符合專利法第101條的標準 - 流程

USPTO過渡期間評斷符合專利法第101條的標準

針對判斷流程是否符合美國專利第101條的標準，可參考下圖：


主要判斷原則以最寬合理的解釋（broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI)）來判斷是否符合M-or-T test:
流程是否連結於特定機器或是裝置？或是轉換特定東西至另一狀態或是事物上？
只要符合其一即符合101規定的法定標的
(1) be tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or
(2) particularly transform a particular article to a different state or thing.

但另有補述，所謂的特定機器與轉換則應為有意義的限制，避免無意義而只是要迴避規定的描述
[原文]
Two corollaries: the particular machine or transformation must involve:
– Meaningful limits
– More than insignificant “extra-solution” activity

文件中有舉例：
此為不符規定的範圍
Claim 4. A method of evaluating search results, comprising:
– sorting the results into groups based on a first characteristic;
– ranking the results based on a second characteristic; and
– comparing the ranked results to a predetermined list of desired results to evaluate the success of the search.
權利範圍包括排序與比對來評估檢索結果，因為沒有連結任何硬體，亦無執行任何轉換，被認定為不符101的規定

此為符合規定的範圍
Claim 5. A method of evaluating search results, comprising:
– sorting the results into groups based on a first characteristic;
– ranking the results based on a second characteristic; and
– comparing, using a microprocessor, the ranked results to a predetermined list of desired results to evaluate the success of the search.
權利範圍先是根據特性排序，在進行比分、比對，其中應用到microprocessor，且被視為有意義的限制，故被視為是連結到有意義的硬體，為可專利的法定標的

此為不符規定的範圍
Claim 6. A method of evaluating search results, comprising:
– obtaining the search results by electronically downloading the results from a database;
– sorting the results into groups based on a first characteristic;
– ranking the results based on a second characteristic; and
– comparing the ranked results to a predetermined list of desired results to
evaluate the success of the search.
範圍中有提到資料庫，表示應具有連結電腦系統的硬體連結，然而，對於整體技術而言，連結資料庫擷取資料並未產生有意義的限制，其他又未產生任何轉換，故被認定為不符101之規定

Ron