Prior art

Based on a review of the references cited during the prosecution of US Patent 6,032,137, the following prior art is identified as most relevant to the patent's claims, particularly independent claim 1. The analysis focuses on potential anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102, which requires a single prior art reference to disclose every element of a claimed invention.

Most Relevant Prior Art

The most relevant cited reference appears to be US 5,870,723. It describes a system for converting paper-based transactions, such as checks, into electronic transactions at a remote point of sale, which closely aligns with the system claimed in the '137 patent. Other references, such as US 5,283,829 and US 5,602,933, are also highly relevant as they disclose systems for remote data capture and central verification.

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Detailed Analysis of Key Prior Art References

1. U.S. Patent 5,870,723 A

• Full Citation: Pare, Jr. et al., "System for managing and conducting a paper-based transaction as an electronic transaction"
• Publication Date: February 9, 1999
• Filing Date: August 8, 1996
• Brief Description: This patent discloses a system and method for processing paper checks as electronic transactions at the point of sale. A remote terminal at a merchant location scans a check, captures data (account number, amount), transmits this data through a network for authorization, and converts the transaction into an electronic funds transfer (EFT). The system utilizes existing financial networks, which include intermediary processors, to connect the remote merchant to a central clearinghouse for settlement.
• Potential Anticipation of Claim 1: This patent appears to disclose all elements of claim 1 of the '137 patent.
  • "at least one remote data access subsystem for capturing and sending... transaction data": The point-of-sale terminal with a check scanner in the '723 patent directly corresponds to this element. It captures data from a paper transaction and sends it electronically.
  • "at least one data collecting subsystem for collecting and sending the... transaction data": The '723 patent describes transmitting data through a "transaction network," which in the context of financial transactions includes acquirers or processors that collect data from multiple merchants before forwarding it. This intermediary function aligns with the claimed "data collecting subsystem."
  • "at least one central data processing subsystem for processing, sending and storing the... transaction data": The "clearing house computer system" described in the '723 patent serves this function. It receives transaction data from the network, processes it for settlement between financial institutions, and stores transaction records.
  • "at least one communication network": The patent explicitly describes a "transaction network" connecting the remote terminals to the central clearinghouse.

2. U.S. Patent 5,283,829 A

• Full Citation: Anderson, "Method for verifying the authenticity of documents in a data processing system"
• Publication Date: February 1, 1994
• Filing Date: July 31, 1992
• Brief Description: The '829 patent describes a system for verifying the authenticity of documents like checks at a point-of-sale terminal. The system involves a terminal that scans a document, extracts features (such as a signature), transmits the extracted data to a central host computer, and compares the data against a master file for verification.
• Potential Anticipation of Claim 1: This reference is highly relevant but may not fully disclose the intermediate "data collecting subsystem."
  • "remote data access subsystem": Disclosed as the point-of-sale terminal with a scanner.
  • "central data processing subsystem": Disclosed as the central host computer that performs the verification and stores the master reference file.
  • "communication network": Implicitly disclosed as the means of communication between the terminal and the central host.
  • "data collecting subsystem": The '829 patent appears to describe a two-tier (remote-to-central) architecture. It is not explicit about an intermediate subsystem that collects data from multiple remote sites before forwarding it to the central processor. This potential distinction may prevent a finding of direct anticipation.

3. U.S. Patent 5,602,933 A

• Full Citation: Kageyama, "Data verification system and data verification method"
• Publication Date: February 11, 1997
• Filing Date: May 26, 1995
• Brief Description: This patent details a system for ensuring the integrity of data captured at a remote location. A remote terminal acquires data, encrypts it, and transmits it over a communication line to a central facility. The central facility then compares the received data with master data stored centrally to verify its authenticity.
• Potential Anticipation of Claim 1: Similar to the '829 patent, this reference teaches a remote-to-central architecture but lacks a clear disclosure of the intermediate tier.
  • "remote data access subsystem": Disclosed as the remote terminal that acquires and encrypts data.
  • "central data processing subsystem": Disclosed as the "central facility" which stores master data and performs the verification.
  • "communication network": Disclosed as the communication line between the remote and central locations.
  • "data collecting subsystem": The architecture described does not explicitly include an intermediary collector, making direct anticipation of this element unlikely.