Patent decision

BL number

O/312/22

Concerning rights in

GB2005628.9

Hearing Officer

Mr B Buchanan

Decision date

7 April 2022

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Capital One Services, LLC

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977, section 1(2)(c)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The claimed invention relates to a method for omitting the requirement to re-check previously checked promotional codes on the contents of a shopping cart. Upon detecting a change in a shopping cart, it is determined whether the present contents has been previously tested using codes. If so, valid codes are retrieved from memory. If not, a shadow session is generated in parallel with the user session and a cloned cart created to mirror the user’s cart. Codes are then tested on the cloned cart in the shadow session which means that any conflicts do not occur in the user session and disrupt the user’s experience. The alleged advantages are that checkout time is saved, unnecessary processing steps are omitted and processing conflicts are avoided. The Agent argued that the invention provided a better computer and the technical effect was more than a business method. The Hearing Officer applied the four step Aerotel/Macrossan test and considered the AT&T signposts. The contribution was found not to provide the required technical effect and the claimed invention was found to relate solely to a program for a computer and a method for doing business as such, so the application did not meet the requirements of section 1(2)(c). The application was refused under section 18(3).

Full decision O/312/22 352Kb