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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/4/26 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed on 3/4/26. Claims 1, 16, and 20 amended. Claim 2 canceled. Claims 1 and 3-20 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Meier et al. US Publication No. 2003/0222144 cited in previous action in view of Powell US Publication No. 20160275324.
Re Claim 1, Meier discloses a code reader for attachment to a garment (P44), comprising a reader unit, a control unit as well as a communication module (wireless communication capability )for wireless data transmission (P67), wherein the reader unit and the control unit as well as the control unit and the communication module have wired connections to each other, wherein the reader unit is configured to scan a code, to decode the scanned code into a character string and to transfer the character string to the control unit (P160, P159-158, P67, P112, P152) detector 1032 acquires a bar code or other decodable indicium, as indicated in box 1042. The decoder 1034 decodes the information, as indicated by box 1044).
Meier fails to discloses wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison, wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process; or - if several character strings are transmitted to the control unit in the same reading process, comparing the character strings with said at least one test condition, and sending one or more of the character strings by means of the communication module as at least one of an entire character string, a part of the character string, or an adapted character string depending on a result of the comparison.
Powell discloses wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison, wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process.; or - if several character strings are transmitted to the control unit in the same reading process, comparing the character strings with said at least one test condition, and sending one or more of the character strings by means of the communication module as at least one of an entire character string, a part of the character string, or an adapted character string depending on a result of the comparison (P74-82).
Given the teachings of Powell it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Meier with wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison, wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process; or - if several character strings are transmitted to the control unit in the same reading process, comparing the character strings with said at least one test condition, and sending one or more of the character strings by means of the communication module as at least one of an entire character string, a part of the character string, or an adapted character string depending on a result of the comparison
As suggested by Powell doing so in this mode of operation allows for performing additional tests to determine validity/ consistent character data (P74) .
Re Claim 3, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Powell discloses wherein adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string includes replacing one or more specific characters at a specific position in the character string (P82).
Re Claim 4, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Powell discloses wherein said at least one test condition specifies at least one property of the character string (P74-82).
Re Claim 5, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 4, and Powell discloses wherein one of the at least one test condition specifies one or more specific characters at a specific position in the character string and/or a length of the character string (P74-82).
Re Claim 6, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 4, and Powell discloses wherein said at least one control unit is configured to compare said at least one test condition via character comparison of the character string with the test condition (P70-P82).
Re Claim 7, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Powell discloses wherein several test conditions are grouped together into different groups of test conditions (P70-P82).
Re Claim 8, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Powell discloses wherein a sequence is stored in the control unit in which at least one of the test conditions or groups of test conditions are to be tested (P70-P82).
Re Claim 9, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Powell discloses wherein the control unit is configured to receive at least one of at least one further test condition, or action, or a further set of test conditions by means of a communication module (P70-82).
Re Claim 10, Meier and POWELL discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Powell discloses wherein the action is at least one of part of the set of test conditions or stored together with the associated test condition in the control unit (P70-P82) .
Re Claim 11, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Meier discloses wherein the code reader is at least one of a one-piece device or the code reader comprises a housing in which the reader unit and the control unit are located (Fig. 1A) .
Re Claim 12, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Meier discloses wherein the reader unit is configured to scan several codes after activation of a reading process, to decode the scanned codes each into a character string and to transfer the character strings to the control unit (P93, P123).
Re Claim 13, Meier discloses a code reader for attachment to a garment, comprising a reader unit, a control unit as well as a communication module for wireless data transmission, wherein the reader unit and the control unit as well as the control unit and the communication module have wired connections to each other, wherein the reader unit is configured to scan a code, to decode the scanned code into a character string and to transfer the character string to the control unit (P160, P159-158, P67, P112, P152).
Meier fails to disclose wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action depending on a result of the comparison, wherein the reader unit is configured to scan several codes after activation of a reading process, to decode the scanned codes each into a character string and to transfer the character strings to the control unit, and wherein at least one of the actions or the set of test conditions define a sequence in which character strings are to be sent by means of the communication module, and the control unit is configured to send the character string in that sequence.
Powell discloses disclose wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action depending on a result of the comparison, wherein the reader unit is configured to scan several codes after activation of a reading process, to decode the scanned codes each into a character string and to transfer the character strings to the control unit, and wherein at least one of the actions or the set of test conditions define a sequence in which character strings are to be sent by means of the communication module, and the control unit is configured to send the character string in that sequence (P70-82, P114).
Given the teachings of Powell it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Meier with wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action depending on a result of the comparison, wherein the reader unit is configured to scan several codes after activation of a reading process, to decode the scanned codes each into a character string and to transfer the character strings to the control unit, and wherein at least one of the actions or the set of test conditions define a sequence in which character strings are to be sent by means of the communication module, and the control unit is configured to send the character string in that sequence.
As suggested by Powell doing so in this mode of operation allows for performing additional tests to determine validity/ consistent character data
RE Claim 14, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Meier discloses wherein the reader unit is configured to start a reading process after receiving a user input (P84, P157-157).
Re Claim 15, Meier and Powell discloses the code reader according to claim 1, and Meier discloses wherein the code reader comprises an output means, wherein the control unit is configured to output as an action an output to a user by means of the output means (P160).
Re Claim 16, Meier discloses a work system comprising a code reader and a control device wherein the code reader comprises a reader unit, a control unit as well as a communication module for wireless data transmission (P67, P112, P152), wherein the reader unit and the control unit as well as the control unit and the communication module have wired connections to each other, wherein the reader unit is configured to scan a code, to decode the scanned code into a character string and to transfer the character string to the control unit(P159-160, P67, P112, P152).
Meier fails to disclose wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison, and wherein the work system is configured so that the code reader sends a character string to the control device by means of the communication module wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process.
However Powell discloses wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison, and wherein the work system is configured so that the code reader sends a character string to the control device by means of the communication module wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process (P75-82).
Given the teachings of Powell it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Meier with wherein the control unit comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to receive the character string, to compare the character string with said at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison, and wherein the work system is configured so that the code reader sends a character string to the control device by means of the communication module wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process.
As suggested by Powell Doing so in this mode of operation allows for performing additional tests to determine validity/ consistent character data (P74) .
Re Claim 17, Meier and Powell discloses the work system according to claim 16, Meier discloses wherein the control device is at least one of a control system or a connection device (P159) .
Re Claim 18, Meier and Powell discloses the work system according to claim 16, and Powell discloses wherein the control device is configured to transmit at least one of single test conditions, actions or a set of test conditions to the code reader, and the code reader is configured to apply at least one of the received test condition or the received set of test conditions for the comparison (P70-P82).
Claim(s) 20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Meier et al. US Publication No. 2003/0222144 cited in previous action in view of Powell US Publication No. 20160275324 in view of ZHOU et al. CN Publication No. 102622574, translation provided by Examiner, cited in previous action.
Re Claim 20, Meier discloses a work system comprising a code reader for attachment to a garment and a control device that is a connection device, wherein the code reader comprises a reader unit as well as communication module for wireless data transmission, wherein the code reader is configured to at least one of scan a code, to decode the scanned code into a character string and to send the character string to the control device by means of the communication module, or to scan a code and to send the scanned code to the control device by means of the communication module (P159-160, P67, P112, P152) ,
Meier fails to disclose wherein the control device comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to at least one of receive the character string or receive the scanned code and to decode the scanned code into a character string, to compare the character string with at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direction consequence of the comparison and wherein the connection device is one of a smartphone, tablet, a smart watch , smart glasses.
However Powell discloses wherein the control device comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to at least one of receive the character string or receive the scanned code and to decode the scanned code into a character string, to compare the character string with at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison (P70-P82).
Given the teachings of Powell it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Meier with wherein the control device comprises at least one of at least one test condition or one set of test conditions and is configured to at least one of receive the character string or receive the scanned code and to decode the scanned code into a character string, to compare the character string with at least one test condition, and to execute an action as a direct consequence of the comparison.
As suggested by Powell doing so in this mode of operation allows for performing additional tests to determine validity/ consistent character data (P74) .
Meier as modified by Powell discloses all of the claimed invention from above except for wherein the connection device is one of a smartphone, tablet, a smart watch , smart glasses
ZHOU discloses wherein the connection device is one of a smartphone, tablet, a smart watch , smart glasses (P6, P19).
Given the teachings of ZHOU it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Meier and Powell with wherein the connection device is one of a smartphone, tablet, a smart watch , smart glasses.
Doing so effectively improves the scanning efficiency (p14).
Re Claim 21, Meier, Powell and ZHOU discloses the work system according to claim 20, and Powell discloses wherein the action comprises one or more of the following activities:- adapting at least one of the character string or a further character string and sending the adapted character string by means of the communication module; or - sending an instruction to the reader unit to end or to continue a reading process (P70-P82).
Claim(s) 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Meier et al. US Publication No. 2003/0222144 cited in previous action in view of Powell US Publication No. 20160275324 in view of ZHOU et al. CN Publication No. 102622574, translation provided by Examiner as applied to claim 16 above and further in view of Nowaczyk US Publication No. 20150356391 A1, cited in previous action.
Re Claim 19, Meier, Powell and ZHOU discloses the work system according to claim 16, and Meier discloses specifically a hand held optical reader (P44) .
Meier, Powell and ZHOU fails to disclose wherein the work system comprises a garment that has an input means for the code reader.
However Nowaczyk discloses wherein the work system comprises a garment that has an input means for the code reader (Abstract, P21-23).
Given the teachings of Nowaczyk it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Meier, Powell and ZHOU with wherein the work system comprises a garment that has an input means for the code reader.
As suggested by Nowaczyk in this manner, the operator's hands remain free to handle objects or goods while scanning or completing other tasks (P22).
Conclusion
The following reference is cited but not relied upon:
FUKUSHIMA Discloses character string reader characterized in that the test portion determination device ( 7 ) compares character strings of several word string candidates in the word string candidate buffer memory ( 6 ) in order to determine a portion of the test object in which a partial difference between the character strings is determined, and in order to determine as a presumed character string several combinations of character strings which have different proportions, the checking device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SONJI N JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5266. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-9pm.
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SONJI N. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/SONJI N JOHNSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876