US 10614477

Patent Analysis: US 10,614,477

Date of Analysis: April 26, 2026

Here is a concise summary of US patent 10,614,477, including its key details and a plain-language overview of its independent claims.

Patent Information

• Title: Subscription bill service, systems and methods
• Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC
• Inventor: Patrick Soon-Shiong
• Filing Date: May 24, 2019
• Issue Date: April 7, 2020
• Abstract: A number of sets of methods, systems, and apparatuses applicable to transactions are disclosed. One set includes transaction systems configured to reconcile a transaction among multiple provider accounts or user accounts via derived object attributes and reconciliation matrices. Another set includes methods of reconciling payment of a coupon. Another set includes transaction apparatuses configured to derive object attributes from digital representations to identify purchasable items. Still another set includes methods of mitigating risk of transaction fraud.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

US patent 10,614,477 has three independent claims: 1, 10, and 18. Below is a simplified explanation of each.

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a method for managing financial transactions related to a subscription service. It involves a system that can recognize a real-world object (like a product or an advertisement) using a device, and then based on what it recognizes, create a "virtual coupon" or discount. This coupon can then be applied to a user's subscription bill. The system is designed to handle the financial settlement between the company that issued the coupon, the vendor of the product or service, and the consumer's account. This process is triggered by an event on a mobile device, like scanning an item.

• Independent Claim 10: This claim focuses on a physical device, or "transaction apparatus," that is equipped to perform the functions described in the patent. This could be a smartphone, a specialized kiosk, or another point-of-sale device. The apparatus must have a sensor (like a camera) to capture a digital image or representation of a real-world object. It needs a "recognition module" to analyze this digital representation, identify the object and its attributes (like its location and the time), and then determine what purchasable item is associated with it. The device also includes a "virtual coupon generator" to create a relevant coupon and a "transaction interface" to manage the process of applying this coupon to a payment and reconciling the accounts of the different parties involved.

• Independent Claim 18: This claim outlines a method specifically aimed at reducing the risk of fraud in these types of transactions. It starts with a virtual coupon for a purchasable item being provided to a mobile device. The user can then initiate an electronic transaction with this coupon. A key feature of this claim is that the user is allowed to choose a specific "target account" from a list of several available accounts to which the coupon's value (like loyalty points or a discount) should be credited. The transaction is then authenticated by checking various attributes, including information from the mobile device and the user's choice of the target account, before the credit is applied.

Litigation and CAFC Docket Search

A search of court records indicates that US patent 10,614,477 was the subject of litigation in the case NantWorks LLC et al. v. Niantic Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Case No. 3:20-cv-06262). A search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026 did not reveal any specific appeals related to this patent as of the date of this analysis. This information is provided for context and is not a legal opinion on the current status of any litigation.