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T 769/92 - General-purpose management system/SOHEI

in
Reference numbers
Case number: 
T 769/92
Headword: 
General-purpose management system/SOHEI
Application number: 
86110223.4
Publication number: 
209907
Date of the Decision: 
1994-05-31
Additional Case Information
Title of the invention: 
General-purpose management system, method for operating said system and transfer slip
IPC: 
G06F 15/21
Keyword: 
Non-exclusion from patentability - technical considerations to be regarded as resulting in a technical contribution to the art - no doing business as such - no computer programs as such - no presentation of information as such Remittal for further prosecution
Applicant: 
Sohei, Yamamoto, et al
Chairman of the Board: 
BERG, P. K. J. van den
Members of the Board: 
OETTINGER, W. B.
Members of the Board: 
BENUSSI, F.
Relevant Legal Provisions: 
Art. 52(1), (2), (3), 111(1) EPC
Cites (case law): 
T 26/86 - X-ray apparatus/KOCH & STERZEL
Cites (case law): 
T 38/86
Language of the proceedings: 
EN
Headnote: 
  1. An invention comprising functional features implemented by software (computer programs) is not excluded from patentability under Article 52(2)©, (3) EPC, if technical considerations concerning particulars of the solution of the problem the invention solves are required in order to carry out that same invention. Such technical considerations lend a technical nature to the invention in that they imply a technical problem to be solved by (implicit) technical features. An invention of this kind does not pertain to a computer program as such under Article 52(3).
  2. Non-exclusion from patentability cannot be destroyed by an additional feature which as such would itself be excluded, as in the present case features referring to management systems and methods which may fall under the “methods for doing business” excluded from patentability under Article 52(2)©, (3) EPC (following established case law according to which a mix of features, some of which are excluded under Article 52(2) and (3) EPC and some of which are not so excluded, may be patentable [in contrast to recent case law concerning inventions excluded by Article 52(4) EPC, cf. T 820/92, to be published, according to which one feature excluded under Article 52(4) EPC suffices for the whole claim to be excluded from patentability]).