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 .
This communication is responsive to the RCE filed on 07/08/2025.
Claims 1, 3-15, and 17-20 are presented for examination.
Continued Examination under 3 7 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/08/2025 has been entered.
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 1, 3-15, and 17-20 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 applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 9 and 15 are rejected because the claims recite the terms a "printable hang tag”, which is not mention in the specification. Applicant is required for clarification.
Claims 1, 9 and 15 also recite the term "the hang tag”, which is not previously introduced before. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Applicant is required for correction.
All dependent claims are rejected under the same rational as the independent claims above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 02/05/2025 with respect to the newly added limitations have been considered in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by amendment.
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, 3-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kalgi et al., (US 9,684,920), hereinafter “Kalgi”, in view of Simmons (US 2019/0392381), and in further view of Bedingfield SR. et al. (US 20070124500 A1), hereinafter “Bedingfield”.
As per claim 1, Kalgi discloses a computer system for embedding a uniform resource locator (URL) with one or more embedded variables, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors in communication with a memory (col.2, lines 37-39, a processor, a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, and a network interface coupled to the processor); and
program instructions stored by the memory and executable by the one or more processors (col.9, lines 1-9, a Computer Readable Memory (CRM) 200 comprising code, executable by the processor) to:
- receive, by a web portal of a dealership and via a network, and based on a user of the dealership providing via a graphical user interface of a user device one or more inputs, information comprising one or more variables to be embedded within the URL that is to be included on a printable hang tag, wherein the one or more variables are to at least partially populate a digital data submission form (col.2, lines 55-60, receiving, by a central server computer via scanning a machine readable code associated with the product using a scanning device, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device, wherein the machine readable code may include bar codes to store information about a product or services, thereby including an address for a website (e.g., a URL) and/or encoded product information), wherein the barcodes/QR code is a printable hang tag as claimed (see specification, par. [107] & [0090]);
- receive, via the web portal, a selection of a layout for the hang tag (col.2, lines 55-60, receiving, by a central server computer via scanning a machine readable code associated with the product using a scanning device, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device, wherein the machine readable code may include bar codes to store information about a product or services, thereby including an address for a website (e.g., a URL) and/or encoded product information), wherein the barcodes/QR code is a printable hang tag as claimed (see specification, par. [107] & [0090]);
- initiate printing the hang tag for the hang tag to be hung on the equipment in the dealership (col.2, lines 55-60, receiving, by a central server computer via scanning a machine readable code associated with the product using a scanning device, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device, wherein the machine readable code may include bar codes to store information about a product or services, thereby including an address for a website (e.g., a URL) and/or encoded product information), wherein the barcodes/QR code is a printable hang tag as claimed (see specification, par. [107] & [0090]); and col.10, lines 22-29, col.13, lines 43-46 and col.18, lines 1-14, viewing the product information in the populated form on a display screen, a “Purchase” or a “Buy” button on the display screen can be selected to initiate a purchase transaction, wherein user selects a BUY button on a display screen of the first electronic device after viewing the populated form with the product information to initiate a purchase transaction, populate a form on the electronic device that was used for scanning (i.e., printing) the item using the display interface, wherein the populated form comprises the logical item information and some other information necessary for purchasing the item).
- perform, based on receiving the information, data processing to [generate the URL and] embed the one or more variables therein (col.2, lines 61-66, col.10, lines 62 to col. 11 line 3, initiating a purchase transaction by providing the populated form using the address to a host site operated by the central server computer); and
- determine that the URL is being electronically accessed (col.2, lines 56-60, determining the first recognizable additional data after the first scanning device in the first electronic device scans a machine readable code associated with a first product), and based thereon transmit for display, via a digital electronic display, the digital data submission form that is at least partially populated with the one or more variables including the variable (col.10, lines 22-29, col.13, lines 43-46 and col.18, lines 1-14, viewing the product information in the populated form on a display screen, a “Purchase” or a “Buy” button on the display screen can be selected to initiate a purchase transaction, wherein user selects a BUY button on a display screen of the first electronic device after viewing the populated form with the product information to initiate a purchase transaction, populate a form on the electronic device that was used for scanning the item using the display interface, wherein the populated form comprises the logical item information and some other information necessary for purchasing the item).
However, Kalgi does not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more variables are to at least partially populate a digital data submission form for obtaining equipment through a dealership, the one or more variables including a variable selected from the group consisting of (i) dealership information associated with a dealer account of the dealership, (ii) product manufacturer, (iii) model type, (iv) sub type, (v) model year, and (vi) model number.
Meanwhile, Simmons discloses wherein the one or more variables are to at least partially populate a digital data submission form for obtaining equipment through the dealership, the one or more variables including a variable selected from the group consisting of (i) dealership information associated with a dealer account of the dealership (par. [0032]-[0034], Each dealership sets up a unique dealership account within the server application, providing for sub-accounts for dealerships with multiple sub-dealerships within their organization or multiple vehicle lots), (ii) product manufacturer, (iii) model type, (iv) sub type, (v) model year, and (vi) model number (par. [0034], The dealership registers each of the plurality of in-vehicle units 108 (a . . . n) and each of the plurality of hand held units 107 (a . . . n) within the database 103. Each in-vehicle unit 108 record will have multiple data points to capture, including vehicle identification numbers, make, model, trim level, and other vehicle features);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Kalgi to include the features as disclosed by Simmons in order to provides a communication link from a central office to the vehicles data bus network to allow dealers to configure selected functions and features of the vehicle in the system.
The combination of Kalgi and Simmons does not disclose “the one or more inputs being provided via one or more pull down options displayed via the web portal”.
On the other hand, Bedingfield discloses the one or more inputs being provided via one or more pull down options displayed via the web portal (abstract and par. [0033] , wherein a selection for generating a substitute URL is available in a pull-down menu. In one implementation, the pull-down menu can be accessed by right-clicking on the URL in the address bar of the browser. In an alternative embodiment of this implementation, the substitute URL generation function can be implemented in a plug-in in even non-browser applications. The substitute URL generation function can be a selection in a pull-down menu, which can be accessed by right clicking on a URL in programs such as Microsoft Outlook.RTM., Microsoft Word.RTM., Wordperfect.RTM., and Adobe Acrobats.RTM., among others).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of cited references to include the pull-down menu as disclosed by Bedingfield in order to provides user has more options/features for selection.
As per claim 3, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Simmons discloses the dealership is a product retailer (par. [0032]-[0034]).
As per claim 4, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to receive, based on the user providing one or more additional inputs through a web portal, additional information indicating one or more additional variables to populate a portion of the digital data submission form not previously populated by the one or more variables (col.9, line 27-col.10, line 19, recognizable additional information related to the product 102. In one embodiment, the recognizable additional information related to the product 102 may include the product description, product identifier, price, quantity, time indicator, tax indicator, merchant identifier).
As per claim 5, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to perform, based on receiving the additional information, additional data processing to embed the one or more additional variables within the variable data (col.2, lines 13-25, recognizable additional information related to the product, wherein the recognizable additional information may be used to populate a form on the first electronic device that may be provided to the central server computer for initiating a transaction).
As per claim 6, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the one or more additional variables comprise product information associated with a purchasable product (col.4, lines 58-67, the product has a machine readable code associated with it that may include a URL for a website and the product information encoded in the code, wherein a consumer with an electronic device scans the machine readable code associated with the product using a camera in the electronic device or communicatively coupled to the electronic device to get more information about the product and subsequently purchase the product using the electronic device).
As per claim 7, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses receiving the information comprising the one or more variables to be embedded within the URL is based on the one or more inputs being provided in order to access a web portal (col.8, lines 20-42, routes an authorization request for a purchase transaction of the product and verifies the consumer's account and responds with an authorization response message to the acquirer computer that forwards to the appropriate electronic device).
As per claim 8, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the one or more inputs comprise authentication information and the web portal comprises a web portal account associated with an enterprise (col.8, lines 20-42, verifies the consumer's account and responds with an authorization response message to the acquirer computer that forwards to the appropriate electronic device).
As per claim 9, Kalgi discloses a computing system for embedding a URL with one or more embedded variables, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors in communication with a memory (col.2, lines 37-39, a processor, a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, and a network interface coupled to the processor); and
program instructions stored by the memory and executable by the one or more processors (col.9, lines 1-9, a Computer Readable Memory (CRM) comprising code, executable by the processors) to:
- receive, by a web portal of a dealership, one or more user inputs via a user device, the one or more user inputs being associated with one or more variables to be embedded within a URL that is to be included on a printable hang tag (col.2, lines 55-60, receiving, by a central server computer via scanning a machine readable code associated with the product using a scanning device, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device, wherein the machine readable code may include bar codes to store information about a product or services, thereby including an address for a website (e.g., a URL) and/or encoded product information), wherein the barcodes/QR code is a printable hang tag as claimed (see specification, par. [107] & [0090]);
- transmit, across a network, variable data comprising the one or more variables to an external system (col.10, lines 22-29, col.13, lines 43-46 and col.18, lines 1-14, viewing the product information in the populated form on a display screen, a “Purchase” or a “Buy” button on the display screen can be selected to initiate a purchase transaction, wherein user selects a BUY button on a display screen of the first electronic device after viewing the populated form with the product information to initiate a purchase transaction, populate a form on the electronic device that was used for scanning the item using the display interface, wherein the populated form comprises the logical item information and some other information necessary for purchasing the item), to generate the URL and embed the one or more variables therein (par. [0030]-[0031], generates a substitute URL); and
- receive, via the web portal, a selection of a layout for the hang tag (col.2, lines 55-60, receiving, by a central server computer via scanning a machine readable code associated with the product using a scanning device, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device, wherein the machine readable code may include bar codes to store information about a product or services, thereby including an address for a website (e.g., a URL) and/or encoded product information), wherein the barcodes/QR code is a printable hang tag as claimed (see specification, par. [107] & [0090]);
- initiate printing the hang tag for the hang tag to be hung on the equipment in the dealership (col.2, lines 55-60, receiving, by a central server computer via scanning a machine readable code associated with the product using a scanning device, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device, wherein the machine readable code may include bar codes to store information about a product or services, thereby including an address for a website (e.g., a URL) and/or encoded product information), wherein the barcodes/QR code is a printable hang tag as claimed (see specification, par. [107] & [0090]), and col.10, lines 22-29, col.13, lines 43-46 and col.18, lines 1-14, viewing the product information in the populated form on a display screen, a “Purchase” or a “Buy” button on the display screen can be selected to initiate a purchase transaction, wherein user selects a BUY button on a display screen of the first electronic device after viewing the populated form with the product information to initiate a purchase transaction, populate a form on the electronic device that was used for scanning the item using the display interface, wherein the populated form comprises the logical item information and some other information necessary for purchasing the item);
- receive, via the network, the generated URL comprising the one or more embedded variables including the variable (par. [0030]-[0031], provides a form for the submission of a URL by a user, receives a URL that a user inputs into the submission form, determine the home page corresponding to the URL and comparing the home page parsed from the URL with the home page that contains the submission form).
However, Kalgi does not explicitly discloses wherein the one or more variables are to at least partially populate a digital data submission form for obtaining equipment through a dealership, the one or more variables including a variable selected from the group consisting of (i) dealership information associated with a dealer account of the dealership, (ii) product manufacturer, (iii) model type, (iv) sub type, (v) model year, and (vi) model number.
Meanwhile, Simmons discloses wherein the one or more variables are to at least partially populate a digital data submission form for obtaining equipment through a dealership, the one or more variables including a variable selected from the group consisting of (i) dealership information associated with a dealer account of the dealership (par. [0032]-[0034], Each dealership sets up a unique dealership account within the server application, providing for sub-accounts for dealerships with multiple sub-dealerships within their organization or multiple vehicle lots), (ii) product manufacturer, (iii) model type, (iv) sub type, (v) model year, and (vi) model number (par. [0034], The dealership registers each of the plurality of in-vehicle units 108 (a . . . n) and each of the plurality of hand held units 107 (a . . . n) within the database 103. Each in-vehicle unit 108 record will have multiple data points to capture, including vehicle identification numbers, make, model, trim level, and other vehicle features);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Kalgi to include the features as disclosed by Simmons in order to provides a communication link from a central office to the vehicles data bus network to allow dealers to configure selected functions and features of the vehicle in the system.
The combination of Kalgi and Simmons does not disclose “the one or more inputs being provided via one or more pull down options displayed via the web portal”.
On the other hand, Bedingfield discloses the one or more inputs being provided via one or more pull down options displayed via the web portal (abstract and par. [0033] , wherein a selection for generating a substitute URL is available in a pull-down menu. In one implementation, the pull-down menu can be accessed by right-clicking on the URL in the address bar of the browser. In an alternative embodiment of this implementation, the substitute URL generation function can be implemented in a plug-in in even non-browser applications. The substitute URL generation function can be a selection in a pull-down menu, which can be accessed by right clicking on a URL in programs such as Microsoft Outlook.RTM., Microsoft Word.RTM., Wordperfect.RTM., and Adobe Acrobats.RTM., among others).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of cited references to include the pull-down menu as disclosed by Bedingfield in order to provides user has more options/features for selection.
As per claim 10, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the one or more user inputs comprise authentication information to authenticate a user of the user device (col.8, lines 20-42, routes an authorization request for a purchase transaction of the product).
As per claim 11, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the one or more user inputs are provided to access a web portal account associated with an enterprise, and based on the authentication information being verified the one or more variables comprise enterprise information about the enterprise (col.8, lines 20-42, verifies the consumer's account and responds with an authorization response message to the acquirer computer that forwards to the appropriate electronic device).
As per claim 12, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to create a data structure comprising the variable data (col.5, lines 40-46, and col.7, lines 40-51, the data variable includes a product information, a product identifier, a price, a start and an end date during which the price is valid, information about whether the product is taxable, and a merchant identifier, etc.)
As per claim 13, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the program instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to:
- receive one or more additional user inputs associated with one or more additional variables, wherein the transmitted variable data further comprises the one or more additional variables (col.9, line 27-col.10, line 19, recognizable additional information related to the product 102. In one embodiment, the recognizable additional information related to the product 102 may include the product description, product identifier, price, quantity, time indicator, tax indicator, merchant identifier);
- wherein the transmitting the variable data that further comprises the one or more additional variables facilitates further embedding the one or more additional variables within the URL (col.2, lines 13-25, recognizable additional information related to the product, wherein the recognizable additional information may be used to populate a form on the first electronic device that may be provided to the central server computer for initiating a transaction).
As per claim 14, the combination of Kalgi, Simmons and Bedingfield discloses the invention as claimed. In addition, Kalgi discloses the one or more additional variables comprise product information associated with a purchasable product (col.4, lines 58-67, the product has a machine readable code associated with it that may include a URL for a website and the product information encoded in the code, wherein a consumer with an electronic device scans the machine readable code associated with the product using a camera in the electronic device or communicatively coupled to the electronic device to get more information about the product and subsequently purchase the product using the electronic device).
As per claims 15 and 17-20, A computer-implemented method for embedding a URL with one or more embedded variables, which are corresponding to the system claims 1, 4-5, and 7-8 above. Therefore, they are rejected under the same rational as claims 1, 4-5, and 7-8.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Loan T. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 270-3103. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Thursday-Friday from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aleksandr Kerzhner can be reached on (571) 270-1760. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-270-4103. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LOAN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2165
10/25/2025