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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuda et al (US 2019/0172292 A1) in view of Ichikawa et al (US 2004/0245066 A1) and further in view of Daout et al (US 2004/0093117 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Fukuda teaches
an automated teller machine, i.e., banknote handling device (1), as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, for example, comprising:
a main body, i.e., upper handling unit (11) and lower safe unit (13), as illustrated in figure 2, having an entrance for replenishment and recovery, i.e., depositing unit (21) having inlet (211), first dispensing unit (22) having first outlet (221) and second dispensing unit (23) having second outlet (231) as illustrated in figure 3, noting also the connection paths (414) into external storage (35) suggests an inlet/outlet constituting an entrance, to which a transit cassette, i.e., external storage (35), is connected, as illustrated in figure 3, for example;
a reception unit, i.e., depositing unit (21) having inlet (211), first dispensing unit (22) having first outlet (221) and second dispensing unit (23) having second outlet (231) as illustrated in figure 3, through which deposit or withdrawal of a medium is made, as mentioned at paragraphs 145-147, for example;
a temporary holding unit, i.e., temporary storage unit (34), in which the medium is temporarily stored, as mentioned in paragraphs 167 and 168 and as illustrated in figure 4;
an identification unit, i.e., recognition unit (24) as illustrated in figures 1-4, serving to identify whether a medium is a normal banknote, a rejection banknote, or a non-replenishment banknote, as mentioned at paragraphs 148 and 149, for example;
a recycle cassette, i.e., either large storages (311-313) or small storages (321-323), as illustrated in figures 3 and 4, in which the medium recognized as the normal banknote is stored, as mentioned at paragraphs 153-155, for example;
a reject cassette, i.e., either multi-purpose storage (33) or external storage (35), in which the medium recognized as the rejection banknote is stored, as mentioned at paragraphs 157 and 173-175;
a utility cassette, i.e., multipurpose storage/cassette (33), disposed in a lower portion of the main body (11, 13), the utility cassette (33) serving to store various types of mediums for universal purposes, as mentioned at paragraph 157, for example;
a conveyance path, i.e., loop transport path (411), upper path (4111), lower path (4112), connection paths (412-418), as illustrated in figures 3 and 4, for example, through which the medium is conveyed between the entrance for replenishment and recovery, as illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the reception unit, i.e., any of (21, 211, 22, 221, 23, 231), the temporary holding unit (34), the identification unit (24), the recycle cassette, i.e., any of (311-313, 321-323), the reject cassette, i.e., any of (33, 35), and the utility cassette (33); and
a control unit, i.e., controller (15) as illustrated in figure 5 and as mentioned at paragraph 180, configured to control the conveyance path (411, 4111, 4112, 412-418), such that when the medium is replenished through the transit cassette (35), the medium recognized as the normal banknote by the identification unit (24), among the mediums stored in the transit cassette, i.e., any of (311-313, 321-323, 33), is temporarily stored in the temporary holding unit (34), and among the mediums temporarily stored in the temporary holding unit (34), the medium recognized as the normal banknote by the identification unit (24) is transferred to the transit cassette (35), as mentioned at paragraphs 14, 89-97, 167-168, 217-219, 330, 405 and as illustrated in figures 4, 14, 24, 27, 28 and 36, for example.
Regarding Claim 1, Fukuda does not expressly teach sending banknotes determined as normal banknotes by the identification unit to the temporary holding unit and then sending normal banknotes to the transit cassette.
Regarding Claim 1, Fukuda does not expressly teach, but Ichikawa teaches sending banknotes determined as normal, i.e., construed as including genuine, banknotes by the identification unit, i.e., banknote discrimination unit (101), to the temporary holding unit, i.e., temporary storage box (103), and then sending normal banknotes to the transit cassette, i.e., the cassette for feed and collection (105), as illustrated in figures 2 and 13 and as mentioned at paragraphs 93 and 94, which states as follows.
[0093] In the collection process, the banknotes fed from the banknote storage boxes 104a through 104d are conveyed one by one to the banknote discrimination unit 101 as shown by the arrows of thick line. Any banknote determined as counterfeit by the banknote discrimination unit 101 is collected in the forgery collection box 102. The banknote source data 210 are updated here for management of the source of the counterfeit banknote as in the case of the money-out process. The banknotes determined as genuine by the banknote discrimination unit 101 are temporarily kept in the temporary storage box 103. The processing to this stage is the `discrimination process`.
[0094] As shown by the arrows of broken line, the banknotes are then conveyed from the temporary collection box 103 to the cassette 105 for collection via the banknote discrimination unit 101. The banknotes may be subjected to banknote discrimination again in the course of conveyance. This arrangement further enhances the accuracy of banknote discrimination. The clerk at the financial institution detaches the cassette 105 from the feed-collection cassette module 25 to collect the banknotes. Even when the banknotes received in a deposit transaction or in a banknote feed operation include any counterfeit banknote, this arrangement advantageous detects such forgery, prior to collection into the cassette 105. This arrangement also ensures management of the banknote source data and improves the convenience.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 1, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided algorithms and structure to send banknotes determined as normal banknotes by the identification unit to the temporary holding unit and then send normal banknotes to the transit cassette, as taught by Ichikawa, in Fukuda’s automated teller machine for the purpose of detecting forgeries/counterfeit banknotes before collection in the recovery transit cassette.
Regarding Claim 1, Fukuda does not expressly teach
wherein the control unit recognizes as the non-replenishment banknote, among replenishment banknotes transferred to the identification unit, mediums not to be replenished to the recycle cassette since the number of the mediums stored in the automated teller machine comes to satisfy a preset quantity due to a customer's deposit while a person of the management company goes to replenish mediums.
Regarding Claim 1, Fukuda does not expressly teach, but Daout teaches
wherein the control unit (18), as illustrated in figure 1 and as mentioned at paragraph 20, recognizes as the non-replenishment banknote, among replenishment banknotes transferred to the identification unit, i.e., banknote validator (6), as mentioned at paragraph 20, mediums not to be replenished to the recycle cassette, i.e., idealized multi-denominational store (4), for example, since the number of the mediums stored in the automated teller machine comes to satisfy a preset quantity due to a customer's deposit while a person of the management company goes to replenish mediums, as mentioned at paragraphs 20-30, 49-54, 70-73 and 80, as follows.
[0020] In the schematically-illustrated system of FIG. 1, a banknote validator 6 receives banknotes from an input path 8. Banknotes deemed to be valid and acceptable are transferred to an accept path 10. Other banknotes are delivered via a reject path 12 to an outlet 16. If a banknote is deemed acceptable, a signal representing the denomination is sent by the validator 6 to a controller 18.
[0021] The accept path 10 leads to a gate 20. The controller 18 controls the gate 20 so that an accepted banknote is delivered either to a cashbox 22 or to the multi-denominational store 4. The arrangement may be such that only certain denominations (D1, D2, D3 and D4 ) are sent to the multi-denominational store 4, from which they can subsequently be dispensed as change, whereas other denominations are never sent to the banknote store 4, but instead are delivered to the cashbox 22.
[0022] A dispenser 24 is controlled by the controller 18, and can dispense a banknote of any one of the selected denominations D1, D2, D3 and D4 so that it is refunded to the tray 16 (or sent to an escrow (not shown) so that it can be collected with other notes to be delivered as a stack to the tray 16 ). Obviously, this operation can be repeated so that the apparatus can dispense change of any desired total amount, formed by combinations of denominations D1 to D4.
[0023] The desired total amount to be dispensed can be calculated by the vending machine in which the apparatus 2 is housed, and the signal representing this amount be sent to the controller 18, so that the controller can calculate how many banknotes of the respective denominations should be dispensed, so that the total value dispensed is equal to the desired amount. Alternatively, the vending machine itself could perform this calculation, and issue to the controller 18 instructions as to which denomination should be dispensed. In the latter case, the controller 18 is preferably capable of sending to the vending machine signals representing whether or not individual denominations are available for dispensing, and preferably how many currency items of each denomination are available.
[0024] Various techniques are known in the prior art for determining the combination of denominations to be dispensed. Preferably, the change algorithm is capable of selecting between different combinations, each of which sums to the desired total amount. One typical way of achieving this, referred to as the "least number" method, involves using as many higher-denomination currency items as possible, so that the total number of dispensed currency items is minimised. This is intended to maximise the number of currency items retained in the store so that change remains available for the maximum number of transactions. The change algorithm used in the present embodiment may use such a technique. Preferably, however, the change calculating algorithm is operable to take into account the number of currency items of respective denominations which are currently stored, so that if certain denominations are available in plentiful quantities, they are dispensed in preference to other denominations. Such an arrangement is disclosed in EP-A-0 729 624, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0025] Although FIG. 1 suggests that banknotes of each of the denominations are kept together within the store, this is not essential, and indeed the physical positions of the different denominations may be intermingled, so long as the controller 18 is able to cause a selected denomination to be dispensed. The controller 18 keeps track of the number of banknotes of the respective denominations within the store 4, by counting the banknotes which have been delivered to the store via the gate 20 and/or by having one or more sensors for sensing the quantity of the different denominations in the store.
[0026] Preferably, the store 4 is manually replenished by a serviceman when the apparatus is serviced. A serviceman ensures that the store 4 contains sufficient banknotes to cope with the expected requirements for change for a number of transactions. The controller 18 can also display the number of notes of respective denominations required for replenishing by the serviceman. During the course of using the vending machine in which the apparatus 2 is housed, various banknotes will be dispensed from, and added to, those in the banknote store 4. At any given time, therefore, the banknote store 4 will contain banknotes inserted during a number of previous transactions. It would be desirable for the apparatus to be arranged so that the automatic replenishment of the banknote store 4 delivers to this store banknotes of the appropriate denominations, in the appropriate quantities, to match as far as possible the requirements for change, so that manual replenishment by a serviceman is not needed, or at least is not needed frequently.
[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, this is achieved by virtue of the fact that the controller 18 can, by operating the gate 20, prevent banknotes of a particular denomination from being sent to the banknote store 4, even if there is sufficient capacity in the banknote store 4 to accommodate such banknotes, and even if such banknotes are of an appropriate denomination, i.e. D1, D2, D3 or D4, for delivery to the store. The banknotes are instead sent to the cashbox 22. The consequence of this is that the multi-denominational store 4 will not be filled to capacity by banknotes of this particular denomination, so that sufficient room is left for banknotes of different ones of the denomination D1, D2, D3 and D4 to be subsequently sent to the store 4 after having been received by the validator 8. Therefore, the controller 18 can control the relative quantities of the different denominations so that a desired distribution, which is likely to be suitable for change dispensing operations, is stored.
[0028] Assuming that it is desired that the multi-denominational store 4 be arranged to store p denominations (1 to p), then the controller 18 preferably has a memory storing p threshold values, R(1) to R(p), one for each denomination. On receipt of a currency item of denomination j, then the controller 18 controls the gate 20 so as to send the currency item to the store 4 only if N (j) is less than R(j), where N(j) is the currently stored number of currency items of denomination j.
[0029] The apparatus 2 may be provided with a means allowing the setting of the values R(1) to R(p), such as a keyboard, a port or a terminal, or means permitting remote access by a central computer.
[0030] In the preferred embodiment, however, the controller 18 is capable of calculating the threshold levels and, more preferably, altering the threshold levels in accordance with expected change requirements. The system may nevertheless have means to allow an external alteration of the threshold values, for the purposes of initialisation, or subsequent manual adjustment.
[0049] At step 210, the controller determines whether the average number of received bills for denomination j-1 exceeds the average number of dispensed bills of denomination j-1 (em(i+1,j-1)>rm(i+1,j-1)). If the average number of received bills exceeds the average number of dispensed bills, this means that the apparatus is receiving more bills of denomination j-1 than required for dispensing. In this case, the program proceeds to step 212. At this step, the controller 18 modifies the value rm(i+1,j-1) representing the average number of dispensed bills of denomination j-1, by adding to it the difference between the average number of dispensed bills of denomination j and the average number of received bills of denomination j (rm(i+1,j-1)=rm(i+1,j-1)+rm(i+1,j)-em(i+- 1,j)). In other words, the controller 18 calculates a quantity representing the rate at which the quantity of bills of denomination j in the store 4 is decreasing, and then adds this quantity to the calculated average number of dispensed bills of denomination j-1, in order to indicate that the average number of dispensed bills of denomination j-1 was higher than the actual true value.
[0050] The result of this is to suggest that the requirement for bills of denomination j-1 is higher than the actual requirement was in the past. As a result, the threshold for the denomination j-1 is increased, so more bills of denomination j-1 are sent to the store 4. Accordingly, this will allow change to be dispensed using the smaller denomination, j-1, rather than the larger denomination j, of which there is insufficient supply.
[0051] It is to be noted that this modification only occurs if there is an adequate supply of bills of denomination j-1, as determined at step 210. If, at step 210, the controller 18 determines that the average number of received bills is not greater than the average number of dispensed bills of denomination j-1, the program instead proceeds straight to step 204, to increment the index j.
[0052] After the algorithm represented by FIG. 2 is performed, the controller 18 then recalculates the thresholds for all the denominations j=1 to p using the following formula: 3 R ( i + 2 , j ) = Int [ rm ( i + 1 , j ) * MC n = 1 p rm ( i + 1 , n ) ]
[0053] The thresholds R(i+2,j) are then applied during the next transaction, i+2.
[0054] The result of this procedure is that, over the course of a number of transactions, the proportions of the different denominations in the store 4 will tend to correspond to the average proportions of the denominations required for change. However, this tendency is modified (according to step 210 ) if one denomination is in short supply and the next-lower denomination is in plentiful supply, to increase the number of lower-denomination banknotes which can therefore be dispensed as change in preference to the higher denomination. This diminishes the requirement for the higher denomination banknotes.
[0070] Many modifications to the above-described techniques are possible. For example, in steps 202 and 210 the rolling averages of received banknotes are compared with rolling averages of dispensed banknotes. Instead, the controller 18 can simply determine the rate at which the number of stored banknotes of respective denominations increases or decreases; for example, the controller may calculate for each denomination the change in the stored quantities over a predetermined number of transactions.
[0071] The above techniques disregard the relative values of the denominations, but these could instead be taken into account. For example, the calculation performed at step 212 could be arranged to modify the value rm(i+1,j-1) by a factor which is proportional to (rm(i+1,j)-em(i+1,j)), the constant of proportionality being dependent upon the relative values of the denominations j,j-1.
[0072] In the present embodiment, the controller 18 determines the desired relative proportions of the different denominations in the store 4. However, this determination can instead be carried out as part of the change-calculating algorithm. Thus, the change-calculating algorithm can take into account various factors, such as the relationship between prices and the values of respective denominations, to determine which denominations are most likely to be required for change, and this information can be used in adjusting the relative proportions of the different denominations in the store 4. Indeed, the change algorithm could be used to decide which denominations should be sent to the store, and which should be sent to the cashbox.
[0073] Various other factors can also be taken into account either in setting the initial threshold levels or in adjusting those levels. Examples of various factors which may be used are given in WO-A-94/03874, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. One example is data indicative of the relative population levels of respective currency denominations in the area in which the apparatus is to be used.
[0080] A controller keeps track of the denominations of the banknotes in the respective storage regions, and uses this information in operating the cog 322 to ensure that bills are only fed into vacant storage regions.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 1, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided wherein the control unit recognizes as the non-replenishment banknote, among replenishment banknotes transferred to the identification unit, mediums not to be replenished to the recycle cassette since the number of the mediums stored in the automated teller machine comes to satisfy a preset quantity due to a customer's deposit while a person of the management company goes to replenish mediums, as taught by Daout, in Fukuda’s automated teller machine for the purpose of maintaining various banknote denominations of certain levels in Fukuda’s storage cassettes in order to meet demand requirements for denomination inventory.
Regarding Claim 3, Fukuda teaches wherein the control unit (15) is configured to control the conveyance path, i.e., loop transport path (411), upper path (4111), lower path (4112) and connection paths (412-418), such that the medium recognized as the rejection banknote by the identification unit (24), among the mediums stored in the transit cassette, is accommodated in the utility cassette (33), as mentioned at paragraph 157, for example.
Regarding Claim 4, Fukuda teaches wherein the control unit (15) is configured to control the conveyance path, i.e., loop transport path (411), upper path (4111), lower path (4112) and connection paths (412-418), such that when the medium stored in the recycle cassette, i.e., any of (311-313, 321-323) is recovered to the transit cassette (35), among the mediums stored in the recycle cassette (311-313, 321-323), the medium recognized as the normal banknote by the identification unit (24) is temporarily stored in the temporary holding unit (34, 35), and the medium recognized as the rejection banknote by the identification unit (24) is accommodated in the reject cassette, i.e., any of (33, 35).
Regarding Claim 5, Fukuda teaches wherein the control unit (15) is configured to control the conveyance path, i.e., loop transport path (411), upper path (4111), lower path (4112) and connection paths (412-418), such that when the medium stored in the recycle cassette, i.e., any of (311-313, 321-323) is recovered to the transit cassette (35), among the mediums stored in the temporary holding unit (34, 35), the medium recognized as the normal banknote by the identification unit (24) is recovered to the transit cassette (35), and the medium recognized as the rejection banknote by the identification unit (24) is accommodated in the reject cassette, i.e., any of (33, 35).
Regarding Claim 6, Fukuda teaches wherein the control unit (15) is configured to control the conveyance path, i.e., loop transport path (411), upper path (4111), lower path (4112), connection paths (412-418), as illustrated in figures 3 and 4, such that when the medium is replenished through the transit cassette (35), among the mediums stored in the temporary holding unit (34, 35), the medium recognized as the rejection banknote by the identification unit (24) is accommodated in the utility cassette (33), and the medium recognized as the non-replenishment banknote by the identification unit (24) is accommodated in the transit cassette (35).
Regarding Claim 8, see the rejection of Claim 1, above.
Claim(s) 2 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuda et al (US 2019/0172292 A1) in view of Ichikawa et al (US 2004/0245066 A1), further in view of Daout et al (US 2004/0093117 A1) and further in view of Fukuda et al (US 2021/0125449 A1), a.k.a., Fukuda ‘449.
Regarding Claim 2, Fukuda teaches the system as described above.
Regarding Claim 2, Fukuda does not expressly teach wherein the main body includes: an upper body in which the reception unit, the temporary holding unit and the identification unit are provided, the entrance for replenishment and recovery being provided in a rear portion of the upper body; and a lower body in which the recycle cassette, the reject cassette and the utility cassette are provided.
Regarding Claim 2, Fukuda does not expressly teach, but Fukuda ‘449 teaches wherein the main body, i.e., banknote processing apparatus (1), as illustrated in figure 1, includes:
an upper body, i.e., upper housing (11) as illustrated in figure 1 and as mentioned at paragraph 34, in which the reception unit, i.e., depositing unit (12), the temporary holding unit, i.e., temporary storage unit (17) as mentioned at paragraph 40, and the identification unit, i.e., recognition unit (16), are provided, the entrance for replenishment and recovery being provided in a rear portion of the upper body, as illustrated in figure 3, noting the containers/cassettes (2, 4) with transport path/fourth diversion path (155), construed as including an entrance in either the front or rear portion of the upper housing (11); and a lower body , i.e., lower housing (21), in which the recycle cassette, i.e, any one of multipurpose cassette (23), first storage unit (24), and second storage units (25), the reject cassette, i.e, multipurpose storage unit (23), as mentioned at paragraph 45, and the utility cassette, i.e., any one of (23, 24, 25), are provided.
Regarding Claim 2, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided wherein the main body includes: an upper body in which the reception unit, the temporary holding unit and the identification unit are provided, the entrance for replenishment and recovery being provided in a rear portion of the upper body; and a lower body in which the recycle cassette, the reject cassette and the utility cassette are provided, as taught by Fukuda ‘449, in Fukuda’s automated teller machine for the purpose of enabling ease of access to the transport cassette in either or both the front and/or rear of the ATM.
Regarding Claim 9, see the rejection of Claims 2 and 3, above, for example.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuda et al (US 2019/0172292 A1) in view of Ichikawa et al (US 2004/0245066 A1), further in view of Daout et al (US 2004/0093117 A1) and further in view of Watanabe et al (US 5,256,862).
Regarding Claim 7, Fukuda teaches the system as described above.
Regarding Claim 7, Fukuda teaches wherein the utility cassette (33) is disposed in a lower front portion of the main body, i.e., upper handling unit (11) and lower safe unit (13), as illustrated in figure 2.
Regarding Claim 7, Fukuda teaches does not expressly teach wherein the utility cassette is disposed in a lower front portion of the main body and positioned at an upper side of the reject cassette.
Regarding Claim 7, Fukuda does not expressly teach, but Watanabe teaches wherein the utility cassette, i.e., stacking space (66), as illustrated in figure 6, is disposed in a lower front portion of the main body, i.e., lower safe unit (61), as illustrated in figure 6, and positioned at an upper side of the reject cassette (64), as mentioned at col. 4, lines 36-50.
(14) A first safe 57 as the 10,000 bank note safe and a second safe 58 as the 1,000 bank note safe are arranged in the lower unit 51 to constitute bank note storage sections 59 and 60, respectively. A third safe 61 is provide in the lower unit 51 and serves as a bank note reception safe for storing a bank note, e.g., 5,000 bank notes, reject bank notes, or recovery bank notes inappropriate to be dispensed. The safe 61 has a bank note storage section 62, a stacking section 63, and a recovery box 64. A stacking and taking mechanism 65 is provided at the upper portion of each of the safes 57, 58, 61, and 3, and flaps 67a for defining a stacking space 66 capable of stacking, e.g., 100 bank notes therein, are provided in each safe. Each mechanism 65 has a take-out roller 67, an elevator 68, and a press plate 69.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 7, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided wherein the utility cassette is disposed in a lower front portion of the main body and positioned at an upper side of the reject cassette, as taught by Watanabe, in Fukuda’s automated teller machine for the purpose of adding appropriate capacity for utility banknotes as balanced with the need for rejected banknotes.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claim(s) 1-9 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.
Conclusion
Applicant is encouraged to contact the Examiner should there be any questions about this rejection or in an endeavor to explore potential amendments or potential allowable subject matter.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Folk ‘355 is cited as teaching a banknote recycling/sorting machine (200) with various cartridges (215a, 215b) and stackers (217a-217f) as illustrated in figure 2, with a flowchart in figure 5 showing a procedure for determining predicted shortages of denominations at steps (505 and 510), and with tracking usage of various denominations of cash as illustrated in figures 9a and 9b as well. See also figures 10-13.
Hurwitz ‘006 is cited as teaching forecasting inventory of cash as mentioned at paragraphs 76, 187, 238, 239, 241, 243, 245 and 247, for example.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY ALAN SHAPIRO whose telephone number is (571)272-6943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday generally between 8:30AM and 6:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Y Coupe can be reached at 571-270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEFFREY A SHAPIRO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
February 9, 2026