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 Status
Claims 1-20 are currently being examined. By Applicant’s amendment of August 30, 2023, claims 1-20 are pending following:
Claims 1-5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19 have been amended.
Claim Objections
Claims 2 and 18-20 are objected to because of the following minor informalities:
Claim 2 recites “receiving position,” while claim 1, on which claim 2 depends, recites “receiving location.” The Office recommends “receiving location” for consistency between the claims.
Claims 18-20 recite dependency from previous claims using a capitalized claim reference, “the method of Claim X”; whereas previous dependent claims 2-15 referred to “the system of claim X,” using a lowercase letter. Either is acceptable; the Office recommends selecting one version and using it consistently.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites the limitation “wherein the peripheral wall of the climate-controlled enclosure defines a loading port” but it is unclear where this loading port is located in relation to the display shelf locations (first wall section) and/or the storage locations (second wall section); and whether it exists separately or in conjunction with either of these features, making the scope unclear and rendering the claim indefinite. If the loading port is intended to be associated with/located in conjunction with one of the other features, identification of the associated wall section positively linking the features would resolve this ambiguity. If it is intended to be completely separate, additional detail is required to explicitly recite this and clearly locate this feature within the system.
Claim 18 recites the limitation “mounted on a crate.” This phrasing is also in the specification in at least Par. 0033. However, the drawings indicate a different configuration than expressed by this wording. Fig. 2A shows beverage items of type P1 placed/located within (“in”) a carton/container (crate C1). This differs from the wording of “mounted on a crate” in that “mounted on” indicates placement on the exterior of the crate, rather than the interior. The Office recommends “mounted in a crate” to accurately convey the location of the item within the crate and not on its exterior.
Dependent Claims 19 and 20 are rejected as being indefinite due to their dependence upon a rejected base claim, claim 18.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wong et al. (TW I831070) in view of Murthy et al. (US 2018/0276596).
Examiner’s Note: Paragraph numbers cited from Wong et al. align with those in the document “TWI831070 EN translation with paragraph numbers added.pdf”. Please refer to this document for the mapping below. The original EN translation from espacenet (which lacks a consistent paragraph number scheme) and the original TW document are also attached to the Office Action for Applicant’s reference.
Regarding independent claim 1, Wong et al. discloses:
An automated system for automatically managing product items in a climate-controlled enclosure [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks); Abstract, Par. 0025], the climate-controlled enclosure having a peripheral wall surrounding a climate-controlled environment containing a plurality of display shelf locations arranged along a first wall section of the peripheral wall [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numeral 402 (store front) with 306 (lockers); Fig. 11 Ref. Numeral 304a/b (shelves); Par. 0017] and a plurality of storage locations arranged along a second wall section of the peripheral wall [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks); Par. 0020], the system comprising:
a backstock management subsystem including a first robotic system configured to perform a plurality of storage operations, wherein each storage operation involves moving a crate from a receiving location into an associated storage location of the plurality of storage locations, wherein each crate contains an associated batch of said product items, [See at least Figs. 5 and 12, Ref. Numerals 312a/b (sorting systems, receiving location), 314a/b (replenishment system), 316a/b (first storage racks), Par. 0021 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Summary: Courier container 902 (crate) containing one or more items for replenishment is moved from 312a/b (sorting systems, receiving location) to storage 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks) by replenishment system 314a/b]
said first robotic system also being configured to perform a first portion of a plurality of delivery operations, each first portion including removing a selected crate from its associated storage location and moving said selected crate to a first transfer location; [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 320 (retrieval system), 312a/b (sorting systems); Par. 0026 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Summary: Delivery container 900 (crate) containing one or more items is retrieved from storage racks 316a/b by retrieval system 320, then moved to delivery area 322 with sorting systems 312a/b]
a product handling subsystem perform a second portion of said plurality of delivery operations, each second portion including a second robotic system configured to perform a second portion of said plurality of delivery operations, each second portion including sequentially transferring at least some of the product items of the associated batch of product items from the selected crate to a second transfer location while said selected crate is maintained in the first transfer location by the first robotic system; [See at least Fig. 12 with containers on either side of 1204/1206 (item preparation system with robotic arm) to move items between containers (1st transfer location and 2nd transfer location) while the containers themselves do not move. Par. 0021 “The store control system 300 can then be instructed (e.g., based on control messages) to control the item preparation system 1204/1206 of the sorting system 312a/312b to retrieve each item from the courier container in the receiving area 1200/1202. For example, the item preparation system 1204/1206 may include a mechanical retrieval mechanism (e.g., a robotic arm) that retrieves each item one by one from the courier container for processing.”]
a display management subsystem including a third robot system configured to perform a third portion of said plurality of delivery operations, each third portion including moving the product items from the second transfer location to one of the plurality of display shelf locations; [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 310 (conveyor), 304 (storage rack); Par. 0038, conveyor 310 moving delivery container 900 of items to storage rack 304] and
an inventory control subsystem configured to coordinate operations, the backstock management subsystem, the product handling subsystem and the display management subsystem such that the product items are moved onto a designated shelf location during each said delivery operation. [See at least Fig. 2; Par. 0014-0016]
While Wong et al. discloses an automated system for automatically managing product items in a climate-controlled enclosure and various storage and display shelf locations, Wong et al. does not explicitly disclose following or comparing item placement on shelves to a planogram. With respect to these limitations, Murthy et al., directed to the same technology — retail product management and replenishment — teaches:
according to planogram data, [See at least Abstract, Par. 0021-0023]
(such that the product items are moved onto a designated shelf location) specified by the planogram data [See at least Abstract, Par. 0021-0023]
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of Murthy et al. and combine the planogram into the system of Wong et al. The planogram of Murthy et al. allows coordination and optimization of product placement while maintaining awareness of inventory management, enabling increased speed and effectiveness in retail sales.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have had the capability to combine the planogram of Murthy et al. into the system of Wong et al. and would have recognized that the combination would yield predictable results. Even in the combined context, the features of the system of Wong et al. and the features of the planogram of Murthy et al. would be expected to function as intended, with each element in the combined context performing the same function as it did separately.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to incorporate the teachings of Murthy et al. because they are a known work in the same field of endeavor directed to the same technology (retail product management and replenishment), which would prompt its use based on design improvements that are predictable and recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 2, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 1,
wherein the system further comprises a product loading subsystem configured to perform a plurality of ingestion operations such that said product loading subsystem automatically conveys an ingested crate from a loading position located outside the climate-controlled environment to the receiving position during each said ingestion operation. [See at least Figs. 5 and 12, Ref. Numerals 308 (courier compartment, loading position), 310 (conveyor), 312a/b (sorting systems), Par. 0021 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Summary: Courier container 902 (crate) containing one or more items for replenishment is placed in courier compartment 308 (receiving location) then moved to sorting systems 312a/b (receiving position) by conveyor 310]
Regarding claim 4, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 2, wherein the product loading subsystem comprises an interface device configured to receive product data identifying product items placed on conveying mechanism during each said ingestion operation. [See at least Par. 0021 “The item preparation system 1204/1206 includes a sensor (e.g., a barcode, QR code, or RFID tag reader) used to obtain a unique item identifier (e.g., an item-specific barcode, QR code, or RFID tag) from or for the item. Based on the unique item identifier obtained, the item preparation system 1204/1206 determines (e.g., using the store control system 300 and/or the automated retail store management system 108) which storage channel among the storage racks 316a/316b/318a/318b should the item be stored in.”]
Regarding claim 5, Wong et al. discloses:
The system claim 1,
wherein the plurality of storage locations are arranged in a vertical plane along the second wall of the climate-controlled enclosure [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks) arranged in a vertical plane], and
wherein the first robotic system comprises a vertically oriented first gantry robot mechanism including a first end effector and a first positioning mechanism operably configured to move the first end effector from the receiving location to the associated storage location during each said storage operation, and to move the first end effector to the first transfer location during the first portion of each said delivery operation. [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 314a/b (replenishment system) with 1212 (retrieval arm, first end effector) controlled to move along first longitudinal axis 1214 (depth), positioning device with first actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (horizontal) linear path 1218 and second actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (vertical) linear path 1216; Par. 0022]
For examination purposes, “gantry robot” has been construed under BRI to encompass linear robotic systems including at least cartesian robots and gantry robots which move along one or more tracks or rails; including overhead/ceiling, floor, and horizontal and vertical grid configurations of tracks/rails, with all robot orientations (vertical suspension from above, horizontal mounting from the side(s), and/or vertical support from below) and a minimum of two and commonly three axes of movement.
Regarding claim 7, Wong et al. discloses:
The system claim 5,
wherein the first end effector further comprises at least one extraction mechanism and a support structure, the extraction mechanism being configured to extract the selected crate from the first storage location, and the support structure being configured to receive and entirely support the extracted selected crate when the first gantry robot mechanism moves the first end effector to the first transfer location. [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 314a/b (replenishment system) with 1212 (retrieval arm, first end effector) controlled to move along first longitudinal axis 1214 (depth), positioning device with first actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (horizontal) linear path 1218 and second actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (vertical) linear path 1216, extraction arm removes items from first storage location onto support structure of arm; Par. 0022]
Regarding claim 8, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 7, wherein the product handling subsystem comprises an articulated robot disposed between the first transfer location and the second transfer location and being configured to sequentially remove the product items from the selected crate and move said removed product items to the second transfer location. [See at least Fig. 12 with containers on either side of 1204/1206 (item preparation system with robotic arm) to move items between containers (1st transfer location and 2nd transfer location); Par. 0021 “The store control system 300 can then be instructed (e.g., based on control messages) to control the item preparation system 1204/1206 of the sorting system 312a/312b to retrieve each item from the courier container in the receiving area 1200/1202. For example, the item preparation system 1204/1206 may include a mechanical retrieval mechanism (e.g., a robotic arm) that retrieves each item one by one from the courier container for processing.”]
Regarding claim 11, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of display shelf locations are arranged in at least one vertical plane along the first wall of the climate-controlled enclosure [See at least Figs. 5 and 9, Ref. Numeral 402 (store front) with 306 (lockers) in vertical plane; Fig. 11 Ref. Numeral 304a/b (shelves) in vertical plane; Par. 0017], and
wherein the third robotic system comprises a vertically oriented second gantry robot mechanism including a second end effector and a second positioning mechanism operably configured to position the second end effector adjacent to any of said plurality of display shelf locations. [See at least Figs. 5 and 9, Ref. Numerals 310 (conveyor), 904 (extraction arm) controlled to move along first longitudinal axis 906 (depth), positioning device with first actuator to move extraction arm 904 along (horizontal) linear path 908 and second actuator to move extraction arm 904 along (vertical) linear path 914; Par. 0019, 0038]
Regarding claim 15, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 1, further comprising a displayed-product monitoring system configured to detect an incremental removal of said product items from the plurality of display locations. [See at least Par. 0031]
Claims 13, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wong et al. (TW I831070) in view of Murthy et al. (US 2018/0276596) and further in view of Winkler (US 2007/0125727).
Regarding claim 13, while Wong et al. discloses the system of claim 11 with display shelf locations and the second end effector, Wong et al. does not disclose a delivery mechanism with transfer or sequentially transferring individual items to the display shelf. With respect to these limitations, Winkler, directed to the same technology — retail product management and replenishment — teaches:
The system of claim 11,
wherein each of the plurality of display shelf locations comprises a chute-type configuration having a front end and a back end, [See at least Fig. 5, angled shelf with access from back end by shelf-stocking vehicle 15 and access from front end by people] and
wherein the second end effector includes a delivery mechanism having a transfer channel configured to receive the product items transferred to the second transfer location, a delivery channel configured to sequentially feed the product items from the transfer channel into the back end of the designated shelf location, and one or more actuators configured to bias the product items along the transfer channel and the delivery channel. [See at least Fig. 22, Ref. Numerals 306 (bars) with 305 (raised sidewall) of transfer system forming guide elements for pushing goods by 307 (pusher) onto adjacent surface; Par. 0160]
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of Winkler and combine the transfer mechanism and sequential movement of goods onto the display shelves with the system of Wong et al. The transfer mechanism and sequential movement of goods onto the display shelves of Winkler allows individual or loose items to be safely transferred, enabling increased speed and efficiency.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have had the capability to combine the transfer mechanism and sequential movement of goods onto the display shelves of Winkler with the system of Wong et al. and would have recognized that the combination would yield predictable results. Even in the combined context, the features of the system of Wong et al. and the features of the transfer mechanism and sequential movement of goods onto the display shelves of Winkler would be expected to function as intended, with each element in the combined context performing the same function as it did separately.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to incorporate the teachings of Winkler because they are a known work in the same field of endeavor directed to the same technology (retail product management and replenishment), which would prompt its use based on design improvements that are predictable and recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding independent claim 16, Wong et al. discloses:
An automated system for automatically moving a batch of product items from a first storage location to a first display location within a climate-controlled enclosure, [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks), 402 (store front); Fig. 11 Ref. Numeral 304a/b (shelves); Abstract, Par. 0017, 0020, 0025]
the climate-controlled enclosure having a peripheral wall surrounding a climate-controlled environment containing a plurality of display shelf locations including the first display location arranged along a first wall section of the peripheral wall [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numeral 402 (store front) with 306 (lockers); Fig. 11 Ref. Numeral 304a/b (shelves); Par. 0017] and a plurality of storage locations including the first storage location arranged along a second wall section of the peripheral wall [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks); Par. 0020], the system comprising:
a first gantry robot mechanism including a first end effector and a first positioning mechanism operably configured to position the first end effector adjacent to any of said plurality of storage locations, wherein the first end effector includes an extraction mechanism configured to remove the batch of product items from the first storage location such that the batch of product items is entirely supported on a support structure of the first end effector, the first positioning mechanism being further operably configured to move the first end effector to a first transfer location; [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 314a/b (replenishment system) with 1212 (retrieval arm, first end effector) controlled to move along first longitudinal axis 1214 (depth), positioning device with first actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (horizontal) linear path 1218 and second actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (vertical) linear path 1216, extraction arm removes items from first storage location onto support structure of arm; Par. 0022]
an articulated robot mechanism operably configured to sequentially move the batch of product items from the first transfer location to a second transfer location; [See at least Fig. 12 with containers on either side of 1204/1206 (item preparation system with robotic arm) to move items between containers (1st transfer location and 2nd transfer location) while the containers themselves do not move. Par. 0021 “The store control system 300 can then be instructed (e.g., based on control messages) to control the item preparation system 1204/1206 of the sorting system 312a/312b to retrieve each item from the courier container in the receiving area 1200/1202. For example, the item preparation system 1204/1206 may include a mechanical retrieval mechanism (e.g., a robotic arm) that retrieves each item one by one from the courier container for processing.”] and
a second gantry robot mechanism operably configured to move the batch of product items from the second transfer location to a location adjacent to the first display location[See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 310 (conveyor), 304 (storage rack); Par. 0038, conveyor 310 moving delivery container 900 of items to storage rack 304],
While Wong et al. discloses the automated system with display shelves, storage locations, first gantry robot, articulated robot, second gantry robot and their functions, Wong et al. does not explicitly disclose the second gantry robot sequentially moving product items onto the first display location. With respect to these limitations, Winkler, directed to the same technology — automatic replenishment of retail display shelves — teaches:
and to sequentially move the product items onto the first display location. [See at least Fig. 10, Ref. Numerals 45 (goods) sequentially unloaded by 15 (shelf-stocking vehicle) into shelf compartment 54 of display shelf; Par. 0035, 0137]
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of Winkler as discussed above, see claim 13.
Regarding independent claim 17, Wong et al. discloses:
A method for automatically moving a batch of product items from a first storage location to a first display location within a climate-controlled enclosure [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks), 402 (store front); Fig. 11 Ref. Numeral 304a/b (shelves); Abstract, Par. 0017, 0020, 0025], the method comprising:
utilizing a first gantry robot mechanism to move the batch of product items from the first storage location to a first transfer location; [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 320 (retrieval system), 312a/b (sorting systems); Par. 0026 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Summary: Delivery container 900 (crate) containing one or more items is retrieved from storage racks 316a/b by retrieval system 320, then moved to delivery area 322 with sorting systems 312a/b]
utilizing an articulated robot mechanism to sequentially move the batch of product items from the first transfer location to a second transfer location; [See at least Fig. 12 with containers on either side of 1204/1206 (item preparation system with robotic arm) to move items between containers (1st transfer location and 2nd transfer location) while the containers themselves do not move. Par. 0021 “The store control system 300 can then be instructed (e.g., based on control messages) to control the item preparation system 1204/1206 of the sorting system 312a/312b to retrieve each item from the courier container in the receiving area 1200/1202. For example, the item preparation system 1204/1206 may include a mechanical retrieval mechanism (e.g., a robotic arm) that retrieves each item one by one from the courier container for processing.”] and
utilizing a second gantry robot mechanism to move the batch of product items from the second transfer location to a location adjacent to the first display location [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 310 (conveyor), 304 (storage rack); Par. 0038, conveyor 310 moving delivery container 900 of items to storage rack 304],
While Wong et al. discloses the automated system with display shelves, storage locations, first gantry robot, articulated robot, second gantry robot and their functions, Wong et al. does not explicitly disclose the second gantry robot sequentially moving product items onto the first display location. With respect to these limitations, Winkler, directed to the same technology — automatic replenishment of retail display shelves — teaches:
and to sequentially move the product items onto the first display location. [See at least Fig. 10, Ref. Numerals 45 (goods) sequentially unloaded by 15 (shelf-stocking vehicle) into shelf compartment 54 of display shelf; Par. 0035, 0137]
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of Winkler as discussed above, see claim 13.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wong et al. (TW I831070) in view of Murthy et al. (US 2018/0276596) and He et al. (CN 108571854).
Regarding claim 3, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 2,
wherein the peripheral wall of the climate-controlled enclosure defines a loading port, [See at least Figs. 5 and 12, Ref. Numerals 308 (courier compartment, loading position); Par. 0021 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Summary: Courier container 902 (crate) containing one or more items for replenishment is placed in courier compartment 308 (receiving location) which can be opened from either side (port)] and
While Wong et al. discloses the system of claims 1 and 2, Wong et al. does not explicitly disclose a conveyor that extends through the loading port. With respect to these limitations, He et al., directed to solving the same problem, transport in passages between temperature controlled storage spaces, teaches:
wherein the product loading subsystem comprises:
a conveying mechanism extending through the loading port; [See at least Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 2 (passage) and 8 (conveying belt); Par. 0011, 0042]
an insulated product loading gate disposed adjacent to the loading port and movable between a closed state in which the product loading gate entirely covers the loading port, and an opened state in which the product loading gate is positioned away from the loading port; [See at least Figs. 1 and 2, Ref. Numerals 2 (passage) and 11 (doors); Par. 0008, 0012] and
an ingestion controller configured to coordinate operations of the conveying mechanism and the product loading gate during each said ingestion operation such that, when said ingested crate is placed on conveying mechanism in the loading position, the product loading gate is actuated to move from the closed state to the opened state, the conveying mechanism is actuated to convey said ingested crate through the loading port to the receiving position, and then the product loading gate is actuated to move from the opened state to the closed state. [See at least Par. 0008, 0043, doors actuated to opened position when conveyor is moving item toward passage and then actuated from opened positioned to closed position]
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of He et al. and combine the conveyor that extends through the loading port with the system of Wong et al. The conveyor that extends through the loading port of He et al. allows controlled, automated transfer while minimizing loss of cooling, enabling increased speed and effectiveness.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have had the capability to combine the conveyor that extends through the loading port of He et al. with the system of Wong et al. and would have recognized that the combination would yield predictable results. Even in the combined context, the features of the system of Wong et al. and the features of the conveyor that extends through the loading port of He et al. would be expected to function as intended, with each element in the combined context performing the same function as it did separately.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to incorporate the teachings of He et al. because they are a known work in the same field of endeavor directed to solving the same problem, transport in passages between temperature controlled storage spaces, which would prompt its use based on design improvements that are predictable and recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Claims 6 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wong et al. (TW I831070) in view of Murthy et al. (US 2018/0276596) and Long (US 2021/0276796).
Regarding claim 6, Wong et al. discloses:
The system of claim 5,
wherein the climate-controlled enclosure includes a storage shelf mounted on a first shelf support frame, [See at least Figs. 17 and 18, second storage rack 318a/b disposed within closed storage compartment 1700/1702 with temperature-controlled refrigeration units; Par. 0025] and
While Wong et al. discloses the storage shelf mounted on a shelf support frame, Wong et al. does not disclose the gantry robot comprising a horizontal rail fixedly mounted onto the storage shelf support frame. With respect to these limitations, Long, directed to solving the same problem, retrieval and processing of items from storage shelves for order fulfillment, teaches:
wherein the first gantry robot mechanism further comprises a horizontal rail fixedly mounted onto the first shelf support frame. [See at least Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 98 (horizontal rails) and 96 (vertical rails); Par. 0036, 0042]
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of Long and combine the gantry robot rails attached to the storage shelf frame with the system of Wong et al. The gantry robot rails attached to the storage shelf frame of Long allows individual or loose items to be safely transferred, enabling increased speed and efficiency.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have had the capability to combine the gantry robot rails attached to the storage shelf frame of Long with the system of Wong et al. and would have recognized that the combination would yield predictable results. Even in the combined context, the features of the system of Wong et al. and the features of the gantry robot rails attached to the storage shelf frame of Long would be expected to function as intended, with each element in the combined context performing the same function as it did separately.
A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to incorporate the teachings of Long because they are a known work in the same field of endeavor directed to solving the same problem, retrieval and processing of items from storage shelves for order fulfillment, which would prompt its use based on design improvements that are predictable and recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 18, Wong et al. discloses:
The method of Claim 17,
wherein the first storage location is one of a plurality of storage locations arranged along a first wall of the climate-controlled enclosure, [See at least Fig. 5, Ref. Numerals 316a/b (first storage racks), 318a/b (temperature-regulated second storage racks); Par. 0020]
wherein the first gantry robot mechanism includes a first end effector and a first positioning mechanism operably configured to move the first end effector from the first storage location to the first transfer location [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 314a/b (replenishment system) with 1212 (retrieval arm, first end effector) controlled to move along first longitudinal axis 1214 (depth), positioning device with first actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (horizontal) linear path 1218 and second actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (vertical) linear path 1216; Par. 0022] , and
wherein utilizing the first gantry robot mechanism comprises utilizing the first positioning mechanism to position the first end effector adjacent to the first storage location, utilizing a first extraction mechanism of the first end effector to remove the crate from the first storage location such that the crate is entirely supported on a support structure of the first end effector, and then utilizing the first positioning mechanism to move the first end effector to the first transfer location. [See at least Fig. 12, Ref. Numerals 314a/b (replenishment system) with 1212 (retrieval arm, first end effector) controlled to move along first longitudinal axis 1214 (depth), positioning device with first actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (horizontal) linear path 1218 and second actuator to move extraction arm 1212 along (vertical) linear path 1216, extraction arm removes items from first storage location onto support structure of arm; Par. 0022]
While Wong et al. discloses the system, Wong et al. does not explicitly disclose the items within a crate in the storage location. With respect to these limitations, Long, directed to solving the same problem, retrieval and processing of items from storage shelves for order fulfillment, teaches:
wherein the batch of product items are mounted on a crate that is removably disposed in the first storage location, [See at least Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 46 (destination container); Par. 0037]
For examination purposes, the batch of product items has been construed as located within the crate, rather than mounted on the exterior of the crate, see 35 U.S.C. 112b rejection.
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wong et al. to incorporate the teachings of Long as discussed above, see claim 6.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim (claim 1), but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. See Examiner’s Note.
Claim 9 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim (claim 1), but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The limitations of claim 10 are taught by Wong et al.; however, due to its dependence from claim 9 which contains allowable subject matter, claim 10 would also be allowable.
Claims 19-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim (claim 17) and any intervening claims.
The limitations of claim 20 are taught by Wong et al. and Winkler; however, due to its dependence from claim 19 which contains allowable subject matter, claim 20 would also be allowable if the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection is overcome at the subject matter of claim 19 were incorporated into claim 17.
Examiner's Note
Potentially Distinguishing Features: Examiner notes there are potentially distinguishing features present in the specification and drawings which are not currently included in the independent claims which could distinguish over the prior art. Multiple potential paths exist; Examiner is only noting the most straightforward paths identified from the claims as presented; additional/alternative paths may exist and Applicant is not limited to the examples provided herein.
Claims 12 and 14: Structural feature of horizontal and vertical rails on which the second gantry robot mechanism runs, the rails fixedly attached to the display shelf frames/banks.
As identified in Long (US 2021/0276796), fixed vertical and horizontal rails attached to storage shelving are known in the art, but this construction applied to display shelves in combination with all the other recited structural features of the independent claims would provide a distinguishing feature over the prior art of record.
The potentially distinguishing features above are the most prominent examples which the Examiner has noted and Applicant is encouraged to review the prior art made of record [See PTO-892 Notice of References Cited], as each of these prior art references contain subject matter that relates to one or more of Applicant’s claim limitations. If Applicant chooses to amend the claims, Applicant is encouraged to review the noted features above in light of the prior art references and MPEP sections governing 35 U.S.C. 102 [See MPEP 2120, MPEP 2131, and MPEP 2114] and U.S.C. 103 [See MPEP 2120 and MPEP 2141].
Prior Art: Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and figures in the references as applied to the claims set forth hereinabove for the convenience of the Applicant. While the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claims, other passages and figures in the cited references may be applicable, as well. It is respectfully requested that the Applicant, in preparing any response to the Office Action, fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, in addition to the context of the passage(s) as taught by the prior art or as disclosed by the Examiner. Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is required to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicant’s definitions that are not specifically set forth in the claims.
English Translations: If a prior art reference has been relied upon to map the claim limitations that is in a language other than English, Examiner has provided both the original reference and an English translation of the reference as attachments to the Office Action. Applicant is encouraged to refer to the provided English translation for cited pages and/or paragraphs in the mapping of prior art to claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure [See PTO-892 Notice of References Cited] because the prior art references contain subject matter that relates to one or more of Applicant’s claim limitations.
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/EM/Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/JACOB S. SCOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655