Patent decision

BL number

O/069/18

Concerning rights in

GB1411459.9

Hearing Officer

Dr J Houlihan

Decision date

30 January 2018

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Quikserve Limited

Provisions discussed

Sections 1(1) and 1(2)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention is concerned with a method for ordering menu items for delivery to a station at a premises. The embodiments focus on a restaurant situation, in which a customer can order food and drinks via a mobile device, such as a smart phone. The order is sent over the internet to a web-based server or platform. The server/platform facilitates communication of the order to an Electronic Point-of-Sale (EPOS) system via an EPOS adapter, a communication protocol and a communication network from a plurality of communication networks which may be stored at the platform. The mobile device is able to identify which premises and station (table) the customer is at and is able to retrieve a menu applicable to that premises by the appropriate EPOS adapter. This enables the provision of menus or information across a range of premises rather than a direct communication between a mobile device and an EPOS system in a single premises.

The hearing officer applied the ‘Aerotel test’ and analysed step 3 of that test against the AT&T signposts as modified in HTC Europe Co Ltd v Apple Inc [2013] EWCA Civ 451. He found the actual contribution relates to both a business method and a computer program. He refused the application as it did not comply with section 1(2)(c) of the Act.

Full decision O/069/18 241Kb