Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Applicant’s submission filed 11/17/25 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
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.
STEP 1
Are the claims directed to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter?
Claims 1-20 are all directed to a statutory category (e.g., a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter). The answer is YES.
STEP 2A. Prong 1
The claims disclose the abstract idea of making a recommendation for an action/disposal based on an aging inventory.
Exemplary claim 8 recites the following abstract concepts that are found to include “abstract idea”:
“query a centralized repository to retrieve an inventory dataset associated with a product inventory stored in a plurality of associated inventory storage facilities, wherein the centralized repository stores the inventory dataset in a specific format and is remotely accessible to the plurality of associated inventory storage facilities, wherein retrieving the inventory dataset comprises interacting, [..] with one or more applications to extract information about the product inventory, wherein the inventory dataset comprises (i) event data corresponding to one or more events associated with the product inventory, (ii) one or more attributes associated with the product inventory, wherein the one or more attributes comprises a quality attribute, and (iii) one or more sensor measurements associated with an environment of the product inventory, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprises one or more of temperature or humidity;
--analyze the inventory dataset to determine an expiration date of each item in the product inventory stored across all the plurality of inventory storage facilities;
--generate recommendations corresponding to real-time inventory optimization recommendations for taking a pre-determined action with respect to the product inventory stored across all facilities, based on the expiration date; and
--update the inventory dataset in the centralized repository upon receiving a confirmation that the pre-determined action has been taken.
-- generate a report based at least in part on the analyzing of the inventory dataset, wherein the report comprises a reason for identifying the product inventory as aging inventory.”
The remaining limitations are no more than computer elements (i.e., a processor; a query engine, a recommendation engine) to be used as a tool to perform this abstract idea.
The recited limitations cover a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers subject matter viewed as a certain method of organizing human activity with the additional recitation of generic computer components.
The practice of determining an expiration date, generating recommendations based on the expiration data as well as updating inventory, is a commercial or legal interaction long prevalent in our system of commerce. The claims recite the idea of performing various conceptual steps generically resulting in the generating recommendations for taking a pre-determined action. As determined earlier, none of these steps recites specific technological implementation details, but instead get to this result by receiving, selecting and determining data. Thus, the claims are directed to a certain method of organizing human activity
STEP 2A, Prong 2
Are there additional elements or a combination of elements in the claim that apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that it is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception?
The claim recites additional elements: a query engine, a recommendation engine, a network.
The engines and the network in the steps is recited at a high level of generality, (i.e., as a generic processor performing a generic computer function of processing data (query a centralized repository to retrieve an inventory dataset; generate recommendations). The generic engine limitations are no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component.
Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
The claim is directed to an abstract idea.
STEP 2B
The next issue is whether the claims provide an inventive concept because the additional elements recited in the claims provide significantly more than the recited judicial exception. Taking the claim elements separately, the function performed by the processor at each step of the process is purely conventional. The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using a processor to perform the steps amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible.
Considered as an ordered combination, the computer components of Applicants' claims add nothing that is not already present when the steps are considered separately. The claimed invention does not focus on an improvement in computers as tools, but rather certain independently abstract ideas that use computers as tools. {Elec. Power, 830 F.3d at 1354). (Step 2B: NO).
There is no indication that indication that the processor is anything other than a generic, off-the-shelf computer component, and the Symantec, TLI, and OIP Techs. Court decisions cited in MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) indicate that mere collection or receipt of data over a network is a well‐understood, routine, conventional function when it is claimed in a merely generic manner (as it is here).
Independent claim 1, 16 recite similar limitations as claim 1 and are therefore rejected under the same rationale.
The dependent claims when analyzed as a whole are held to be patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the additional recited limitations fail to establish that the claims are not directed to an abstract idea. The claims provide minimal technical structure or components for further consideration either individually or as ordered combinations with the independent claims. As such, additional recited limitations in the dependent claims only refine the identified abstract idea further. Further refinement of an abstract idea does not convert an abstract idea into something concrete.
Accordingly, a conclusion that the collecting step is well-understood, routine, conventional activity is supported under Berkheimer Option 2.
See MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) The courts have recognized the following computer functions as well-understood, routine, and conventional functions when they are claimed in a merely generic manner (e.g., at a high level of generality) or as insignificant extra-solution activity.
i. Receiving or transmitting data over a network, e.g., using the Internet to gather data, Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362 (utilizing an intermediary computer to forward information); TLI Communications LLC v. A VAuto. LLC, 823 F.3d 607, 610, 118 USPQ2d 1744, 1745 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (using a telephone for image transmission); OIP Techs., Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (sending messages over a network); buySAFE, Inc. v. Google, Inc., 765 F.3d 1350,1355,112 USPQ2d 1093,1096 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (computer receives and sends information over a network); but see DDR Holdings, LLC v. Hoteis.com, L.P., 773 F.3d 1245, 1258, 113 USPQ2d 1097, 1106 (Fed. Cir. 2014) ("Unlike the claims in Ultramercial,Vne claims at issue here specify how interactions with the Internet are manipulated to yield a desired result-a result that overrides the routine and conventional sequence of events ordinarily triggered by the click of a hyperlink." (emphasis added));
iv. Storing and retrieving information in memory, VersataDev. Group, Inc. v. SAP Am., Inc., 793 F.3d 1306,1334,115 USPQ2d 1681,1701 (Fed. Cir. 2015); OIP Techs., 788 F.3d at 1363,115 USPQ2d at 1092-93.
The claims are ineligible.
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 1-3, 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Connors et al. (US 20120303492 A1), in view of Agarwal et al. (US 20120136741 A1), in further view of Lin et al. (US 20060149566 A1).
Re-claims 1, 2, Connors et al. teach a method comprising: obtaining, by a query engine, an inventory dataset associated with a plurality of products stored at an inventory storage facility, wherein the inventory storage facility is part of a supply chain,
(see e.g. . [0003] The present disclosure describes a system, method and computer program product for tracking an inventory distribution of a perishable product at each location in a supply chain.
abstract -- The system receives shipment data and point of sale data for the product from every location in the supply chain. The system creates, based on the obtained shipment data and the point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the product in the supply chain).
--parsing, by a recommendation engine, the inventory dataset to identify aging inventory stored at the inventory storage facility;
(see e.g. [0004] The computing system automatically identifies an age of unsold inventory of the product at each node of the graph based on one or more of: the arc information in the created network graph, a product manufacture date of the unsold inventory of the product and a date for which the unsold inventory of the product entered into the supply chain.)
-- generating, by the recommendation engine, recommendations corresponding to real-time inventory optimization recommendations for handling the aging inventory stored at the inventory storage facility, based on a set of rules;
(see e.g. [0004] The computing system automatically provides a notification to a user at each location represented by a node of the created network graph. The provided notification includes one or more of: the calculated age of the unsold inventory of the product at the location associated with the user, and a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are over a given threshold at the location associated with the user.)
[0007] In a further embodiment, the computing system compares, at each node of the created network graph, the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product to a threshold. The computing system generates an alert, for a transmission to a corresponding node, of the unsold inventory if the age is larger than the threshold. The computing system recommends an action to the corresponding node.
[0033] At step 440, the computing system recommends an action (e.g., returning the unsold inventory to a manufacture of the product, running sales promotion, etc.) based on the identified age of the unsold inventory. For example, if the identified age of the unsold inventory at a node (e.g., a retail store) is larger than a pre-determined threshold, the computing system may recommend running a sales promotion on the unsold inventory at the retail store.)
--generating a report based at least in part on the parsing of the inventory dataset, wherein the report comprises a reason for identifying the product inventory as aging inventory.
(see e.g. [0029] In one embodiment, upon identifying the age of the unsold inventory of the product at a location of the supply chain, the computing system provides a notification (e.g., email, alert, text message, etc.) to a user (e.g., a location manager, etc.) at that location. The provided notification includes one or more of: the identified age of the unsold product of the product at that location, a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are near expiration dates, i.e., a certain number of days (e.g., two or three days) are remained until the expiration date).
The Examiner notes that the reason for identifying the product inventory as aging inventory is taught by Connors et al. as the number of days remaining until the expiration date.
Connors et al. do not explicitly teach the following limitation.
However, Agarwal teaches --initiating, by the recommendation engine, inventory replenishment to update a product inventory at the inventory storage facility based on at least one of the recommendations and a user input.
(see e.g. abstract ---A facility for assessing product replenishment is described. The facility determines that a purchasing entity possesses an item, determines an expiration time for the item, and schedules, for a time preceding the expiration, a unilateral communication to the purchasing entity indicating that the item should be replenished.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, an item replenishment facility ("the facility") automatically initiates the replenishment of items such as physical products. Based upon a variety of information, the facility establishes a target date on which an item presently being used by a customer should probably be replenished. In advance of the target date, using the indication, the facility provides a replenishment suggestion to the customer through one of a variety of channels. The replenishment suggestion preferably indicates which products should be replenished, and preferably includes a control for the customer to use to request the replenishment of the listed items.
[0028] In step 605, the facility generates a replenishment suggestion using the selected rows of replenish table and the contents of supplemental tables, such as the item table and the customer table, then delivers the replenishment suggestion to the customer having the current customer identifier.
[0029] In step 608, the facility updates the selected rows in accordance with the placed order, such as by setting a new, later target date for the ordered items for further replenishment.
[0016] In further preferred embodiments, the replenishment suggestion generated by the facility contains additional controls that enable the user to modify the order before approving it, or to defer or decline the replenishment suggestion.)
--wherein the inventory replenishment comprises determining a product of the plurality of products to dispatch and to which of the one or more other inventory storage facilities,
(see e.g. [0016] The replenishment suggestion preferably indicates which products should be replenished, and preferably includes a control for the customer to use to request the replenishment of the listed items. In response to the operation of this control by the customer, the facility places an order for the items on the customer's behalf.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Connors et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Agarwal et al., because by anticipating the customer's need to replenish a product, the facility provides a convenient way for customers to replenish consumable items. (see e.g. [0017]).
Connors et al., in view of Agarwal, do not explicitly teach the following limitation.
However, Lin et al. teach--wherein the inventory dataset is stored in a centralized repository that is remotely accessible, via a network, to the inventory storage facility and one or more other inventory storage facilities associated with the supply chain,
(see e.g. [0044] In FIG. 3, an EPC Information Services (EPCIS) layer 302 allows the exchange of EPC data over a network. That is, EPCIS provides a standard format or protocol by which a reader that has identified an EPC number may find and use information about that number (and hence, about its associated item).
[0046] The application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 have access to an Object Naming Service (ONS), which, similarly to a Domain Name Service (DNS), is a look-up service that allows the application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 to find information about a product, based on the EPC code for that product.
--wherein obtaining the inventory dataset comprises querying, by the query engine, the centralized repository via a query interface associated with the centralized repository and interacting, by the query interface, with one or more applications to extract information about the plurality of products,
(see e.g. [0045] The EPCIS layer 302 receives information from an application manager 304, which is generally operable to oversee information events (e.g., tag reads) and manage the events for communication to the EPCIS layer 302 and thereby to an EPCIS repository 306. The application manager 304 operates to monitor and configure the repository 306 as the repository 306 accumulates data over relatively long periods of time during which the data may not be immediately useful to any particular application or device.
[0134] As shown in FIG. 7, the distributed management service 702 is interoperable with existing auto-id tracking systems, such as, for example, the EPCIS architecture illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. For example, an EPC discover server 728 may be intended to store data regarding movement and events of physical items, and related information.
[0135] the distributed management service 702 may make use of the EPC discover server 728, for example, to obtain data regarding selected physical items
--wherein the inventory dataset comprises (i) event data corresponding to one or more events associated with the plurality of products,
(see e.g. [0079] Similarly, a product database 432 may include detailed descriptions of the products or objects that are being trackfed, including such descriptions that change, but that, again, do not generally change on an event-by-event basis. The product database 432 may store such information, or may look up the information from an outside source, using, for example, a universal product id (e.g. the EPC code read from the tag 220 of the object 218).
[0032] For example, the auto-id node 210 at a retail store may be interested in tracking a retail price of an item, or a number of items on a shelf of the retail store. Such information may not be useful to the auto-id node 206 at a manufacturing location, but may be partially useful to the auto-id node 208 at the distribution location. For example, the auto-id node at the distribution location 208 may not be interested in the retail price of an item, but may be interested in a number of presently-shelved items (for purposes of re-stocking).
[0089] For instance, a Christmas display may sell many Christmas-related objects, and a reader may be located proximate to the objects to determine when the display is becoming depleted. In this example, the activity handler 414 may handle all activity that occurs with respect to the specific reader, and the rule set 420 may designate parameters for, for example, re-ordering inventory from a back room or from a manufacturer, or for replacing one type of object with another when the first type of object is sold out.
****With respect to the limitation “ (ii) one or more attributes associated with the plurality of products, wherein the one or more attributes comprises a quality attribute, and “ it is considered an obvious variation of Lin to include a quality attribute in the dataset since Lin et al. teach listing other attributes. No unpredictable results are foreseen.
Lin et al. further teach ---(iii) one or more sensor measurements associated with an environment of the plurality of products, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprises one or more of temperature or humidity
(see e.g. [0027] Generally, auto-id systems, as referred to above, enable the automatic gathering and use of information related to products sold or used by the enterprise, and include identifiers and readers for obtaining information about the identifiers. --. A sensor 116 may refer to, for example, an environmental sensor (e.g., a thermometer), or a voice or an optical character recognition sensor.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracking devices include an auto-id reader or an environment sensor device.)
and wherein updating the product inventory comprises automatically updating the inventory dataset in the centralized repository in response to an indication of completion of the inventory replenishment and
(see e.g. [0084] Although the above implementations are discussed with respect to the division of dynamic data and static data, it should be understood that this division is merely one example. For example, the databases 430-436 may be used to store some or all of the dynamic data in addition to the static data, and, in this case, may simply be updated with the dynamically-changing data more frequently than in the above examples.)
[0094] To name another example, the reception of the pallet of soda (or some other event) may trigger an end of a business process (at least for the discernable future, or as far as the particular auto-id node 400 is concerned with respect to the object).
[0095] The activity handler 414 then updates the auto-id system with the new status of the event (510).
As another example, the "received shipment" event may be communicated to a warehouse management system, so that the warehouse system may then update its inventory record, and, additionally or alternatively, the "received shipment" event may be communicated to the manufacture's management system, so that a status of the object may be changed to "shipped.")
2. the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of inventory datasets is stored in the centralized repository as an Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) data.
(see e.g. [0044] In FIG. 3, an EPC Information Services (EPCIS) layer 302 allows the exchange of EPC data over a network. That is, EPCIS provides a standard format or protocol by which a reader that has identified an EPC number may find and use information about that number (and hence, about its associated item).
[0046] The application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 have access to an Object Naming Service (ONS), which, similarly to a Domain Name Service (DNS), is a look-up service that allows the application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 to find information about a product, based on the EPC code for that product.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Connors et al., in view of Agarwal et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Lin et al., in order to reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve data accuracy, provide data with more granularity, and thereby improve customer satisfaction within the operations of an enterprise system (see e.g. [0004]).
Re-claim 3, Connors et al. teach the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inventory dataset includes a unique identifier associated with each inventory item of the inventory storage facility.
(see e.g. [0022]. In one embodiment, the product shipment and point of sales data may include Universal Product Code (UPC) information. )
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Connors et al. (US 20120303492 A1), in view of Agarwal et al. (US 20120136741 A1), in further view of Lin et al. (US 20060149566 A1), in further view of Gitchell et al. (US 20200357509 A1).
Re-claim 4, Connors et al., in view of Agarwal et al., in view of Lin et al. do not teach the following limitations.
However, Gitchell et al. teach the method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inventory dataset includes hierarchical information of the plurality of products linked to each other in a parent-child relation such that the unique identifier of a parent product is linked to the respective unique identifiers of one or more child products associated with the parent product.
(see e.g. claim 21---receive, from the scanning device, a first unique identifier, wherein the first unique identifier corresponds to a first computer-readable code associated with a first medicinal container capable of storing a first parent medication, receive, from the scanning device, a second unique identifier, wherein the second unique identifier corresponds to a second computer-readable code associated with a second medicinal container capable of storing a second parent medication, query a remotely located database for first drug data of the first parent medication based at least in part on the first unique identifier and for second drug data of the second parent medication based at least in part on the second unique identifier, determine a drug expiration date of a child medication based at least in part on the first drug data and the second drug data, wherein the child medication comprises at least a portion of the first parent medication and the second parent medication, and update the remotely located database to associate the drug expiration date of the child medication with a third unique identifier, wherein the third unique identifier is associated with the child medication.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Connors et al., in view of Agarwal et al., in view of Lin et al. and include the steps cited above, as taught by Gitchell et al., in order to identify and track the inventory of any product throughout its lifecycle. (see e.g. [0174]).
Re-claim 5, Connors et al. teach the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inventory dataset includes information pertaining to a status of the product at different instances.
(see e.g. [0004] In one embodiment, there is provided a system for tracking an inventory age distribution of a perishable product in a supply chain. The system is a computing system including at least one memory device and at least one processor device connected to the memory device. The computing system receives shipment data and point of sale data for a product from every location in the supply chain. The computing system automatically creates, based on the obtained shipment data and the point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the product in the supply chain. The graph includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of arcs. A node in the graph represents a location in the supply chain. An arc represents a shipment of the product from a node to another node. The arc includes information of: a movement date of the product and quantity of the product moved. The computing system automatically identifies an age of unsold inventory of the product at each node of the graph based on one or more of: the arc information in the created network graph, a product manufacture date of the unsold inventory of the product and a date for which the unsold inventory of the product entered into the supply chain.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary network graph to identify an age of unsold inventory of a product at an exemplary node in the network graph in one embodiment. In this embodiment, each node tracks the age of unsold inventory of the product. For example, each node may maintain a table, e.g., a table 200 to track the age of unsold inventory of the product. The computing system updates the table 200 based on the mass balance technique and an inventory rotation policy.)
Re-claim 6, Connors et al. teach the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aging inventory comprises at least one of: an inventory for which an expiry date is approaching; and an inventory which has been stored at the inventory storage facility beyond a pre-defined duration.
(see e.g. [0024] By applying the mass balance technique and inventory rotation policies on the network graph, each location of the supply chain can be alerted to the fact that more that a certain percentage of unsold inventory of a product in that location has less than a certain number of days to its expiration date.
[0029] The provided notification includes one or more of: the identified age of the unsold product of the product at that location, a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are near expiration dates, i.e., a certain number of days (e.g., two or three days) are remained until the expiration date).
Re-claim 7, Connors et al., teach the method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the recommendations comprise: wherein for the inventory which has been stored beyond a pre-defined duration, disposing the aging inventory as per First-In-First-Out rule, and for the inventory which has been stored beyond a pre-defined duration, disposing the aging inventory as per First-In-First-Out rule.
(see e.g. 0010] In a further embodiment, the inventory rotation policy includes one or more of: FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In-First-Out).
[0033] At step 410, the computing system determines an inventory policy (e.g., FIFO, LIFO, etc.) to each node in the network graph. At step 420, the computing system applies mass balance technique to each node in the network graph. At step 430, the computing system identifies an age of unsold inventory of the product at each node based on the applied inventory policy and mass balance technique. At step 440, the computing system recommends an action (e.g., returning the unsold inventory to a manufacture of the product, running sales promotion, etc.) based on the identified age of the unsold inventory. For example, if the identified age of the unsold inventory at a node (e.g., a retail store) is larger than a pre-determined threshold, the computing system may recommend running a sales promotion on the unsold inventory at the retail store.).
Claims 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Connors et al. (US 20120303492 A1), in further view of Lin et al. (US 20060149566 A1).
Re-claim 8, Connors et al. teach A system comprising:
--a processor; a query engine, coupled to the processor, to:
--query a centralized repository to retrieve an inventory dataset associated with a product inventory stored in a plurality of associated inventory storage facilities,
(see e. g. [0003] The present disclosure describes a system, method and computer program product for tracking an inventory distribution of a perishable product at each location in a supply chain.
abstract -- The system receives shipment data and point of sale data for the product from every location in the supply chain. The system creates, based on the obtained shipment data and the point of sale data, a network graph that represents a flow of the product in the supply chain).
--a recommendation engine, coupled to the processor, to:
--analyze the inventory dataset to determine an expiration date of each item in the product inventory stored across all the plurality of associated inventory storage facilities;
(see e. g. [0004] The computing system automatically identifies an age of unsold inventory of the product at each node of the graph based on one or more of: the arc information in the created network graph, a product manufacture date of the unsold inventory of the product and a date for which the unsold inventory of the product entered into the supply chain.)
--generate recommendation corresponding to real-time inventory optimization recommendations for taking a pre-determined action with respect to the product inventory stored across all facilities, based on the expiration date; and
(see e. g. [0007] In a further embodiment, the computing system compares, at each node of the created network graph, the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product to a threshold. The computing system generates an alert, for a transmission to a corresponding node, of the unsold inventory if the age is larger than the threshold. The computing system recommends an action to the corresponding node.
[0033] At step 440, the computing system recommends an action (e.g., returning the unsold inventory to a manufacture of the product, running sales promotion, etc.) based on the identified age of the unsold inventory. For example, if the identified age of the unsold inventory at a node (e.g., a retail store) is larger than a pre-determined threshold, the computing system may recommend running a sales promotion on the unsold inventory at the retail store.
[0030] Then, the inventory manager may conduct a sales promotion of the unsold inventory in response to the generated alert.
[0004] The computing system automatically provides a notification to a user at each location represented by a node of the created network graph. The provided notification includes one or more of: the calculated age of the unsold inventory of the product at the location associated with the user, and a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are over a given threshold at the location associated with the user.)
--generating a report based at least in part on the analyzing of the inventory dataset, wherein the report comprises a reason for identifying the product inventory as aging inventory.
(see e.g. [0029] In one embodiment, upon identifying the age of the unsold inventory of the product at a location of the supply chain, the computing system provides a notification (e.g., email, alert, text message, etc.) to a user (e.g., a location manager, etc.) at that location. The provided notification includes one or more of: the identified age of the unsold product of the product at that location, a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are near expiration dates, i.e., a certain number of days (e.g., two or three days) are remained until the expiration date).
The Examiner notes that the reason for identifying the product inventory as aging inventory is taught by Connors et al. as the number of days remaining until the expiration date.
Connors et al. do not explicitly teach the following limitation.
Connors et al. do not teach the following limitations.
However, Lin et al. teach
--query a centralized repository, via query interface associated with the centralized repository,--wherein the centralized repository stores the inventory dataset in a specific format;
(see e.g. [0134] As shown in FIG. 7, the distributed management service 702 is interoperable with existing auto-id tracking systems, such as, for example, the EPCIS architecture illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. For example, an EPC discover server 728 may be intended to store data regarding movement and events of physical items, and related information.
[0135] the distributed management service 702 may make use of the EPC discover server 728, for example, to obtain data regarding selected physical items).
[0044] In FIG. 3, an EPC Information Services (EPCIS) layer 302 allows the exchange of EPC data over a network. That is, EPCIS provides a standard format or protocol by which a reader that has identified an EPC number may find and use information about that number (and hence, about its associated item).
[0046] The application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 have access to an Object Naming Service (ONS), which, similarly to a Domain Name Service (DNS), is a look-up service that allows the application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 to find information about a product, based on the EPC code for that product.
--and is remotely accessible, via a network, to the plurality of associated inventory storage facilities,
(see e.g. [0044] In FIG. 3, an EPC Information Services (EPCIS) layer 302 allows the exchange of EPC data over a network. That is, EPCIS provides a standard format or protocol by which a reader that has identified an EPC number may find and use information about that number (and hence, about its associated item).
[0046] The application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 have access to an Object Naming Service (ONS), which, similarly to a Domain Name Service (DNS), is a look-up service that allows the application manager 304 and EPCIS layer 302 to find information about a product, based on the EPC code for that product.
--wherein retrieving the inventory dataset comprises interacting, by the query interface, with one or more applications to extract information about the product inventory,
(see e.g. [0045] The EPCIS layer 302 receives information from an application manager 304, which is generally operable to oversee information events (e.g., tag reads) and manage the events for communication to the EPCIS layer 302 and thereby to an EPCIS repository 306. The application manager 304 operates to monitor and configure the repository 306 as the repository 306 accumulates data over relatively long periods of time during which the data may not be immediately useful to any particular application or device.
[0134] As shown in FIG. 7, the distributed management service 702 is interoperable with existing auto-id tracking systems, such as, for example, the EPCIS architecture illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. For example, an EPC discover server 728 may be intended to store data regarding movement and events of physical items, and related information.
[0135] the distributed management service 702 may make use of the EPC discover server 728, for example, to obtain data regarding selected physical items).
--wherein the inventory dataset comprises (i) event data corresponding to one or more events associated with the product inventory, (ii) one or more attributes associated with the product inventory, wherein the one or more attributes comprises a quality attribute, and
(see e.g. [0079] Similarly, a product database 432 may include detailed descriptions of the products or objects that are being trackfed, including such descriptions that change, but that, again, do not generally change on an event-by-event basis. The product database 432 may store such information, or may look up the information from an outside source, using, for example, a universal product id (e.g. the EPC code read from the tag 220 of the object 218).
[0032] For example, the auto-id node 210 at a retail store may be interested in tracking a retail price of an item, or a number of items on a shelf of the retail store. Such information may not be useful to the auto-id node 206 at a manufacturing location, but may be partially useful to the auto-id node 208 at the distribution location. For example, the auto-id node at the distribution location 208 may not be interested in the retail price of an item, but may be interested in a number of presently-shelved items (for purposes of re-stocking).
[0089] For instance, a Christmas display may sell many Christmas-related objects, and a reader may be located proximate to the objects to determine when the display is becoming depleted. In this example, the activity handler 414 may handle all activity that occurs with respect to the specific reader, and the rule set 420 may designate parameters for, for example, re-ordering inventory from a back room or from a manufacturer, or for replacing one type of object with another when the first type of object is sold out.
****With respect to the limitation “ (ii) one or more attributes associated with the plurality of products, wherein the one or more attributes comprises a quality attribute, and “ it is considered an obvious variation of Lin to include a quality attribute in the dataset since Lin et al. teach listing other attributes. No unpredictable result is foreseen.
iii) one or more sensor measurements associated with an environment of the product inventory, wherein the one or more sensor measurements comprises one or more of temperature or humidity
(see e.g. [0027] Generally, auto-id systems, as referred to above, enable the automatic gathering and use of information related to products sold or used by the enterprise, and include identifiers and readers for obtaining information about the identifiers. -A sensor 116 may refer to, for example, an environmental sensor (e.g., a thermometer), or a voice or an optical character recognition sensor.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the tracking devices include an auto-id reader or an environment sensor device.)
--update the inventory dataset in the centralized repository upon receiving a confirmation that the pre-determined action has been taken.
(see e.g. [0095] The activity handler 414 then updates the auto-id system with the new status of the event (510).
As another example, the "received shipment" event may be communicated to a warehouse management system, so that the warehouse system may then update its inventory record, and, additionally or alternatively, the "received shipment" event may be communicated to the manufacture's management system, so that a status of the object may be changed to "shipped.")
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Connors et al., in view of Agarwal et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Lin et al., in order to reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve data accuracy, provide data with more granularity, and thereby improve customer satisfaction within the operations of an enterprise system (see e.g. [0004]).
Re-claim 9, Connors et al. teach the system as claimed in claim 8, wherein an inventory storage facility comprises one of a warehouse, manufacturing unit, and a distribution unit associated with a supply chain.
(see e.g. [0024] In one embodiment, the created network graph represents a supply chain of a product. In the network graph, a node represents a location in the supply chain, e.g., a retail store, a manufacture, a wholesale store, a warehouse, a distribution center, etc).
Re-claim 10, Connors et al. teach the system as claimed in claim 8, wherein to generate recommendations, the recommendation engine is to determine if: the expiration date of the product inventory has been crossed; or the expiration date of the product inventory is approaching.
(see e.g. [0024] By applying the mass balance technique and inventory rotation policies on the network graph, each location of the supply chain can be alerted to the fact that more that a certain percentage of unsold inventory of a product in that location has less than a certain number of days to its expiration date.
[0029] The provided notification includes one or more of: the identified age of the unsold product of the product at that location, a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are near expiration dates, i.e., a certain number of days (e.g., two or three days) are remained until the expiration date).
Claim 11 recites similar limitations as claim 7 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Re-claim 12, Connors et al. anticipates The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein if the expiration date of the product inventory has been crossed, the recommendation engine is to generate alerts for each of the plurality of associated inventory storage facilities to discard the product inventory.
in at least [0029] In one embodiment, upon identifying the age of the unsold inventory of the product at a location of the supply chain, the computing system provides a notification (e.g., email, alert, text message, etc.) to a user (e.g., a location manager, etc.) at that location. The provided notification includes one or more of: the identified age of the unsold product of the product at that location, a percentage of the unsold inventory of the product that are near expiration dates, i.e., a certain number of days (e.g., two or three days) are remained until the expiration date). [0030] In another embodiment, at each node of the graph, the computing system compares the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product to a pre-determined threshold. If the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product is larger than the threshold, the computing system generates an alert to an inventory manager of the unsold inventory. [0033] (see e.g. At step 440, the computing system recommends an action (e.g., returning the unsold inventory to a manufacture of the product, running sales promotion, etc.) based on the identified age of the unsold inventory).
It is considered an obvious variation of Connors to discard the product inventory, as one of ordinary skill in the art may consider returning the unsold inventory to a manufacture of the product, as discarding the product.
Claim 13 recites similar limitations as claim 2 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Re-claim 14, Connors et al. teach the system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the recommendation engine is to: compute an age of the product inventory based on the expiration date; and generate alerts for each inventory storage facility of the plurality of associated inventory storage facilities to indicate aging inventory.
(see e.g. [0033] At step 420, the computing system applies mass balance technique to each node in the network graph. At step 430, the computing system identifies an age of unsold inventory of the product at each node based on the applied inventory policy and mass balance technique.
[0034] Input data "Date d" refers to a reference date that is used to calculate an age of unsold inventory of a product. -- Code block 520 calculates the age of the unsold inventory of the product and outputs a histogram (e.g., a histogram 600 in FIG. 6) that shows an inventory age distribution of the unsold inventory of the product.
[0007] In a further embodiment, the computing system compares, at each node of the created network graph, the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product to a threshold. The computing system generates an alert, for a transmission to a corresponding node, of the unsold inventory if the age is larger than the threshold. The computing system recommends an action to the corresponding node.)
Re-claim 15, Connors et al. do not explicitly teach the following limitations.
However, Lin et al. teach –The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the recommendation engine is to initiate inventory replenishment to update a product inventory at the plurality of associated inventory storage facilities based on at least one of the recommendations and a user input.
(see e.g. [0094] To name another example, the reception of the pallet of soda (or some other event) may trigger an end of a business process (at least for the discernable future, or as far as the particular auto-id node 400 is concerned with respect to the object). [0095] Also, the business process status for the event may be updated in the expected action 424, current state 426 and history 428. For example, the expected action 424 may be updated with the newly calculated "expected action" from the rule engine 418, and the current state 426 may be updated with the "object received" event as the new current state, and previous state of the object (e.g., "in transit") may be put into the history 428.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Connors et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Lin et al., in order to determine the expected actions that should be taken in response to the received event. (see e.g. [0094]).
Claim 16 recites similar limitations as claim 8 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claim 17 recites similar limitations as claim 2 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Re-claim 18, Connors et al. teach the non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein an inventory dataset of a product includes information pertaining to at least one of a manufacturing of the product, packaging of the product, unique identifier associated with the packaging, association between different packaging, and a status of the product at different instances.
(see e.g. [0021] This capability to track and estimate an age of the perishable product enables its manufacturer to identify where product expirations will occur, and which retail retailer locations, if any, lag behind others in selling the product. This capability can also improve an inventory management, product ordering, and product promotion policies.
[0025In one embodiment, by viewing the created network graph, a manufacturer can identify poorly performing parts of its supply chain, e.g., by reviewing an age of unsold inventory at each node of the graph, and can identify which retail stores maintains their inventories of a product below a pre-determined freshness threshold. --- By identifying the poorly performing entities of its supply chain, the manufacture may suggest inventory policies to the identified poorly performing parts, e.g., by suggesting an improvement in a mode of product shipping, e.g., transportation or delivery network. Alternatively, the manufacture may adjust its production schedule in accordance with an age of unsold inventory of each location in the supply chain.)
Re-claim 19, Connors et al. teach the non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the set of rules include rules for distributing the product inventories from the one or more inventory storage facilities as per First-In-First-Out (FIFO) rule.
(see e.g. [0023], An inventory rotation policy includes, but is not limited to: FIFO (First-In-First-Out), LIFO (Last-In-First-Out), a mix of FIFO and LIFO. FIFO inventory policy refers that an item which enters first is shipped or sold first.
[0035] Code block 510 implements an inventory policy, e.g., FIFO, in the "Node n).
Claim 7, The method according to claim 5, the inventory rotation policy includes one or more of: FIFO (First-In-First-Out) and LIFO (Last-In-First-Out).
Re-claim 20, Connors et al. teach the non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate expiration alerts for the products.
(see e.g. [0030] In another embodiment, at each node of the graph, the computing system compares the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product to a pre-determined threshold. If the identified age of the unsold inventory of the product is larger than the threshold, the computing system generates an alert to an inventory manager of the unsold inventory. Then, the inventory manager may conduct a sales promotion of the unsold inventory in response to the generated alert.).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been considered but are moot due to the new ground of rejection.
With respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 101:
Applicant’s argument:
Applicant submits that independent claim 1 is rooted in a specific technological implementation that integrates query engines, centralized repository, query interface, sensor devices, applications, networked computing systems, and recommendation engines to optimize storage operations in real time. As such, the claimed invention goes beyond an abstract idea and presents a concrete, technical solution to a technical problem related to storage optimization.
Examiner’s response:
The above paragraphs highlight the problem Applicants seek to solve, which is for “optimizing storage operations in real time”. It does use computer automation to solve the problem, but the problem is one of business inventory realm and uses computer technology as a solution, rather than solving a technical computer problem, or improving the performance of the computer itself.” The current invention does not disclose such an improvement in the claims or specification.
Relying on a computer to perform routine tasks more quickly or more accurately is insufficient to render a claim patent eligible. See Alice, (use of a computer to create electronic records, track multiple transactions, and issue simultaneous instructions" is not an inventive concept.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/LUNA CHAMPAGNE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
February 17, 2026