Absurd Software Patent of the Week

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As part of the Software Patents effort, I’d like to highlight a few bad/absurd software patents that make our jaws drop every week.

I’d like to begin with this classic US6185590B1 - Process and architecture for use on stand-alone machine and in distributed computer architecture for client server and/or intranet and/or internet operating environments - Google Patents

An image viewer process views at least one document image including an electronic document image, and performs viewing operations to the electronic document image. The process includes the step of selecting, by the user, one of a plurality of image viewing perspectives. Each of the plurality of image viewing perspectives provide the user the capability of viewing the document image in accordance with a different predefined user perspective. The process also includes the steps of selecting, by the user, using the image viewer process the document image to be viewed, and retrieving, by the image viewer process, the document image. The process also includes the step of displaying, by the image viewer process, the selected document image in accordance with an image viewing perspective selected by the user.

Simply put,

He said, if you hook up a scanner and e-mail a PDF document—we have a patent that covers that as a process

Take a look at Patent trolls want $1,000—for using scanners | Ars Technica for more information.

When Steven Vicinanza got a letter in the mail earlier this year informing him that he needed to pay $1,000 per employee for a license to some “distributed computer architecture” patents, he didn’t quite believe it at first. The letter seemed to be saying anyone using a modern office scanner to scan documents to e-mail would have to pay—which is to say, just about any business, period.

If he’d paid up, the IT services provider that Vicinanza founded, BlueWave Computing, would have owed $130,000.

Thankfully that specific patent expired in 2017 (20 years from when it was originally issued in 1997) but it makes you wonder, if this could be patented, what else was.

If you come across an absurd software patent, please consider posting on this thread and telling us about it.

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@rahulporuri would you be able to share a copy of the software patent study SFLC did? That has a bunch of absurd software patents filed in India.

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My favorites are (1) Method for exercising a cat with a laser pointer and (B) Method for swinging on a swing. The first one is self-explanatory. In the second case, the “inventor” claimed that normally one swings on a swing in a forward and backwards motion. He has “invented” a method to swing sideways. Therefore, (to use patenting terminology) it is novel, inventive, and “non-obvious to a skilled practitioner of the art.”

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software patent study SFLC

As far as I am aware, the report is still in a draft stage and not yet published by SFLC. @Venkatesh_Hariharan , please correct me if I am wrong. I’m unable to find the relevant link on the SFLC website.

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There is one minor fix needed to the SFLC study. I will share it after that is done.

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Title: IOT BASED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUSLY MANAGING AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENTS

Abstract: ABSTRACT IOT BASED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUSLY MANAGING AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENTS The present disclosure relates to Internet of Things (IoT) based method and system for autonomously managing agricultural equipments. One or more receiver device (101) is configured to receive a plurality of information from a plurality of input sources. A cloud server (102) is configured to receive the plurality of information from the one or more receiver device (101). The cloud server (102) processes the input plurality of information to determine a plurality of set of instructions. One or more end device (103) are configured to receive the plurality of set of instructions. The end devices (103) include on-field devices and personal computing devices. The set of instructions are transmitted for autonomous management of the on-field devices. It is a comprehensive system of agricultural management which takes in account overall farming conditions and input to autonomously manage on-field farming. It provides an integrated technology solution available to increase overall crop yield. Figure 1 is the reference figure

Complete Specification
…
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide IoT based method and system for autonomously managing agricultural equipments.
[0010] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a comprehensive agricultural resource management with accurate real-time and future operational control of agricultural devices.
SUMMARY
…
[0014] One should appreciate that although the present disclosure has been explained with respect to a defined set of functional modules, any other module or set of modules can be added/deleted/modified/combined, and any such changes in architecture/construction of the proposed system are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. Each module can also be fragmented into one or more functional sub-modules, all of which also completely within the scope of the present disclosure.

Published and Granted in 2023

To read the entire patent, please visit https://iprsearch.ipindia.gov.in/PublicSearch/ and enter the Application Number “202311052655”

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This edition of the “Absurd Software Patent of the Week” is presented courtesy of the NASSCOM Patenting Trends in India – Edition 2024 Fostering an IP-led Digital Economy report. One of the “Case examples of patents filed” presented in the report is “System for providing financial process automation to financial organization” by SIGNZY, which is what we will be looking at this week.

In order to read the Patent yourself, please head to the India Patent Advanced Search System (inPASS) portal and search for the “Published” Patent with the “Application Number” “202121003875”. You can also read the “Complete Specification” of the Patent below.

Note that the Patent Application Filing Date was 28/01/2021 in India and 27/01/2022 in the US (see US20220237692A1 - Method and system for providing financial process automation to financial organization - Google Patents)

Also of interest are other patents that Signzy has applied for in India. You can read these by searching for “signzy” in the “Applicant Name” field in inPASS. Like the patent “202021031603” titled “SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED USER AUTHENTICATION BASED ON VIDEO AND AUDIO FEED IN REAL-TIME”.

SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING FINANCIAL PROCESS AUTOMATION TO FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION
Publication Date 29/07/2022
Application Filing Date 28/01/2021

Abstract:

The present disclosure provides a financial process automation system (112), which performs a method for providing robotic process automation for a financial organization (104). The method focuses on receiving one or more user documents associated with a user. The one or more user documents are identification documents associated with the user. In addition, the method focuses on classifying each of the one or more user documents in a set of documents. The financial process automation system (112) classifies each of the one or more user documents based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization (104). Further, the method focuses on detecting one or more form fields in each of the one or more user documents. Furthermore, the method focuses on performing training of the financial process automation system (112). Moreover, the method focuses on creating custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112). To be published with Fig. 1

Claims:We Claim:

  1. A computer system comprising:
    one or more processors; and
    a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for providing robotic process automation for a financial organization (104), the method comprising:
  • receiving, at a financial process automation system (112), one or more user documents associated with a user, wherein the one or more user documents are identification documents associated with the user, wherein the one or more user documents are received from one or more sources, wherein the one or more user documents are received in one or more input formats;
  • classifying, at the financial process automation system (112), each of the one or more user documents in a set of documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) classifies each of the one or more user documents in the set of documents based on a confidence score of each of the one or more user documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) classifies each of the one or more user documents based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization (104);
  • detecting, at the financial process automation system (108), one or more form fields in each of the one or more user documents, wherein the one or more form fields are detected using one or more hardware-run algorithms, wherein the one or more form fields are detected for extracting information of the user from the one or more user documents;
  • performing, at the financial process automation system (112), training of the financial process automation system (112), wherein the training of the financial process automation system (112) is performed using an artificial intelligence decision engine, wherein the training of the financial process automation system (112) is performed until accuracy of the financial process automation system (112) is above a predefined threshold value; and
  • creating, at the financial process automation system (112), custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112), wherein the custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112) is enabled in real-time, wherein the custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112) is enabled based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization (104).
Full text of the Published Patent minus "Brief description of the Figures" section

Claims:We Claim:

  1. A computer system comprising:
    one or more processors; and
    a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for providing robotic process automation for a financial organization (104), the method comprising:
    receiving, at a financial process automation system (112), one or more user documents associated with a user, wherein the one or more user documents are identification documents associated with the user, wherein the one or more user documents are received from one or more sources, wherein the one or more user documents are received in one or more input formats;
    classifying, at the financial process automation system (112), each of the one or more user documents in a set of documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) classifies each of the one or more user documents in the set of documents based on a confidence score of each of the one or more user documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) classifies each of the one or more user documents based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization (104);
    detecting, at the financial process automation system (108), one or more form fields in each of the one or more user documents, wherein the one or more form fields are detected using one or more hardware-run algorithms, wherein the one or more form fields are detected for extracting information of the user from the one or more user documents;
    performing, at the financial process automation system (112), training of the financial process automation system (112), wherein the training of the financial process automation system (112) is performed using an artificial intelligence decision engine, wherein the training of the financial process automation system (112) is performed until accuracy of the financial process automation system (112) is above a predefined threshold value; and
    creating, at the financial process automation system (112), custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112), wherein the custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112) is enabled in real-time, wherein the custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112) is enabled based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization (104).

  2. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more user documents comprises at least one of proof of residence of the user, proof of identity of the user, proof of age of the user, photograph of the user, signature of the user, permanent account number of the user, education certificate of the user, character certificate of the user, national identity document of the user, and income certificate of the user.

  3. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the set of documents comprises at least one of aadhaar card of the user, pan card of the user, passport of the user, birth certificate of the user, driving license of the user, social security card of the user, society welfare card of the user, income tax card of the user, ration card of the user, domicile card of the user, voter ID card of the user, electricity bill of the user, water consumption bill of the user, gas consumption bill of the user, rent agreement of the user, and telephone bill of the user.

  4. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more input formats comprises at least one of text, image, audio, video, gif, and animation.

  5. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more sources comprises at least one of manual forms filled by the user, web-based forms, mobile application based forms, and data from third-party offline and online sources.

  6. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the financial process automation system (112) provides an interface to a client (102) for interacting with the financial process automation system (112) using a virtual assistant, wherein the virtual assistant provides complete assistance to the client (102) for enabling the custom implementation of the financial process automation system (112).

  7. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the financial process automation system (112) performs facial image extraction from the one or more user documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) performs the facial image extraction with facilitation of the artificial intelligence decision engine, wherein the financial process automation system (112) performs the facial image extraction using one or more computer vision algorithms.

  8. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further comprising performing signature extraction, at the financial process automation system (112), for extracting signature from the one or more user documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) performs signature extraction using one or more feature detection algorithms.

  9. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further comprising masking, at the financial process automation system (112), sensitive information extracted from the one or more user documents, wherein the financial process automation system (112) performs the masking using one or more masking algorithms, wherein the financial process automation system (112) performs the masking for securing sensitive information present in the one or more user documents.

  10. The computer system as recited in claim 1, further comprising calculating, at the financial process automation system (112), the confidence score using the artificial intelligence decision engine, wherein the confidence score facilitates in determining the set of documents to be requested from the user based on the type of financial service provided by the financial process automation system (112), wherein the financial process automation system (112) re-calculates the confidence score based on re-training of the financial process automation system (112).
    , Description:SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING FINANCIAL PROCESS AUTOMATION TO FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of document processing, and in particular, provides a system for enabling a financial organization to automate processing of user documents.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Over the last few years, there has been a significant rise in number of documents that have to be reviewed, processed, stored and transformed into computer-readable data. For an example, documents include financial statements, collections, legal papers, insurance claims, account forms, confidential data, mortgages, tax forms, and so on. Generally, these documents contain data that has to be extracted in order to be further processed. Data contains information about a user. The user makes an account on a system associated with an organization. The user manually enters information, such as name, address, contact number, date of birth, gender, and so on. In addition, the user may upload images of identification documents, image of the user, signature and so on. Conventionally, information of the user is extracted by an administrator manually from forms. However, manual data extraction is clerical in nature and time consuming. Further, manual data extraction is tedious and expensive.
OBJECT OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] A primary object of the present disclosure is to provide financial process automation services to a financial organization.
[0004] Another object of the present disclosure is to reduce turnaround time to onboard customers on platform of the financial organization.
[0005] Yet another object of the present disclosure is to increase sales efficiency of the financial organization.
SUMMARY
[0006] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer system. The computer system includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores instructions. The instructions are executed by the one or more processors. The execution of instruction enables the one or more processors to perform a method for providing robotic process automation for a financial organization. The method includes a first step of receiving one or more user documents associated with a user. The method includes another step of classifying each of the one or more user documents in a set of documents. The method includes yet another step of detecting one or more form fields in each of the one or more user documents. The method includes yet another step of performing training of the financial process automation system. The method includes yet another step of creating custom implementation of the financial process automation system. The one or more user documents are identification documents associated with the user. The one or more user documents are received from one or more sources. The one or more user documents are received in one or more input formats. The financial process automation system classifies each of the one or more user documents in the set of documents based on a confidence score of each of the one or more user documents. The financial process automation system classifies each of the one or more user documents based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization. The one or more form fields are detected using one or more hardware-run algorithms. The one or more form fields are detected for extracting information of the user from the one or more user documents. The training of the financial process automation system is performed using an artificial intelligence decision engine. The training of the financial process automation system is performed until accuracy of the financial process automation system is above a predefined threshold value. The custom implementation of the financial process automation system is created in real-time. The custom implementation of the financial process automation system is created based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization.
STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE
[0007] The present disclosure provides a computer system. The computer system includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores instructions. The instructions are executed by the one or more processors. The execution of instruction enables the one or more processors to perform a method for providing robotic process automation for a financial organization. The method includes a first step of receiving one or more user documents associated with a user. The method includes another step of classifying each of the one or more user documents in a set of documents. The method includes yet another step of detecting one or more form fields in each of the one or more user documents. The method includes yet another step of performing training of the financial process automation system. The method includes yet another step of creating custom implementation of the financial process automation system. The one or more user documents are identification documents associated with the user. The one or more user documents are received from one or more sources. The one or more user documents are received in one or more input formats. The financial process automation system classifies each of the one or more user documents in the set of documents based on a confidence score of each of the one or more user documents. The financial process automation system classifies each of the one or more user documents based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization. The one or more form fields are detected using one or more hardware-run algorithms. The one or more form fields are detected for extracting information of the user from the one or more user documents. The training of the financial process automation system is performed using an artificial intelligence decision engine. The training of the financial process automation system is performed until accuracy of the financial process automation system is above a predefined threshold value. The custom implementation of the financial process automation system is created in real-time. The custom implementation of the financial process automation system is created based on type of financial service requested by the financial organization.

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Placeholder comment for future editions -

Application number - 202027042917
Invention Title - SYSTEM TO DETERMINE PERFORMANCE BASED ON ENTROPY VALUES
Applicant Name - HEADSPIN, INC. (one of the companies highlighted in the report)
Abstract - A test device may include a performance module determine entropy values for images, such as of a graphical user interface, to be presented on a display device of the test device. An entropy value for an image may be indicative of a distribution of data values, such as intensity or color values for pixels in the image. Patterns of entropy values over time may be provide information indicative of performance of the test device. For example, a constant entropy value over time may indicate the graphical user interface is not changing. In another example, particular patterns of entry values over time may be indicative of presentation of wait indicators or other user interface elements. The entropy values may be used to determine data indicative of performance of the test device. This data may be stored locally, sent to an extern
al device, and so forth.
Personal comment - This is just math
Note - The registered address of the Inventors and the Applicant is in the US, not in India.

Application number - 201917008649
Invention Title - DISTRIBUTED VIDEO STORAGE AND SEARCH WITH EDGE COMPUTING
Applicant Name - NETRADYNE, INC. (one of the companies highlighted in the report)
Abstract - Systems and methods are provided for distributed video storage and search with edge computing. The method may comprise caching a first portion of data on a first device. The method may further comprise determining, at a second device, whether the first device has the first portion of data. The determining may be based on whether the first piece of data satisfies a specified criterion. The method may further comprise sending the data, or a portion of the data, and/or a representation of the data from the first device to a third device.
Personal comment - This is an “X” with Edge Computing patent where X is any existing technology. There is no new “Edge Computing” hardware technology being patented here.
Note - The registered address of the Inventors and the Applicant is in the US, not in India.

Application number - 201817035717
Invention Title - ADVANCED PATH PREDICTION
Applicant Name - NETRADYNE INC.
Abstract - The present disclosure provides systems and methods for mapping a determined path of travel. The path of travel may be mapped to a camera view of a camera affixed to a vehicle. In some embodiments, the path of travel may be mapped to another view that is based on a camera, such as a bird"s eye view anchored to the camera"s position at a given time. These systems and methods may determine the path of travel by incorporating data from later points in time.
Personal comment - This is also just math (path traversal and image projection)
Note - The registered address of the Inventors and the Applicant is in the US, not in India.

Application number - 202121045732
Invention Title - ADAPTING REPORT OF NODULES
Applicant Name - Qure.ai Technologies Private Limited (one of the companies highlighted in the report)
Abstract - ABSTRACT ADAPTING REPORT OF NODULES Disclosed is a system (102) and a method for adapting a report of nodules in computed tomography (CT) scan image. A CT scan image may be resampled into a plurality of slices. A plurality of region of interests may be identified on each slice using an image processing technique. Subsequently, a plurality of nodules may be detected in each region of interest using the deep learning. Further, a plurality of characteristics associated with each nodule may be identified. The plurality of nodules may be classified into AI-confirmed nodules and AI-probable nodules based on a malignancy score. Further, feedback associated with the AI-confirmed nodules and the AI-probable may be received form a radiologist. Furthermore, data may be adapted based on the feedback. Finally, a report comprising adapted data may be generated. [To be published with Figure 1]
Personal comment - This is an “X” with AI patent where X is any existing process. This is Computer Vision (CV) + data pre-processing + object detection using supervised Machine Learning (might not even be Deep Learning) + math + maybe human-in-the-loop reinforcement learning

:popcorn:
Application number - 202121030904
Invention Title - ACQUIRING ULTRASOUND IMAGE
Applicant Name - Qure.ai Technologies Private Limited
IP firm that helped them file the patent - photonlegal.com (also filed the above patent that was granted)
Abstract - Disclosed is a method (1000) and a system (102) for acquiring a 3D ultrasound image. The method (100) comprises receiving a request to capture a plurality of ultrasound image for a medical test corresponding to a medical condition. The method (1000) further comprises determining a body part corresponding to the medical test. Further, the method (1000) comprises identifying an imaging site particular to the medical test. Furthermore, the method (1000) comprises providing a navigational guidance to the user in real time for positioning a handheld ultrasound device. Subsequently, the user is assisted to capture the plurality of ultrasound image of the imaging site in real time using deep learning. Further, the plurality of ultrasound images of the imaging site is captured. Finally, the method (1000) comprises converting the plurality of ultrasound image to a 3-Dimensional (3D) ultrasound image in real time.
:popcorn: Application Refused :popcorn:
Please see additional information under “Order(s)/Decision(s)” in the “Application Details” section of the “Patent Search”!

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I came across a few absurd patents in the above article

  • Patent Application number 202411017639 is about a social media platform based on blockchain. The specification in the application is a simple collection of features. It does not enable a person skilled in the art to achieve the said invention, adds nothing to already available blockchain based social networks like Verasity, and uses all buzzwords pertaining to blockchains.
  • Patent Application number 202411018482 is for an augmented reality textbook, which provides the content of a physical textbook in an augmented reality platform. Neither the description nor the drawings are detailed enough to enable a person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. The drawing, in fact, is merely a flow chart which explains how the system will work. This flow chart and the description is much less detailed than this paper on the same topic published in 2013. (Click here)
  • Patent Application number 202411018483 is a Blockchain based system for maintaining IP systems through smart contracts. This application is also a simple collection of features, and does not enable any person skilled in the art to make the patent. There are several websites that already provide these features. (See here) It is questionable as to how this adds anything to the current state of knowledge, which already provides for more safeguards. (See here)
  • Patent Application number 202411018745 is a GSM wearable monitoring system to track physiological parameters. This application is also a collection of features. Although it explains how the supposed invention works, the working is very rudimentary in nature and is anticipated by the state of the art in 2017. (See here)
  • Patent Application number 202411017219 is filed for a Voice activated assistant system based on Artificial Intelligence and internet of things. The product has four main components- AI enhanced natural language processing, IOT integration for smart devices control, privacy enhancing mechanisms like encryption and an adaptive learning system based on a feedback loop. However, even in the detailed description, no details have been disclosed. The claims and description do not disclose what is the encryption method used, how natural language would be processed by the system and even the brief details about the algorithm based on which the AI works. Any person skilled in the art would have no idea as to how this patent would be implemented to create the system.
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