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 .
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 1-15, and 31-35 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) acquire apparatus identification information, connect a communication unit, display an operation, transmit an operation instruction, and transfer to the control unit. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the instruction is merely transferred to the control unit, which is done by general computer.
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because after communicating, displaying, transmitting and transferring, its just a mental process. It does not provide any consequential action to the apparatus/elevator, finishing with transferring operation instructions, which is an extra post solution activity.
With respect to claim 1, an apparatus acquires identification information, connect a communication unit, display an operation, transmit an operation instruction, and transfer to the control unit. With respect to claim 31, an apparatus connects a communicates with mobile terminal, communicates and receives identification information, transmit an operation instruction through communication, and transmit operation instruction to the control unit. Neither independent claim specifies an action taking after all communication is done, and therefore is only an abstract idea.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 and 31-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being taught by Yang et al (PGPUB 2019/0276274).
With respect to claim 1, Yang teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the instructions to:
acquire apparatus identification information (paragraph 0066) for distinguishing a plurality of apparatuses (fig. 2, 101a/b) from each other, and
connect to a communication unit (fig. 1, 300) communicable (paragraph 0069) with a control unit (fig. 4, 140) of an apparatus indicated by the apparatus identification information;
when a connection to the communication unit is established, cause a display unit to display an operation screen (fig. 3, screen on 200) for operating the apparatus communicable (paragraph 0064) with the communication unit; and
transmit an operation instruction input by operating the operation screen to the communication unit and causes the operation instruction to be transferred (paragraph 0069) to the control unit of the apparatus.
With respect to claim 2, Yang teaches wherein at least one of the apparatuses is an elevator (101a/b).
With respect to claim 3, Yang teaches wherein the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to acquire the apparatus identification information by reading, by a user, a two-dimensional code (paragraph 0054; QR) provided at an entrance or an elevator hall of a building having the elevator.
With respect to claim 4, Yang teaches wherein the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to cause the display unit to display at first a destination floor number specification screen for specifying a floor number of a destination of the elevator (paragraph 0064).
With respect to claim 5, Yang teaches wherein the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to cause the display unit to display at first a screen for specifying a moving direction of the elevator (paragraph 0064) after boarding and,
when subsequently acquiring the two-dimensional code in the elevator by the acquisition unit, cause the display unit to display a floor number specification screen for specifying a floor number of a destination of the elevator (paragraph 0097/98).
With respect to claim 6, Yang teaches wherein the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to cause the display unit to display at first a destination specification screen for specifying a destination of the elevator (paragraph 0064).
With respect to claim 7, Yang teaches wherein floor number information indicating a floor number to which the elevator is movable is associated with the apparatus identification information (paragraph 0064), and
the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to display processing unit cause the display unit to display a floor number specification screen for specifying a floor number of a destination of the elevator, based on a floor number indicated by the floor number information associated (paragraph 0064) with the acquired apparatus identification information.
With respect to claim 8, Yang teaches wherein the floor number information further includes information about a specific floor requiring input of authentication information in order to be specified as a destination of the elevator (paragraph 0064),
the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to when the specific floor is specified by a user through the floor number specification screen, further cause the display unit to display an input screen of authentication information, and
transmit the authentication information to (paragraph 0058) the communication unit.
With respect to claim 9, Yang teaches wherein the plurality of apparatuses include two or more elevators (101a/b), and the two or more elevators are positioned in an identical building (paragraph 0056).
With respect to claim 10, Yang teaches wherein the plurality of apparatuses include two or more elevators (101a/b), and the two or more elevators are positioned in buildings different (paragraph 0054; multiple buildings) from each other.
With respect to claim 11, Yang teaches wherein the computer is a mobile terminal apparatus (paragraph 0122) of a user, and the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to transmit user identification information allowing determination of a user who (paragraph 0122) uses the mobile terminal apparatus to the communication unit.
With respect to claim 12, Yang teaches non-transitory computer-readable storage medium the plurality of apparatuses include different types of apparatuses (paragraph 0070),
the program further causes the computer to execute the instructions to determine the type of an apparatus being an operation target, based on (paragraph 0064) the apparatus identification information, and
cause the display unit to display an operation screen for operating an apparatus related (paragraph 0064) to the determined type.
With respect to claim 13, Yang teaches communication apparatus comprising:
at least one memory configured (paragraph 0124) to store instructions; and
at least one processor configured (paragraph 0123) to execute the instructions to:
wirelessly communicate with (paragraph 0057) a mobile terminal apparatus including a computer executing the program stored in a non- transitory computer-readable storaqe medium according to claim 1;
communicate with of a plurality of apparatuses (paragraph 0070);
when a connection to the mobile terminal apparatus is established (paragraph 0079) through the first communication unit, receive, from the mobile terminal apparatus, apparatus identification information for distinguishing the plurality of apparatuses (paragraph 0081) from each other;
transmit, through the first communication unit, information for causing a display unit in the mobile terminal apparatus to display an operation screen for operating (paragraph 0079) the apparatus, based on the received apparatus identification information; and
when receiving an operation instruction to the apparatus from (paragraph 0069) the mobile terminal apparatus through the first communication unit, transmit the operation instruction to the control unit of the apparatus through the second communication unit.
With respect to claim 14, Yang teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to transmit, to the control unit of the apparatus, along with the received operation instruction, an instruction not to cause a display unit in the apparatus to display information indicating (paragraph 0064) the operation instruction.
With respect to claim 15, Yang teaches wherein the apparatus is an elevator, and, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to when the operation instruction indicates a floor number of a destination of (paragraph 0064) the elevator,
transmit, to the control unit of the elevator, along with information for specifying the floor number of the destination, an instruction not to cause a display unit in the elevator for displaying a floor number of a destination to display the floor number (paragraph 0064) of the destination of the elevator.
With respect to claim 31, Yang teaches information processing system comprising:
a mobile terminal apparatus (fig. 1, 200) operated by a user of an apparatus (fig. 2); and
a communication apparatus (fig. 1, 300) communicable with a control unit (fig. 4, 140) of the apparatus,
wherein the mobile terminal apparatus includes:
at least one memory (paragraph 0057) configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor (paragraph 0057) configured to execute the instructions to:
connect to the communication apparatus;
a display processing unit (paragraph 0073) that,
when a connection to (paragraph 0069) the communication apparatus is established, cause a display unit to (fig. 3, display of 200) display an operation screen for operating the apparatus communicable (paragraph 0064) with the communication apparatus; and
a transmission unit (fig. 1, 240) that transmit an operation instruction input by operating the operation screen to the control unit of the apparatus through (paragraph 0069) the communication apparatus, and the communication apparatus includes:
at least one memory (paragraph 0124) configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor (paragraph 0123) configured to execute the instructions to:
wirelessly communicate (paragraph 0057) with the mobile terminal apparatus;
control unit of a plurality of the apparatuses (paragraph 0070);
when a connection to the mobile terminal apparatus is established through the first communication unit, receive, from (paragraph 0079) the mobile terminal apparatus, apparatus identification information for distinguishing the plurality of apparatuses (paragraph 0081) from each other;
transmit, through the first communication unit, information for causing display unit in the mobile terminal apparatus to display the operation screen for (paragraph 0079) operating the apparatus, based on the received apparatus identification information; and
when receiving an operation instruction to the apparatus from (paragraph 0069) the mobile terminal apparatus through the first communication unit, transmit, to the control unit of the apparatus through the second communication unit, the received operation instruction.
With respect to claim 32, Yang teaches wherein at least one of the apparatuses is an elevator (101a/b).
With respect to claim 33, Yang teaches in the mobile terminal apparatus, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to acquire the apparatus identification information by reading, by a user, a two-dimensional code (paragraph 0054; QR) provided at an entrance or an elevator hall of a building having the elevator.
With respect to claim 34, Yang teaches wherein, in the mobile terminal apparatus, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the display unit to display at first a destination specification screen for specifying a destination of the elevator (paragraph 0097/98).
With respect to claim 35, Yang teaches wherein floor number information indicating a floor number to which the elevator is movable is associated with (paragraph 0097/98) the apparatus identification information, and,
in the mobile terminal apparatus, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the display unit to display a floor number specification screen for specifying a floor number of a destination of the elevator, based on a floor number indicated by the floor number information associated (paragraph 0064) with the acquired apparatus identification information.
Conclusion
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/ERICK D GLASS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
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