T 0489/14 (Pedestrian simulation/CONNOR) of 22.02.2019
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:2019:T048914.20190222
- Date of decision
- 22 February 2019
- Case number
- T 0489/14
- Petition for review of
- -
- Application number
- 03793825.5
- IPC class
- G06F 17/50
- Language of proceedings
- English
- Distribution
- Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
- Download
- Decision in English
- Other decisions for this case
- T 0489/14 Pedestrian simulation/BENTLEY SYSTEMS 2021-11-26
- Abstracts for this decision
- -
- Application title
- Simulation of the movement of an autonomous entity through an environment
- Applicant name
- Bentley Systems (UK) Limited
- Opponent name
- -
- Board
- 3.5.07
- Headnote
- -
- Relevant legal provisions
- European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a)European Patent Convention Art 52(1)European Patent Convention Art 52(2)European Patent Convention Art 52(3)European Patent Convention Art 56
- Keywords
- Patentable invention - simulation method
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal - Catchword
- The following questions are referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal for decision:
1. In the assessment of inventive step, can the computer-implemented simulation of a technical system or process solve a technical problem by producing a technical effect which goes beyond the simulation's implementation on a computer, if the computer-implemented simulation is claimed as such?
2. If the answer to the first question is yes, what are the relevant criteria for assessing whether a computer-implemented simulation claimed as such solves a technical problem? In particular, is it a sufficient condition that the simulation is based, at least in part, on technical principles underlying the simulated system or process?
3. What are the answers to the first and second questions if the computer-implemented simulation is claimed as part of a design process, in particular for verifying a design? - Cited cases
- G 0001/03G 0001/04G 0002/07G 0003/08G 0001/12T 0208/84T 0115/85T 0163/85T 0453/91T 0769/92T 0939/92T 0190/94T 1173/97T 0641/00T 0125/01T 0914/02T 0258/03T 0424/03T 0154/04T 1351/04T 0365/05T 0471/05T 1147/05T 1227/05T 1567/05T 1029/06T 1820/06T 0887/07T 1670/07T 1806/07T 1875/07T 0531/09T 1265/09T 0309/10T 1842/10T 0625/11T 1630/11T 0988/12T 2330/13
Order
For these reasons it is decided that:
The following questions are referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal for decision:
1. In the assessment of inventive step, can the computer-implemented simulation of a technical system or process solve a technical problem by producing a technical effect which goes beyond the simulation's implementation on a computer, if the computer-implemented simulation is claimed as such?
2. If the answer to the first question is yes, what are the relevant criteria for assessing whether a computer-implemented simulation claimed as such solves a technical problem? In particular, is it a sufficient condition that the simulation is based, at least in part, on technical principles underlying the simulated system or process?
3. What are the answers to the first and second questions if the computer-implemented simulation is claimed as part of a design process, in particular for verifying a design?