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 .
Application status
This office action is in response to application filed on 10/10/2023 and Preliminary Amendment filed on 03/22/2024. Claims 1-10 are canceled. Claims 11-30 are pending. Claims 11-30 are rejected.
Priority
This application, which discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior Application No. 16/867707, filed 05/06/2020, appears to claim only subject matter directed to an invention that is independent and distinct from that claimed in the prior application, and names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application. Accordingly, this application may constitute a divisional application. Should applicant desire to claim the benefit of the filing date of the prior application, attention is directed to 35 U.S.C. 120, 37 CFR 1.78, and MPEP § 211 et seq. The presentation of a benefit claim may result in an additional fee under 37 CFR 1.17(w)(1) or (2) being required, if the earliest filing date for which benefit is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) and 1.78(d) in the application is more than six years before the actual filing date of the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/05/2024 and 04/17/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 10/10/2023. These drawings are unacceptable as FIG. 3-5 are objected because they are not in compliance with § 1.84 and shows incorrect margins, and FIG. 4 is objected because they are not in compliance with § 1.84 and shows incorrect numbers, letters, and reference characters in height.
1.84 Standards for drawings.
(g) Margins. The sheets must not contain frames around the sight (i.e., the usable surface), but should have scan target points (i.e., cross-hairs) printed on two catercorner margin corners. Each sheet must include a top margin of at least 2.5 cm. (1 inch), a left side margin of at least 2.5 cm. (1 inch), a right side margin of at least 1.5 cm. (5/8 inch), and a bottom margin of at least 1.0 cm. (3/8 inch), thereby leaving a sight no greater than 17.0 cm. by 26.2 cm. on 21.0 cm. by 29.7 cm. (DIN size A4) drawing sheets, and a sight no greater than 17.6 cm. by 24.4 cm. (6 15/16 by 9 5/8 inches) on 21.6 cm. by 27.9 cm. (8 1/2 by 11 inch) drawing sheets.
(p) Numbers, letters, and reference characters.
(3) Numbers, letters, and reference characters must measure at least .32 cm. (1/8 inch) in height. They should not be placed in the drawing so as to interfere with its comprehension. Therefore, they should not cross or mingle with the lines. They should not be placed upon hatched or shaded surfaces. When necessary, such as indicating a surface or cross section, a reference character may be underlined and a blank space may be left in the hatching or shading where the character occurs so that it appears distinct.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
--“a drive device configured to physically move the autonomous storage unit” in claim 1
“a navigation device configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the autonomous storage unit” in claim 1
“a control device configured to control the autonomous storage unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems” in claim 1
The instant specification provides corresponding structure for “a drive device configured to physically move the autonomous storage unit” [00116-00118], “a navigation device configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the autonomous storage unit” [00122], and “a control device configured to control the autonomous storage unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems” [00116-00118].
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 11-13, 15-18, 20-23, 25-27, and 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morris (US 20140046585 A1), and further in view of Ruth (US 20190220044 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Morris teaches (New) A system configured for directing and controlling an autonomous inventory management system (Morris, at least one para. 0020; “As mentioned above, route scheduling or route selection for a fleet of vehicles is often performed by considering shortest distance or least amount of transit time. For each vehicle in the fleet, it can be desirable to reduce the travel distance or transit time to increase the number of stops, deliveries, or the like that may be performed in a given time period.”), the system comprising:
an autonomous storage unit, wherein the autonomous storage unit comprises at least:
a drive device configured to physically move the autonomous storage unit, a navigation device configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the autonomous storage unit,
a control device configured to control the autonomous storage unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems, the physically separate systems including at least a central system and one or more transport systems; and
wherein the system comprises one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to (Morris, at least one para. 0098; “The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.”):
identify, for the autonomous storage unit, a first scheduled arrival time for arriving at a first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0033; “The routing module 200 can select a route that reduces or minimizes the energy use, cost, time, and/or distance traveled by a vehicle.”);
schedule, for the autonomous storage unit, a first route to travel from a starting location to the first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0011; “In yet another embodiment of a method for dynamically updating vehicle routes, the method includes receiving information related to an initial route of a vehicle subsequent to the vehicle traveling a portion of the initial route. [0035] The waypoints module 205 can access waypoint data useful for constructing a route. The waypoint data can include a starting location, a target or destination location, intermediate waypoint locations, landmarks, and the like.”) on board the first transport system (Morris, at least one para. 0002; “Route selection or optimization has applications in vehicle routing, printed wire circuit layout, chip design and layout, and biological activities. Trucking and other vehicle fleets, for instance, select vehicle routes to deliver goods to various destinations.”);
determine, during the travel to the first arrival location, whether the autonomous storage unit will arrive at the first arrival location at a later time than the first scheduled arrival time (Morris, at least one para. 0074; “the route calculation module 225 may receive information that there is a massive accident that would delay arrival at the destination by hours following the current route and that a new route would delay arrival by only one hour. If the route threshold is satisfied, the new route can be approved automatically by the route calculation module 225.”), (Morris, at least one para. 0024; “the in-vehicle devices 105 can report information to the vehicle management system 150, such as driver location, speed, energy consumption, and so forth. More generally, the in-vehicle devices 105 can be any navigation device or computing device associated with a vehicle or with a driver.”), and the central system (Morris, at least one para. 0045; “The parameter database 240 can include one or more storage databases or other data repositories. In addition to storing the various road parameters described above, the parameter database can store any data that may be used to determine the costs of routes or portions of routes (e.g., legs).”);
recalculate, for the autonomous storage unit, at least one alternate route, based at least in part on determining that the autonomous storage unit will arrive at the first arrival location at a later time than the first scheduled arrival time (Morris, at least one para. 0074; “the route calculation module 225 may receive information that there is a massive accident that would delay arrival at the destination by hours following the current route and that a new route would delay arrival by only one hour. If the route threshold is satisfied, the new route can be approved automatically by the route calculation module 225.”), and
wherein the at least one alternate route is associated with a second scheduled arrival time that is at or before the first scheduled arrival time (Morris, at least one para. 0074; “the route calculation module 225 may receive information that there is a massive accident that would delay arrival at the destination by hours following the current route and that a new route would delay arrival by only one hour. If the route threshold is satisfied, the new route can be approved automatically by the route calculation module 225.”); and
one of: schedule, for the autonomous storage unit, a first one of the at least one alternate routes to continue travel to the first arrival location on board the first transport system (Morris, at least one para. 0007; “The VMS can also provide data representing the initial vehicle route to a navigation device associated with a vehicle or a driver. In response to receiving new data affecting the initial vehicle route, the VMS can also update the initial vehicle route to account for the new data received after formulation of the initial vehicle route. The VMS can also calculate at least one alternative vehicle route based at least in part on the new data. The VMS can also determine whether a difference between the updated initial vehicle route and the at least one alternative vehicle route meets a route change threshold.”); or schedule, for the autonomous storage unit, a second one of the at least one alternate routes to travel to the first arrival location on board a second transport system (Morris, at least one para. 0010; “The operations can also include calculating the initial vehicle route for a first vehicle and calculating the alternative route for a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are different vehicles.”).
Morris does not explicitly teach that an autonomous storage unit, wherein the autonomous storage unit comprises at least:
a drive device configured to physically move the autonomous storage unit, a navigation device configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the autonomous storage unit,
a control device configured to control the autonomous storage unit and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems, the physically separate systems including at least a central system and one or more transport systems; and
wherein the determining is based at least in part on data received from one or more of the navigation device.
However, Ruth, in the same field of endeavor (Ruth, at least one para. 0003; “In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for package delivery. In some embodiments, the system for package delivery includes a package container, an autonomous delivery platform, a first multi-use vehicle, and a package container reception point.”) teaches an autonomous storage unit, wherein the autonomous storage unit comprises at least (Ruth, at least one para. 0040; “the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transfer or receive package containers 110 from the autonomous delivery platform 102.”):
a drive device configured to physically move the autonomous storage unit (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “In some embodiments, the first multi-use vehicle 106 includes a fourth energy storage device 160, a controller 162, a vehicular electromechanical interface 164, a first vehicle communication interface 166, an imaging device 168, a navigation system 170, and an electric drivetrain 172, such as wheels driven by one or more electric motors.”), a navigation device configured to transmit and receive geographic data and determine the physical location of the autonomous storage unit (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “The controller 162 is further coupled to the navigation system 170, such as one or more of a GPS and magnetometer. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may accurately navigate a delivery route.”),
a control device configured to control the autonomous storage unit (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “Accordingly, steering and velocity of the first multi-use vehicle 106 may be controlled by the controller 162.”) and transmit and receive data from physically separate systems, the physically separate systems including at least a central system (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “In some embodiments, the controller 162 may further be configured to transmit a distress signal via the first vehicle communication interface 166.”) and (Ruth, at least one para. 0046; In other embodiments, the distress signal may be transmitted to one or more devices, such as a logistics or operations server.”) and one or more transport systems (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “The controller is also coupled to the first vehicle communication interface 166. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may be configured to wirelessly communicate directly or indirectly with the autonomous delivery platform 102, the package container reception point 108, and the second multi-use vehicle 104, for example, over the wireless network 138.”); and
wherein the determining is based at least in part on data received from one or more of the navigation device (Ruth, at least one para. 0047; “Accordingly, the system 100 may be configured for routing based on environmental data from one or more sensors associated with the components of the system 100, such as the autonomous delivery platform 102 and the first multi-use vehicle 106.”).
Morris and Ruth are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both of them are in the same field as controlling inventory management as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified transporting goods of Morris with teaching of Ruth to transport autonomous storage unit. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the first multi-use vehicle (autonomous storage unit ) can adapt for real-time adaptive navigation (Ruth; 0006).
Regarding claim 12, Morris teaches (New) The system of claim 11, wherein one of(Morris, at least one para. 0042; “where an alternate route is calculated in real-time that is different from the initial route, the calculated route output module 230 may have a user interface that can show deviations of the alternative route and show how the distance, time, energy usage, and other parameters compare to the initial route.”).
Regarding claim 13, Morris teaches (New) The system of claim 11, wherein, when the autonomous storage unit is scheduled to continue travel to the first arrival location on board the second transport system, the one or more hardware processors are further configured to (Morris, at least one para. 0010; “The operations can also include calculating the initial vehicle route for a first vehicle and calculating the alternative route for a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are different vehicles.”):
direct the autonomous storage unit to disembark the first transport system at a waypoint between the starting location and the first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0077; “if a vehicle breakdown occurs that puts a vehicle out of service, two other vehicles in the fleet can be used to meet the delivery obligations of the vehicle that is out of service. An administrator could approve the changes in the routes so that multiple vehicles and resources could be coordinated for the change in routes.”, it is inherent that the transported package has to be unloaded from the first vehicle and loaded into one of the second vehicle once the first vehicle is not able to deliver the package to the first arrival location); and
direct the autonomous storage unit to board the second transport system at the waypoint (Morris, at least one para. 0077; “if a vehicle breakdown occurs that puts a vehicle out of service, two other vehicles in the fleet can be used to meet the delivery obligations of the vehicle that is out of service. An administrator could approve the changes in the routes so that multiple vehicles and resources could be coordinated for the change in routes.”, it is inherent that the transported package has to be unloaded from the first vehicle and loaded into one of the second vehicle once the first vehicle is not able to deliver the package to the first arrival location).
Even though Morris teaches about unloading the transported package from the first vehicle and loading the package into a second vehicle, Morris does not explicitly teach how the package exchange is conducted by the autonomous storage unit.
However, Ruth, in the same field of endeavor (Ruth, at least one para. 0003; “In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for package delivery. In some embodiments, the system for package delivery includes a package container, an autonomous delivery platform, a first multi-use vehicle, and a package container reception point.”) teaches how the package exchange is executed by the autonomous storage unit (Ruth, at least one para. 0040; “In some embodiments, the vehicular electromechanical interface is configured for releasably coupling to the package container electromechanical interface 119 of the package container 110. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transfer or receive package containers 110 from the autonomous delivery platform 102.”).
Morris and Ruth are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both of them are in the same field as controlling inventory management as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified manual package transferring of Morris with teaching of Ruth to execute the package transferring via autonomous storage unit. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the first multi-use vehicle (autonomous storage unit ) can record a log of the transferring the packages (Ruth; 0013).
Regarding claim 15, Ruth teaches (New) The system of claim 11, wherein the autonomous storage unit further comprises an inventory storage device, and wherein one or more of: the autonomous storage unit is a shelf unit, (Ruth, at least one para. 0040 and FIG. 9 as shown below; “the vehicular electromechanical interface is configured for releasably coupling to the package container electromechanical interface 119 of the package container 110. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transfer or receive package containers 110 from the autonomous delivery platform 102.”, wherein the FIG. 9 illustrate the autonomous storage unit is a shelf unit).
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Regarding claim 16, Morris teaches (New) The system of claim 11, wherein recalculating the at least one alternate route for the autonomous storage unit (Morris, at least one para. 0007; “The VMS can also provide data representing the initial vehicle route to a navigation device associated with a vehicle or a driver. In response to receiving new data affecting the initial vehicle route, the VMS can also update the initial vehicle route to account for the new data received after formulation of the initial vehicle route. The VMS can also calculate at least one alternative vehicle route based at least in part on the new data. The VMS can also determine whether a difference between the updated initial vehicle route and the at least one alternative vehicle route meets a route change threshold.”) is based on a set of priorities set by the central system, and wherein the central system is a central inventory control system (Morris, at least one para. 0069; “The automated or machine-based thresholds can include a set of conditions or rules that can be satisfied before the routing module 110 or 200 will proceed with calculating a new route. In one embodiment, the thresholds are selected by the VMS administrators. In another embodiment the thresholds can be selected by the routing module 110 or 200 programmatically. Any number of thresholds can be implemented. The thresholds may be cost-based, information based, or any other type of threshold.”, wherein the central system manages the inventory of goods, when packages are transported).
Regarding claim 17, Ruth teaches (New) The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:
enable the autonomous storage unit to self-monitor its geo location (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “Accordingly, steering and velocity of the first multi-use vehicle 106 may be controlled by the controller 162. The controller 162 is further coupled to the navigation system 170, such as one or more of a GPS and magnetometer. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may accurately navigate a delivery route.”);
enable the autonomous storage unit to report its geolocation to the central inventory control system (Ruth, at least one para. 0045; “the second multi-use vehicle 104 may be configured to releasably couple to the first multi-use vehicle 106. For example, in the case that the first multi-use vehicle 106 is impaired, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transmit a distress signal over a wireless connection, for example, to the autonomous delivery platform 102 or the second multi-use vehicle 104. Responsive to the distress signal, the second multi-use vehicle 104 may approach the first multi-use vehicle 106, couple to the first multi-use vehicle 106, and transport the first multi-use vehicle 106 to safety.”, it is inherent that the location has to be communicated to the central system otherwise the second vehicle is not able to reach the first vehicle); and
enable the autonomous storage unit to receive instructions from the central inventory control system (Ruth, at least one para. 0045; “the second multi-use vehicle 104 may be configured to releasably couple to the first multi-use vehicle 106. For example, in the case that the first multi-use vehicle 106 is impaired, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transmit a distress signal over a wireless connection, for example, to the autonomous delivery platform 102 or the second multi-use vehicle 104. Responsive to the distress signal, the second multi-use vehicle 104 may approach the first multi-use vehicle 106, couple to the first multi-use vehicle 106, and transport the first multi-use vehicle 106 to safety.”, it is inherent that the instructions are received from the central system in order to tow the first vehicle via the second vehicle).
Regarding claim 18, Morris teaches (New) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to enable the autonomous storage unit to communicate with one or more common freight carriers in order to plan one or more of:
a route from the starting location to the first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0011; “In yet another embodiment of a method for dynamically updating vehicle routes, the method includes receiving information related to an initial route of a vehicle subsequent to the vehicle traveling a portion of the initial route. [0035] The waypoints module 205 can access waypoint data useful for constructing a route. The waypoint data can include a starting location, a target or destination location, intermediate waypoint locations, landmarks, and the like.”); and
the at least one alternate route to the first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0074; “the route calculation module 225 may receive information that there is a massive accident that would delay arrival at the destination by hours following the current route and that a new route would delay arrival by only one hour. If the route threshold is satisfied, the new route can be approved automatically by the route calculation module 225.”).
Even though Morris teaches about the route to the first arrival location and the alternative route to the first arrival location, Morris does not explicitly teach wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to enable the autonomous storage unit to communicate with one or more common freight carriers in order to plan one or more of:
However, Ruth, in the same field of endeavor (Ruth, at least one para. 0003; “In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for package delivery. In some embodiments, the system for package delivery includes a package container, an autonomous delivery platform, a first multi-use vehicle, and a package container reception point.”) teaches how the package exchange is executed by wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to enable the autonomous storage unit to communicate with one or more common freight carriers in order to plan one or more of (Ruth, at least one para. 0047; “Accordingly, the system 100 may be configured for routing based on environmental data from one or more sensors associated with the components of the system 100, such as the autonomous delivery platform 102 and the first multi-use vehicle 106.”):
Morris and Ruth are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both of them are in the same field as controlling inventory management as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the route and alternative route of Morris with teaching of Ruth to combine the communication between the autonomous storage unit and the freight carriers. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the first multi-use vehicle (autonomous storage unit ) can adapt for real-time adaptive navigation (Ruth; 0047).
Regarding claim 20, Morris teaches (New) The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of: the autonomous storage unit is assigned a budget in order to complete its assigned task (Morris, at least one para. 0005; “The method can also include comparing the updated route cost to a route cost threshold to determine whether to recalculate a new route in place of at least a portion of the first route. The method can also include calculating a second route in response to the updated route cost meeting the route cost threshold, wherein the second route has a second route cost.”, wherein the cost threshold is the budget); and
Regarding claim 21, Morris teaches (New) A method for directing and controlling an autonomous inventory management system (Morris, at least one para. 0020; “As mentioned above, route scheduling or route selection for a fleet of vehicles is often performed by considering shortest distance or least amount of transit time. For each vehicle in the fleet, it can be desirable to reduce the travel distance or transit time to increase the number of stops, deliveries, or the like that may be performed in a given time period.”), the method comprising:
identifying, for an autonomous storage unit, a first scheduled arrival time for arriving at a first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0033; “The routing module 200 can select a route that reduces or minimizes the energy use, cost, time, and/or distance traveled by a vehicle.”);
scheduling, (Morris, at least one para. 0011; “In yet another embodiment of a method for dynamically updating vehicle routes, the method includes receiving information related to an initial route of a vehicle subsequent to the vehicle traveling a portion of the initial route. [0035] The waypoints module 205 can access waypoint data useful for constructing a route. The waypoint data can include a starting location, a target or destination location, intermediate waypoint locations, landmarks, and the like.”) on board a first transport system (Morris, at least one para. 0002; “Route selection or optimization has applications in vehicle routing, printed wire circuit layout, chip design and layout, and biological activities. Trucking and other vehicle fleets, for instance, select vehicle routes to deliver goods to various destinations.”), wherein scheduling the first route is based at least in part on the autonomous storage unit communicating with the first transport system;
determining, during the travel to the first arrival location, whether the autonomous storage unit will arrive at the first arrival location at a later time than the first scheduled arrival time (Morris, at least one para. 0074; “the route calculation module 225 may receive information that there is a massive accident that would delay arrival at the destination by hours following the current route and that a new route would delay arrival by only one hour. If the route threshold is satisfied, the new route can be approved automatically by the route calculation module 225.”)(Morris, at least one para. 0024; “the in-vehicle devices 105 can report information to the vehicle management system 150, such as driver location, speed, energy consumption, and so forth. More generally, the in-vehicle devices 105 can be any navigation device or computing device associated with a vehicle or with a driver.”) and a central system (Morris, at least one para. 0045; “The parameter database 240 can include one or more storage databases or other data repositories. In addition to storing the various road parameters described above, the parameter database can store any data that may be used to determine the costs of routes or portions of routes (e.g., legs).”);
recalculating, for the autonomous storage unit, at least one alternate route, based at least in part on determining that the autonomous storage unit will arrive at the first arrival location at a later time than the first scheduled arrival time, and wherein the at least one alternate route is associated with a second scheduled arrival time that is at or before the first scheduled arrival time (Morris, at least one para. 0074; “the route calculation module 225 may receive information that there is a massive accident that would delay arrival at the destination by hours following the current route and that a new route would delay arrival by only one hour. If the route threshold is satisfied, the new route can be approved automatically by the route calculation module 225.”); and
one of: scheduling, for the autonomous storage unit, a first one of the at least one alternate routes to continue travel to the first arrival location on board the first transport system (Morris, at least one para. 0007; “The VMS can also provide data representing the initial vehicle route to a navigation device associated with a vehicle or a driver. In response to receiving new data affecting the initial vehicle route, the VMS can also update the initial vehicle route to account for the new data received after formulation of the initial vehicle route. The VMS can also calculate at least one alternative vehicle route based at least in part on the new data. The VMS can also determine whether a difference between the updated initial vehicle route and the at least one alternative vehicle route meets a route change threshold.”); or scheduling, for the autonomous storage unit, a second one of the at least one alternate routes to travel to the first arrival location on board a second transport system (Morris, at least one para. 0010; “The operations can also include calculating the initial vehicle route for a first vehicle and calculating the alternative route for a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are different vehicles.”).
Morris does not explicitly teach that an autonomous storage unit
wherein scheduling the first route is based at least in part on the autonomous storage unit communicating with the first transport system;
wherein the determining is based at least in part on the autonomous storage unit self-monitoring its geolocation
However, Ruth, in the same field of endeavor (Ruth, at least one para. 0003; “In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for package delivery. In some embodiments, the system for package delivery includes a package container, an autonomous delivery platform, a first multi-use vehicle, and a package container reception point.”) teaches an autonomous storage unit (Ruth, at least one para. 0040; “the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transfer or receive package containers 110 from the autonomous delivery platform 102.”)
wherein scheduling the first route is based at least in part on the autonomous storage unit communicating (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “In some embodiments, the controller 162 may further be configured to transmit a distress signal via the first vehicle communication interface 166.”) and (Ruth, at least one para. 0046; In other embodiments, the distress signal may be transmitted to one or more devices, such as a logistics or operations server.”) with the first transport system (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “The controller is also coupled to the first vehicle communication interface 166. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may be configured to wirelessly communicate directly or indirectly with the autonomous delivery platform 102, the package container reception point 108, and the second multi-use vehicle 104, for example, over the wireless network 138.”);
wherein the determining is based at least in part on the autonomous storage unit self-monitoring its geolocation (Ruth, at least one para. 0061; “The controller 162 is further coupled to the navigation system 170, such as one or more of a GPS and magnetometer. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may accurately navigate a delivery route.”).
Morris and Ruth are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both of them are in the same field as controlling inventory management as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified transporting goods of Morris with teaching of Ruth to transport autonomous storage unit. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the first multi-use vehicle (autonomous storage unit ) can adapt for real-time adaptive navigation (Ruth; 0006).
Regarding claim 22, Morris teaches New) The method of claim 21, wherein one of: (Morris, at least one para. 0042; “where an alternate route is calculated in real-time that is different from the initial route, the calculated route output module 230 may have a user interface that can show deviations of the alternative route and show how the distance, time, energy usage, and other parameters compare to the initial route.”).
Regarding claim 23, Morris teaches (New) The method of claim 21, wherein (Morris, at least one para. 0010; “The operations can also include calculating the initial vehicle route for a first vehicle and calculating the alternative route for a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are different vehicles.”), the method further comprising:
disembarking, by the autonomous storage unit, the first transport system at a waypoint between the starting location and the first arrival location (Morris, at least one para. 0077; “if a vehicle breakdown occurs that puts a vehicle out of service, two other vehicles in the fleet can be used to meet the delivery obligations of the vehicle that is out of service. An administrator could approve the changes in the routes so that multiple vehicles and resources could be coordinated for the change in routes.”, it is inherent that the transported package has to be unloaded from the first vehicle and loaded into one of the second vehicle once the first vehicle is not able to deliver the package to the first arrival location); and
boarding, by the autonomous storage unit, the second transport system at the waypoint (Morris, at least one para. 0077; “if a vehicle breakdown occurs that puts a vehicle out of service, two other vehicles in the fleet can be used to meet the delivery obligations of the vehicle that is out of service. An administrator could approve the changes in the routes so that multiple vehicles and resources could be coordinated for the change in routes.”, it is inherent that the transported package has to be unloaded from the first vehicle and loaded into one of the second vehicle once the first vehicle is not able to deliver the package to the first arrival location).
Even though Morris teaches about unloading the transported package from the first vehicle and loading the package into a second vehicle, Morris does not explicitly teach how the package exchange is conducted by the autonomous storage unit.
However, Ruth, in the same field of endeavor (Ruth, at least one para. 0003; “In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for package delivery. In some embodiments, the system for package delivery includes a package container, an autonomous delivery platform, a first multi-use vehicle, and a package container reception point.”) teaches how the package exchange is executed by the autonomous storage unit (Ruth, at least one para. 0040; “In some embodiments, the vehicular electromechanical interface is configured for releasably coupling to the package container electromechanical interface 119 of the package container 110. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transfer or receive package containers 110 from the autonomous delivery platform 102.”).
Morris and Ruth are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both of them are in the same field as controlling inventory management as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified manual package transferring of Morris with teaching of Ruth to execute the package transferring via autonomous storage unit. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the first multi-use vehicle (autonomous storage unit ) can record a log of the transferring the packages (Ruth; 0013).
Regarding claim 25, Ruth teaches ((New) The method of claim 21, wherein the autonomous storage unit further comprises an inventory storage device, and wherein one or more of: the autonomous storage unit is a shelf unit, (Ruth, at least one para. 0040 and FIG. 9 as shown below; “the vehicular electromechanical interface is configured for releasably coupling to the package container electromechanical interface 119 of the package container 110. Accordingly, the first multi-use vehicle 106 may transfer or receive package containers 110 from the autonomous delivery platform 102.”, wherein the FIG. 9 illustrate the autonomous storage unit is a shelf unit).
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Regarding claim 26, Morris teaches (New) The method of claim 21, wherein one or more of:
recalculating the at least one alternate route for the autonomous storage unit (Morris, at least one para. 0007; “The VMS can also provide data representing the initial vehicle route to a navigation device associated with a vehicle or a driver. In response to receiving new data affecting the initial vehicle route, the VMS can also update the initial vehicle route to account for the new data received after formulation of the initial vehicle route. The VMS can also calculate at least one alternative vehicle route based at least in part on the new data. The VMS can also determine whether a difference between the updated initial vehicle route and the at least one alternative vehicle route meets a route change threshold.”) is based on a set of priorities set by the central system, and wherein the central system is a central inventory control system (Morris, at least one para. 0069; “The automated or machine-based thresholds can include a set of conditions or rules that can be satisfied before the routing module 110 or 200 will proceed with calculating a new route. In one embodiment, the thresholds are selected by the VMS administrators. In another embodiment the thresholds can be selected by the routing module 110 or 200 programmatically. Any number of thresholds can be implemented. The thresholds may be cost-based, information based, or any other type of threshold.”, wherein the central system manages the inventory of goods, when packages are transported);
the autonomous storage unit is assigned a budget in order to complete its assigned task (Morris, at least one para. 0005; “The method can also include comparing the updated route cost to a route cost threshold to determine whether to recalculate a new route in place of at least a portion of the first route. The method can also include calculating a second route in response to the updated route cost meeting the route cost threshold, wherein the second route has a second route cost.”, wherein the cost threshold is the budget).
Regarding claim 27, Ruth teaches (New) The method of claim 21, fu