The Innovation

This patent application concerns a method of searching for and presenting to a user relevant notes in connection with other website content as a result of an internet search performed by the user. The term “note” refers generally to a piece of information.

Technical Contribution

The Board of Appeal examined the technical contribution of the claimed features, particularly focusing on whether they contribute to solving a technical problem. The main request involved a computer-implemented method for searching personal information when a user performs an internet search, involving data retrieval from the internet and a separate “personal database,” and presenting search results and links for user access. The Board found that features contributing to data retrieval in a computer system, including links facilitating user access to data, provided a technical effect, in contrast to the examining division’s narrower view on technical contributions. The Board emphasized that even non-technical features, if they interact with technical aspects of a claim to solve a technical problem, could contribute to the technical character of an invention. However, it concluded that the method’s aim of obtaining relevant notes and additional relevant notes was directed at fulfilling the informational needs of a user, which is a non-technical aspect. The decision to present notes as “note previews” was seen as a non-technical choice related to the layout or user preference. Ultimately, the Board found that the distinguishing features did not entail inventive technical elements of implementation and thus lacked an inventive step under Article 56 EPC.

Key Findings

• Computer-implemented method for searching personal information during an internet search – technical
• Data retrieval from the internet and a personal database – technical
• Presenting search results and links to access some search results – technical
• Determining relevant notes within the personal database – non-technical
• Determining additional relevant notes by comparing search results information to stored notes – non-technical
• Preparing note previews for relevant notes and additional relevant notes – non-technical
• Altering the content of the search results page to provide links to the relevant notes with the search result listings – technical
• Receiving a selection of one of the presented note previews and presenting the respective note to the user – technical

Read the full decision here: Search in Internet and Personal Notes/Evernote (T 1272/20)