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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-10, 13-14, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by De Berg Hewett (USPGPUB 2016/0092851).
Regarding claim 1, De Berg Hewett discloses an information processing apparatus, comprising:
a processing unit (1 or 9 or 9,37a-d or 1,9,37a-d) configured to:
generate purchase information that includes:
a purchase condition (see “a certain amount of credits” in paragraph [0066]) pertaining to a purchase of a beverage, wherein the purchase condition includes a purchase location (see “in a queue at the beverage dispenser” in paragraph [0066]) of the purchase of the beverage, and
a container identifier (17) that identifies a beverage container (11); and
control, based on the generated purchase information, provision of the beverage using the beverage container (see paragraph [0068]).
Regarding claim 2, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
record the purchase information to the beverage container (see paragraphs [0028], [0038], [0053], [0061], and [0063]); and
process the recorded purchase information based on
the purchase of the beverage using the beverage container by an end user (see paragraph [0061]), and
details of the purchase of the beverage (see paragraph [0061]).
Regarding claim 3, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the purchase condition further includes at least one of:
an expiration date associated with the purchase,
a product to be purchased, wherein the product corresponds to the beverage,
a maximum number of purchases of the beverage, and
a settlement type associated with the purchase (see paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claim 4, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive information indicating the purchase condition based on an input of the end user (see paragraphs [0037]-[0038]).
Regarding claim 5, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive the container identifier recorded to the beverage container (see paragraph [0068]).
Regarding claim 6, De Berg Hewett disclose the information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
control, based on a request from a device belonging to the end user (see “a user profile 5 has been registered” in paragraph [0075]), notification of presentation information pertaining to the beverage, wherein the input of the end user is based on the notification of the presentation information (see paragraph [0075]);
receive the information indicating the purchase condition based on the input of the end user and the notification of the presentation information; and
generate the purchase information based on the information indicating the purchase condition, and the container identifier received from the beverage container (see paragraph [0029]).
Regarding claim 7, De Berg Hewett disclose the information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
receive beverage information pertaining to the beverage from a device belonging to one of a beverage manufacturer or a beverage server manufacturer (see paragraphs [0029] and [0075]); and
control the notification of the presentation information based on the received beverage information (see paragraphs [0029] and [0075]).
Regarding claim 8, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
set the beverage as a purchase target beverage, wherein the beverage is one of designated by the end user at the purchase location or specified from the container identifier (see paragraph [0066]); and
process the purchase information based on the set beverage (see paragraph [0066]).
Regarding claim 9, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
perform, based on provision of the purchase target beverage to the beverage container, a process pertaining to settlement for the purchase target beverage (see paragraph [0066]); and
update, based on a result of the process pertaining to the settlement, the purchase information recorded to the beverage container (see paragraphs [0056] and [0061]).
Regarding claim 10, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
transmit a request for settlement for the purchase target beverage to a proxy settlement server that performs a process pertaining to the settlement, wherein the process pertaining to the settlement corresponds to the settlement type (see paragraphs [0037] and [0051]); and
obtain, from the proxy settlement server, a result of the process that pertains to the settlement (see paragraphs [0037] and [0051]).
Regarding claim 13, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the purchase information is recorded to an IC chip (17) that includes a short-range wireless communication function and is attached to a specific position on the beverage container (see Figures 5-6), and
the processing unit is further configured to use short-range wireless communication to one of:
write the purchase information to the IC chip, or
process the purchase information read out from the IC chip (see paragraphs [0056] and [0061]).
Regarding claim 14, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein
a beverage server that discharges the beverage to the beverage container has a reader/writer (37a-d) that includes the short-range wireless communication function (see paragraphs [0056] and [0061]), and
the processing unit is further configured to use the reader/writer to one of write the purchase information to the IC chip or process the purchase information read out from the IC chip (see paragraphs [0056] and [0061]).
Regarding claim 17, De Berg Hewett discloses an information processing method, comprising:
by an information processing apparatus (1 or 9 or 9,37a-d or 1,9,37a-d)
generating purchase information that includes:
a condition pertaining to a purchase of a beverage (see “a certain amount of credits” in paragraph [0066]), wherein the condition includes a purchase location (see “in a queue at the beverage dispenser” in paragraph [0066]) of the purchase of the beverage, and
an identifier (17) that identifies a beverage container (11); and
controlling, based on the generated purchase information, provision of the beverage using the beverage container (see paragraph [0068]).
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) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Berg Hewett (USPGPUB 2016/0092851) as applied to claims 1-10, 13-14, and 17 above, and further in view of SHINOHARA et al. (USPGPUB 2019/0295058).
Regarding claim 11, De Berg Hewett disclose the information processing apparatus according to claim 9. However, De Berg Hewett does not disclose an apparatus wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
accumulate, as history information, a history pertaining to the purchased beverage; and
control, based on a request from a device belonging to one of a beverage manufacturer or a beverage server manufacturer, notification of the history information.
SHINOHARA et al. disclose an apparatus wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
accumulate, as history information, a history pertaining to the purchased beverage (see paragraphs [0133]-[0137]); and
control, based on a request from a device belonging to one of a beverage manufacturer or a beverage server manufacturer, notification of the history information (see paragraphs [0133]-[0137]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus disclosed by De Berg Hewett by including an apparatus wherein the processing unit is further configured to: accumulate, as history information, a history pertaining to the purchased beverage; and control, based on a request from a device belonging to one of a beverage manufacturer or a beverage server manufacturer, notification of the history information, as disclosed by SHINOHARA et al., with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of providing marketing products (see paragraph [0135]-[0137]).
Regarding claim 12, De Berg Hewett in view of SHINOHARA et al. disclose the information processing apparatus according to claim 11. Furthermore, SHINOHARA et al. disclose an apparatus wherein a message to the end user is generated based on the history information (see paragraphs [0133]-[0137]), and the generated message is presented to the end user by a device belonging to the end user (see paragraph [0093]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus disclosed by De Berg Hewett by including an apparatus wherein a message to the end user is generated based on the history information, and the generated message is presented to the end user by a device belonging to the end user, as disclosed by SHINOHARA et al., with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of providing a specific advertisement (see paragraph [0093]).
Claim(s) 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Berg Hewett (USPGPUB 2016/0092851) as applied to claims 1-10, 13-14, and 17 above, and further in view of CANORA et al. (USPGPUB 2010/0125362).
Regarding claim 15, De Berg Hewett discloses the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the beverage container includes one of a reusable cup (11) or a reusable bottle used by each end user of a plurality of end users (see “user profiles” paragraph [0035]),
the purchase information is individual information for the each end user of the plurality of end users (see paragraph [0037]).
However, De Berg Hewett does not disclose an apparatus wherein the purchase information further includes subscription information corresponding to a subscription method. CANORA et al. disclose an apparatus wherein the purchase information further includes subscription information corresponding to a subscription method (see paragraph [0046]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus disclosed by De Berg Hewett by including an apparatus wherein the purchase information further includes subscription information corresponding to a subscription method, as disclosed by CANORA et al., with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of providing beverage or snack tokens loaded by “a subscription-type or renewing basis” (see paragraph [0046]).
Regarding claim 16, De Berg Hewett in view of CANORA et al. disclose the information processing apparatus according to claim 15. Furthermore, CANORA et al. disclose an apparatus wherein the purchase information further includes a number of actual purchases and a purchase datetime associated with the beverage (see paragraphs [0017] and [0046]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus disclosed by De Berg Hewett by including an apparatus wherein the purchase information further includes a number of actual purchases and a purchase datetime associated with the beverage, as disclosed by CANORA et al., with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of providing beverage or snack tokens loaded by “a subscription-type or renewing basis” (see paragraph [0046]) and “a start and stop time/date encoded on the token” (see paragraph [0017]).
Conclusion
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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL COLLINS whose telephone number is (571)272-8970. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Scott can be reached at (571) 270-3415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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M.K.C.
1/9/2026
/MICHAEL COLLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655