What are some examples of insignificant extra-solution activities in patent claims?

The MPEP 2106.05(g) provides several examples of activities that courts have found to be insignificant extra-solution activity:

Mere Data Gathering:

• Performing clinical tests to obtain input for an equation
• Testing a system for a response, where the response is used to determine system malfunction
• Presenting offers to potential customers and gathering statistics about their responses
• Obtaining transaction information using the Internet to verify credit card transactions
• Consulting and updating an activity log
• Determining the level of a biomarker in blood

Selecting a Particular Data Source or Type of Data to be Manipulated:

• Limiting a database index to XML tags
• Taking food orders from only table-based or drive-through customers
• Selecting information for collection, analysis, and display in a power-grid environment

Insignificant Application:

• Cutting hair after first determining the hair style
• Printing or downloading generated menus

These examples illustrate activities that do not add meaningful limitations to the claimed invention and are thus considered insignificant extra-solution activities.

To learn more:

• data gathering
• data manipulation
• insignificant application
• patent claims