with each of the plurality of selectable views displaying a different subset of data when selected; and
transmitting the interactive formatted graphical report over a wireless communication channel to a user device;
wherein the interactive formatted graphical report causes the interactive formatted graphical report to display on the user device such that each of the plurality of selectable views is selectable by the user device to show each of the different subsets of data;
wherein the time-based fluctuation factor is calculated by using a time series of historical daily data from the POS datasets, and wherein the time-based fluctuation factor is further calculated by selecting a previous time frame, calculating daily sales for the reliable portion of the industry subset for at least some days in the time frame, and performing a statistical analysis of the daily sales for those days to obtain the time-based fluctuation factor.
13/957,627 (PTAB says: “Cannot practically be performed by the mind”):
11. One or more computer storage devices having computer¬executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed, perform a method of prepopulating clinical events with image based documentation, the method comprising:
receiving, by a medical information system, an image of a patient and metadata associated with the image, the image captured by an image capturing device communicatively coupled with the medical information system;
extracting the metadata, the metadata comprising an identification of the patient and clinical documentation associated with the image;
creating a tag describing a body part associated with the image, wherein the tag is selectable;
storing the image, the corresponding metadata, and the tag in an electronic medical record for the patient, wherein the electronic medical record for the patient is within the medical information system and is identified based on the identification of the patient;
embedding the tag, the image, and the corresponding metadata at a location on a silhouette of a human body corresponding to the body part described by the tag, wherein the silhouette of the human body is a graphical representation of the human body and is included in the electronic medical record for the patient;
providing, via the electronic medical record, the silhouette of the human body to a clinician device;
receiving, on the clinician device, a selection of the tag; and
displaying the image and the associated clinical documentation on the clinician device.
In the above two cases, the emphasis is on GUI elements and – very importantly – there are specific details about the how the GUI is unique. With that, I think the reversals are consistent with Federal Circuit precedent (e.g., various Trading Technologies opinions)
14/665,452 (PTAB says: “the Examiner has not sufficiently explained why claim 1 is directed to the abstract idea of “mathematical relationships,” and we decline to speculate.”):
1. A method of determining a collision of cloth in a game representing said cloth using oblate spheroids having only a dimension normal to a surface of said cloth that depends upon velocities of said oblate spheroids’, and treating intersections involving said oblate spheroids as collisions.
I don’t think there is much to take away from this one other than the PTAB felt the examiner did a half-assed job.
17 more affirmances that I don’t think were close (and I think I agree with)
Similar to 5 of the 6 opinions discussed in my first post on this topic, here are a bunch of claims where the 101 rejection was unsurprisingly (IMO) affirmed:
11/958,291 (PTAB says: “Mental process and Fundamental Economic Practice”):
a plurality of workstations connected to a computer network, each workstation having a memory and comprising computer hardware;
a data repository arranged to receive data from each of said workstations;
an application stored in said memory of each workstation for transmitting outbound data from a user of the at least one of the plurality of workstations to a service or goods provider through said computer network, and receiving inbound data transmitted to a user of the at least one of the plurality of workstations from a service or goods provider through said computer network;
policy data containing rules defining commercial data associated with a financial transaction which is to be stored in said data repository; and
an analyzer comprising a plug-in module stored in said memory of at least one of the plurality of workstations, said analyzer monitoring, in conjunction with said policy data, at least one of said outbound data and said inbound data during the performance of the financial transaction, identifying in at least one of said outbound data and said inbound data, commercial data associated with the financial transaction that is to be stored in said data repository in accordance with said rules in said policy data, and causing said commercial data associated with the financial transaction to be extracted from at least one of said outbound data and said inbound data and be stored in said data repository.
12/906,381 (PTAB says: “directed to transferring interests in entries in an activity between users in an exchange system — a fundamental economic practice”):
1. A method for conducting an exchange, comprising:
[(a)] distributing, by at least one processor in electronic communication with at least one memory, a first set of entries in at least one first activity, the at least one activity having at least one winner;
[(b)] conducting trading of at least one of the entries between at least one buyer and at least one seller, in which conducting trading of at least one of the entries between at least one buyer and at least one seller comprises:
[(bl)] receiving, by the at least one processor, from a first user comprising a buyer, at least one buy request associated with at least one entry of the first set of entries, the at least one entry comprising a first entry that identifies at least one participant to be a winning participant;
[(b2)] receiving, by the at least one processor, from a second user comprising a seller, at least one sell request associated with the at least one entry of the first set of entries;
[(b3)] matching, by the at least one processor, the at least one buy request with the at least one sell request; and
[(b4)] responsive to matching the at least one buy request with the at least one sell request, causing, by the at least one processor, the at least one entry of the first set of entries to be transferred from the second user to the first user.
12/961,699 (PTAB says: “directed to reporting insurance claim data, i.e., providing insurance information . . . a fundamental business practice”):
1. A method for verifying insurance claim submissions comprising:
receiving, by a server computer coupled to a network and including a processor executing software instructions within a memory, an insurance claim incident data from a software application executing within a mobile computing device, the insurance claim incident data including a vehicle registration data, a driver identification data or an address data;
executing, by the server computer, a query selecting a verified data stored within a database coupled to the network;
comparing, by the server computer:
a historical insurance data, within the verified data and associated with an operator of the mobile computing device, with the insurance claim incident data to identify a discrepancy including a missing data or an incorrect data within the insurance claim incident data; or
a second insurance claim incident data, within the verified data and received from a second mobile computing device operated by a second user, with the insurance claim data to identify the discrepancy;
flagging, by the server computer, the discrepancy, when identified, as inconsistent data between the insurance claim incident data and the historical insurance data or the second insurance claim incident data;
generating, by the server computer, a verification report, including an electronic document including:
an insurance claim identifier; and
a calculated score indicating a degree of confidence in the insurance claim incident data according to the missing data or the incorrect data; and
transmitting, by the server computer, the verification report to a second server computer operated by an insurance carrier.
13/030,794 (PTAB says: “a fundamental economic practice. . . . does not “improve the functioning of the computer itself’ or “any other technology or technical field.” . . . Nor, does it provide a technological solution to a technological problem. . . . implement a known business practice utilizing a general purpose computer.”):
1. A method implementable in a computing system, comprising:
storing, with at least one processing device, an indication of a location of a pending travel destination in a memory device, the indication of the location of the pending travel destination based at least on a posting of a travel-related financial transaction, the posting resulting from a posting transaction that triggers a money transfer from an issuer bank to a merchant bank;
receiving, with the at least one processing device, a current transaction authorization request for a current transaction from a point of service;
determining, with the at least one processing device, that a location of the point of service and the location of the pending travel destination obtained from the posting of the travel-related financial transaction are within a predetermined distance;
after determining that the location of the point of service and the location of the pending travel destination are within the predetermined distance, determining, with the at least one processing device, that the current transaction is low risk;
generating, with the at least one processing device, a transaction approval indication when the location of the point of service and the location of the pending travel destination are within the predetermined distance; and
transmitting, with the at least one processing device, the transaction approval indication to the point of service.
13/032,415 (PTAB says: “merely adapts to a technological setting . . . the broad concept of transferring ownership of an employee retirement account upon the occurrence of one or more of four recited conditions precedent.”):
1. A method for administering a financial instrument, the method comprising:
storing a balance of an employee retirement plan account created for an employee and owned by an employer of the employee as an asset of the employer, the employee retirement plan account comprising one or more variable investments, the balance of the employee retirement plan account being based, at least in part, on an initial deposit into the employee retirement plan account from a deduction from wages paid by the employer to the employee;
storing a minimum positive growth rate;
updating the stored balance of the employee retirement plan account based on market performance of the one or more variable investments;
calculating, by one or more processor devices executing logic, a protected value, the calculated protected value being at least equal to the initial deposit into the employee retirement plan account growing at the stored minimum positive growth rate, wherein the calculated protected value represents a guaranteed positive rate of return regardless of market performance of the one or more variable investments; and
upon occurrence of one or more of termination of the employment of the employee, retirement of the employee, restructuring of the employer, and receiving the employee’s request to receive ownership of the employee retirement plan account, transferring ownership of the employee retirement plan account from the employer to the employee as an asset of the employee, wherein subsequent to or simultaneous to the transfer of ownership, a beneficiary designated by the employee is guaranteed to receive the beneficiary’s choice of either:
a lump sum of money from the employee retirement plan account based on the updated stored balance of the employee retirement plan account, or
for the life of the employee or the beneficiary, periodic payments of an amount of money from the employee retirement plan account based on the higher of the updated stored balance of the employee retirement plan account or the calculated protected value.
13/233,801(PTAB says: “‘managing a plurality of proof of purchase reward programs’ of claim 1 recites a judicial exception in the form of a method of organizing human activity”):
1. A system for managing a plurality of proof of purchase reward programs, the system comprising:
A.] a computing device; and
[B.] a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium in operable communication with the computing device, wherein the storage medium contains one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
[i.] facilitate transmission of data received from a vendor mechanism, a reward program sponsor mechanism, a beneficiary mechanism, and a consumer access mechanism,
[ii.] manage consumer data, product data, reward program data, reward program sponsor data, beneficiary data, benefit data, and vendor data, wherein:
[a.] the consumer data includes a plurality of consumer identifiers,
[b.] the product data includes a plurality of product identifiers, and
[c.] the reward program data includes data pertaining to a plurality of reward programs associated with a plurality of reward program sponsors, a reward program parameter associated with each of the plurality of reward programs, and a plurality of reward program markers, each of the plurality of reward program markers identifying a group of consumer identifiers and a group of product identifiers included with one of the plurality of reward programs,
[iii.] receive transactional data including a consumer identifier identifying a consumer initiating a transaction and a product identifier identifying at least one product purchased in the transaction,
[iv.] determine whether the transactional data complies with a reward program parameter associated with a reward program identified by a reward program marker associated with the consumer identifier and the product identifier, and
[v.] provide the beneficiary mechanism with benefit data if the transactional data containing the consumer identifier complies with the reward program parameter, thereby enabling the beneficiary mechanism to provide a beneficiary with a benefit identified by the benefit data, wherein the beneficiary is not the consumer.
13/401,748 (PTAB says: “directed to a method for facilitating a secure electronic financial transaction . . . a fundamental economic practice”):
1. A method for facilitating at least a portion of a secure electronic financial transaction, the method comprising:
prior to receiving an electronic transaction request, defining a transaction template that comprises a set of established transaction specifications that define contents of acceptable digital instruments, the digital instrument further comprising payment instructions that define how payments to payees are authorized, wherein only electronic transaction requests that correspond to the transaction template are available for authorization;
generating a unique payee identifier that represents a payee;
combining, by a payor device, the unique payee identifier with a digital instrument that has been digitally singed to create a secure instrument that cannot be surreptitiously presented to an electronic transaction processing system by any other party;
receiving an electronic transaction request from the payor device over a secure application programming interface, the electronic transaction request comprising the unique payee identifier and the secure instrument that has been digitally signed by at least one payor, the digital signature being encrypted using an encryption type that is selected by a payment processor;
verifying an identity of at least one of the payor and the payee using a digital security protocol;
verifying the digital signature using the selected encryption type;
comparing the electronic transaction request to the transaction template; and
authorizing a payment to the payee according to payment instructions included in the secure instrument if the electronic transaction request corresponds with the transaction template.
13/485,440 (PTAB says: “directed to promoting business goods and services to a user, and more specifically, to offering a gift from the business to the use . . . fundamental business practice . . . Alternately, this is an example of concepts performed in the human mind as mental processes”):
22. A method of incentivizing and tracking patronage of a consumer by providing a gift of a merchant that can be retrieved by the consumer via a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
[1] assigning a barcode to the merchant;
[2] assigning a redemption rate for odds of winning the gift to the gift of the merchant;
[3] assigning a digital scratch card to the gift of the merchant;
[4] obtaining information related to the consumer from a computing device of the consumer
when the consumer scans the barcode using the computing device of the consumer,
the information related to the consumer including patronage data of the consumer;
[5] determining via a processor whether to offer the gift to the consumer
based on the redemption rate of the gift and the patronage data of the consumer;
[6] transmitting the digital scratch card to the computing device of the consumer via the communication network
when the consumer scans the barcode using the computing device;
[7] displaying the digital scratch card on a display of the computing device;
[8] revealing a result of the determination regarding whether to offer the gift to the consumer via the computing device when the consumer physically manipulates the digital scratch card using the computing device
by displaying on the display of the computing device either
(i) a gift token indicating the consumer has won the gift, or
(ii) a notification of loss indicating the consumer has not won the gift;
and
[9] tracking one or more factors using the barcode including
(i) a number of times the barcode is scanned,
(ii) a number of times the gift token is redeemed or submitted to the merchant by the consumer to obtain the gift won by the consumer,
(iii) a redemption rate of the consumer,
and/or
(iv) a number of times the gift token is forwarded or re-distributed, wherein, the gift is a free or discounted good or service offered by the merchant, and the patronage data includes at least one of
(i) when the consumer patronizes the merchant,
(ii) where the consumer patronizes the merchant,
(iii) frequency of patronage of the consumer at the merchant,
and
(iv) average monetary purchase of the consumer at the merchant.
13/693,477 (PTAB says: “‘detecting data events for executing data operations on an annuity database,’ including steps of monitoring, retrieving, calculating, and resetting data relating to the annuity, and also administering the annuity. These steps comprise fundamental economic principles”):
1. A computer implemented method for detecting data events for executing data operations on an annuity database, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a computing device communicatively coupled to the annuity database, an annuity in the annuity database to determine periodically, on reset dates, an income reset feature associated with the annuity is available for execution, the annuity provides periodic income payments to an annuitant, the periodic income payments calculated based on at least a present variable, the present variable stored in the annuity database, and the income reset feature is operable to reset the present variable to a reset variable, wherein the reset variable is based on data retrievable by the computing device from a publicly available data source;
retrieving, by the computing device, the present variable from the annuity database and comparing the present variable with the reset variable;
calculating, by the computing device, new periodic income payments based on the reset variable;
maintaining, by the computing device, the present variable in the annuity database on the reset dates when the new periodic income payments are not more beneficial to the annuitant than the periodic income payments;
resetting, by the computing device, the present variable on the reset dates when the new periodic income payments are more beneficial to the annuitant than the periodic income payments, wherein resetting the present variable includes changing the present variable in the annuity database to the reset variable and setting the new periodic income payments as a floor of income payments that can be reset by additional resets of the reset variable; and
administering, by the computing device, the annuity based on the calculated new periodic income payments when the new periodic income payments are more beneficial to the annuitant than the periodic income payments.
13/846,442 (PTAB says: “The concept of advertising is a fundamental business practice long prevalent in our system of commerce. . . . Alternately, this is an example of concepts performed in the human mind as mental processes because the steps of receiving, analyzing, modifying, and storing data mimic human thought”):
[1] receiving a location event from a user device,
the location event identifying a geographical location;
[2] determining, by a computer system, attributes for the geographical location identified by the location event
to serve as targeting criteria for advertisement selection;
[3] storing the attributes in a places object for the geographical location;
[4] calculating, by a computer system, a quality score for each places object,
the quality score calculated based on the stored attributes about the geographical location;
and
[5] selecting an advertisement for the user
based on the quality score for the geographical location.
13/920,690 (PTAB says: “nothing more than ‘mental processes’ that could be performed in the human mind or by a human using a pen and paper”):
1. A system implemented in a reservation computer device, comprising:
computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable memory being operable to:
prioritize a reservation schedule of a service establishment based on a route and projected arrival time of one or more subscribing users such that earlier arriving users and users that have already arrived at the service establishment are given priority in the reservation schedule regardless of prearranged reservations.
14/046,761(PTAB says: “the claims are directed to sales activity of a credit report service or credit monitoring service, which is a method of organizing human activities and a fundamental economic practice”):
1. A method comprising: using at least one processing device:
identifying at least one first value of at least one characterisitic of an average consumer’s credit report;
receiving, over a network from a user device, information identifying a customer attempting to enroll in a credit reporting service or a credit monitoring service;
identifying service-related information associated with the customer, wherein the service-related information comprises at least one second value of the at least one characteristic of the customer’s credit report, the customer’s credit report to be made available to the customer after the customer enrolls in the credit reporting service or the credit monitoring service; and
prior to enrolling the customer in the credit reporting service or the credit monitoring service and prior to collecting payment information from the customer, communicating the at least one first value and the at least one second value over the network for presentation to the customer at the user device.
14/058,654 (PTAB says: “targeted advertising, which is a method of organizing human activity and, therefore, an abstract idea.”):
[(a)] gathering transaction data by at least one computer from a user’s financial account, wherein the user’s financial account is a financial institution account that is maintained on behalf of the user;
[(b)] analyzing the transaction data with the at least one computer for transactions by the user;
[(c)] matching a savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities to the user based on the transactions by the user, wherein the savings opportunity can be shared with other users or a social network;
[(d)] displaying the matched savings opportunity in association with a statement of the user’s financial account;
[(e)] receiving an indication from the user by the at least one computer for sharing the matched savings opportunity with at least one additional user, wherein sharing causes the at least one computer to generate a shared savings opportunity;
[(f)] receiving a transmission of the shared savings opportunity at a mobile device of the at least one additional user; and
[(g)] receiving an indication to redeem the shared savings opportunity.
a non-transitory memory storing a first user account associated with a first user;
one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause a system to perform operations comprising:
providing at least one contingent purchase graphical user interface (GUI) over a network for display on a first user device of the user,
receiving a contingent payment request through the network via a selection provided in the at least one contingent purchase GUI from the first user device that identifies a first product and a second product that is different than the first product and includes an instruction to automatically purchase the second product that is identified in the contingent payment request in direct response to determining that the first product has been purchased;
storing the contingent payment request in the non- transitory memory in association with the first user account;
communicating with a first account provider device over the network to monitor the first user account of the first user subsequent to storing the contingent payment request in the non-transitory memory and, in response, determining that the first product in the contingent payment request has been purchased by the first user using the first user account; and
automatically sending an instruction to the first account provider device through the network to transfer funds associated with the first user account to a merchant account in order to purchase the second product that is identified in the contingent payment request for the first user in direct response to determining that the first product in the contingent payment request has been purchased by the first user.
14/084,903 (PTAB says: ‘Appellants do not dispute the Examiner’s determination that claims 1— 4 and 6—19 are directed to the abstract idea of “classifying or grouping customers.’ . . . the claim does not integrate the noted judicial exception into a practical application . . . does not recite an additional element reflecting an improvement in the functioning of a computer, or an improvement to other technology or technical field.”):
iteratively splitting a plurality of customers into a plurality of clusters based on purchase history data and demographic data for the plurality of customers, wherein each iteration comprises selecting a cluster of customers and splitting the selected cluster until a stopping rule is satisfied; and tailoring services provided to a customer based on a cluster from the plurality of clusters in which the customer resides.
14/193,296 (PTAB says: “the claims are directed to processing an authorization request for a transaction which is considered to be an abstract idea in as much as such activity is considered a fundamental economic practice.”):
1. A method for processing an authorization request for a transaction between a client computer of a consumer and a merchant computer, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server computer from the merchant computer via a communications network, transaction information and the authorization request for the transaction, the transaction information including an account number of an account of the consumer, wherein the account number was received by the merchant computer from the client computer;
parsing, by the server computer, the account number to determine an identifier that includes an account type identifier;
sending, by the server computer, a query to an account database, the query including the account type identifier;
receiving, by the server computer, an account type corresponding to the account number from the account database;
sending the transaction information and the account type to a fraud detection engine of the server computer;
determining, by the fraud detection engine, a level of fraud for the transaction using the account type and the transaction information;
determining, by the server computer, an authorization result for the transaction based on the fraud level, wherein the authorization result includes a change in the transaction;
transmitting, by the server computer, information about the change to the merchant computer via the communications network, as well as instructions to the merchant computer to communicate with the client computer to determine whether the change is accepted by the client computer;
receiving, by the server computer, a confirmation response from the merchant computer via the communications network indicating that the client computer accepted the change; and
proceeding, by the server computer, to process the changed transaction.
15/488,839 (PTAB says: “directed to mental processes (observation, e.g., collecting HVAC equipment state information) and mathematical relationships (e.g., determining heat loss using a processor)”):
1 : A method of collecting and sharing envelope efficiency of a building structure on a comparative basis, the method comprising:
collecting HVAC equipment state information from HVAC equipment associated with the building structure;
collecting information about the building structure including the square footage of conditioned space within the building;
associating indoor temperature data and outdoor temperature data with the HVAC equipment state information;
determining using a processor, heat loss for the building structure using the indoor temperature data, the outdoor temperature data, and the HVAC equipment state information;
determining using the processor, the envelope efficiency for the building structure using the heat loss and the square footage of the conditioned spaced within the building;
displaying envelope efficiency for the building structure in comparison to a plurality of other building structures to show the envelope efficiency for the building structure on the comparative basis.
