US 10796296

US Patent 10,796,296 Summary

Title: Kit, system and associated method and service for providing a platform to prevent fraudulent financial transactions

Assignee: Paygeo LLC

Inventors: Rabih S. Ballout

Filing Date: May 22, 2020

Issue Date: October 6, 2020

Abstract: A system and associated method and service for providing a platform that enables members to transfer, receive, or otherwise exchange cash in various international denominations and commodities, such as precious metals (e.g., gold, silver, etc.), in a mobile highly secured telecommunications environment. The system is capable of delivering cash instantly between two or more users by allowing the exchange of secure transactions between system and cash dispensing machines (ATMs). Users may pay, receive, exchange, deposit, transfer, pay bills, exchange currency, retrieve cash, deposit cash and create accounts based on the mobile phone number or a system generated code.

Independent Claim Overview:

The patent features three independent claims: Claim 1 (system), Claim 10 (method), and Claim 18 (non-transitory computer readable medium). All three claims describe essentially the same core functionalities, differing only in their statutory class (system, method, or computer readable medium).

Claim 1 (System): This claim describes a system for performing mobile financial transactions. The system includes a mobile transaction platform with at least one server configured to:

• "Good Deal" Application: Provide an application for mobile devices that facilitates monetary transactions between individuals or companies within a digital wallet environment.
• "Good Money" Function: Offer a function that, when activated, generates a legal tender equivalent to a user's chosen currency, backed by commodities or precious metals.
• "Swipay" or "Swipmail" Function: Enable the transfer of data, funds, or instruments between user devices by a finger swipe, or from a user device to a scanner.
• Digital Wallet Information Storage: Allow users to upload and store various forms of information typically found in a physical wallet (e.g., credit cards, IDs, loyalty cards) on their mobile device.
• Coded Transactions: Facilitate transactions that can be coded into various formats like 2D/3D bar/matrix/QR/maxi codes or SMS, readable by smartphones, scanners, or cashier scanners.
• Profile-Based Advertising: Profile users and offer vendors and advertisers the ability to target advertisements based on factors such as location, interests, demographics, product history, time zones, or geographic location.
• Transaction Metric Tracking: Track various transaction-related data, including amounts transferred/received, cash spent/transferred, items purchased, transaction locations (originating and destination), currency types, commodities exchanged/sold/purchased, and spending habits.

Claim 10 (Method): This claim describes a method for performing mobile financial transactions, encompassing the same functionalities as described in Claim 1, but framed as a series of steps performed by the system.

Claim 18 (Non-Transitory Computer Readable Medium): This claim describes a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions that, when executed, cause a device to perform the same functionalities as described in Claim 1 and Claim 10.

Litigation Notes:

US Patent 10796296 is currently active and has been involved in litigation.

• The patent family has ongoing litigation, with the first worldwide family litigation filed as indicated by Darts-ip.
• A PTAB case, IPR2025-01552, was filed but was not instituted on procedural grounds.
• A US case has been filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case number 2:25-cv-00334).
• There is no information regarding specific CAFC 2026 dockets for US10796296.## US Patent 10,796,296 Summary

Title: Kit, system and associated method and service for providing a platform to prevent fraudulent financial transactions

Assignee: Paygeo LLC

Inventors: Rabih S. Ballout

Filing Date: May 22, 2020

Issue Date: October 6, 2020

Abstract: A system and associated method and service for providing a platform that enables members to transfer, receive, or otherwise exchange cash in various international denominations and commodities, such as precious metals (e.g., gold, silver, etc.), in a mobile highly secured telecommunications environment. The system is capable of delivering cash instantly between two or more users by allowing the exchange of secure transactions between system and cash dispensing machines (ATMs). Users may pay, receive, exchange, deposit, transfer, pay bills, exchange currency, retrieve cash, deposit cash and create accounts based on the mobile phone number or a system generated code.

Independent Claim Overview:

The patent features three independent claims: Claim 1 (system), Claim 10 (method), and Claim 18 (non-transitory computer readable medium). All three claims describe essentially the same core functionalities, differing only in their statutory class (system, method, or computer readable medium).

Claim 1 (System): This claim describes a system for performing mobile financial transactions. The system includes a mobile transaction platform with at least one server configured to:

• "Good Deal" Application: Provide an application for mobile devices that facilitates monetary transactions between individuals or companies within a digital wallet environment.
• "Good Money" Function: Offer a function that, when activated, generates a legal tender equivalent to a user's chosen currency, backed by commodities or precious metals.
• "Swipay" or "Swipmail" Function: Enable the transfer of data, funds, or instruments between user devices by a finger swipe, or from a user device to a scanner.
• Digital Wallet Information Storage: Allow users to upload and store various forms of information typically found in a physical wallet (e.g., credit cards, IDs, loyalty cards) on their mobile device.
• Coded Transactions: Facilitate transactions that can be coded into various formats like 2D/3D bar/matrix/QR/maxi codes or SMS, readable by smartphones, scanners, or cashier scanners.
• Profile-Based Advertising: Profile users and offer vendors and advertisers the ability to target advertisements based on factors such as location, interests, demographics, product history, time zones, or geographic location.
• Transaction Metric Tracking: Track various transaction-related data, including amounts transferred/received, cash spent/transferred, items purchased, transaction locations (originating and destination), currency types, commodities exchanged/sold/purchased, and spending habits.

Claim 10 (Method): This claim describes a method for performing mobile financial transactions, encompassing the same functionalities as described in Claim 1, but framed as a series of steps performed by the system.

Claim 18 (Non-Transitory Computer Readable Medium): This claim describes a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions that, when executed, cause a device to perform the same functionalities as described in Claim 1 and Claim 10.

Litigation Notes:

US Patent 10796296 is currently active and has been involved in litigation.

• The patent family has ongoing litigation, with the first worldwide family litigation filed.
• A PTAB case, IPR2025-01552, was filed but was not instituted on procedural grounds.
• A US case has been filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case number 2:25-cv-00334).
• There is no information regarding specific CAFC 2026 dockets for US10796296.

Here is a list of known litigation involving US patent 10796296:

District Court Litigation

• Case Number: 2:25-cv-00334
• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Plaintiff(s): PayGeo, LLC
• Defendant(s): [[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) and Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
• Filing Date: April 1, 2025
• Current Status: Ongoing patent infringement litigation. PayGeo, LLC filed a motion to strike Samsung's Fourteenth Defense (equitable doctrines) on July 29, 2025. The case involves patent infringement claims related to US10796296, along with US Patent Nos. 8,554,671, 10,937,018, 11,087,307, and 12,014,347.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Proceedings

• Case Number: IPR2025-01552

• Petitioner(s): Unified Patents LLC (as per previously provided context)

• Patent Owner(s): Paygeo LLC

• Filing Date: (Information not explicitly available in search results, but the previous context indicates it was filed in 2025)

• Outcome/Status: Not Instituted - Procedural (as per previously provided context).

• Case Number: IPR2025-01555

• Petitioner(s): Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al.

• Patent Owner(s): PayGeo, LLC

• Filing Date: September 30, 2025

• Current Status: Ongoing PTAB proceeding. This IPR challenges US10796296 among other patents asserted by PayGeo against Samsung in district court litigation.

• Case Number: IPR2025-01554

• Petitioner(s): Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al.

• Patent Owner(s): PayGeo, LLC

• Filing Date: (Information not explicitly available in search results, but it is implied to be around the same time as IPR2025-01555, in 2025)

• Current Status: Ongoing PTAB proceeding, challenging US10796296 and other patents.

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding has been filed against US10796296, which resulted in a discretionary denial of institution. This outcome means the patent claims were not substantively challenged at the PTAB, indicating a hardened defensive posture for the patent owner regarding this specific proceeding.

IPR2025-01552 — [[[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) et al.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.%20et%20al.) v. Rabih S. Ballout

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2025-10-01
• Status: Discretionary Denial – The PTAB declined to institute review of the challenged claims based on procedural or discretionary grounds, rather than on the merits of patentability.
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges Jennifer L. Barry, Brian A. Saichek, and Kevin W. Turner.
• Petition grounds: The petition challenged claims 1-20 of US10796296 as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (obviousness) over various combinations of prior art, including U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout), U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0213697 A1 (Ballout), U.S. Patent No. 8,112,339 (Conrow), and U.S. Patent No. 7,490,064 (Sprenger).
• Institution decision: Denied on 2026-03-23. The panel exercised its discretion to deny institution under 35 U.S.C. § 314(a) and 37 C.F.R. § 42.108, citing factors from Fintiv (e.g., related district court litigation). Specifically, the Board found that institution was unwarranted given the advanced stage of the parallel district court litigation between the parties (2:25-cv-00334 in the Eastern District of Texas), the overlap in issues, and judicial economy considerations.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): Not applicable, as institution was denied.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable, as institution was denied on discretionary grounds.
• Appeal: No Federal Circuit appeal related to a Final Written Decision, as no FWD was issued.
• Defensive value: This discretionary denial means the validity of claims 1-20 was not substantively assessed by the PTAB in this IPR. Therefore, an IPR-based defense on these grounds will require a new petition, potentially facing similar discretionary denial arguments if parallel litigation is ongoing.

Strategic summary

All claims (1-20) of US10796296 remain untested at the PTAB, as the sole Inter Partes Review (IPR2025-01552) filed against the patent resulted in a discretionary denial of institution. This means no claims have been canceled or sustained by the PTAB.

The estoppel landscape from IPR2025-01552 is limited. Because institution was denied on discretionary grounds, rather than on the merits of patentability, the petitioner (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al.) and their privies may not be estopped from raising the same or similar prior art grounds in district court litigation. The Fintiv factors, which led to the discretionary denial, typically do not create statutory estoppel under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2).

A clear pattern signal is the discretionary denial based on parallel district court litigation. This indicates that the patent owner successfully leveraged the existence of the Texas Eastern District Court case (2:25-cv-00334) to prevent PTAB review. Unified Patents was mentioned as a petitioner for IPR2025-01552 in earlier context, but the canonical PTAB data lists Samsung as the petitioner. This discrepancy is noted; the canonical data from "PTAB proceedings on file" is followed, which lists Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. as the petitioner.

Recommended next steps

• Since IPR2025-01552 was denied institution on discretionary grounds, the validity of claims 1-20 has not been decided by the PTAB. Any defendant facing assertion of this patent should be aware that these claims are still active and have not been substantively challenged at the PTAB.
• The institution decision for IPR2025-01552 was issued on 2026-03-23. The full decision document can be found on the USPTO PTAB E2E portal by searching for IPR2025-01552.

Inventors

• Rabih S. Ballout: (Employer not specified at time of filing; patent lists "Individual" as original assignee).

Original assignee

The original assignee listed on the patent is Individual, referring to the inventor, Rabih S. Ballout, at the time of application filing. It is not determinable from the patent record whether Rabih S. Ballout shipped a product embodying the claims as an individual. His primary line of business as an individual inventor would be the development of intellectual property. His current status as an individual is not detailed in the patent record beyond his role as inventor.

Assignment timeline

• 2024-10-18 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-24 — Reel 065586/0333

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignor's Interest
  • Assignor: BALLOUT, RABIH
  • Assignee: PAYGEO LLC
  • Correspondent: NIKKI F. BHOGAL (D.B.A.) BHOGAL & BHOGAL, 2550 NORTH LOOP WEST, SUITE 860, HOUSTON, TX 77092. This correspondent is known for representing patent assertion entities.
  • Context: Transfer from individual inventor to an LLC.

• 2025-03-25 (executed) / recorded 2025-03-27 — Reel 066347/0348

  • Conveyance: PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: PAYGEO LLC
  • Assignee: PICCADILLY PATENT FUNDING LLC, AS SECURITY HOLDER
  • Correspondent: PICCADILLY PATENT FUNDING LLC, ATTN: LEGAL DEPT, 3450 LAKESIDE DR., # 105, RENO, NV 89509.
  • Context: Securitization of the patent.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 10796296
    2020 : Filed by Individual
         : Issued to Individual
    2024 : Assigned to PayGeo LLC
    2025 : Securitized by Piccadilly
         : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present. The Patent Security Agreement on 2025-03-25 to Piccadilly Patent Funding LLC, identified as "AS SECURITY HOLDER" and having an address in Reno, NV, suggests a financing entity often used in patent monetization, fitting the description of a shell entity for holding financial interests in patents. PayGeo LLC itself acts as an asserting entity. [cite: Reel 066347/0348]
2. Known asserter in the chain — Present. PayGeo, LLC is the plaintiff in ongoing patent infringement litigation (case 2:25-cv-00334) against [[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) and Samsung Electronics America, Inc., as noted in the litigation summary.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Present. Nikki F. Bhogal (D.B.A.) Bhogal & Bhogal, listed as correspondent for the 2024-10-18 assignment (Reel 065586/0333), is a firm known for representing patent assertion entities.
4. Cascading transfers — Present. The assignment to PayGeo LLC was executed on 2024-10-18, followed by a Patent Security Agreement with Piccadilly Patent Funding LLC executed on 2025-03-25, demonstrating two transfers within a span of approximately five months. [cite: Reel 065586/0333, Reel 066347/0348]
5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present. The assignment to PayGeo LLC (executed 2024-10-18) and the Patent Security Agreement to Piccadilly Patent Funding LLC (executed 2025-03-25) both occurred within six months prior to the filing of the first infringement suit on April 1, 2025. [cite: Reel 065586/0333, Reel 066347/0348]
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. No evidence of a bankruptcy proceeding involving the original assignee or PayGeo LLC has been identified.
7. Privateering — Not present. The patent originated from an individual inventor, and there is no indication of an operating company transferring the patent to an NPE to assert on its behalf against competitors.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The chain involves an asserting entity (PayGeo LLC) and a financing entity, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The assignment timeline for US10796296 strongly indicates an NPE assertion strategy. Key signals include the assignment from the individual inventor to PayGeo LLC on 2024-10-18, followed closely by the filing of an infringement suit by PayGeo LLC on 2025-04-01, placing the assignment within six months of litigation. Further reinforcing this pattern is the subsequent Patent Security Agreement with Piccadilly Patent Funding LLC, a financing entity, just before the suit, and the involvement of a correspondent attorney known for work with patent assertion entities.

USPTO Assignment Center search for US10796296: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/#!/patent/10796296

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 10,796,296

The following prior art references are identified as most relevant to US Patent 10,796,296, based on their explicit citation and description within the patent document itself. These references establish the existing state of the art that the '296 patent aims to improve upon or distinguish from.

1. U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 to Ballout

• Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 8,554,671
• Publication/Filing Date: Issued on October 8, 2013, from application Ser. No. 13/185,432 filed July 18, 2011.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a "System and Associated Method and Service for Providing a Platform that Allows for the Exchange of Cash Between Members in a Mobile Environment." US10796296 is a continuation of the application that led to US8554671 and explicitly states it includes the same subject matter.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Given that US10796296 is a continuation of the application that matured into US8554671 and explicitly claims "the same subject matter," US8554671 is highly likely to anticipate the fundamental aspects of claims 1, 10, and 18, particularly regarding a mobile platform for exchanging cash and potentially other valuables in a mobile environment. The core concept of a system for facilitating financial transactions among members in a mobile setting is directly inherited from this prior patent.

2. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0068982 to Chen et al.

• Full Citation: U.S. patent application No. 20090068982 to Chen et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: March 12, 2009 (Filing Date: September 7, 2007).
• Brief Description: This reference generally describes a system or method for facilitating the securing of a wireless digital transaction. It involves a terminal component receiving payment data and a mobile device with a mobile payment card (m-card) using public-key cryptography (PKC) to securely transmit payment wirelessly to the terminal component.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This publication potentially anticipates the general concept of using a mobile device for secure wireless digital transactions. It may anticipate elements of claims 1, 10, and 18 that broadly relate to conducting monetary transactions between devices within a digital wallet environment and transmitting payment data wirelessly. However, it does not explicitly disclose more specific features such as a commodity-backed "Good Money" function, "Swipay" or "Swipmail" finger-swipe transfers, comprehensive digital wallet storage for various cards beyond payment, detailed coded transaction types (e.g., QR/maxi codes), or advanced profile-based advertising and transaction metric tracking.

3. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0010191 to Rackley III et al.

• Full Citation: U.S. patent application No. 20080010191 to Rackley III et al.
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: January 10, 2008 (Filing Date: July 7, 2006).
• Brief Description: This reference generally describes methods and systems for providing a financial payment to a payee using a mobile device. The user inputs payee, payment source, and method, and the mobile device generates and wirelessly communicates a mobile payment instruction to a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) which then effects the payment to the payee without required action by the payee.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This publication potentially anticipates broad aspects of claims 1, 10, and 18 related to initiating financial payments from a mobile device, identifying recipients and payment sources, and transmitting payment instructions wirelessly to a processing system. It covers the fundamental idea of using mobile devices for financial transfers. However, it is less likely to anticipate the specific functionalities of US10796296, such as the commodity-backed "Good Money" currency, the "Swipay" touch-based interaction, comprehensive digital wallet storage beyond payment sources, or the detailed mechanisms for coded transactions, profile-based advertising, and transaction metric tracking. The explicit "without any required action by the payee" contrasts with the "handshake" or acceptance flow described in US10796296.

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 10,796,296 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the independent claims of US Patent 10,796,296 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA). The primary prior art for this analysis is US Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout), given that US10796296 is explicitly stated to be a continuation of the application that led to US8554671 and includes the "same subject matter."

The independent claims of US10796296 (Claim 1 for a system, Claim 10 for a method, and Claim 18 for a non-transitory computer readable medium) describe substantially the same core functionalities:

• A "Good Deal" application for mobile transactions in a digital wallet environment.
• A "Good Money" function that generates commodity-backed legal tender.
• A "Swipay" or "Swipmail" function for transferring data/funds via finger swipe.
• The ability to upload and store various physical wallet information (credit cards, IDs, loyalty cards) on a mobile device.
• Transactions coded in various formats (2D/3D bar/matrix/QR/maxi codes, SMS) readable by different scanners.
• Profile-based advertising for targeting users.
• Tracking of detailed transaction metrics.

Combination 1: U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout) Alone

References:

• U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout) (Issued Oct. 8, 2013; priority date Jul. 18, 2011)

Reasoning for Obviousness:
US Patent 10,796,296 explicitly states: "The present application includes the same subject matter as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/185,432, and is effectively a continuation thereof. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/185,432 is hereby incorporated by reference herein." U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/185,432 ultimately issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671. This declaration strongly indicates that the full scope of the invention described in US10796296, including the features enumerated in the independent claims, was already disclosed in the specification of US8554671 or its parent application.

The descriptive text of US10796296, which directly supports the independent claims, contains passages such as:

• "The present system provides a platform that enables members to transfer, receive, or otherwise exchange cash and digital currency in various international denominations and commodities, such as precious metals (e.g., gold, silver, etc.), in a mobile telecommunications environment." This covers the "Good Money" function.
• "The PayGeo service provides a 'Good Deal' application, which is a payment platform that is designed to work in a mobile digital wallet environment, on mobile devices, such as smart phones, smart pads." This addresses the "Good Deal" application.
• "Users may pay each other using NFC (Near Field Communication) type frequency by simply swiping a finger pointed at the other instrument (Swipay or Swipmail function)." This discloses the "Swipay" or "Swipmail" function.
• "PayGeo service allows user to upload his or her smart phones to host and store all information that is normally stored in a wallet or purse by means of, for example scanning, swiping, manual entry, and voice recognition, of various items such as: credit cards, identification cards, mileage-accumulating cards, points accumulating cords, insurance cards, membership cards, etc." This directly describes the digital wallet information storage.
• "PayGeo service allows the transactions to be coded in 2D or 3D bar/matrix/QR/maxi codes, SMS etc., so that the resulting codes may be read by, for example: smart phones, scanner, cashier scanners, instruments with compatible software, etc." This covers the coded transactions.
• "PayGeo service also provides a profile-based custom advertisement push. PayGeo service may profile users and pass to vendors and individuals the option to target advertisements based on, such factors as: location, search interest, age, gender, product purchases, product visited, time zones, geographic location, etc." This covers profile-based advertising.
• "The user mobile station understands the users (prepares a user profile) by tracking transaction matrix such as: amount transferred, received, cash spent, cash transferred, items purchased, originating transaction location, destination transaction location, currency type, commodities exchanged, commodities sold, commodities purchased, spending habits..." This covers transaction metric tracking.

Given these direct disclosures within the US10796296 specification, which by its own admission is "the same subject matter" as US8554671, a person having ordinary skill in the art would find the subject matter of claims 1, 10, and 18 of US10796296 to be explicitly disclosed or inherently obvious from the teachings of US8554671. The very nature of a continuation patent, coupled with the explicit statement of identical subject matter, establishes US8554671 as highly anticipatory or making the '296 patent's claims obvious.

Combination 2: U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0068982 (Chen et al.)

References:

• U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout) (Issued Oct. 8, 2013; priority date Jul. 18, 2011)
• U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0068982 (Chen et al.) (Published Mar. 12, 2009; filed Sep. 7, 2007)

Reasoning for Obviousness:
US8554671 (as established in Combination 1) provides a comprehensive mobile transaction platform encompassing the core functionalities claimed in US10796296.
Chen et al. describes a system and method for facilitating the securing of wireless digital transactions, specifically employing public-key cryptography (PKC) for secure wireless transmission of payment from a mobile device to a terminal component [cite: U.S. patent application No. 20090068982 to Chen et al.].

Motivation to Combine: A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) in mobile financial transactions, with an understanding of the inherent security risks, would have been motivated to combine the features of US8554671 with the security enhancements taught by Chen et al. The title of US10796296 itself explicitly states its purpose is "to prevent fraudulent financial transactions." It would have been an obvious design choice for a POSA, seeking to improve the security of the broad mobile financial platform described by Ballout, to integrate known secure wireless transaction mechanisms. Public-key cryptography, as disclosed by Chen et al., was a well-established technique for securing digital communications, and its application to wirelessly transmitted payments within a mobile transaction system would have been a straightforward and desirable improvement to prevent fraud and enhance user confidence.

Combination 3: U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0010191 (Rackley III et al.)

References:

• U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (Ballout) (Issued Oct. 8, 2013; priority date Jul. 18, 2011)
• U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0010191 (Rackley III et al.) (Published Jan. 10, 2008; filed Jul. 7, 2006)

Reasoning for Obviousness:
US8554671 (as established in Combination 1) provides a comprehensive mobile transaction platform enabling various financial exchanges.
Rackley III et al. describes methods and systems for providing financial payments to a payee utilizing a mobile device. The user inputs payee information, a payment source, and a payment method into the mobile device. The device then generates a mobile payment instruction and wirelessly communicates it to a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) to effect payment to the payee [cite: U.S. patent application No. 20080010191 to Rackley III et al.].

Motivation to Combine: A POSA, looking to implement or refine the payment initiation and processing workflow within the mobile transaction platform of US8554671, would have found motivation in Rackley et al.'s specific teachings. Rackley provides a concrete framework for how a mobile device interacts with a central system to facilitate payments, including the structured generation and wireless transmission of payment instructions. While US8554671 broadly enables fund transfers and payments, incorporating Rackley's detailed approach to user input, instruction generation, and communication with a transaction system would have been an obvious way to provide a robust and efficient payment execution mechanism within the broader PayGeo platform. This integration would optimize the existing capabilities of the Ballout system by incorporating a well-known methodology for mobile payment processing.

For US Patent 10796296, here's a detailed breakdown of its patent term, related applications, and projected expiration:

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA)

Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) is granted to compensate patent applicants for certain delays caused by the USPTO during the prosecution of a utility or plant patent application. These delays can include the USPTO failing to:

• Issue an office action within 14 months of the application filing.
• Respond to a reply or appeal within four months.
• Act on an application within four months after a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) or a federal court.
• Issue a patent within four months after payment of the issue fee.
• Issue a patent within 36 months from the filing date of an application.

The official PTA calculation is determined by a computer program at the time the patent issues and is included in the Issue Notification Letter. Any request for reconsideration of the PTA calculation must be made within two months of the patent issuance.

To determine the specific PTA for US10796296, direct access to the patent's prosecution history in the USPTO Patent Center is required. Without this, the exact number of days of PTA cannot be definitively stated.

Patent Term Extensions (PTE)

Patent Term Extension (PTE) is available under the Hatch-Waxman Act (35 U.S.C. § 156) for patents claiming products that require regulatory approval (e.g., human drugs, medical devices, food additives) before commercial marketing or use. PTE aims to restore a portion of the patent term lost during this regulatory review process. The extension is limited to a maximum of five years, and the total patent life with a PTE cannot exceed 14 years from the date of FDA approval.

US10796296, titled "Kit, system and associated method and service for providing a platform to prevent fraudulent financial transactions," describes a system for financial transactions, not a product requiring regulatory approval from agencies like the FDA. Therefore, it is highly unlikely to be eligible for Patent Term Extension (PTE) under 35 U.S.C. § 156.

Continuation and Divisional Applications

• Continuation Applications: US10796296 is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/786,470, filed Oct. 17, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/691,499, filed Apr. 20, 2015 (now abandoned), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/974,837, filed Aug. 23, 2013 (now abandoned), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/185,432, filed Jul. 18, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,554,671). The patent explicitly states that it includes "the same subject matter as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/185,432, and is effectively a continuation thereof." [cite: Full patent text]
• Divisional Applications: A divisional application is filed to pursue a "separate invention" that was not chosen in the parent application due to a restriction requirement by the USPTO. The patent does not explicitly state that US10796296 is a divisional application. However, a continuation application can be designated a divisional application up to the grant of the patent. Without reviewing the prosecution history, it cannot be definitively stated whether any specific divisional applications were filed from its parent applications.

Related Family Members

The patent family for US10796296 includes:

• U.S. Patent No. 8,554,671 (parent application Ser. No. 13/185,432) [cite: Full patent text]
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/974,837 (abandoned) [cite: Full patent text]
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/691,499 (abandoned) [cite: Full patent text]
• U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/786,470 [cite: Full patent text]
• US Patent No. 10,937,018 [cite: Litigation summary]
• US Patent No. 11,087,307 [cite: Litigation summary]
• US Patent No. 12,014,347 [cite: Litigation summary]

Projected Expiration Date

The standard term of a U.S. utility patent (other than a design patent) issued from an application filed on or after June 8, 1995, is 20 years from the earliest filing date for which a benefit is claimed. This date is subject to any Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) or deductions for applicant delay.

US10796296 claims priority back to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/185,432, which has a filing date of July 18, 2011. [cite: Full patent text]

Therefore, the baseline expiration date, without considering any PTA, would be 20 years from July 18, 2011, which is July 18, 2031.

However, the legal status information on Google Patents for US10796296 lists the "Anticipated expiration" as 2031-07-18. [cite: Full patent text] This indicates that either there was no PTA granted, or any granted PTA was offset by applicant delay, resulting in the expiration date aligning with the 20-year term from the earliest priority date.

To confirm the exact expiration date and any PTA, a review of the official USPTO prosecution history for US10796296 would be necessary.