`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`
`
`
` FILING DATE
`
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`
`
`
` CONFIRMATIONNO.
`
`
`13/358,620
`
`01/26/2012
`
`Robert M. Allen
`
`1516.04RE
`
`4338
`
`Smith & Hopen, P-A. a
`
`NGUYEN, HIEP VAN
`Attn: General Patent Matters
`TE
`aE
`180 Pine Avenue North
`ADR
`
`Oldsmar, FL 34677 Parunr|NUM
`3686
`
`
` NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`05/18/2012
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`patents @ smithhopen.com
`pair @smithhopen.com
`anton.hopen @ gmail.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`
` 13/358,620 ALLEN, ROBERT M.
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`HIEP V. NGUYEN
`3686
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY(30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Anyreply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 01/26/2012.
`2a)L] This action is FINAL.
`2b) This action is non-final.
`3)L]
`Anelection was made bythe applicant in responseto a restriction requirementset forth during the interview on
`___; the restriction requirement and election have beenincorporated into this action.
`4)L] Sincethis application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Ex parte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims
`
`5) Claim(s) 7-26 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`6)L] Claims)
`is/are allowed.
`7) Claim(s) 7-26is/are rejected.
`8)L] Claim(s) ____ is/are objected to.
`9)L] Claim(s)___ are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`
`Application Papers
`
`Status
`
` U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`10)L] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11) The drawing(s)filed on
`is/are: a)L_] accepted or b)_] objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`12) The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner. Note the attached Office Action or form PTO-152.
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`
`13)[.] Acknowledgmentis made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`a)LJ All b)L] Some*c)L] None of:
`
`1.] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.L] Copiesof the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`4) | Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) Cc Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date. __
`2) [J Notice of Draftsperson’s Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`5) L] Noticeof Informal Patent Application
`3) XX] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08)
`
`Paper No(s)/Mail DateSeeContinuationSheet. 6) C Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 03-11)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20120509
`
`

`

`Continuation Sheet (PTOL-326)
`
`Application No. 13/358,620
`
`Continuation of Attachment(s) 3). Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08), Paper No(s)/Mail Date :03/05/201 2,
`01/31/2012, 01/26/2012.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 2
`
`1.
`
`Claims 7-26 have been examined.
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Claim Objections
`
`2.
`
`Claim 7-26 are objected to becauseofthe following informalities:
`
`Claims 7-26 are objected to qualify as a proper reissue amendment under 37
`
`CFR 1.173 which requires that any claims addedin the reissue mustalwaysbetotally
`
`underlined and never contain any bracketing”. Appropriate correction is required.
`
`Claim 7 is objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.75(i), which requires
`
`that, “where a claim sets forth a plurality of elements or steps, each element or step of
`
`the claim should be separated bya line indentation.” Applicant is required to either
`
`cancelthe claim(s), or else to rewrite the claim(s) in proper form.
`
`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 improvementthereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the
`conditions and requirements ofthis title.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 7-11 and 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed
`
`invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 3
`
`Based upon consideration of all of the relevant factors with respect to the claim
`
`as a whole, claim(s) 1-13 held to claim an abstract idea, and is/are therefore rejected as
`
`ineligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101. The rationale for this finding is explained
`
`below:
`
`Based on Supreme Court precedent (See also Diamondv. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175,
`
`184 (1981); Parker v. Flook, 437 U.S. 584, 588 n.9 (1978); Gottschalk v. Benson, 409
`
`U.S. 63, 70 (1972); Cochrane v. Deener, 94 U.S. 780, 787-88 (1876)) and recent
`
`Federal Circuit decisions, a §101 process should ordinarily at least (1) be tied toa
`
`particular machine or apparatus (machine implemented) or (2) transform underlying
`
`subject matter (such as an article or materials) to a different state or thing. In addition,
`
`the tie to a particular apparatus, for example, cannot be mere extra-solution activity.
`
`See Bilski v. Kappos, 95 USPQ2d 1001 (US 2010).
`
`An example of a method claim that would not qualify as a statutory process
`
`would be a claim that recited purely mental steps.
`
`To meet prong (1), the method step should positively recite the particular
`
`apparatus (the thing or product) to which it is tied. This may be accomplished by having
`
`the claim positively recite the machine that accomplishes the methodsteps.
`
`Alternatively or to meet prong (2), the method step should positively recite identifying
`
`the material that is being changed to a different state or positively recite the subject
`
`matter that is being transformed.
`
`In this particular case, Claims 7 and 17 fail prong (1) because theseclaims recite
`
`a method comprising a plurality of steps, wherein the limitation “loading a unique, single
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 4
`
`use, stored-value card account with an amount equalto a single, authorized benefit
`
`payment?’is the insufficient recitation of machinery as in claim 7, and noneof the recited
`
`steps require the particulars of a statutory machine as in claim 17. Therefore, any
`
`structure capable of performing the recited functionally may be reasonably enveloped
`
`by the claim. As such, the claim fails the "machine"test.
`
`Dependent claim(s) 8-11 and 18-21 when analyzed as a whole are held to be
`
`ineligible subject matter and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the additional
`
`recited limitation(s) fail(s) to establish that the claim is not directed to an abstract idea:
`
`Claims 8-11 and 18-21 are rejected as each dependsfrom claims 7 and 17 respectively.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
`
`form the basis for the rejections underthis section madein this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(e) the invention was described in (1) an application for patent, published under section 122(b), by
`another filed in the United States before the invention by the applicant for patent or (2) a patent
`granted on an application for patent by another filed in the United States before the invention by the
`applicant for patent, except that an international application filed under the treaty defined in section
`351 (a) shall have the effects for purposesof this subsection of an application filed in the United States
`onlyif the international application designated the United States and was published under Article 21 (2)
`of suchtreaty in the English language.
`
`4.
`
`Claims 7-8, 11-13, 16-18, 21-23, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(e) as
`
`being anticipated by Cracchiolo et al. (US. 7,434,729 hereinafter Cracchiolo).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 5
`
`5.
`
`With respect to Claim 7, Cracchiolo teaches a method offacilitating payment of
`
`adjudicated health care benefits to a health care provider on behalf of a payer
`
`comprising the stepsof:
`
`loading a unique, single-use, stored-value card account with an amount equalto
`
`a single, authorized benefit payment (‘729; Col./ine 7/27-8/4),
`
`generating an explanation of benefits associated with the payment (729; Col./line
`
`7/8-8/15);
`
`creating a computer- generated file containing the stored-value card account
`
`number, the amount, a card verification value code, an expiration date, and the
`
`explanation of benefits (729; Col. 7, lines 8-16); and
`
`transmitting the file to the health care provider (729; Col. 8, lines 11-15; Col. 12,
`
`lines 7-23).
`
`6.
`
`With respect to Claim 8, Cracchiolo teaches the methodof claim 7 further
`
`comprising the step of reconciling the charged card accountto confirm that the health
`
`care provider has received payment (‘729; Col. 8, lines 6-9).
`
`7.
`
`With respect to Claim 11, Cracchiolo teaches the methodof claim 7 wherein the
`
`stored-value card account is only chargeable through a medical services terminal (‘729;
`
`Col. 7, lines 29-33).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 6
`
`8.
`
`With respect to Claim 12, Cracchiolo teaches a system for paymentof health
`
`care benefits combining payment terms and an explanation of benefits, the system
`
`comprising:
`
`an explanation of benefits describing medical services provided to a patient by a
`
`health care provider, an amount billed by the health care provider and an amount paid
`
`by the patient’ s insurance company (‘729; Col. 7, lines 10-16); and
`
`a payment mechanism associated with the explanation of benefits, the payment
`
`mechanism including a stored-value card account number, a payment amount, a card
`
`verification value code, and an expiration date (‘729; Col. 7, lines 8-10);
`
`wherein the stored-value card account number is linked to a unique, single-use,
`
`stored- value card account prefunded with an amount equal to a single, authorized
`
`benefit payment, and wherein the documentis electronically transmitted to the health
`
`care provider as paymentfor the medical services (’729; Col./line 7/27-8/4).
`
`9.
`
`With respect to Claim 13, Cracchiolo teaches the system of claim 12 wherein the
`
`charged card accountis reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received
`
`payment (‘729; Col. 8, lines 6-9).
`
`10. With respect to Claim 16, Cracchiolo teaches the system of claim 12 wherein the
`
`stored-value card account is only chargeable through a medical services terminal (‘729;
`
`Col. 7, lines 29-33).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 7
`
`11. With respect to Claim 17 Cracchiolo teaches a computer implemented method
`
`for combining paymentof health care benefits with an associated explanation of
`
`benefits, the method comprising:
`
`receiving an explanation of benefits related to medical services provided by a
`
`health care provider (‘729; Col. 7, lines 10-17);
`
`receiving authorization to pay at least a portion of submitted charges associated
`
`with the explanation of benefits and the associated funds for payment (‘729; Col. 7, lines
`
`8-10)
`
`funding a unique, single-use, stored-value card account with an amountequalto
`
`the authorized payment(‘729; Col./ines 7/27-8/4);
`
`merging the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card account number,
`
`the authorized amount of payment, a card verification value code, and an expiration
`
`date in an electronic file (729; Col.Aline 7/27-8/4);
`
`electronically sending the mergedfile to the health care provider as paymentfor
`
`the services (’729; Coline 7/27-8/4).
`
`12. With respect to Claim 18, Cracchiolo teaches the methodof claim 17 wherein the
`
`charged card accountis reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received
`
`payment (‘729; Col. 8, lines 6-9).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 8
`
`13. With respect to Claim 21, Cracchiolo teaches the method of claim 17 wherein the
`
`stored-value card account is only chargeable through a medical services terminal (‘729;
`
`Col. 8, lines 6-9).
`
`14. With respect to Claim 22, Cracchiolo teaches a system for payment of health
`
`care benefits to a health care provider, the system comprising:
`
`an administration system operable to receive a benefit claim the health care
`
`provider and to generate an explanation of benefits for the benefit claim along with an
`
`approved payment (‘729; Col. 7, lines 10-17);;
`
`a card processing system operable to fund a single-use, stored-value card
`
`account with an amount equal to the approved payment, the card processing system
`
`also operable to merge the explanation of benefits with the stored-value card account
`
`number, the authorized amount of payment, a card verification value code, and an
`
`expiration date in an electronic file and to send the electronic file to the health care
`
`provider as paymentfor the benefit claim (729; Col.Aine 7/27-8/4);.
`
`15. With respect to Claim 23, Cracchiolo teaches the system of claim 22 wherein the
`
`charged card accountis reconciled to confirm that the health care provider has received
`
`payment (‘729; Col. 8, lines 6-9).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 9
`
`16. With respect to Claim 26, Cracchiolo teaches the system of claim 22 wherein the
`
`stored-value card account is only chargeable through a medical services terminal (‘729;
`
`Col. 8, lines 6-9).
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousnessrejections setforth in this Office action:
`
`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of thistitle, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obviousat the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
`
`17.
`
`Claims 9, 14, 19, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
`
`unpatentable over Cracchiolo et al. (US 7,434,729) in view of DiRienzo (US. 6,343,310).
`
`18. With respect to Claim 9, Cracchiolo does not teach, according to the method of
`
`claim 7, further comprising the step of providing a computer- generated image of a
`
`physical card in the transmittedfile.
`
`However, DiRienzo discloses further comprising the step of providing a
`
`computer- generated image of a physical card in the transmitted file (370; Col. 14, lines
`
`1-9, lines 37-49).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of DiRienzo related to email
`
`form received by the organizations ('310; Abstract) into the teaching of Cracchiolo etal.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 10
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge (‘729; Abstract) and the combination would have
`
`yielded predictable results.
`
`19. With respect to Claim 14, Cracchiolo does not teach, according to the system of
`
`claim 12 wherein a computer-generated image of a physical card is provided in the
`
`electronically transmitted document.
`
`However, DiRienzo discloses further comprising the step of providing a
`
`computer- generated image of a physical card in the transmitted file (370; Col. 14, lines
`
`1-9, lines 37-49).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of DiRienzo related to email
`
`form received by the organizations ('310; Abstract) into the teaching of Cracchiolo etal.
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge (‘729; Abstract) and the combination would have
`
`yielded predictable results.
`
`20. Withrespect to Claim 19, Cracchiolo does not teach, according to the methodof
`
`claim 17 wherein a computer-generated image of a physical card is provided in the
`
`mergedfile.
`
`However, DiRienzo discloses wherein a computer-generated image of a physical
`
`card is provided in the mergedfile (310; Col. 14, lines 1-9, lines 37-49).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 11
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of DiRienzo related to email
`
`form received by the organizations ('310; Abstract) into the teaching of Cracchiolo etal.
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge (‘729; Abstract) and the combination would have
`
`yielded predictable results.
`
`21. With respect to Claim 24, Cracchiolo does not teach, according to the system of
`
`claim 22 wherein a computer-generated image of a physical card is provided in the
`
`electronic file.
`
`However, DiRienzo discloses wherein a computer-generated image of a physical
`
`card is providedin the electronic file (370; Col. 14, lines 1-9, lines 37-49).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of DiRienzo related to email
`
`form received by the organizations ('310; Abstract) into the teaching of Cracchiolo etal.
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge (‘729; Abstract) and the combination would have
`
`yielded predictable results.
`
`22.
`
`Claims 10, 15, 20, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
`
`unpatentable over Cracchiolo et al. (US 7,434,729) in view of DiRienzo (US. 6,343,310),
`
`and further in view of LLic (US. 20050122953).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 12
`
`23. With respect to Claim 10, the combined art /Cracchiolo/DiRienzo doesnot teach,
`
`according to the method of claim 7 wherein the transmittedfile is sent by computer-
`
`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`However, LLic discloses wherein the transmitted file is sent by computer-
`
`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP (‘953; Paras 0013-0014).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of LLic related to universal
`
`application of of the communication module and compatible data exchange as taught by
`
`LLic (953; abstract) into the teaching of the combined art Cracchiolo et al./DiRenzio
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge and intergrated claims system(‘729 & ‘310; Abstract)
`
`and the combination would haveyielded predictable results.
`
`24. With respect to Claim 15, the combined art /Cracchiolo/DiRienzo doesnot teach,
`
`according to the system of claim 12 wherein the electronically transmitted documentis
`
`sent by computer-implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from the group
`
`consisting of fax, SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 13
`
`However, LLic discloses wherein the transmittedfile is sent by computer-
`
`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP (‘953; Paras 0013-0014).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ofordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of LLic related to universal
`
`application of of the communication module and compatible data exchange as taught by
`
`LLic (953; abstract) into the teaching of the combined art Cracchiolo et al./DiRenzio
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge and intergrated claims system(‘729 & ‘310; Abstract)
`
`and the combination would haveyielded predictable results.
`
`25. With respect to Claim 20, the combined art /Cracchiolo/DiRienzo doesnot teach,
`
`according to the method of claim 17 wherein the mergedfile is sent by computer-
`
`implementedelectronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`However, LLic discloses wherein the mergedfile is sent by computer-
`
`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP (‘953; Paras 0013-0014).
`
`Therefore, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of LLic related to universal
`
`application of of the communication module and compatible data exchange as taught by
`
`LLic (953; abstract) into the teaching of the combined art Cracchiolo et al./DiRenzio
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 14
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge and intergrated claims system(‘729 & ‘310; Abstract)
`
`and the combination would haveyielded predictable results.
`
`26. Withrespect to Claim 25, the combined art /Cracchiolo/DiRienzo doesnot teach,
`
`according to the system of claim 22 wherein the electronic file is sent by computer-
`
`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
`
`However, LLic discloses wherein the electronic file is sent by computer-
`
`implemented electronic transmission medium selected from the group consisting of fax,
`
`SMTP, SMS, MMS, HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP (‘953; Paras 0013-0014).
`
`27.—Therefore, it would have been obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art at the
`
`time the invention was madeto incorporate the teachings of LLic related to universal
`
`application of of the communication module and compatible data exchange as taught by
`
`LLic (953; abstract) into the teaching of the combined art Cracchiolo et al./DiRenzio
`
`relating the use of healthcare cards of funding sources of the purchaser from whichto
`
`draw funds for paymentof charge andintegrated claims system(‘729 & ‘310; Abstract)
`
`and the combination would haveyielded predictable results.
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`28.
`
`Claims 1-6 are allowed.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
`
`Page 15
`
`The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject
`
`matter.
`
`With respect to Claims 1, 2 and 6, the prior art of record fails to disclose the
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`stored value card is loaded with funds equal to the authorized benefit payment, and
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`creating a computer-generated imagefile containing the stored-value card account
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`number, a card verification value code, an expiration date, an explanation of benefits
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`Claims 3-5 incorporate all the limitations of claim 2 and are allowed for the same
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`reasons given above.
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`Conclusion
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`29.—Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to HIEP V. NGUYEN whosetelephone numberis (571)
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`270-5211. The examiner can normally be reached on Mondaythrough Friday between
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`8:00AM and 5:00PM.
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`30.
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`‘If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Jerry O’Connor can be reached on 5712726787. The fax phone numberfor
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`the organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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`31.—Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 13/358,620
`Art Unit: 3686
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`Page 16
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see Attp:/pair-direct.uspto.goy. Should
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`you have questions on accessto the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free).
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`If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automatedinformation
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or (571) 272-1000.
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`32.
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`Official replies to this Office action may now be submitted electronically by
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`registered users of the EFS-Web system.
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`Information on EFS-Webtools is available on
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`the Internet at: hile./Awww.uspto.gov/patents/process/lile/ets/quidance/index.jsp. An
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`EFS-Web Quick-Start Guide is available at: Atio/Avww.uspto.gov/ebe/portal/efs/quick-
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`startod?
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`33.
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`Alternatively, official replies to this Office action maystill be submitted by any
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`oneof fax, mail, or hand delivery. Faxed replies should be directed to the central
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`fax at (571) 273-8300. Mailed replies should be addressed to “Commissioner for
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`Patents, PO Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313-1450.” Hand delivered replies should be
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`delivered to the “Customer Service Window, Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street,
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`Alexandria, VA 22314.”
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`/HIEP V NGUYEN/
`Examiner, Art Unit 3686
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`