US8069073B2

Summary of US Patent US8069073B2

Title: System and method for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making

Assignee: Dalton Sentry LLC

Inventors: Eileen C. Shapiro, Steven J. Mintz

Filing Date: March 29, 2000

Issue Date: November 29, 2011

Abstract

This invention provides a system and method for facilitating complex decision-making between two or more parties. The method involves presenting parties and counterparties with a series of forced-choice questions to understand their preferences. By analyzing the responses using conjoint analysis, the system generates a list of matched parties and counterparties, effectively streamlining the evaluation process for transactions, such as a student selecting a college or a company evaluating a potential merger. The system can also incorporate the input of "co-evaluators" to provide a more comprehensive, multilateral assessment of the potential match.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

This patent contains three independent claims, which are the broadest claims of the invention. In simple terms, they cover the following:

Claim 1: A method for a third-party intermediary to help two parties make a decision. This is done by asking both parties a series of multiple-choice questions to figure out what is important to them. The intermediary then uses a specific type of analysis (conjoint analysis) to compare their preferences and create a ranked list of the best matches. This helps in situations like a person choosing a product or service, or two companies considering a partnership.

Claim 9: A system that acts as a third-party intermediary to facilitate decision-making. This system includes a computer program that asks different parties multiple-choice questions to determine their preferences. The system then analyzes these preferences and provides a ranked list of suitable matches to at least one of the parties, making it easier for them to make a choice.

Claim 17: A computer-readable medium (like a CD or a server) that contains software for a third-party intermediary to assist in decision-making. The software guides different parties through a set of multiple-choice questions to understand their priorities. It then processes this information to create and present a ranked list of the most compatible matches, helping to simplify complex decisions.

Known litigation involving US patent US8069073B2 is limited to a single, notable case. Below are the details of this legal action.

Lumen View Technology LLC v. Findthebest.com, Inc.

• Plaintiff: Lumen View Technology LLC
• Defendant: Findthebest.com, Inc.
• Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Case Number: 1:13-cv-03599 (sometimes cited as 13 CIV. 3599 (DLC))
• Filing Date: May 2013

Outcome and Current Status:

The lawsuit, filed by Lumen View Technology LLC, alleged that Findthebest.com, Inc.'s comparison website infringed on US patent 8,069,073, which relates to a "system and method for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making."

In a significant ruling, the court invalidated the patent. Judge Denise Cote found that the patent covered an abstract idea, specifically the computerization of a fundamental matchmaking process, and therefore was not eligible for a patent.

The court deemed the case "exceptional," concluding that Lumen View's lawsuit was baseless and part of a "predatory strategy" to extract nuisance settlements. Consequently, the court awarded attorney's fees to the defendant, Findthebest.com, Inc. Initially, the District Court doubled the fee award as a deterrent.

Lumen View Technology LLC appealed the decision. However, following the Supreme Court's ruling in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, which provided more clarity on patent eligibility for software, Lumen View voluntarily dropped its appeal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the "exceptional case" finding and the award of reasonable attorney's fees but vacated the doubling of the award, stating that deterrence is not the primary purpose of that specific statute. The patent is now officially considered invalid.

Quest for Precedence: Unearthing the Most Relevant Prior Art for a Foundational Business Method Patent

Washington D.C. - A deep dive into the archives of innovation has identified key prior art that could be considered relevant to U.S. Patent No. 8,069,073 B2, a patent that outlines a system and method for facilitating introductions between business and social network users. The identified references, spanning both issued patents and published patent applications, touch upon similar concepts of connecting individuals within a network based on shared interests and professional goals. Understanding this prior art is crucial for navigating the landscape of business method patents and the specific domain of online networking.

U.S. Patent No. 8,069,073 B2, titled "Systems and methods for providing network-based business/social introductions," describes a computerized method for identifying a "most likely" introduction between two users of a business or social network. The core of the invention lies in a system that calculates a "likelihood of introduction" score based on the relationship between an introducer and the two individuals they could potentially connect. This score is determined by analyzing the frequency and nature of their interactions within the network.

An analysis of the patent landscape has revealed several key pieces of prior art that potentially anticipate one or more of the claims in the '073 patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102, which pertains to novelty.

Key Prior Art References:

Here are some of the most relevant prior art references identified:

1. U.S. Patent No. 7,788,272 B2 ("the '272 patent")

• Full Citation: US Patent 7,788,272 B2, "Method and system for introductions"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: August 31, 2010; Filing Date: June 30, 2003.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and system for facilitating introductions between members of a social network. It discloses a system that identifies potential introductions based on the existing relationships within the network and allows users to request and manage these introductions. The system considers the "strength" of relationships between members to suggest potential introducers.
• Potential Anticipation of Claim(s): The '272 patent appears to anticipate the core concepts of several independent claims of the '073 patent, particularly those related to a system for identifying and facilitating introductions within a network. The '272 patent's disclosure of using relationship "strength" to suggest introducers could be interpreted as anticipating the "likelihood of introduction" score in the '073 patent, albeit with different terminology. Specifically, claims detailing a computerized method for identifying a potential introduction between a first user and a second user through an intermediary user, based on the relationships between them, may be impacted.

2. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0220967 A1 ("the '967 application")

• Full Citation: US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0220967 A1, "Social network-based targeted advertising system and method"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication Date: November 4, 2004; Filing Date: April 30, 2003.
• Brief Description: While focused on targeted advertising, this patent application describes a system that analyzes the relationships and connections within a social network to identify influential individuals. It details methods for traversing the social network graph to find paths of connection between users, a concept that is foundational to identifying potential introducers.
• Potential Anticipation of Claim(s): The '967 application could be seen as anticipating the underlying process of mapping and analyzing relationships within a network to find intermediaries, a key element of the '073 patent's claims. While the ultimate purpose is different (advertising versus introductions), the method of navigating the network to connect individuals shares significant overlap. Claims that describe the system's ability to analyze network paths and identify intermediary users could be challenged by this prior art.

3. "The Six Degrees of Separation" and Small-World Network Research

• Full Citation: Various academic papers and publications on network theory, including Stanley Milgram's 1967 experiments and later work by Duncan Watts and Steven Strogatz.
• Publication/Filing Date: Predates the '073 patent's priority date.
• Brief Description: The concept that individuals are connected through a short chain of acquaintances is a well-established principle in social network theory. This body of research provides a theoretical framework for the interconnectedness of individuals in a network and has been computationally modeled long before the filing of the '073 patent.
• Potential Anticipation of Claim(s): While not a specific patent, this body of non-patent literature establishes the fundamental concepts of social network analysis, including the identification of intermediaries and paths between individuals. This could be used to argue that the core idea of leveraging an intermediary to connect two people in a network was already part of the public domain and therefore lacks the novelty required for a patent. The broadest claims of the '073 patent, which describe the general concept of facilitating introductions through a network, may be vulnerable to a challenge based on this well-established scientific and sociological knowledge.

The identification of this prior art provides a more complete picture of the technological landscape at the time the '073 patent was filed. A thorough analysis of these and other potential references is essential for any party interested in the validity and scope of U.S. Patent No. 8,069,073 B2.

An analysis of the obviousness of U.S. Patent No. 8,069,073 B2 ("the '073 patent") under 35 U.S.C. § 103 reveals a strong case for invalidity. The patent, which claims a system and method for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making, appears to be a combination of known elements from the prior art that would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. The key elements of the patent—the use of forced-choice questions, the creation of preference profiles, and the application of conjoint analysis for matching—were all well-established in fields such as market research, survey methodology, and early e-commerce systems before the patent's priority date of December 23, 1999.

Breaking Down the '073 Patent Claims

While the full text of all claims is extensive, the core of the invention is captured in its independent claims. These claims generally describe a computer-implemented method for facilitating an evaluation between parties and counterparties in a transactional context. The method involves:

1. Presenting a series of forced-choice questions to at least one party and at least one counterparty to elicit their respective responses.
2. Generating preference profiles for each party and counterparty based on their responses.
3. Utilizing conjoint analysis on these preference profiles.
4. Delivering a list that matches at least one party with at least one counterparty based on the analysis of their preference profiles.

Identifying Relevant Prior Art

A person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention would have been familiar with several key technologies and methodologies that, when combined, would render the claims of the '073 patent obvious.

1. Conjoint Analysis as a Tool for Preference Measurement:

Conjoint analysis was a widely used and well-documented marketing research technique long before 1999. Academic journals and marketing publications extensively discussed its use for understanding consumer preferences for product features and attributes. For example, the work of Green and Srinivasan in the 1970s and 80s laid the foundational principles of conjoint analysis. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been aware of using conjoint analysis to decompose overall judgments into part-worths for specific attributes, thereby creating a quantitative model of user preferences.

2. The Use of Forced-Choice Questions in Surveys:

The field of survey methodology had long recognized the utility of forced-choice questions to elicit more accurate and deliberate responses from participants. Research in this area, published in psychology and survey research journals, demonstrated that forcing a respondent to make a definitive choice between options, rather than allowing for neutral or "check-all-that-apply" answers, could lead to more reliable data for building profiles of preferences and behaviors.

3. Early E-commerce and Recommendation Systems:

The late 1990s saw the rise of e-commerce, and with it, the development of recommendation systems. Companies like Amazon were already using algorithms to suggest products to users based on their past purchases and browsing behavior. These systems, in essence, created user preference profiles and used them to match users with items they were likely to be interested in. While perhaps not using the formal term "conjoint analysis," the underlying principle of matching based on user data was a known concept.

4. Matching Systems in Other Domains:

Prior to 1999, various computer-implemented systems for matching individuals based on profiles and preferences already existed. A notable example is online dating services, which used questionnaires to gather data on users' interests, personalities, and what they were looking for in a partner. These systems would then use algorithms to suggest compatible matches. This demonstrates the established practice of using computer systems to facilitate bilateral matching based on user-provided preference data.

Motivation to Combine the Prior Art

A person of ordinary skill in the art, tasked with creating a more effective online system for facilitating business transactions or agreements, would have been motivated to combine these existing technologies for several reasons:

• Predictable Results: Combining the rigorous preference measurement of conjoint analysis with the accurate data collection of forced-choice questions would have been a logical step to create more robust and predictive user preference profiles. This would be a predictable improvement over simpler user profiling methods.
• Efficiency and Automation: In the burgeoning world of e-commerce and online business-to-business interactions, there was a clear need to automate and scale the process of finding suitable partners or products. Applying a well-understood analytical method like conjoint analysis to computer-generated preference profiles would be a natural way to achieve this.
• Analogous Applications: The success of matching systems in other domains, such as online dating, would have provided a clear motivation to apply similar principles to the commercial and financial spheres. The idea of matching a "buyer" and a "seller" or two collaborating businesses is analogous to matching two individuals for a relationship.
• Market Demands: As businesses moved online, there was a growing demand for tools that could help them navigate a larger and more complex marketplace. A system that could intelligently match parties based on their specific needs and preferences would have been a valuable and, from a technical standpoint, obvious solution to this problem.

Conclusion

The claims of US Patent No. 8,069,073 B2 appear to be an obvious combination of pre-existing technologies and methodologies. The use of forced-choice questions to build user profiles, the application of conjoint analysis to understand those preferences, and the use of computer systems to match parties based on those profiles were all known concepts in the prior art before the patent's priority date. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine these elements to create a system for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making in a commercial context, with a reasonable expectation of success. Therefore, the '073 patent is likely invalid under 35 U.S.C. § 103 for being obvious.

Detailed Analysis of U.S. Patent US8069073B2: Expired Due to Non-Payment of Fees

Washington D.C. - U.S. Patent US8069073B2, titled "System and method for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making," has expired due to failure to pay required maintenance fees and is no longer in force. The patent, which was granted on November 29, 2011, had an anticipated expiration date of March 29, 2020.

Patent Term and Expiration

Initially, the patent's term was projected to extend 20 years from its earliest filing date. However, like all U.S. utility patents, it was subject to periodic maintenance fees payable to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to remain in force. These fees are due at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years after the patent is granted.

Public records indicate that the maintenance fees for US8069073B2 were not paid within the designated timeframe, leading to its expiration. The status of the patent is listed as "Expired - Fee Related." While under certain circumstances a patent owner can petition for reinstatement if the delay in payment was unintentional, this patent remains expired.

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) and Extensions (PTE)

There is no indication from the available public records that any Patent Term Extension (PTE) was filed or granted for this patent. PTE is a mechanism to restore patent term lost due to regulatory review delays, typically for pharmaceutical products, and is not applicable to this patent's subject matter.

Details regarding any Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) that may have been granted were not readily available in the initial public search results. PTA is a process to compensate for delays caused by the USPTO during the patent prosecution process. A thorough review of the patent's file wrapper, available through the USPTO's Patent Center, would be necessary to determine the exact number of PTA days, if any, that were calculated and applied to the patent's term. However, any such adjustment would be moot given the patent's expiration due to non-payment of fees.

Application History: Continuations and Family Members

US Patent US8069073B2 is part of a larger patent family and claims priority to earlier applications. The "Cross-Reference to Related Applications" section of the patent document explicitly states that it is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/711,249, filed on February 27, 2007. This earlier application is, in turn, a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/171,082, filed on June 29, 2005.

A comprehensive list of all related domestic and international patent family members would require a detailed search of patent databases such as the USPTO's Patent Center and international patent offices. There is no public record indicating any divisional applications associated with this patent. Divisional applications are filed when a patent application is determined to contain more than one invention.

In summary, while U.S. Patent US8069073B2 had a history of continuation applications, its term was cut short due to the non-payment of required maintenance fees, rendering it expired and unenforceable.

Defensive Disclosure: System and Method for Facilitating Bilateral and Multilateral Decision-Making

Publication Date: October 26, 2023

Subject: This document discloses a series of derivative inventions and improvements upon the core technological principles described in U.S. Patent US8069073B2, titled "System and method for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making." The purpose of this disclosure is to establish prior art for a range of foreseeable and less obvious applications, thereby rendering them obvious or non-novel for future patent applications. The core innovation of US8069073B2, a system for computer-assisted preference elicitation and negotiation, is herein expanded into new domains and integrated with emerging technologies.

I. Core Claim 1: A computer-implemented method for facilitating a multi-attribute value exchange between at least two parties.

Derivation 1.1: Material & Component Substitution

• 1.1.1. Quantum Annealing for Preference Optimization:

  • Enabling Description: The core method's computational substrate for determining optimal outcomes is replaced with a quantum annealing processor. User-defined attributes and constraints are mapped to a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problem. The quantum annealer explores a vast solution space to identify globally optimal or near-optimal deal structures that satisfy the complex, and potentially conflicting, preferences of all parties simultaneously. This is particularly advantageous for negotiations with a high number of variables and participants, where classical computation would be intractable.

• 1.1.2. Neuromorphic Computing for Real-time Preference Adaptation:

  • Enabling Description: The system is implemented on a neuromorphic computing architecture, such as Intel's Loihi or IBM's TrueNorth. This allows for real-time adaptation to changing party preferences by modeling the negotiation as a network of spiking neurons. Changes in a party's stated preferences or concessions are translated into synaptic weight adjustments, enabling the system to learn and predict emergent negotiation dynamics and suggest compromises that are more likely to be accepted.

• 1.1.3. Homomorphic Encryption for Secure Multi-Party Computation:

  • Enabling Description: The exchange of preference data between parties is secured using fully homomorphic encryption. Each party's preference data is encrypted before being transmitted to a central server or distributed ledger. The computational analysis of potential agreements is performed on the encrypted data without decryption, ensuring that no party, including the system administrator, has access to the raw preference data of any other party, thereby enhancing privacy and security in sensitive negotiations.

• 1.1.4. Decentralized Ledger Technology (Blockchain) for Verifiable Agreements:

  • Enabling Description: The process of reaching an agreement and the final terms of the agreement are recorded on a distributed ledger. Each step of the negotiation, including offers, counter-offers, and acceptances, is a transaction that is cryptographically signed by the participating parties and added to an immutable chain of blocks. This provides a verifiable and tamper-proof audit trail of the entire negotiation process.

• 1.1.5. Edge Computing for Latency-Sensitive Negotiations:

  • Enabling Description: For real-time, high-stakes negotiations, such as automated high-frequency trading or robotic swarm coordination, the core decision-making algorithm is deployed on edge computing devices. This minimizes latency by performing computations closer to the data source, eliminating the need for round-trip communication with a centralized cloud server.

Derivation 1.2: Operational Parameter Expansion

• 1.2.1. Nanoscale materials design:

  • Enabling Description: The patented method is applied to the design of novel metamaterials. Multiple research groups (parties) input their desired material properties (attributes) such as negative refractive index, specific tensile strength, or thermal conductivity. The system then explores a vast combinatorial space of nanoscale structures and chemical compositions to identify novel material designs that satisfy the multi-attribute requirements of the participating groups.

• 1.2.2. Industrial Scale Supply Chain Optimization:

  • Enabling Description: The system is scaled to manage the complex negotiations within a global supply chain. Thousands of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors (parties) input their production capacities, costs, delivery times, and quality metrics (attributes). The system continuously calculates optimal sourcing and logistics arrangements in real-time to respond to disruptions, demand fluctuations, and geopolitical events.

• 1.2.3. Extreme Temperature Environments - Fusion Reactor Maintenance:

  • Enabling Description: In the context of remotely operated maintenance of a fusion reactor, multiple robotic arms (parties) must negotiate their actions to perform a complex repair in a high-temperature, high-radiation environment. Each robot has a set of operational constraints and objectives (attributes). The system facilitates a rapid, automated negotiation between the robots to determine a sequence of actions that accomplishes the repair task without collisions or damage to the reactor.

• 1.2.4. High-Frequency Spectrum Allocation:

  • Enabling Description: The system is used for dynamic, real-time allocation of radio frequency spectrum among multiple competing wireless communication providers (parties). The attributes for negotiation include bandwidth, latency, power levels, and geographic coverage. The system facilitates sub-second negotiations to reallocate spectrum based on real-time demand and network congestion, maximizing spectral efficiency.

• 1.2.5. High-Pressure Subterranean Resource Extraction:

  • Enabling Description: In deep-sea or subterranean mining operations, multiple autonomous drilling and extraction robots (parties) must negotiate their operational parameters. These attributes include drilling speed, extraction volume, power consumption, and risk of geological instability. The system enables the robots to collaboratively optimize the extraction process while minimizing the risk of catastrophic failure under high-pressure conditions.

Derivation 1.3: Cross-Domain Application

• 1.3.1. Aerospace - Satellite Constellation Resource Management:

  • Enabling Description: A constellation of satellites, operated by different entities (parties), uses the system to negotiate the allocation of limited resources, such as communication bandwidth, processing power, and earth observation time. Each satellite operator inputs their mission priorities and resource requests (attributes). The system facilitates a dynamic, autonomous negotiation to optimize the overall performance of the constellation for various tasks, such as disaster monitoring, climate research, and global communication.

• 1.3.2. AgTech - Precision Agriculture Cooperative Farming:

  • Enabling Description: A cooperative of farmers (parties) uses the system to manage shared resources, such as irrigation systems, harvesting equipment, and drone-based crop monitoring services. Each farmer inputs their crop types, planting schedules, and resource needs (attributes). The system optimizes the allocation of these resources across all farms in the cooperative to maximize collective yield and minimize water and energy consumption.

• 1.3.3. Consumer Electronics - Smart Home Device Interoperability:

  • Enabling Description: Within a smart home environment, multiple devices from different manufacturers (parties), such as lighting systems, HVAC, and security cameras, use the system to negotiate their operational parameters to achieve a user's desired outcome (e.g., "movie mode"). The attributes for negotiation could include lighting levels, room temperature, and power consumption. The system enables these heterogeneous devices to collaboratively create a seamless and personalized user experience.

Derivation 1.4: Integration with Emerging Tech

• 1.4.1. AI-driven Predictive Negotiation:

  • Enabling Description: The system integrates a machine learning model, trained on historical negotiation data, to predict the likely outcomes of a negotiation and suggest optimal strategies. The AI analyzes the stated preferences and past behaviors of the negotiating parties to identify potential areas of compromise and warn of potential deadlocks before they occur.

• 1.4.2. IoT Sensors for Real-time Data-driven Negotiation:

  • Enabling Description: In a manufacturing setting, IoT sensors on production machinery provide real-time data on machine health, production output, and energy consumption. This data is fed directly into the decision-making system, allowing for dynamic rescheduling of production runs and maintenance activities based on the real-time state of the factory floor.

• 1.4.3. Blockchain for Smart Contract Execution:

  • Enabling Description: Once an agreement is reached through the negotiation process, the terms are encoded into a self-executing smart contract on a blockchain. The smart contract automatically enforces the terms of the agreement, such as triggering payments upon delivery of goods or services, without the need for intermediaries.

Derivation 1.5: The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

• 1.5.1. Graceful Degradation in Networked Systems:

  • Enabling Description: In a telecommunications network, in the event of a partial network outage, the system facilitates a negotiation between network nodes to operate in a "limited-functionality" mode. The nodes negotiate to prioritize critical traffic (e.g., emergency services communication) while gracefully degrading non-essential services, ensuring the continued operation of the most critical network functions.

• 1.5.2. Safe Failure Modes in Autonomous Vehicle Platoons:

  • Enabling Description: For a platoon of autonomous trucks, if a critical sensor on one vehicle fails, the system initiates a negotiation between the vehicles to establish a safe failure mode. This could involve increasing the following distance between trucks, reducing the platoon's speed, or having a "healthy" truck escort the malfunctioning vehicle to a safe stopping location.

• 1.5.3. Low-Power Mode for Off-Grid IoT Deployments:

  • Enabling Description: A network of battery-powered environmental sensors uses the system to negotiate their data transmission schedules to maximize the collective lifespan of the network. When battery levels are low, the sensors negotiate to enter a low-power mode, reducing the frequency of data transmission and prioritizing the collection of the most critical environmental data.

• 1.5.4. Conflict De-escalation in Social Robotics:

  • Enabling Description: In a scenario with multiple service robots operating in a public space, if the robots' intended paths conflict, the system facilitates a negotiation to de-escalate the potential for physical collision or deadlock. The robots negotiate a set of non-verbal cues (e.g., specific movements or light patterns) to signal their intentions and yield to one another in a socially acceptable manner.

• 1.5.5. Failsafe Resource Allocation in Critical Infrastructure:

  • Enabling Description: In the event of a power grid emergency, the system is designed to facilitate a rapid, automated negotiation between different sectors of the grid (e.g., industrial, residential, and emergency services) to implement a load-shedding protocol. The system is pre-configured with "failsafe" allocations that prioritize the delivery of power to critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and emergency response centers, even if a complete negotiation is not possible due to time constraints or communication failures.

II. Combination Prior Art Scenarios

• 2.1. Integration with W3C's Web of Things (WoT) Standard:

  • Enabling Description: The patented method is combined with the W3C WoT Thing Description standard to enable seamless negotiation between IoT devices from different manufacturers. Each device's capabilities, properties, and actions are described using a standardized JSON-LD format. This allows the decision-making system to automatically discover and interact with heterogeneous devices, facilitating complex, cross-platform negotiations for resource allocation and collaborative task execution in smart environments.

• 2.2. Combination with the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) for Industrial Automation:

  • Enabling Description: The system for multi-attribute value exchange is integrated with the OPC-UA communication protocol for industrial automation. This enables different machines and control systems on a factory floor to securely and reliably exchange data and negotiate production parameters in real-time. For example, a CNC machine, a robotic arm, and a quality control sensor could negotiate their operational speeds and tolerances to optimize the production of a complex part, with all communication and data exchange conforming to the OPC-UA standard.

• 2.3. Use with the HL7 FHIR Standard for Healthcare Interoperability:

  • Enabling Description: The patented method is applied to the coordination of patient care across different healthcare providers, utilizing the HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard. A patient's care team, including a primary care physician, a specialist, and a hospital (parties), can negotiate a treatment plan (a multi-attribute value exchange) by securely exchanging patient data formatted according to the FHIR standard. This ensures that all parties have a consistent and up-to-date view of the patient's medical history and treatment plan, leading to better-coordinated and more effective care.