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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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`The following examples should be used in conjunction with the 2014 Interim Guidance on
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` Subject Matter Eligibility (2014 IEG). As the examples are intended to be illustrative only,
` they should be interpreted based on the fact patterns set forth below. Other fact patterns
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` may have different eligibility outcomes. While some of the fact patterns draw from U.S.
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` Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decisions, each of the
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` examples shows how claims should be analyzed under the 2014 IEG. All of the claims are
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`analyzed for eligibility in accordance with their broadest reasonable interpretation.
`Note that the examples herein are numbered consecutively beginning with number 21,
`because 20 examples were previously issued. A comprehensive index of all examples for
` use with the 2014 IEG is provided in Appendix 2 to the July 2015 Update.
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`21.
` Transmission Of Stock Quote Data
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` The following hypothetical claims and background are modeled after the technology in
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` Google Inc. v. Simpleair, Inc., Covered Business Method Case No. CBM 2014‐00170 (Jan. 22,
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`2015), but are revised to emphasize certain teaching points. The patent at issue was U.S.
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`Patent No. 7,035,914 entitled “System and Method for Transmission of Data.” Hypothetical
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`claim 1 is directed to an abstract idea and does not have additional elements that amount to
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`significantly more than the abstract idea. Hypothetical claim 2 also recites an abstract idea
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`but does contain additional elements that amount to significantly more because there are
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`meaningful limitations beyond generally linking the use of the abstract idea to a particular
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`technological environment.
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`Background
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`The invention is directed to a stock quote alert subscription service where subscribers
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`receive customizable stock quotes on their local computers from a remote data source. At
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`the time of the invention, stock quote subscription services over the Internet were known
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`in the art. However, existing services experienced challenges when attempting to notify a
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`subscriber whose computer was offline (not connected to the Internet) at the time of the
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`alert, since many stock quotes are time sensitive. Further, many previous subscription
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`services simply transmitted all available stock quote information to the user at a given
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`time, which required the subscriber to sort through large amounts of data to identify
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`relevant stock quotes, and often sent information at an inconvenient time (e.g., after the
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`stock exchanges are closed). The stock quote alert subscription service of the present
`invention addresses these problems.
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`During enrollment to the subscription service, the subscriber provides preference
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`information in the form of stocks of interest, stock price threshold (e.g., when the price
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`reaches $100 per share), a destination address of a wireless device (e.g., a number for a
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`cellular phone, pager or PDA), preferred format of the alert, and a transmission schedule
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`indicating the time/date that alerts should be sent. The subscription service uses a
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`transmission server to receive data from a data source and send selected data to
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`subscribers. The transmission server
`includes a memory, a transmitter, and a
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`microprocessor. The subscription service provides a stock viewer application to
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`subscribers for installation on their individual computers. After a subscriber enrolls, the
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`service receives stock quote information sent from a data source to the transmission
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`1
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`Page 1 of 22
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`GREE EXHIBIT 2002
`Supercell Oy v. GREE, Inc.
`PGR2018-00008
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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` server. The server filters the stock quote information based upon the subscriber preference
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` information that is stored in memory on the server. That is, the server compares the
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` received stock quote information to the stored stocks of interest and stock price threshold
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` preferences to determine which stock quotes to drop and which to further process. Next, a stock quote alert is built containing the filtered stocks’ name and price information and a
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` universal resource locator (URL) to a web page at the data source which contains further
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`information on the stock quote. The alert is then formatted into data blocks based upon the
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` alert format preference information. Subsequently, the formatted data blocks are transmitted to the subscriber’s wireless device in accordance with the transmission
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` schedule. After receiving the alert, the subscriber can connect the wireless device to the
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`subscriber’s computer. The alert causes the subscriber’s computer to auto‐launch the stock
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` viewer application provided by the service to display the alert. When connected to the
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` Internet, the subscriber may then click on the URL in the alert to use the stock viewer
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` application to access more detailed information about the stock quote from the data
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`source.
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` Claims
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`1. A method of distributing stock quotes over a network to a remote subscriber computer,
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`the method comprising:
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`receiving stock quotes at a transmission server sent from a data source over the
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`Internet, the transmission server comprising a microprocessor and memory that stores the
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`remote subscriber’s preferences for information format, destination address, specified
`stock price values, and transmission schedule, wherein the microprocessor
`filters the received stock quotes by comparing the received stock quotes to the
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`specified stock price values;
` generates a stock quote alert from the filtered stock quotes that contains a stock
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` name, stock price and a universal resource locator (URL), which specifies the location of
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`the data source;
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`formats the stock quote alert into data blocks according to said information format;
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`and
` transmits the formatted stock quote alert to a computer of the remote subscriber
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`based upon the destination address and transmission schedule.
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`2. A method of distributing stock quotes over a network to a remote subscriber computer,
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`the method comprising:
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`providing a stock viewer application to a subscriber for installation on the remote
`subscriber computer;
` receiving stock quotes at a transmission server sent from a data source over the
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` Internet, the transmission server comprising a microprocessor and a memory that stores
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`2
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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`the remote subscriber’s preferences for information format, destination address, specified
`stock price values, and transmission schedule, wherein the microprocessor
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` filters the received stock quotes by comparing the received stock quotes to the
`specified stock price values;
` generates a stock quote alert from the filtered stock quotes that contains a stock
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` name, stock price and a universal resource locator (URL), which specifies the location of
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`the data source;
` formats the stock quote alert into data blocks according to said information format;
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` and
` transmits the formatted stock quote alert over a wireless communication channel to
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` a wireless device associated with a subscriber based upon the destination address and
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`transmission schedule,
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` wherein the alert activates the stock viewer application to cause the stock quote alert to display on the remote subscriber computer and to enable connection via the URL to
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` the data source over the Internet when the wireless device is locally connected to the
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` remote subscriber computer and the remote subscriber computer comes online.
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`Analysis
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`Claim 1: Ineligible
` The claim recites a series of acts for distributing stock quotes to selected remote devices.
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` Thus, the claim is directed to a process, which is one of the statutory categories of invention
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`(Step 1: YES).
` Next, the claim is analyzed to determine whether it is directed to a judicial exception. The
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` claim recites the steps of receiving, filtering, formatting and transmitting stock quote
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` information. In other words, the claim recites comparing and formatting information for
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` transmission. This is simply the organization and comparison of data which can be
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` performed mentally and is an idea of itself. It is similar to other concepts that have been
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` identified as abstract by the courts, such as using categories to organize, store and transmit
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` information in Cyberfone, or comparing new and stored information and using rules to
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` identify options in SmartGene. Therefore, the claim is directed to an abstract idea (Step 2A:
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`YES).
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` Next, the claim as a whole is analyzed to determine whether any element, or combination
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` of elements, is sufficient to ensure that the claim amounts to significantly more than the
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`exception. The claim recites the additional limitations of using a transmission server with a
`memory that stores subscriber preferences, a transmitter that receives and sends
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`information over the Internet, and a microprocessor that performs the generic functions of
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`comparing and formatting information. The transmission server is recited at a high level of
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`generality and its broadest reasonable interpretation comprises only a microprocessor,
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`memory and transmitter to simply perform the generic computer functions of receiving,
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`processing and transmitting information. Generic computers performing generic computer
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`functions, alone, do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Finally, the
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`3
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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` Internet limitations are simply a field of use that is an attempt to limit the abstract idea to a
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` particular technological environment and, so do not add significantly more. Viewing the
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` limitations as an ordered combination does not add anything further than looking at the
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` limitations individually. When viewed either individually, or as an ordered combination,
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` the additional limitations do not amount to a claim as a whole that is significantly more
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`than the abstract idea (Step 2B: NO). The claim is not patent eligible.
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` A rejection of claim 1 should identify the exception by pointing to the filtering, generating
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` and formatting steps and explain that the comparing and formatting of information is a mental process that is similar to the concepts that courts have previously found abstract.
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` The rejection should also identify the additional limitations regarding the transmission
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` server and explain why those limitations comprise only a generic computer performing
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`generic computer functions that do not impose meaningful limits on the claimed method.
`Claim 2: Eligible
` The claim recites a series of acts for distributing stock quotes to selected remote devices.
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`Thus, the claim is directed to a process, which is one of the statutory categories of invention
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`(Step 1: YES).
`The claim is then analyzed to determine if the claim is directed to a judicial exception. As
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`discussed above, the recited steps of comparing and organizing data for transmission are a
`mental process and similar to other concepts found to be abstract by the courts. The claim
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`is directed to an abstract idea (Step 2A: YES).
`Next, the claim as a whole is evaluated to determine if there are additional limitations that
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`amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. The claim recites the additional
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`limitations of using a transmission server with a microprocessor and a memory to store
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`subscriber preferences, transmitting a stock quote alert from the transmission server over
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`a data channel to a wireless device, and providing a stock viewer application that causes
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`the stock quote alert to display on the subscriber computer and enables a connection from
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`the subscriber computer to the data source over the Internet when the subscriber
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`computer comes online. It is noted that, as discussed above, some of the limitations when
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`viewed individually do not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea (such as
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`storing subscriber preferences or transmitting an alert). However, when looking at the
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`additional limitations as an ordered combination, the invention as a whole amounts to
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`significantly more than simply organizing and comparing data. The claimed invention
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`addresses the Internet‐centric challenge of alerting a subscriber with time sensitive
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`information when the subscriber’s computer is offline. This is addressed by transmitting
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`the alert over a wireless communication channel to activate the stock viewer application,
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`which causes the alert to display and enables the connection of the remote subscriber
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`computer to the data source over the Internet when the remote subscriber computer
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`comes online. These are meaningful limitations that add more than generally linking the
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`use of the abstract idea (the general concept of organizing and comparing data) to the
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`Internet, because they solve an Internet‐centric problem with a claimed solution that is
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`necessarily rooted in computer technology, similar to the additional elements in DDR
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`Holdings. These limitations, when taken as an ordered combination, provide
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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` unconventional steps that confine the abstract idea to a particular useful application.
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` Therefore, the claim recites patent eligible subject matter (Step 2B: YES).
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` If the examiner believes that the record would benefit from clarification, remarks could be
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` added to an Office action or reasons for allowance indicating that the claim recites the
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` abstract idea of comparing and organizing data for transmission. However, the claim is
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` eligible because it recites additional limitations that when considered as an ordered
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` combination demonstrates a technologically rooted solution to an Internet‐centric problem
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` and thus amounts to significantly more than comparing and organizing information for
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`transmission.
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` Graphical User Interface For Meal Planning
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` 22.
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` The following claim was found ineligible by the Southern District of New York, and the
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` judgment was affirmed by the Federal Circuit in Dietgoal Innovations LLC v. Bravo Media LLC,
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`599 Fed. Appx. 956 (Fed. Cir. Apr. 8, 2015). The patent at issue was U.S. Patent 6,585,516. The
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`claim is directed to an abstract idea, and the additional elements do not amount to
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`significantly more than the abstract idea, but merely implement the idea using generic
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`computer technology. The exemplary analysis shows how an examiner would apply the 2014
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`IEG analysis to the claim when making a rejection.
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`Background
`The invention addresses a way to solve the issue of obesity, specifically by using visuals to
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`assist users to follow diet programs designed by health professionals for the purpose of
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`modifying diet behavior. In particular, the invention is a computer system that “includes[s]
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`a User Interface (UI), a Meal Database, a Food Database, Picture Menus and Meal Builder.”
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`The UI functions to receive commands from the user and display results to the user. The
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`Food and Meal Databases are databases of food information and preselected combinations
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`of foods that have been compiled into a single repository. The Picture Menus display
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`pictures of meals on the UI so the user can make a plan by mixing and matching foods to
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`meet customized eating goals. The Meal Builder permits the user to design meals and view
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`the impact of the food choices on customized eating goals in real time. In practice, the
`invention permits a user to choose meals for a particular day, as well as modify one or
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`more of the meals to create new meals, while seeing the impact on their dietary plan. The
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`object of the invention is to influence a person’s eating behavior.
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`Claim
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`2. A system of computerized meal planning, comprising:
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`a User Interface;
`a Database of food objects; and
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`a Meal Builder, which displays on the User Interface meals from the Database and
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`wherein a user can change content of said meals and view the resulting meals’ impact on
`customized eating goals.
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`5
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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`
` Analysis
`Claim 2: Ineligible.
`The broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim encompasses a computer system (e.g.,
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` hardware such as a processor and memory) that implements a user interface, a database,
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` and a food data selection program. The system comprises a device or set of devices and,
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`therefore, is directed to a machine, which is a statutory category of invention (Step 1: YES).
`The claim is then analyzed to determine if the claim is directed to a judicial exception. The
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` claim recites a system for selecting and modifying meals based upon dietary goals. In other
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` words, the claim describes a process of meal planning. Meal planning is the organization
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`and comparison of information to develop a guideline for eating. It is a mental process of
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`managing behavior that could be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen
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` and paper. Such a basic concept is similar to other mental processes found abstract by the
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`courts such as comparing new and stored information and using rules to identify options in
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`SmartGene, and obtaining and comparing intangible data in Cybersource. Therefore, claim 2
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`is directed to an abstract idea (Step 2A: YES).
`Next, the claim is analyzed to determine if there are additional claim limitations that
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`individually, or as an ordered combination, ensure that the claim amounts to significantly
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`more than the abstract idea. The only additional limitations in the claim relate to
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`computerization of meal planning with an interface, a database of food objects, and a “meal
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`builder,” which is a computer program that allows selection and comparison of food data.
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`The meal builder would require a processor and memory in order to perform basic
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`computer functions of accepting user input, retrieving information from a database,
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`manipulating that information and displaying the results. These components are not
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`explicitly recited and therefore must be construed at the highest level of generality. The
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`interface is also recited at a high level of generality with the only required function of
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`displaying, which is a well‐known routine function of interfaces. Further, the database
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`performs only its basic function of storing information, which is common to all databases.
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`Thus, the recited generic computer components perform no more than their basic
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`computer functions. These additional elements are well‐understood, routine and
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`conventional limitations that amount to mere instructions to implement the abstract idea
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`of meal planning on a computer. Taking these computer limitations as an ordered
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`combination adds nothing that is not already present when the elements are taken
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`individually. Therefore, the claim does not amount to significantly more than the recited
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`abstract idea (Step 2B: NO). The claim is not patent eligible.
`A rejection of this claim should identify the abstract idea of selecting meals for a
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`customized eating goal, which is similar to concepts of obtaining and comparing data that
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`were found to be abstract by the courts. The rejection should also identify the additional
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`elements and explain the reasons why they amount to no more than merely implementing
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`the idea of meal planning using generic computer components.
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`6
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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` Graphical User Interface For Relocating Obscured Textual Information
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` 23.
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` The following claims are hypothetical. Claim 1 demonstrates a claim that is not directed to an
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` abstract idea. Claims 2 and 3 are directed to an abstract idea and do not recite significantly
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` more. Claim 4 recites an abstract idea, but there are additional limitations in the claim that
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` amount to significantly more than the abstract idea.
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`Background
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`The invention relates to a graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI manages the interaction
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`between a computer system and a user through graphical elements such as windows on a
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`display. Windows display various types of outputs for various computer processes and
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`may contain controls to accept user input for those processes. In some instances, multiple
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`windows are displayed at the same time; due to limited display space, however, the
`windows may overlap and obscure the content of underlying windows.
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`In the instant application, the inventor has improved upon previous GUIs by dynamically
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`relocating obscured textual information of an underlying window to become automatically
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`viewable to the user. In particular, in a graphical user interface that comprises multiple
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`windows, the invention continuously monitors the boundaries of the windows to ascertain
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`an overlap condition indicating that the windows overlap such that the textual information
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`of an underlying window is obscured from a user’s view by the overlapping window. Only
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`when the textual information of the underlying window is detected to be obscured, the
`invention re‐formats and moves the textual information in the underlying window to an
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`unobscured portion of the underlying window so that the textual information is viewable
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`by the user. When the overlap condition no longer exists, the textual information is
`returned to its original format and location.
`The inventor’s process is performed by modifying the vertical and horizontal margins of
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`the underlying window in accordance with the overlap and utilizing a word wrap function
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`to wrap the text around the obscured area based upon the new margins, and, where
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`necessary, reducing the text size to permit the entirety of the textual information to be
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`viewable in the unobscured portion. The textual information is scaled based upon a scaling
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`factor that is calculated using a mathematical algorithm. First, an area of the underlying
`window and an area of the unobstructed portion of the underlying window are calculated.
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`Next, the scaling factor is calculated which is proportional to the difference in area between
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`the underlying window and the unobstructed portion of the underlying window. Finally,
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`the font size of the textual information is changed in accordance with the scaling factor.
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`The new scaled textual information is then moved as described above to the unobstructed
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`portion of the underlying window. When the windows no longer overlap, the textual
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`information is returned to its original format and location by resetting the vertical and
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`horizontal margins of the window to their original values and no longer applying the
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`scaling factor to the font size. By permitting textual information to be dynamically
`relocated based upon an overlap condition, the computer’s ability to display information
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`and interact with the user is improved.
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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` Claims
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` 1. A computer‐implemented method for dynamically relocating textual information within
`an underlying window displayed in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
`displaying a first window containing textual information in a first format within a
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`graphical user interface on a computer screen;
` displaying a second window within the graphical user interface;
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`constantly monitoring the boundaries of the first window and the second window to
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`detect an overlap condition where the second window overlaps the first window such that
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` the textual information in the first window is obscured from a user’s view;
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` automatically relocating the textual information, by a processor, to an unobscured
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`portion of the first window in a second format during an overlap condition so that the
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`textual information is viewable on the computer screen by the user; and
` automatically returning the relocated textual information, by the processor, to the
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`first format within the first window when the overlap condition no longer exists.
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`2. A computer‐implemented method of resizing textual information within a window
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`displayed in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
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`generating first data for describing the area of a first graphical element;
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`generating second data for describing the area of a second graphical element
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`containing textual information; and
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`calculating a scaling factor for the textual information which is proportional to the
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`difference between the first data and second data.
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`3. A computer‐implemented method of resizing textual information within a window
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`displayed in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
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`generating first data for describing the area of a first graphical element;
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`generating second data for describing the area of a second graphical element
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`containing textual information; and
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`calculating, by the computer, a scaling factor for the textual information which is
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`proportional to the difference between the first data and second data.
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`4. A computer‐implemented method for dynamically relocating textual information within
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`
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`an underlying window displayed in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
`displaying a first window containing textual information in a first format within a
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`
`
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`graphical user interface on a computer screen;
`displaying a second window within the graphical user interface;
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`Page 8 of 22
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` July 2015 Update Appendix 1: Examples
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`
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`
`
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` constantly monitoring the boundaries of the first window and the second window to
`
`
`
` detect an overlap condition where the second window overlaps the first window such that
`
`
` the textual information in the first window is obscured from a user’s view;
`
`
` determining the textual information would not be completely viewable if relocated
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`to an unobstructed portion of the first window;
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` calculating a first measure of the area of the first window and a second measure of
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` the area of the unobstructed portion of the first window;
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` calculating a scaling factor which is proportional to the difference between the first
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` measure and the second measure;
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`scaling the textual information based upon the scaling factor;
` automatically relocating the scaled textual information, by a processor, to the
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` unobscured portion of the first window in a second format during an overlap condition so
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` that the entire scaled textual information is viewable on the computer screen by the user;
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` and
` automatically returning the relocated scaled textual information, by the processor,
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` to the first format within the first window when the overlap condition no longer exists.
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`Analysis
`
`Claim 1: Eligible.
` The claim recites a series of steps for relocating textual information in an underlying
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` window to an unobscured portion of the underlying window. Thus, the claim is directed to
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`a process, which is one of the statutory categories of invention (Step 1: YES).
` Next, the claim must be analyzed to determine whether it is directed to a judicial exception.
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` Here, the claimed method relates to addressing a problem with overlapping windows
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` within a graphical user interface. In particular, the claim recites dynamically relocating
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`textual information within a window displayed in a graphical user interface based upon a
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`detected overlap condition. When the windows overlap, textual information is reformatted
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`and relocated to an unobscured portion of the underlying window; when the windows no
` longer overlap, the textual information is returned to its original format and location. The
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`claim does not recite a basic concept that is similar to any abstract idea previously
` identified by the courts. For example, the claim does not recite any mathematical concept
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`or a mental process such as comparing or categorizing information that can be performed
` in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper. Accordingly, the claim does not
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`set forth or describe an abstract idea. Instead, the claimed method is necessarily rooted in
`computer technology to overcome a problem specifically arising in graphical user
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`interfaces. Additionally, the claim does not recite any other judicial exception. Therefore,
`the c