從一件Amazon行動支付的專利US8682802 (Mobile payments using payment tokens)開始，此案揭露一種利用支付令牌（token）的行動支付技術，支付方執行行動支付時，相關載具（如手機）會自伺服器取得一次式識別符（如OTP），此載具產生圖形（如QR碼），支付的對象可用自己載具上的照相機拍攝後取得支付方一次式識別符，接著通過伺服器認證這個識別符，以確認此令牌為合法，才完成本次行動支付。
看來，這是一個十分經典的兩個載具執行行動支付過程由第三方伺服器認證的技術，下圖就表示這個程序的完整架構，使用者操作手機行程一次式QR碼，由接收端掃描後，再與伺服器認證，確認使用者後，可完成支付。
本案US8682802審查歷史十分精彩，但也可以看出一個企業為了取得「核心專利」所作出的手段，更可以瞭解，如果要取得適當的專利範圍，這類發明確實不容易在幾次OA就核准專利。本案除了一般審查意見與答辯修正外，更進行了面詢、前置訴願（pre-appeal）等程序，過程中在終駁（final OA）後面詢又再接到一次終駁，不過在一次Pre-Appeal後成功取得專利。（顯然，如Amazon這個厲害的公司，為了取得專利也是頗費工夫，這就是專利，請諸位發明家不要奢求一次核准的專利）
從幾次專利範圍修正可以得到取得專利的關鍵技術元件主要為「one-time use payment token」，核准後專利範圍界定一個電腦實現的方法，由伺服器執行以下程序，包括收到終端請求OTP的訊息，伺服器先確認使用者帳戶，再產生OTP，傳送到終端後，產生支付請求，認證後終端完成支付。
有關支付、金融、商業等專利有不小的機率會面對35U.S.C.101問題，這件也不例外，面對101問題，Amazon修正了專利範圍，補入通過伺服器執行確認使用者帳戶、產生token的限制，下次OA就撤回101核駁意見。
OA重要程序檔案備份：https://app.box.com/s/g2xs1wod2xrqelqkrcim2fxkq9ikhx6l
Amazon似乎取得範圍不錯的專利，在此尚未研究答辯過程產生的歷史禁反言。
US8682802專利的美國專利分類為「705/65, 705/64」，於是，可以據此延伸找到Amazon其他相關類別的專利，在此類別下已核准專利有：
8,977,568 Anonymous mobile payments
8,768,852 Determining phrases related to other phrases
8,706,644 Mining phrases for association with a user
8,706,643 Generating and suggesting phrases
8,682,802 Mobile payments using payment tokens
8,655,786 Aggregate constraints for payment transactions
8,423,457 Anonymous mobile payments
8,370,264 System and method of fulfilling a transaction
8,352,376 System and method for authorization of transactions
8,266,064 Purchases for another involving digital content items
8,260,840 Dynamic scaling of a cluster of computing nodes used for distributed execution of a program
8,239,326 Method and apparatus for authorizing transactions using transaction phrases in a transaction authorization service
8,150,769 Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions
8,131,647 Method and system for providing annotations of a digital work
7,962,419 Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions
7,962,418 System and method of fulfilling a transaction
7,962,415 Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions
7,801,824 Method and apparatus to facilitate online purchase of works using paid electronic previews
7,742,994 Providing payments automatically in accordance with predefined instructions
7,729,994 Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions
7,584,152 Automatic authorization of programmatic transactions
7,502,760 Providing payments automatically in accordance with predefined instructions
7,383,231 Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions
7,324,976 Automatic authorization of programmatic transactions
從petapator工具得到這些專利的美國專利分類統計：
其中最多的主類為705（經查，Amazon在此類別共有651獲准專利），定義為「Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or cost/price determination」，包括資料處理、金融、商業實作、管理或費用判斷；次要如380（密碼學），顯然在這塊十分重視資訊安全；709為數位處理系統。
再經過一些過濾，還可得到涉及支付的專利：
9,031,875 System and method for reusing payment authorizations
8,706,619 Employing spillover tables for data updates
8,577,740 System and method for combining fulfillment of customer orders from merchants in computer-facilitated marketplaces
8,509,734 Location aware transaction authorization
8,401,970 System and method for reusing payment authorizations
8,401,968 Mobile group payments
8,312,523 Enhanced security for electronic communications
8,296,231 Network accessible funds transfer system
再看US9031875 (System and method for reusing payment authorizations)，此案揭露再使用支付授權的方法，其中有個可重複使用授權的組件，用以接收指示而取得與客戶相關聯的支付與交易資訊，使得可以重複授權相同的交易。
1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing program instructions that when executed on a computer create a payment management system comprising:
an authorization reusability component configured to:
subsequent to a customer providing, via an order handling system,
payment information for an order,
receive, from a payment processing entity, a payment authorization that indicates funds of an account associated with the customer have been reserved as a form of payment for a given transaction associated with said order;
store, to a data store, a record of an assignment of the reserved funds of said payment authorization to the given transaction;
subsequent to the assignment of the reserved funds, update the record to reassign at least some of the reserved funds of the authorization to one or more other transactions; and
initiate a settlement with the payment processing entity, of said one or more other transactions, said settlement including the reserved funds reassigned to that transaction.
此案在審查前提出主動修正後（preliminary amendments），就在第一次OA時已經有可核准專利了。此案在專利分類中，美國專利分類仍在705，IPC/CPC主類為「G06Q」：應用在管理商業、金融、財務等監督目的的資料處理系統。
再舉一例US8423457，此案揭露一種匿名行動支付的技術，如何匿名，技術在於支付方與接收方之間採用一個行動支付伺服器產生的「兌換碼（redemption code）」，攜帶交易資訊，並以此為認證雙方的依據，使得交易過程中不需要交換個人資訊。
1. A computer-implemented method of providing an anonymous mobile payment to enable transfer of an electronic payment between a provider and a recipient without an exchange of personal information between the provider and the recipient, the computer-implemented method comprising:
under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions,
receiving, via one or more mobile payment servers, a payment message from the provider, the payment message including a payment amount to be tendered to the recipient;
reserving the payment amount in an account associated with the provider as unavailable to the provider;
transmitting a redemption code to the provider, the redemption code allowing the provider to initiate tendering of the payment amount by communicating the redemption code to the recipient, the redemption code enabling redemption of the payment amount at the one or more mobile payment servers after the recipient receives the redemption code from the provider;
receiving, from the recipient at the one or more payment servers via a network communication after the provider communicates the redemption code to the recipient, the redemption code and a device identifier associated with the recipient; and
transferring the payment amount from the account associated with the provider to an account associated with the recipient.
my two cents:
要找金融科技的專利，就在「美國專利分類主類別705」或「IPC/CPC主分類為G06Q」中找吧！
Amazon跨足金融科技不難，因為他實現的能力超強（如Amazon Go），並從虛擬通路展開到實體通路（讓許多通路商倒店後再自己切入），只是目前專利似乎還不夠，但是佈局是顯而易見地增加，擁有虛擬與實體通路的Amazon將成為金融業巨人。
看了幾件Amazon的專利，感覺專利撰寫、請求項內容有個固定模式，表示Amazon對於專利控管頗為嚴格，雖可能委託不同代理人，但仍形成一個固定的勝利方程式。
Ron
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