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 .
Priority
Priority is recognized based on the provisional application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on May 22nd, 2019.
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 1-8, 10-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fead et al. (US 2020/0320469 A1) in view of Vargas et al. (US 2016/0239797 A1) and Amann et al. (US 2014/0015644 A1).
Regarding Claim 1 and 11, modified Fead teaches:
An enterprise inventory management system, comprising (See Fead ¶ [0060] - describes an inventory management system for a supply chain network) / A method for maintaining inventory data in a global enterprise inventory management system including a global inventory database subsystem (The specification of the instant application defines “a global inventory database subsystem” as a server, therefore, see Fead ¶ [0036] - describes the system collecting and maintaining inventory data [database] and [0039-0041] - describes the system using at least servers connected over various types of networks to execute said collecting and maintenance of inventory data), comprising:
a global inventory database subsystem for cataloging a plurality of items from a plurality of remote physical locations, each of said plurality of items identified by at least a unique identification code (The specification of the instant application defines “a global inventory database subsystem” as a server, therefore, see Fead ¶ [0036] - describes the system collecting and maintaining inventory data [database], [0039-0041] - describes the system using at least servers connected over various types of networks to execute said collecting and maintenance of inventory data, [0051] - using RFID unique item identification codes (IIC) and [0058] - describes the system determining how many of a particular item are present in a second location); and
utilizing/ a plurality of localized radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogator subsystems associated with a corresponding plurality of remote physical locations (See Fead ¶ [0029] - describes the system using multiple RFID interrogators [readers] and [0058] – reading items at multiple locations), wherein each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is operative to read RFID tags associated with ones of said plurality of items located at its associated physical location, wherein each of said RFID tags is programmed with at least said unique identification code for its associated item (See Fead ¶ [0025] - describes an employee using an RFID scanner to read RFID tags of inventory items to execute inventory management functions and [0051] - using RFID unique item identification codes (IIC));
operating each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is operable to/ comprises:
…, receive, from said global inventory database subsystem, a plurality of unique identification codes associated with a like plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0053-0054] - describes the RFID system replying to an RFID scanner with unique scan data and [0057-0060] - describes the system sending an updated inventory record from a server to a user device, wherein said inventory records comprises multiple types of unique identifiers for inventory items. At ¶ [0058] Fead teaches that additionally or alternatively, an inventory record of inventory items at two distinct locations is sent to user devices for subsequent access and inventory reconciliation of the two distinct inventory locations, wherein being executed as an alternative does not require instant scanning of item RFID tags and is therefore prior to any scanning of said RFID tags);
second, scan said RFID tags of ones of said plurality of items contained at its associated physical location (See Fead ¶ [0025] - describes an employee using an RFID scanner to read RFID tags of inventory items to execute inventory management functions and [0057-0060] - describes the system using RFID scan data to update a server based inventory record);
…;
fourth, indicate a real-time count of said scanned items of said plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0028] – providing near real-time information to a user regarding which tags have been scanned and which tags have yet to be scanned); and
fifth, report, to said global inventory database subsystem, whether any of said plurality of items is present at its associated physical location (See Fead ¶ [0049-0050] - describes the system identifying the location of an item and reporting said location of said item back to backend computing devices [servers] and [0057-0060] - describes the system comparing scan data from an instant scanning session to an existing inventory record to determine presence of a particular item at a particular location).
While Fead teaches a system for tracking RFID tagged inventory items before said items are shipped to a retail location by receiving, from an inventory database subsystem, a plurality of unique identification codes associated with a like plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0025], [0053-0054] and [0057-0060]), Fead does not explicitly teach that a plurality of unique identification codes associated with a like plurality of items are received from a database first and prior to scanning any of said RFID tags of said plurality of items. This is taught by Vargas (See Vargas ¶ [0036-0041] - describes a server based inventory control system that uses RFID tags to track inventory items and [0051-0052] - describes the system using a list of inventory items sent before said inventory items are received at a tag scanning location to reconcile [verify] the particular items [tags] scanned at said scanning location). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the tagged item tracking system of Fead the ability to verify received tagged items with a list [notice] of said items to be expected that was sent before the tags of said items were scanned as taught by Vargas to improve RFID asset reconciliations by filtering out unrelated items and avoiding unintentional inclusion of assets in asset reconciliations (Vargas ¶ [0082]). Thereby increasing the accuracy and efficiency of the system of Fead.
While Fead teaches a system for tracking RFID tagged inventory items before said items are shipped to a retail location by receiving, from an inventory database subsystem, a plurality of unique identification codes associated with a like plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0025], [0053-0054] and [0057-0060]), Fead does not explicitly teach share[ing] data associated with scanned items of said plurality of items directly with another one of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems. This is taught by Amann (See Amann ¶ [0024] - The Bluetooth™ RFID Reader, model number 223012… comprises a secondary network communications link utilizing the Bluetooth™ communications protocol for transmitting the information extracted from the tag to a secondary device or secondary interrogator, such as a Bluetooth™ enabled computer or smart phone. The secondary interrogator may further analyze the information relating to the state of the tag and/or the tags environment and provide an output associated with a particular tag and/or tag environment state). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the multiple tag scanner tagged item tracking system of Fead the ability to share data associated from said tags directly between the scanners interrogating said tags as taught by Amann to provide extracting product relevant information from tagged products in a manner which makes the information readily accessible and usable by the consumer (Amann ¶ [0002]). Thereby increasing the accuracy and efficiency of the multiple tag scanner tagged item tracking system of Fead.
Regarding Claim 2 and 12, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 1 and 11, wherein/ operating each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystem is further operable to/ comprises:
receive … from said global inventory database subsystem, … a plurality of new items to be received at its associated physical location (See Fead ¶ [0057-0060] - describes the system sending an updated inventory record from a server to a user device, wherein said inventory records comprises multiple types of unique identifiers for inventory items); and,
scan said RFID tags of all items contained in a shipment, … (See Fead ¶ [0057-0060] - describes the system comparing scan data from an instant scanning session to an existing inventory record to determine presence of a particular item at a particular location and [0082] - describes a scenario for the system of Fead wherein said items comprise a group of tagged items loaded into a cargo hold, which is considered as functionally equivalent to the limitation: contained in a shipment for the purpose of examination).
While Fead teaches a system for tracking RFID tagged inventory items before said items are shipped to a retail location (See Fead ¶ [0025]), Fead does not explicitly teach that an Advance Shipping Notice (ASN) is used to identify said tagged items are subsequently received at said associated physical location and receipt of all expected items identified in said ASN can be verified. This is taught by Vargas (See ¶ [0036-0041] - describes a server based inventory control system that uses RFID tags to track inventory items and [0051-0052] - describes the system using a list of inventory items sent before said inventory items are received at a tag scanning location to reconcile [verify] the particular items [tags] scanned at said scanning location). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the tagged item tracking system of Fead the ability to verify received tagged items with a list [notice] of said items to be expected that was sent before the tags of said items were scanned as taught by Vargas to improve RFID asset reconciliations by filtering out unrelated items and avoiding unintentional inclusion of assets in asset reconciliations (Vargas ¶ [0082]).
Regarding Claim 3 and 13, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 1 and 11, wherein/ operating each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is further operable to/ comprises emit[ting] an audible tone only a first time an item associated with any of said unique identification codes is scanned (See Fead ¶ [0029] - describes the system giving a user audible feedback when an RFID tag is scanned for the first time), whereby a presence or absence of ones of said plurality of items can be confirmed when all items at said physical location have been scanned and no further audible tone is emitted (See Fead ¶ [0053] - describes the system using a process of deduplication to count RFID tags on items only once; ¶ [0029] audible indication only occurs the first time the unique identifier is scanned).
Regarding Claim 4 and 14, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 1 and 11, wherein each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is further operable to (See claims 1 and 11 as noted above):
While Fead teaches a system for tracking RFID tagged inventory items before said items are shipped to a retail location by receiving, from an inventory database subsystem, a plurality of unique identification codes associated with a like plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0025], [0053-0054] and [0057-0060]), Fead does not explicitly teach scan an RFID tag of a pack to be filled with a plurality of items. This is taught by Vargas (As the specification only describes a pack as containing tagged inventory items See Vargas ¶ [0084] - in a case where there are two adjacent clothing racks [packs by example] housing two different types of items (e.g. jeans on rack 1 and shirts on rack 2), and a user wishes to take inventory of the rack with jeans, he/she can simply begin scanning that rack of jeans. The system (e.g. RFID reader or backed server) will immediately data mine and make logical connections between asset properties).
Vargas further teaches download[ing] from said global inventory database subsystem, based on information obtained from said RFID tag of said pack, identification of each of said plurality of items to be placed in said pack (See Vargas ¶ [0033] - scanner is a mobile/portable data terminal that receives tag data from RFID-tagged assets and operates in a server/client relationship with server, in which server is an inventory management system having database of asset inventory. Scanner can scan RFID tags and, in response, receive tag data therefrom and [0084] - two adjacent clothing racks [packs by example] are scanned). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the tagged item tracking system of Fead the ability to scan a container of tagged items to identify said tagged items held by said container as taught by Vargas to improve RFID asset reconciliations by filtering out unrelated items and avoiding unintentional inclusion of assets in asset reconciliations (Vargas ¶ [0082]). Thereby increasing the accuracy and efficiency of the system of Fead.
Regarding Claim 5 and 15, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 4 and 14, wherein each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is further operable to (See claims 1 and 11 as noted above).
While Fead teaches a system for tracking RFID tagged inventory items before said items are shipped to a retail location by receiving, from an inventory database subsystem, a plurality of unique identification codes associated with a like plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0025], [0053-0054] and [0057-0060]), Fead does not explicitly teach scan[ning] an RFID tag of each of said plurality of items in said pack to determine if there are any missing items or incorrect items. This is taught by Vargas (See Vargas ¶ [0084] - in a case where there are two adjacent clothing racks [packs by example] housing two different types of items (e.g. jeans on rack 1 and shirts on rack 2), and a user wishes to take inventory of the rack with jeans, he/she can simply begin scanning that rack of jeans… context can then be applied, automatically or manually, by a user to prevent the reader from reconciling EPCs from, for instance, shirts either (i) misplaced on rack 1, or (ii) inadvertently detected from rack 2, since the dynamically determined context's scope of coverage will not extend to the shirts). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the tagged item tracking system of Fead the ability to determine if any of said items are missing or incorrect as taught by Vargas to improve RFID asset reconciliations by filtering out unrelated items and avoiding unintentional inclusion of assets in asset reconciliations (Vargas ¶ [0082]). Thereby increasing the accuracy and efficiency of the system of Fead.
Regarding Claim 6 and 16, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 5 and 15, each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is further operable to scan an RFID tag of a container (See Fead ¶ [0027] - Location information for a scanned item may be determined based on the location of the user device when the item is scanned… The location of the user device may be … determined based on a scanned location tag [RFID tag of a container by example]) including a plurality of items having an RFID tag (See Fead ¶ [0025] - the employee can quickly scan all items located within a certain proximity of the scanner (e.g., twenty feet). Scan data received from a plurality of the RFID tags may be filtered by the user device), information from said RFID tag of said container identifying each of said plurality of items in said container without requiring a scan of said RFID tag of all of said plurality of items. (See Fead ¶ [0049-0050] - using the scanner to scan a location RFID tag [RFID tag of said container], wherein the location RFID tag is associated with a location known to the system… an item location may be determined based on any one or more relationships between a location RFID tag and an item RFID tag. The relationship may be positional, that is, the scanner may communicate to the user device that a location RFID tag has been detected within a threshold proximity to an item RFID tag, wherein said relationship identifies items at a tagged location [container] without scanning all of the item tags).
Regarding Claim 7 and 17, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 1 and 11, wherein/ operating said global inventory database subsystem updates/ comprises updating said physical location of ones of said plurality of items in response to receipt of said report from one/ each of said plurality of localized RFID interrogator subsystems (See Fead ¶ [0056-0057] - describes the system using RFID scan data to update the inventory record stored in the backend computer devices).
Regarding Claim 8 and 18, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 1 and 11, wherein/ operating said global inventory database subsystem maintains/ comprises maintaining at least one attribute for each of said plurality of items (See Fead ¶ [0036] - describes the system using tracking item attributes such as style, size and color), wherein an attribute defines a status of said associated item (See Fead ¶ [0025] - describes the system tracking a stocking status or a display status of an item), and wherein/ operating each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems are further operative to encode/ further comprises encoding said RFID tag associated with an item with an update to said status (See Fead ¶ [0030] - each RFID tag may be configured to communicate particular information. For example, if a business wishes to track each serialized product individually, the RFID may be configured to communicate a Serialized Global Trade Identification Number (SGTIN) or Electronic Product Code (EPC) to the scanning device [encoding said RFID tag associated with an item by example]… Using more granular information, such as an SGTIN, a business may perform a complete inventory and determine that it has one pair of used quarterback shoulder pads in stock, but none “new in box.”).
Regarding Claim 10 and 20, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 1 and 11, wherein each of said localized RFID interrogator subsystems is further operable to identify a plurality of items in a container (See Fead ¶ [0025] - the employee can quickly scan all items located within a certain proximity of the scanner. Scan data received from a plurality of the RFID tags may be filtered by the user device and [0027] – Location [container] information for a scanned item may be determined based on the location of the user device when the item is scanned… The location of the user device may be … determined based on a scanned location tag [RFID tag of a container by example] ) by scanning an RFID tag of one of said plurality of items in said container, each of said plurality of items being associated with all of said plurality of items in said container. (See Fead ¶ [0049-0050] - using the scanner to scan a location RFID tag [RFID tag of said container], wherein the location RFID tag is associated with a location known to the system… an item location may be determined based on any one or more relationships between a location RFID tag and an item RFID tag. The relationship may be positional, that is, the scanner may communicate to the user device that a location RFID tag has been detected within a threshold proximity to an item RFID tag, wherein said relationship identifies items at a tagged location [container] without scanning all of the item tags and [0052] - the system may be attempting to know how many of a particular item are present at a particular location [container]).
Claims 9 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fead et al. (US 2020/0320469 A1) in view of Vargas et al. (US 2016/0239797 A1), Amann et al. (US 2014/0015644 A1) and Zerlina et al. (US 9,830,484 B1).
Regarding Claim 9 and 19, modified Fead teaches:
The system/ method recited in claim 8 and 18, wherein said status comprises at least one of an indication that an item is: 26SML-003A
available (See Fead ¶ [0030] - item availability); reserved (See Fead ¶ [0006] - placing an item on hold [reserving said item]); sold (See Fead ¶ [0031] - using sales transactions to update inventory records); … on display; or, unsalable. (See Fead ¶ [0030] - describes an example of an unsalable [unsellable] item because the condition of said item [used] does not match the condition of said item that a customer is looking for [new], which prevents the shopper from visiting the store location holding said item [shoulder pads]).
Although the system of Fead teaches RFID scan data comprising various attributes of various items associated with RFID tags, including the condition of said items (See Fead ¶ [0030]), Fead does not explicitly teach that a condition of the item is damaged. This is taught by Zerlina (See Col. 22 lines 20-31 - describes an RFID tag on a container, wherein said tag associates said container with various types of damage conditions). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the tagged item status tracking system of Fead the ability to monitor the condition status of said tagged items as taught by Zerlina to allow a high degree of accuracy when a location or condition of a tagged item must be captured (Zerlina Col. 15 line 63-Col. 16 line 3).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103:
The previous rejection of claims 1-20 of the instant application under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is maintained.
The examiner agrees with the applicant insofar as the previous prior art references of record, Fead and Vargas, fail to teach the amended limitations of independent claims 1 and 11 that require localized RFID interrogator subsystems that directly share data associated with scanned items of a plurality of items at the same physical location. However, the claimed invention of the instant application remains unpatentable because it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate features from Vargas and Amann in the invention of Fead as described above in the current rejection of said claims under 35 U.S.C. § 103. Wherein, said combination of Fead, Vargas and Amann shows prima facie obviousness by addressing all of the current claim limitations of the instant application with cited prior art.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, it is noted that the applicant’s assertion that Fead’s lack of teaching the required localized RFID interrogator subsystems are further operative to encode the RFID tag associated with an item with an update to the status is based on ¶ [0050] and [0060], however, the citations to Fead have been updated in the current rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103 above as being taught by ¶ [0030], which teach these limitations given their broadest reasonable interpretation.
The applicant is generally reminded that prior art must be considered in its entirety (MPEP 2141.02 (VI)).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW S WERONSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-5802. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm EST.
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/MATTHEW S WERONSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 3627
/FAHD A OBEID/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3627