Patent decision

BL number

O/332/21

Concerning rights in

GB1710361.5

Hearing Officer

Mr B Buchanan

Decision date

5 May 2021

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Pegasystems Inc.

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977 section 1(2)(c)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The claimed invention relates to collaborative access to a software application or website on a user-™s computer over a network. It is designed to facilitate assistance or support to a first user, provided by a second user such as a customer service representative. The invention works by automatically determining a subset of user interface elements on a first user-™s computer for presentation to a second computer. A user of the second computer can identify relevant elements which are then highlighted on the first computer, alongside a chat function. The selection of the subset and the highlighting of identified elements are performed in conjunction with an intermediary server which uses structured document properties, attributes and events to transmit only the selected and identified data. Resource, time and complexity is therefore reduced. Security can be enhanced.

The Hearing Officer followed the four stepAerotel/Macrossantest to determine whether there was a technical contribution and considered theAT&Tsignposts.The identified contribution was not found to provide the required technical effect and the claimed invention was found to relate solely to a program for a computer as such, so the application did not meet the requirements of section 1(2)(c). The application was refused under section 18(3).

Full decisionO/332/21  246Kb