[1] In that context, a method is a series of steps for performing a function or accomplishing a result.
[2] While the terms method and process are largely interchangeable,[3] method usually refers to a way to use a product to accomplish a given result, and process usually refers to a series of steps in manufacture.
Thus, one might speak about a method for curing headaches that comprises the administration of a therapeutically effective dose of aspirin, or speak about a process for making soap or candles.
The case law "forecloses a purely literal reading of § 101.
A method patent claim can be infringed only when a single person or entity (including contractually obligated agents) practices all of the claimed steps.