Prior art — US Patent 6044382

Based on a thorough review of the prosecution history and cited references for U.S. Patent 6,044,382, the following analysis identifies the most relevant prior art.

Analysis of Prior Art Cited in U.S. Patent 6,044,382

The core invention of US 6,044,382 lies in a client-server architecture where a "host computer" with minimal local processing logic is dynamically configured to handle various data transactions. This is achieved by a remote "database server" downloading data streams that represent forms and menus. The host processor uses these forms to create a user interface, collect data, assemble a "data transaction," and send it back to the server. The patent repeatedly emphasizes that this method is "operating system independent," as the host device does not require pre-installed application-specific software but is instead reconfigured by the downloaded forms themselves (see patent Abstract and Claim 1).

The analysis below focuses on the prior art cited by the patent examiner during prosecution, as these references were considered most relevant to the patentability of the claimed invention.

1. U.S. Patent 4,799,156 - "System and method for interactive communication of data"

Full Citation: Shavit, S., & Ofek, Y. (1989). U.S. Patent No. 4,799,156. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Publication Date: January 17, 1989 (Filed: April 10, 1986)
Brief Description: This patent discloses a system where a central computer communicates with remote user terminals. The central computer can download "command sequences" and "data formats" to the terminals. These formats guide the user through a data entry process. The terminal collects the data and can transmit it back to the central computer immediately or in a later batch. The system is designed for applications like remote order entry or inventory management.
Potential Anticipation of Claims:
- Claims 1 and 13: The '156 patent describes a remote server downloading "data formats" (analogous to the forms/menus of '382) to a host terminal, which then uses them to collect user data and transmit it back. This teaches many core elements of claims 1 and 13. However, the '382 patent distinguishes itself with the specific limitation that the host computer is made "operating system independent" because the downloaded data stream itself reconfigures the processor into a "virtual" special-purpose machine for that specific application. The system in '156 appears to describe a more conventional terminal with a pre-existing operating system that simply interprets the downloaded formats, rather than being fundamentally reconfigured by them. This distinction, centered on the "operating system independent" nature of the host, likely prevents the '156 patent from fully anticipating these claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.
- Claim 22: The central computer in the '156 patent acts as a database server, transmitting data formats and receiving completed data from the remote terminals. However, Claim 22 of '382 specifically recites that the server "explodes said data transaction into its component parts" for storage in multiple database files. While the '156 patent describes storing the received data, it does not explicitly teach this "explosion" process, where a single transaction updates multiple, disparate database records. This additional step in Claim 22 likely prevents anticipation by the '156 patent.

2. U.S. Patent 5,195,130 - "Programmable terminal with security capability for use in a data transmitting system"

Full Citation: Weiss, E. (1993). U.S. Patent No. 5,195,130. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Publication Date: March 16, 1993 (Filed: October 22, 1990)
Brief Description: This patent, which is explicitly discussed in the background section of the '382 patent, describes a programmable computer/telephone terminal. The terminal is reconfigured by downloading data from a network host. This downloaded data, which may include software and hardware configuration information for a programmable gate array, allows the terminal to emulate the specific hardware and software requirements of various service bureaus. This enables a single terminal to communicate with different, non-standard back-end systems.
Potential Anticipation of Claims:
- Claims 1 and 13: This patent is highly relevant as it describes a terminal being dynamically reconfigured by a remote host for specific transactions. However, the method of reconfiguration is different. The '130 patent teaches reconfiguring the terminal's hardware (via a programmable gate array) and operating software to emulate another system. In contrast, the '382 patent claims a simpler approach where a general-purpose processor is controlled by data streams representing forms and menus, not by downloading new operating software or hardware configurations. The '382 patent positions its invention as a simpler, more lightweight solution. This difference in the nature of the downloaded data and the method of reconfiguration would be the argument against anticipation.
- Claim 22: The server in the '130 patent transmits reconfiguration data to the terminal. The server in Claim 22 transmits "data streams...representative of forms and menus" which "reconfigure" the remote device. While the high-level function is similar, the specific type of data transmitted is different, making direct anticipation unlikely.

3. U.S. Patent 5,652,786 - "Method and system for transferring information from a database to a caller over a telephone network"

Full Citation: Nishimura, T. (1997). U.S. Patent No. 5,652,786. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Publication Date: July 29, 1997 (Filed: April 1, 1996)
Brief Description: This patent describes a system for retrieving information from a host database and displaying it on a terminal over a telephone network. It specifically mentions a host computer downloading "display format data" and "procedure data" to a terminal (e.g., a stock price display terminal). The terminal uses this data to properly format and display the information received from the host.
Potential Anticipation of Claims:
- Claims 1 and 13: The '786 patent discloses a client-server model where "display format data" is downloaded to a remote terminal. This is conceptually similar to the "forms" in the '382 patent. However, the primary purpose of the system in '786 is information retrieval and display, not the creation and assembly of a complex data transaction by the user at the terminal for transmission back to the server. The '382 patent is focused on data input and assembly, making the host an active transaction creation device. This focus on data creation, combined with the "operating system independent" reconfiguration language, likely differentiates it from the '786 patent.
- Claim 22: The server described in the '786 patent transmits display and procedure data and receives requests. It does not, however, describe receiving a complex user-assembled "data transaction" and then "exploding" it into component parts to update a database, which is a key limitation of Claim 22. Therefore, anticipation is unlikely.