DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
This Office action is in response to correspondence received February 17, 2026.
Claims 1 is amended. Claims 1-7 and 9-12 are pending and have been examined.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
The following are means functions:
Claim 1:
a reservation person input means that receives information input from a reservation person of the facility to the management server
a user input means that receives information input from a user of the facility to the management server,
Claim 10:
an information obtaining means that obtains update of the customer attraction side reservation information of the customer attraction server and update of the user information of the management server;
and a synchronization control means that synchronizes the customer attraction side reservation information of the customer attraction server and the user information of the management server on the basis of the customer attraction side reservation information and user information obtained by the information obtaining means.
Claim 12:
a billing amount obtaining means that obtains a usage fee with respect to the user of the event received via the customer attraction server;
and a billing amount counting means that counts the usage fee obtained by the billing amount obtaining means.
A search of the specification has found the following support:
Claim 1:
a reservation person input means that receives information input from a reservation person of the facility to the management server: pars 039-040.
a user input means that receives information input from a user of the facility to the management server: pars 039-040.
Claim 10:
an information obtaining means that obtains update of the customer attraction side reservation information of the customer attraction server and update of the user information of the management server; in par 045 – terminal devices 3A and 3B
and a synchronization control means that synchronizes the customer attraction side reservation information of the customer attraction server and the user information of the management server on the basis of the customer attraction side reservation information and user information obtained by the information obtaining means. In par 045 – management server.
Claim 12:
a billing amount obtaining means that obtains a usage fee with respect to the user of the event received via the customer attraction server; in pars 049-050, billing manager.
and a billing amount counting means that counts the usage fee obtained by the billing amount obtaining means. in pars 049-050, billing manager.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
Claim 1:
a storage that stores event holding information on a reserved date and time and a reserved location of an event to be held using the facility
a reservation person receiver that receives the event holding information via the reservation person input means, to cause the storage to store the event holding information;
the user receiver causes the storage to store the number of people information including the number of users of the event related to the event holding information,
a user receiver that receives user information on the user of the event related to the event holding information via the user input means, to cause the storage to store the user information;
a facility allocator that sets allocation information that, subsequent to the user receiver updating the number of users, sets allocation information of the facility on the basis of the event holding information and the updated number of users, and causes the user notifier to notify the user of the set allocation information.
and a user notifier that notifies the user that the user information has been received.
Claim 2:
a user key issuer that issues an unlocking key for unlocking a locking device for the space to the user
Claim 3:
a location information notifier that notifies the user of location information related to a reserved location included in the event holding information stored in the storage
Claim 4:
a registration receiver that receives registration of provided item information on a provided item provided at the event related to the event holding information via the reservation person input means
an application receiver that receives an application for use of the provided item related to the provided item information via the user input means.
Claim 5:
a reservation person side receiver that receives a message of the reservation person via the reservation person input means;
a user side receiver that receives a message of the user via the user input means;
and a message viewer that allows both the reservation person and the user to view the message received by the reservation person side receiver and the user side receiver.
Claim 6:
a usage fee billing part that charges a usage fee for each user with respect to users of the event related to the event holding information.
Claim 7:
a difference settler that settles a difference obtained by subtracting the usage fee of the facility from sales amount of the event, for the reservation person of the event related to the event holding information.
Claim 9:
the facility allocator allocates at least a part of all available facilities on the basis of the event holding information, the number of people information, and the allocation information, and updates the allocation information on the allocated facility.
Claim 10:
a customer attraction side reservation part that manages the customer attraction side reservation information on the user and the reserved date and time received from the user,
Claim 11:
a user key issuer that issues an unlocking key for unlocking a locking device for the space when the update of the customer attraction side reservation information is obtained
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Support for the following means plus function substitute limitations is found in:Claim 1: pars 039-040; 045.
a storage that stores event holding information on a reserved date and time and a reserved location of an event to be held using the facility
a reservation person receiver that receives the event holding information via the reservation person input means, to cause the storage to store the event holding information;
a user receiver that receives user information on the user of the event related to the event holding information via the user input means, to cause the storage to store the user information;
a user receiver that receives user information on the user of the event related to the event holding information via the user input means, to cause the storage to store the user information;
a facility allocator that, after the updated number-of-users value is stored, determines allocation information of the facility by selecting or configuring the facility on the basis of the event holding information and the updated number-of-users value, and causes the user notifier to notify the user of the determined allocation information. and a user notifier that notifies the user that the user information has been received.
Claim 2: pars 041-043.
a user key issuer that issues an unlocking key for unlocking a locking device for the space to the user
Claim 3: In par 043, notification manager.
a location information notifier that notifies the user of location information related to a reserved location included in the event holding information stored in the storage
Claim 4: pars 039-040; 045.
a registration receiver that receives registration of provided item information on a provided item provided at the event related to the event holding information via the reservation person input means
an application receiver that receives an application for use of the provided item related to the provided item information via the user input means.
Claim 5: pars 039-040; 045.
a reservation person side receiver that receives a message of the reservation person via the reservation person input means;
a user side receiver that receives a message of the user via the user input means;
and a message viewer that allows both the reservation person and the user to view the message received by the reservation person side receiver and the user side receiver.
Claim 6: pars 039-040; 045.
a usage fee billing part that charges a usage fee for each user with respect to users of the event related to the event holding information.
Claim 7: pars 039-040; 045.
a difference settler that settles a difference obtained by subtracting the usage fee of the facility from sales amount of the event, for the reservation person of the event related to the event holding information.
Claim 9: pars 039-040; 043.
the facility allocator allocates at least a part of all available facilities on the basis of the event holding information, the number of people information, and the allocation information, and updates the allocation information on the allocated facility.
Claim 10: pars 039-040; 045.
a customer attraction side reservation part that manages the customer attraction side reservation information on the user and the reserved date and time received from the user,
Claim 11: pars 041-043.
a user key issuer that issues an unlocking key for unlocking a locking device for the space when the update of the customer attraction side reservation information is obtained
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s)
a usage time is set and a facility is rented, comprising manage information of the on-demand rental facility; receives information input from a reservation person of the facility ; and receives information input from a user of the facility ; [records] event holding information on a reserved date and time and a reserved location of a reserved event to be held using the facility; that receives the event holding information , to cause to [record] the reserved event including the event holding information; subsequent to the reserved event being [recorded] , receives user information including an application by the user to participate in the reserved event , updates a [recorded] number-of-users value associated with the event holding information to reflect acceptance of the application, and [record] the updated number-of-users value; and notifies the user that the user information has been received and the number of users who have been accepted to participate in the reserved event has increased; wherein: [record] the number of people information including the number of users of the event related to the event holding information, and after the updated number-of-users value is [recorded], determines allocation information of the facility by selecting or configuring the facility on the basis of the event holding information and the updated number-of-users value, and causes the user notifier to notify the user of the determined allocation information.
This abstract idea is a certain method of organizing human activity – commercial interaction – because the steps describe renting a facility including receiving information about the event and the user and notifying the user that information has been received. Further steps that refine the reservation are also a commercial interaction, because what is claimed here is ordering specifics about a reservation, much as one would order specific dishes and modifications from a food menu. This is a commercial interaction because the limitations are about renting something and the information received in order to facilitate and customize the rental, for example, choosing a rental that is size appropriate for the number of people. Therefore, claim 1 recites a certain method of organizing human activity – a commercial interaction -which is a patent ineligible abstract idea absent a practical application or significantly more.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. The additional elements amount to no more than instructions to apply the abstract idea to a computer because as means plus functions or means substitutes they refer to general purpose computers. See pars 046-048, and par 045, “Note that the reservation manager 31, the notification manager 32, the facility allocator 33, the key issuer 34, the provided item manager 35, the billing manager 36, the message manager 37, and the communicator 38 may be executed as a program by the CPU of the server device.” These elements in combination amount to no more than instructions to carry out the steps of the abstract idea on a server CPU. See MPEP 2106.05(f)(2) where a server is an apply it element when the steps of an abstract idea are instructed to be applied to the server. Therefore, the additional elements are not a practical application of the abstract idea.
The additional elements are grouped as follows and alone and in combination amount to no more than instructions to apply generic computing devices to the previously identified abstract idea:
Claim 1:
An on-demand rental facility in which
a management server connected to a communication line to
wherein the management server is connected via the communication line to: a reservation person input means that
to the management server
a user input means that
to the management server
and wherein the management server comprises: a storage that
a reservation person receiver
via the reservation person input means
the storage to store
a user receiver that,
in the storage that stores
via the user input means
causes the storage to store
a user notifier that
the user receiver causes the storage to store
the management server comprises a facility allocator that,
A server is specifically identified as a generic computing apply it element in MPEP 2106.05(f)(2) (TLI Communications).
Storing data is a common computing function and is similar to using a computer to run a commonplace business method, see MPEP 2106.05(f)(2), Alice.
Likewise notifying which is sending information from a computer, see Id.
a reservation person input means that; via the reservation person input means; a reservation person receiver that
and a user input means that; a user receiver that via the user input means to the user receiver, see MPEP 2106.05(f)(2), Alice.
The on demand rental facility is a field of use limitation, see MPEP 2106.05(h) because it merely limits the rental limitations to a facility, which could be set of rooms or hotel.
The combination of all the elements amounts to using a computer to determine aspects for a facility, which is a commonplace business method, see MPEP 2106.05(f)(2), Alice.
Inputting information is similarly using a computer for a commonplace business method, as a business method would take information inputs (name, date, amount, etc). See Id.
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the same reasoning for the prong 2 step (“practical application”) is carried over into this step. For the same reason that there is not a practical application, there is not significantly more than the abstract idea.
Claims 2-7 and 9-12 under a broadest reasonable interpretation further describe the abstract idea of claim 1, with additional elements that as means plus function amount to instructions to run the abstract idea on a server CPU. Therefore, claims 27 and 9-12 are also rejected for the same reasons as explained in claim 1.
Therefore, claims 1-7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 USC 101.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 9, 10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beacher et al., US PGPUB 2004/0117528 A1 (“Beacher”) in view of Pell et al., US PGPUB 20190130366 A1 (“Pell”).
Per claim 1, Beacher teaches An on-demand rental facility in which a usage time is set and a facility is rented, comprising a management server connected to a communication line to manage information of the on-demand rental facility, wherein the management server is connected via the communication line to a reservation person input means that receives information input from a reservation person of the facility to the management server and a user input means that receives information input from a user of the facility to the management server, wherein the management server comprises in par 0606: “The previous sections explain how an order is taken for a housing reservation, but the system software that processes a housing order also handles any type of item or service. The system's "Order Taker" is flexible to allow ordering any "Items" that can be inventoried and sold once as well as items available for reservation by the minute, day, week, month, or year.” Par 0617: “Reservation of facilities, such as a half-hour period on a tennis court or a one-hour meeting in a conference room” See also par 039 for a management server connected to a communication line to a reservation person input means: “Students apply using an online real-time computer system that lets them pick their own roommates and reserve the exact housing unit numbers where they will reside, receiving instant confirmation. While real-time reservations are known in the art, e.g., airlines use such systems to sell airplane seats, the present invention provides underlying methods not available in prior systems for managing the complicated rules governing which students may reserve housing units first, which housing units they may reserve, which roommate they may select, what specific tasks they must do to apply and reserve, what payment policies are applied, and more.” Server is taught in par 0226, 0878, 0879, 0883.
Beacher then teaches a storage that stores event holding information on a reserved date and time and a reserved location of an event to be held using the facility in pars 0689-0691: “An "Order Period" represents the time when a customer has possession of an item he reserves or purchases, defined by the "Order Period Start Date" and "Order Period End Date". An Order Period can span minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Examples include: 1. Customer reserves a room with a predefined Order Period from Aug. 15, 2003 at 8:00 AM until May 3, 2004 at 5:00 PM. 2. Customer reserves a room that allows the customer to define the start date of the Order Period when he plans to move in, but the order will always end on a predefined date of May 3, 2004 at 5:00 PM.” Storage is taught in pars 0883, 0887.
Beacher then teaches a reservation person receiver that receives the event holding information via the reservation person input means, to cause the storage to store the reserved event including the event holding information in par 0719, where the inventory is reduced when the reservation is made: “Each time an item is ordered, the quantity available is reduced by the system. When the Item Inventory quantity reaches 0, the item can be configured to react with one of these actions:” Storage is taught for storing the reserved event including the event holding information in pars 0883, 0887.
Beacher then teaches a user receiver that, subsequent to the reserved event being stored in the storage, receives user information on the user including an application to participate in the reserved event via the user input means, in par 0418: “For instance, if the current date/time is past the assigned times given to all other students, then there is no backlog of students waiting to make reservations. In that case the system may be setup to immediately issue a reservation time to a student the moment he finished all his application tasks and he passes other qualification rules.” See in particular pars 0848-0855 where after the reserved event is stored in storage, see pars 0883, 0887 (every event is stored in storage), a contract receives information (“when the customer agrees” – par 0855, which is then recorded in the database teaching stored in storage).
Beacher then teaches and a user notifier that notifies the user that the user information has been received in par 0419: “A student is automatically notified by e-mail of his reservation time as soon as the system assigns it. He can also learn it by logging in as his alert page will showcase the new task, and his My Housing page will display his time of Apr. 14, 2004 at 3:05 PM as shown in FIG. 15.”
Beacher does not teach updates a stored number-of-users value associated with the event holding information to reflect acceptance of the application, and causes the storage to store the updated number-of-users value; Notifies that… the number of users who have been accepted to participate in the reserved event has increased; wherein: the user receiver causes the storage to store the number of people information including the number of users of the event related to the event holding information
and the management server comprises a facility allocator that, after the updated number-of-users value is stored, determines allocation information of the facility by selecting or configuring the facility on the basis of the event holding information and the updated number-of-users value, and causes the user notifier to notify the user of the set allocation information.
Pell teaches a room management system. See abstract.
Pell teaches updates a stored number-of-users value associated with the event holding information to reflect acceptance of the application, and causes the storage to store the updated number-of-users value; Notifies that… the number of users who have been accepted to participate in the reserved event has increased par 037: “In another embodiment, the attendee detection module 326 may determine when a quorum of individuals (e.g., over a predefined threshold number or percentage) of individuals scheduled to attend a scheduled meeting are waiting outside an occupied meeting room and cause the notification module 326 to automatically send a notification to the inside-type room management client 130 when the quorum is achieved.” Under a broadest reasonable interpretation, par 037 teaches updates a stored number of users value associated with the event holding information because it requires that a number increase, and this reflects acceptance because. Pell teaches “updated” because before the quorum is achieved the number is necessarily lower. Then the notification is based on the quorum achieved is that the number of users who have been accepted to participate (number of people trying to get in the room) has increased. It is stored because it is in the storage medium see item 320 Fig 3, where attendee detection module item 326 is located. This is because the increase (reaching the quorum) is why the notification is being sent.
Then, Pell teaches wherein: the user receiver causes the storage to store the number of people information including the number of users of the event related to the event holding information, in par 042: “In an embodiment, if the existing room is the only available room that can accommodate one of the two meetings (e.g., due to room size or specialized equipment) and the other meeting can be accommodated by another available room, then the meeting that can be accommodated by a different room may be automatically chosen for relocation. Otherwise, if either meeting could potentially be relocated, determining whether to relocate the existing meeting or the upcoming meeting may be based on a combination of weighted metrics. For example, a first metric may be based on the number of people attending or scheduled to attend each of the meetings with preference for the existing room given to the meeting with more attendees.” This metric teaches “number of people attending” and is stored as taught in par 033 where all of the elements which are performing these steps are stored (room assignment model 322 which is further modified in pars 041-042).
Then, Pell teaches and the management server comprises a facility allocator that, after the updated number-of-users value is stored, determines allocation information of the facility by selecting or configuring the facility on the basis of the event holding information and the updated number-of-users value, and causes the user notifier to notify the user of the set allocation information in par 042: “Various factors may be used to intelligently determine how to relocate one of the meetings. In an embodiment, if the existing room is the only available room that can accommodate one of the two meetings (e.g., due to room size or specialized equipment) and the other meeting can be accommodated by another available room, then the meeting that can be accommodated by a different room may be automatically chosen for relocation. Otherwise, if either meeting could potentially be relocated, determining whether to relocate the existing meeting or the upcoming meeting may be based on a combination of weighted metrics. For example, a first metric may be based on the number of people attending or scheduled to attend each of the meetings with preference for the existing room given to the meeting with more attendees. Another metric may be based on a superiority level of the job titles of the meeting attendees with preference for the existing meeting room generally given to the meeting with higher ranked attendees. Another metric may penalize the current meeting that is overrunning to give preference to the meeting scheduled in advance. A weighted combination of these and/or other metrics may be combined to determine an overall metric score for each meeting, the higher of which may be assigned to the existing room, and the lower of which being re-assigned to a different meeting room.”
See also par 043: “A variety of factors may also be used to determine a new room for assigning to the scheduled meeting or the continuing meeting. For example, other available rooms (that are not reserved) may be ranked based on factors such as room capacity, specialized equipment available, and distance from the current room. Particularly, in one embodiment, the room assignment module 322 may first determine a subset of rooms that have the appropriate capacity and specialized equipment to accommodate the relocating meeting. From the subset of accommodating rooms, the room assignment module 322 may select the room is closest to the existing meeting room location.”
Notifications are taught in par 036: “The notification module 330 facilitates communications from the room management server 130 to the room management clients 130 and may also facilitate communications between different room management clients 130. For example, the notification module 330 may send notifications to appropriate room management clients 130 inside a meeting room or outside of a meeting room when a scheduled meeting is scheduled to begin or end. The notification module 330 may furthermore facilitate communications between an outside-type room management client 130 outside a given meeting room and an inside-type room management client 130 inside the given meeting room.”
the user notifier to notify the user of the set allocation information is taught in par 062: “The notification module 330 determines 406 if an attendee criteria is met. For example, in one embodiment, the notification module 330 tracks an attendee count of individuals that are present outside the room. If identities of the present individuals are determined, then the attendee count may include only the individuals matching the attendee list for the scheduled meeting. Otherwise, if the identities are not determined, the attendee count may correspond to the number of individuals determined to be present.” And Pars 063-064: “If the attendee criteria is met in step 406, a notification is generated to the room management client 130 inside the room. The notification may indicate that the meeting is scheduled to end and that the new meeting is ready to begin.
A prompt may be sent to the room management client 130 inside the room together with the notification presenting an option to continue the meeting. Individuals in the room may make a selection using the room management client 130 inside the room whether to continue the meeting or whether they are ready for the meeting to end. If a selection is received to continue the meeting, an indication of the selection is sent to the room assignment module 332 and the room assignment module 332 may intelligently identify a meeting room for either the overrunning meeting or the next scheduled meeting to relocate as described below.
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reservation teaching of Beacher with the number increasing and allocation teaching of Pell because Pell teaches in par 002 that:
Management of meeting rooms in a business environment is important to ensure the rooms are utilized in an efficient manner. Conventionally, meeting rooms can be reserved for specific time periods using a manual scheduling system or a simple calendar application. These primitive systems do not do anything to help facilitate the meeting or enforce the schedule. Therefore, a more advanced room management system is desired.
Pell’s teaching of a more advanced room management system for meetings addresses enforcement of schedules and facilitation of meetings so that rooms are utilized more efficiently. As one would be motivated to more efficiently use reservations per Beacher’s teachings of reserving a wide variety of spaces, one would be motivated to combine Beacher with Pell.
Per claim 3, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1, above. Beacher then teaches the management server comprises a location information notifier that notifies the user of location information related to a reserved location included in the event holding information stored in the storage in pars 0486-0487 and in pars 0631-0659 where specific rooms are described. See also par 0759 where a student chooses an exact bed. See also pars 0457-0475, where specific rooms are selectable.
Per claim 4, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1, above. Beacher then teaches the management server comprises: a registration receiver that receives registration of provided item information on a provided item provided at the event related to the event holding information via the reservation person input means, to cause the storage to store the provided item information in pars 0476-0479 where a student can view the potential room and in par 0497 where the student can click reserve housing.
Beacher then teaches and an application receiver that receives an application for use of the provided item related to the provided item information via the user input means in pars 0499-0501 where after reserving the student can submit an online housing contract.
Per claim 5, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1, above. Beacher then teaches a reservation person side receiver that receives a message of the reservation person via the reservation person input means in par 0296: “”Send" lets a student send a message to the possible roommate.”
Beacher then teaches a user side receiver that receives a message of the user via the user input means; and a message viewer that allows both the reservation person and the user to view the message received by the reservation person side receiver and the user side receiver in pars 0310-0311 where users are exchanging messages with each other. See also par 0381.
Per claim 6, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1, above. Beacher then teaches the management server comprises a usage fee billing part that charges a usage fee for each user with respect to users of the event related to the event holding information in par 0504 where a reservation fee is paid. See also pars 0861-0864.
Per claim 9, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1, above. Beacher then teaches the facility allocator allocates at least a part of all available facilities on the basis of the event holding information, the number of people information, and the allocation information, and updates the allocation information on the allocated facility in par 0603 where allocations are made and then in par 0604 as well when a cancelled room is allocated by the manager. See par 0604: “If the manager applies the User Defined Field "Unavailable" to a housing unit that is fully reserved, then when a student moves out or cancels the unit, that student's bed cannot be reserved by any students but is available for the manager to assign someone to. When students view a display of who lives in the room, the bed displays as "Unavailable" instead of showing a student's name. The manager can apply the Unavailable User Defined Field to a whole building, floor, floor plan, housing unit, or one bed, depending on where the manager wants to recover a supply of rooms that have been previously reserved as students move or cancel their units. This is an important feature of the software system.”
Per claim 10, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1, above. Beacher then teaches the management server is connected via the communication line to a plurality of customer attraction servers that attracts users of the event related to the event holding information and an intermediate server that aggregates customer attraction side reservation information obtained by the customer attraction servers, the customer attraction server includes a customer attraction side reservation part that manages the customer attraction side reservation information on the user and the reserved date and time received from the user in par 0177 and 0178 where students receive a notification of a date/time that they can reserve, as well as the teachings in claim 1 of reserving the unit by date and time. See pars 0177-0178: “Each student receives a unique date/time, with the interval between them depending upon the number of students falling within a given time frame. For example, if 100 students are distributed within one day across a 10-hour period starting at 10 AM, then 10 students will fall within the first hour and be scheduled at 10:00 AM, 10:06 AM, 10:12 AM, and so on. When a student is assigned a date/time, the system automatically notifies him by email as well as displays the information on screen when he logs in.”
Per claim 12, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 10, above. Beacher then teaches wherein the intermediate server comprises: a billing amount obtaining means that obtains a usage fee with respect to the user of the event received via the customer attraction server; and a billing amount counting means that counts the usage fee obtained by the billing amount obtaining means in par 0504 where a reservation fee is paid. See also pars 0861-0864.
Claim(s) 2 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beacher et al., US PGPUB 2004/0117528 A1 (“Beacher”), in view of Pell et al., US PGPUB 20190130366 A1 (“Pell”), further in view of Gokcebay, US PGPUGB 2018/0033227 A1 (“Gokcebay”).
Per claims 2 and 11, which are similar in scope, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 1 and 10, above. Beacher further teaches wherein the facility is a predetermined space, in par 0422: “Schools often give current residents the option to renew their current housing unit for the following term before others get a chance to reserve it.”
Beacher does not teach and the management server comprises a user key issuer that issues an unlocking key for unlocking a locking device for the space to the user.
Gokcebay teaches a facility or system of facilities wherein desks in associated facilities are rented or assigned to individuals on a temporary basis, sometimes called a distributed desk facility, electronic locks are provided for the desks and associated cabinets to be used by renters or employees. See abstract.
Gokcebay teaches and the management server comprises a user key issuer that issues an unlocking key for unlocking a locking device for the space to the user in par 020: “Here, the cloud or local server 12 communicates by Internet with a user's mobile device (e.g. smartphone) 13. Communication goes both ways, as indicated by the arrows 14 and 16. The arrow 14 indicates the user, at the first instance, downloads an app from the cloud or other server, and the user is authenticated through the app. The user with the device 13 is now set up to use the system. As at “B” in the drawing, the user connects to the system via Wi-Fi or 3G/4G and obtains a token or password for a) a specific lock at a specific location or b) any lock within a facility. The user can then go to a specific lock or any lock within the facility to open/relock the lock using the app and the token or password provided by the system, as indicated at “C”. At the facility visited by the user are a series of electronic locks 18. The user communicates with one of the locks via wireless communication (Bluetooth, etc.).”
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rental reservation teaching of Beacher with the locking and unlocking issuing teaching of Gokcebay because Gokcebay teaches the following improvement:
at such temporary or rotating use facilities there has been a need for security. The temporary workspace user should be able to lock the desk or associated office furniture or storage furniture or locker, or an office door when the user is away from the desk. Mechanical keys could be issued for the period a desk is to be used, but this would require management personnel to issue and keep track of the keys (which could be several for each desk, work station, office or cubicle), and inevitably some keys would be lost by inadvertent failure to return the keys, causing further security concerns and costs, including re-keying locks.
Par 003. Gokcebay’s improvement prevents the problems inherent with physical old style keys and improves upon this with digital access. One would be motivated to modify Beacher with Gokcebay to integrate reservations with access so that the process for both the renter and rentee can be seamless. For these reasons, one would be motivated to modify Beacher with Gokcebay.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beacher et al., US PGPUB 2004/0117528 A1 (“Beacher”), in view of Pell et al., US PGPUB 20190130366 A1 (“Pell”), further in view of Weatherly et al., US Pat No. 6,023,687 (“Weatherly).
Per claim 7, Beacher and Pell teach the limitations of claim 6, above. Beacher does not teach wherein the management server comprises a difference settler that settles a difference obtained by subtracting the usage fee of the facility from sales amount of the event, for the reservation person of the event related to the event holding information.
Weatherly teaches a computerized system for creating and managing a lease agreement. See abstract.
Weatherly teaches the management server comprises a difference settler that settles a difference obtained by subtracting the usage fee of the facility from sales amount of the event, for the reservation person of the event related to the event holding information in col 7 ln 6-24: “Turning now to FIG. 2, the landlord L has the option of requesting funds through direct deposit, and, if such a request is made, an account 40 for the landlord L is formed by the computerized system 10 to automatically credit the landlord's account 40 for the rent amount minus the management fee on the same day each month. If the landlord L declines a direct deposit, this is noted in the payment processing subsystem 15 of the lease control computer 14. This information will be double-checked against the lease and service product, and the security deposit and rent checks are logged into the payment processing subsystem 15 and deposited by a remittance processing group. The lease guaranty processing means 30 of the control computer 14 will determine whether the full security deposit has been provided. If this has not been done, the landlord L will be notified and the account will not be activated until the full security deposit has been received. If the landlord L has requested a direct deposit, this account will be blocked from receiving payments until the full security deposit has been received.” Amount minus management fee teaches subtracting usage fee from sales amount.
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reservation teaching of Beacher with the difference settlement teaching of Weatherly because Weatherly teaches a system which ensures that rent is received in a timely manner. See Col 1 ln 40-44. Because of this motivation teaching, parties will receive their settlements more timely and therefore will be encouraged to rent more properties. Further, the system will be more efficient with payment so that properties can rent more quickly. For these reasons, one would be motivated to modify Beacher with Weatherly.
Therefore, claims 1-7 and 9-12 are rejected under 35 USC 103.
Response to Remarks:
35 USC 101
Applicant argues:
The specification explains that conventional reservation systems require the number of users and corresponding space size to be known at the time of reservation, which increases burden and reduces operational efficiency ( 0004). In contrast, the claimed system stores event holding information and subsequently receives participation applications, updates and stores number-of-people information associated with the event ( 0046), and determines allocation information based on the stored updated headcount ( 0054). Allocation is therefore not statically bound at the time of reservation, but is determined by a facility allocator operating on stored event metadata and a dynamically updated participant parameter. The specification further explains that this enables allocation of an appropriately sized room according to the number of users and allows immediate updating of allocation information when the number of users changes ( 0067- 0068).
From a technological perspective, this modifies the internal data model and execution flow of the management server. The server maintains an event record that includes a mutable number-of-people field, updates that field in response to accepted participation applications, and uses the stored value as an allocation parameter for automated facility assignment. This is not a mere automation of a manual process. It changes how the server structures and processes
reservation state and allocation state, reduces premature or repeated allocations, and improves resource utilization by deferring and computing allocation based on stored, incrementally updated participation data. The allocator extracts suitable facilities based on spatial information and the stored headcount ( 0054), and stores updated allocation information ( 0068), thereby improving the operation of the server itself and its handling of facility resources.
Examiner Replies: Applicant’s technological arguments are unpersuasive because as one ordinarily skilled would know, the limitations are room reservations, which are counting steps and making decision steps that are not patent eligible as they are simply commonplace business activities performed on a computer, see Alice.
Applicant argues:
Although the specification does not explicitly label these features as an "improvement to computer functionality," such explicit language is not required. The question is whether the specification describes the invention in a manner that makes the technological improvement apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Here, the detailed description of the management server architecture ( 0043- 0047), the storage and updating of number-of-people information ( 0046), the deferred allocation logic ( 0054), and the resulting reduction in manual intervention and improved operational efficiency ( 0067- 0068) would make clear to a skilled artisan that the invention improves the functioning of networked reservation servers and automated allocation mechanisms. The claimed system therefore integrates any alleged abstract idea into a concrete technological implementation that enhances how the computer system stores, updates, and uses reservation data to control allocation.
Examiner replies: If that language were included in the specification it would not be persuasive, and would be dismissed because one ordinarily skilled would not see these counting and business decision making steps as an improvement to a computer. These arguments are unpersuasive. Saying that something manual is replaced is unpersuasive is not backed up by any persuasive evidence: that would lead one to believe that before the effective filing date of this application, computers were not able to be used to make room reservations. As this is unpersuasive the rejection is maintained.
35 USC 103
Applicant’s substantive arguments are:
Pell is directed to
managing meeting room conflicts, particularly situations in which an ongoing meeting overruns its scheduled time and a new meeting is scheduled to begin. Pell detects attendee presence and may determine when a quorum or threshold number of attendees is present, and may use attendee counts as one metric among others for deciding whether to relocate a meeting. However, Pell does not disclose receiving post-reservation participation applications that are accepted and stored as part of an event record. Pell's attendee counts are derived from presence detection or scheduled attendee lists and are used for conflict resolution or relocation decisions. Pell does not disclose updating a stored number-of-users value associated with event holding information in response to acceptance of new participants, nor does it disclose storing such an updated value as an attribute of the event record.
Moreover, Pell's use of attendee counts in weighted metrics for relocation fundamentally different from the claimed facility allocator. In Pell, attendee counts are inputs to a decision regarding which meeting to move in the event of a scheduling conflict. The allocation in Pell is a relocation of meetings between rooms due to overrun and scheduling conflict. In contrast, claim 1 requires that, after the stored number-of-users value is updated, the facility allocator determines allocation information for the facility based on the event holding information and the updated number-of-users value. The allocation determination is therefore driven by a change in stored participation data for a reserved event, not by detection of a scheduling conflict or a quorum of attendees physically present at a room.
The Office Action's finding that Pell's determination of when a quorum is achieved constitutes an "increase" in the number of users who have been accepted to participate is not supported by the reference. Pell's quorum detection merely compares a detected number of attendees to a threshold to trigger a notification. It does not involve acceptance of participation applications, does not update a stored participant count associated with the event holding information, and does not store an updated headcount value as part of the event record. A threshold comparison of detected presence is not equivalent to updating and storing an event- associated number-of-users value in response to acceptance of new participants.
Even if Beacher and Pell were combined, the resulting system would at most provide reservation storage (from Beacher) and conflict-based relocation using attendee metrics (from Pell). The combination would still not disclose or suggest updating a stored number-of-users value associated with an event in response to participation applications and subsequently determining allocation information based on that updated stored value. Achieving the claimed sequence would require redesigning the combined system to introduce a new data field associated with each reserved event, implement logic to update that field upon acceptance of additional participants after reservation, and defer or perform allocation based on that updated stored headcount. Neither reference contains any teaching or suggestion of such functionality
Examiner replies: Applicant attempts to focus narrowly on various passages of Pell to say that Applicant’s room reservation invention is not taught by Pell. This is not persuasive. Pell not only teaches relocation, which actually also teaches reservation, but also reservation, as showed, explained, and maintained above. The quorum taught increase as the quorum was reached. With all due respect, reach means that a number gets larger in this context. Therefore Applicant’s argument fails to persuade. The rejection is maintained.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Conclusion
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/RICHARD W. CRANDALL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619