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 .
Claim Status
Claim(s) 1 - 20 are currently being examined.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because:
Fig. 2, in the upper right corner, contains an instance of Ref. Numerals 104, 116, 134-138 that do not point to an object in the figure and all but 104 are already shown in the figure as pointing to objects. Examiner recommends removing the redundant instance and placing 104 next to 116 in a similar fashion on the instance of Ref. Numerals that point to objects, for the sake of clarity in the figures
Fig. 5, in the upper right corner, contains the same informality as listed in bullet 1, as well as an additional instance for Ref. Numerals 108, 128-130. Examiner recommends a similar action as bullet 1 applied to both instances
Fig. 6, in the upper right corner, contains an instance of Ref. Numerals 108, 128-130. Examiner recommends the same action as previously mentioned
Fig. 6 contains duplicates for Ref. Numerals 134-138, both on the right side and centered inside the storage cabin. Examiner recommends removing one set of duplicates to avoid confusion
Fig. 7 contains the same informality as listed in bullet 3. Examiner recommends the same action as previously recommended
Fig. 8 contains the same informality as listed in bullets 3 and 5. Examiner recommends the same action as previously recommended
Fig. 9 refers to a close-up section located on the third carrier plate, Ref. Numeral 138, indicated in Fig. 8, but in Fig. 9 the carrier plate is referred to as Ref. Numeral 136. Examiner recommends correcting said Ref. Numeral to 138 to match Fig. 8
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.
In addition to Replacement Sheets containing the corrected drawing figure(s), applicant is required to submit a marked-up copy of each Replacement Sheet including annotations indicating the changes made to the previous version. The marked-up copy must be clearly labeled as “Annotated Sheets” and must be presented in the amendment or remarks section that explains the change(s) to the drawings. See 37 CFR 1.121(d)(1). Failure to timely submit the proposed drawing and marked-up copy will result in the abandonment of the application.
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.
Claims 1, 6-8, 11, 12, 17-19 invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f). 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: "transmission assembly" (Claim 1 and 12); "visual assembly" (Claim 6 and 18); "sensor set" (Claim 7 and 19); "operation assembly" (Claim 8 and 17); "moving assembly", "communication assembly" (Claim 11) in Claim(s) 1-20.
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.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Independent Claims 1 and 12, the terms “carrier assembly” and “door assembly” are construed as indefinite as the disclosure lacks sufficient structure to allow for the assemblies to perform the functions they are defined by and fully delineate them in the physical space of the inventive device. Applicant’s disclosure does not contain further information due to the use of functional language with a lack of corresponding structure beyond references to itself. While “carrier assembly” does refer to “carrier plates” in the independent claims and the “carrier plates” are further described in Claims 5 and 16, mitigating invocation of 35 U.S.C 112(f), they are described in relation to each other and further functional language with regards to the storage space they define, without relational reference to the physical structure they occupy or which allows for them to function. Examples of meaningful structural terms in this context could be “posts”, “frame”, or other suitable connecting and delimiting elements. Additionally, while “door assembly” refers to “door panels” in the independent claims and the “door panels” are further described in Claims 2 and 14 along with an “actuator”, mitigating invocation of 35 U.S.C 112(f), they are described in relation to each other and further functional language with regards to the storage space they define, without relational reference to the physical structure they occupy or which allows for them to function. Examples of meaningful structural terms in this context could be “slots”, “rails”, or other suitable connecting and delimiting elements.
Furthermore, while the disclosure contains diagrams showing embodiments possibly containing elements as described above, they are neither pointed out in the diagrams with Ref. Numerals, nor are they discussed in the specification, further increasing any indefiniteness.
Regarding Claims 2-11 and 13-20, as they are dependent on Independent Claims 1 and 12 respectively, they fall under the same argument as above and so are treated as indefinite.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, and 12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bidram et al. (US 20200156868, hereinafter Bidram) in view of Dufour et al. (WO 2018069211, hereinafter Dufour).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Bidram discloses a storage device with a carrier assembly made of carrier plates as well as a transmission assembly and controller to move said plates, but fails to specifically teach a storage device inside of an enclosed container with a limited opening portion and a door assembly to cover said opening. However, Dufour, in the same field of endeavor — item storage and retrieval in a multilevel system — teaches an enclosed storage container and a door assembly for access to items stored therein:
A storage device [See at least Bidram: Title, Abstract, and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 10] comprising:
a storage cabin [See at least Dufour: Abstract and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 1], having a receiving portion and an opening portion [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1 Ref. Numerals 4 “receiving block” and 3 “access opening” respectively];
a carrier assembly, located in the receiving portion and comprising a plurality of carrier plates [See at least Bidram: Abstract “multi-shelf storage unit”, Para. 0008 “a frame; a plurality of shelves disposed on the frame”, and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 16];
a transmission assembly, connected to the carrier assembly and selectively moving the carrier plates [See at least Bidram: Abstract “a lift mechanism configured to automatically drive”, Para. 0008 “lift mechanism”, and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 18];
a door assembly, adjacent to the opening portion and selectively covering the opening portion [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 14 – 23, e.g. “upper roller block system”, “upper apron”, “lower apron”, etc.]; and
a controller set, configured to drive the transmission assembly to make the carrier plates divide the receiving portion and the opening portion into a storage space [See at least Bidram: Para. 0018 “Examples of the actuator may include a hand operated crank and a reversible electrical motor”, Para. 0019 “The actuator may be disposed on the wheeled structure. The actuator and subsequently the lift mechanism may be controllable via a user interface disposed on the wheeled structure or via a remote controller”, Para. 0321 “The cart 10 may further include a control unit (not shown in the figures). The control unit is configured to control the process of the sensors and actuators disposed on the cart”, and Para. 0347] and an access opening respectively according to an item height, and drive the door assembly to cover a portion of the opening portion other than the access opening, wherein a height of the storage space corresponds to the item height [See at least Dufour: Abstract “a control device able to instruct said winding/unwinding means”, and Description “the upper apron 15 and the rotation of which is controlled by an electric motor”, “the lower apron 20 and the rotation of which is controlled by an electric motor”, and Fig. 4, Ref. Numeral 124 “electronic control device capable of activating the winding/unwinding means and in order to selectively place the aprons and in selected relative positions” and associated supporting text].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of the container and sliding door panels disclosed by Dufour into the storage system comprised of movable carrier plates, transmission system, and controller of Bidram because doing so would further define the storage space and its associated security and accessibility while maintaining mobility. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, including this claim and any following dependent claims, “carrier assembly” is construed as any system comprised of shelves, trays, or horizontal surfaces for the purpose of item storage; “transmission assembly” is construed as any motor, cylinder, or electrical/pneumatic device along with (a) connecting rod(s) or member(s) intended to drive the carrier plates and/or door assembly, as mentioned in, but not limited to the specification; “door assembly” is construed as any shutter or plate assembly or the like for restricting access or defining a space; “controller set” is construed as any processor as described in, but not limited to, the specification that performs the described functions, along with an operatively coupled non-transitory storage medium for the same purpose.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings for the purpose of increasing item security, safety, and storage efficiency with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 2, Dufour discloses what Bidram lacks. Dufour further addresses the door assembly and its specific two-door structure:
the door assembly comprises a first door panel, a second door panel [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 15 and 20, “upper apron” and “lower apron” respectively (“formed by a plurality of longitudinal horizontal strips connected to one another by articulations)], and an actuator; and the actuator is configured to actuate the first door panel and the second door panel [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 16 and 21 “upper winding/unwinding means” and “lower winding/unwinding means” respectively], such that the first door panel and the second door panel separately cover the portion of the opening portion other than the access opening [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 14-23 and Description “To establish an access passage P between the lower horizontal edge 18 of the upper deck 15 and the upper horizontal edge 23 of the lower deck 20, for access to a rack selected from any one of the racks 13, the winding/unwinding means 16 and 21 are activated so that the lower horizontal edge 18 of the upper deck 15 and the upper horizontal edge 23 of the lower deck 20 are placed in the vertical direction respectively facing, horizontally, the shelves which vertically delimit this selected rack. The other compartments are then inaccessible”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of the two rolling “articulated apron” style doors, as taught by Dufour, in the storage system of Bidram, as they provide controllable and adjustable access to the interior portion of the storage space. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “actuator” is construed as including, but not limited to, any type of pneumatic/electric motor and connecting drive system such as belts, gears, or the like.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings to control the access opening for storage efficiency and parcel management with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 3, Dufour discloses what Bidram lacks, particularly a storage cabin composed of generally horizontal plates with a storage area in the space between them:
the storage cabin comprises a top plate and a bottom plate, the receiving portion and the opening portion are located between the top plate and the bottom plate, and the receiving portion defines a remaining space according to the storage space [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 34 and Description “the distributor 1 can be installed in a box 34, one of the walls of which consists of the wall 2”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of the basic container structure, as taught by Dufour, in the storage system of Bidram, to further define the storage space with simple physical structures around the receiving portion.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings to create an easily constructed and cost-effective solution for a storage container containing the movable plates and sliding doors, along with associated equipment, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 4, Bidram in concert with Dufour discloses an automated transmission assembly for driving carrier plates to adjust them according to the height of items and required/remaining storage space inside the storage container:
the controller set selectively drives the transmission assembly according to the item height, the height of the storage space, and a height of the remaining space, to adjust the height of the storage space [See at least Bidram: Para. 0014-0016, 0130, and 0139-0142, specifically “a plurality of spaced apart shelves disposed on the frame along an axis normal to the surface of the shelves, each shelf configured to provide a storage area for a plurality of articles and slidably adjustable along the axis; and a lift mechanism disposed on the frame and coupled to the plurality of shelves, the lift mechanism configured to slidably adjust the position of the shelves along the axis” and “checking, with the one or more sensors, if there is at least one more article to load; if there is an additional article, checking, with the one or more sensors, if there is available space on the current shelf; if there is no available space, checking if there is another empty shelf; and if there is an empty shelf, driving, by the processor, the lift mechanism to raise the loaded shelf to provide access to the subsequent loading shelf”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of the movable plates system and its respective controller and transmission assembly of Bidram with the storage cabin and associated assemblies of Dufour to automatically adjust the height of the storage areas of each plate for controlled access to that space via the container and access opening created by the door assembly.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to incorporate the respective teachings into the claimed invention to have computer controlled and machine-driven actuation of the carrier plates based on item heights and storage space available for the sake of efficiency and usability, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 5, Bidram discloses a plurality of carrier plates including a first, second, and third adjustable plate, adjacent to each other in that vertical order, forming two storage spaces and access openings between them, inside the storage space as defined by Dufour:
wherein the carrier plates comprise a first carrier plate, a second carrier plate, and a third carrier plate, the first carrier plate is adjacent to the bottom plate, the third carrier plate is adjacent to the top plate, and the second carrier plate is located between the first carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Bidram: Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 16]; and the transmission assembly moves the carrier plates, such that a first storage space and a first access opening are formed through division by the first carrier plate and the second carrier plate, and a second storage space and a second access opening are formed through division by the second carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Bidram: Fig. 3A through 7E, Ref. Numerals 18-77, and Para. 0279-0316].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of a plurality of movable carrier plates, adjacent to each other, adjustable via a transmission assembly to create a specific number of varying and consistently adaptable storage spaces between them and individual access openings therein of Bidram, with the storage cabin and associated assemblies of Dufour, to form a plurality of storage spaces and access openings between each two adjacent plates, accessible via the opening created by the door assembly.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to utilize the respective teachings to create specific storage spaces inside the container and align them with the associated assemblies for the purpose of specific article retrieval, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 8, Bidram and Dufour together describe an operation assembly to obtain item height and identification codes to drive a door assembly to selectively cover an area other than the access opening:
further comprising an operation assembly, wherein the operation assembly is configured to obtain the item height and an identification code, the identification code corresponds to the first access opening and the second access opening, and the controller set is configured to drive, according to the item height and the identification code, the door assembly to selectively cover a portion of the opening portion other than the first access opening or the second access opening [See at least Bidram: “The actuator may be disposed on the wheeled structure. The actuator and subsequently the lift mechanism may be controllable via a user interface disposed on the wheeled structure or via a remote controller” and “The cart 10 may further include a control unit (not shown in the figures). The control unit is configured to control the process of the sensors and actuators disposed on the cart 10” and Para. 0414, “Each shelf 114 may include an identifier tag 194 disposed thereon. The identifier tag 194 may facilitate identification and tracking of the storage shelves and, subsequently, the stored articles on the shelves”, as well as at least Dufour: “the dispenser 1 is equipped with an electronic control device 124 capable of activating the winding/unwinding means 16 and 21 in order to selectively place the aprons 15 and 20 in selected relative positions, corresponding to the positions described above” and “the recipient introduces his identification code into the selection means 126 for its recognition, for example by remote control. Once this has been done, the control device 24 activates the unwinding winding means 16 and 21 to establish an access passage P between the aprons 15 and 20 opposite the selected locker 13. The recipient takes the merchandise through this passage”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Bidram and Dufour to use an operation assembly including a controller set to obtain item height and any respective identification codes to control the door assembly to selectively cover/uncover specific portions of the opening in the storage container, corresponding with the movable shelf locations contained therein and the storage space between the shelves. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “operation assembly” is construed as any communication and control apparatus designed to control an electrical system based on user input, including, but not limited to, the embodiments described in the specification; “identification code” is construed as any type of input from a user, including a PIN, QR/bar code, password, or other identifier, designed to aid in tracking inventory and/or monitoring and controlling access.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine said teachings for the purpose of selection and control over the storage system to access the ideal storage area based on identification codes and/or item height, respective to the storage area created by the movable shelves contained in the storage container, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Independent Claim 12, Bidram discloses a storage device with a carrier assembly made of carrier plates as well as a transmission assembly and controller to move said plates, but fails to specifically teach a storage device inside of an enclosed container with a limited opening portion and a door assembly to cover said opening. However, Dufour, in the same field of endeavor — item storage and retrieval in a multilevel system — teaches an enclosed storage container and a door assembly for access to items stored therein, including via an identification code:
A storage device [See at least Bidram: Title, Abstract, and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 10], comprising:
a storage cabin [See at least Dufour: Abstract and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 1], having a receiving portion and an opening portion [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1 Ref. Numerals 4 “receiving block” and 3 “access opening” respectively];
a carrier assembly, located in the receiving portion and comprising a plurality of carrier plates [See at least Bidram: Abstract “multi-shelf storage unit”, Para. 0008 “a frame; a plurality of shelves disposed on the frame”, and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 16];
a transmission assembly, connected to the carrier assembly and selectively moving the carrier plates [See at least Bidram: Abstract “a lift mechanism configured to automatically drive”, Para. 0008 “lift mechanism”, and Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 18];
a door assembly, adjacent to the opening portion and selectively covering the opening portion [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 14 – 23, e.g. “upper roller block system”, “upper apron”, “lower apron”, etc.]; and
a controller set, configured to drive the transmission assembly to make the carrier plates divide the receiving portion and the opening portion into a storage space [See at least Bidram: Para. 0018 “Examples of the actuator may include a hand operated crank and a reversible electrical motor”, Para. 0019 “The actuator may be disposed on the wheeled structure. The actuator and subsequently the lift mechanism may be controllable via a user interface disposed on the wheeled structure or via a remote controller”, Para. 0321 “The cart 10 may further include a control unit (not shown in the figures). The control unit is configured to control the process of the sensors and actuators disposed on the cart”, and Para. 0347] and an access opening respectively according to an item height, and drive the door assembly to cover a portion of the opening portion other than the access opening, wherein a height of the storage space corresponds to the item height [See at least Dufour: Abstract “a control device able to instruct said winding/unwinding means”, and Description “the upper apron 15 and the rotation of which is controlled by an electric motor”, “the lower apron 20 and the rotation of which is controlled by an electric motor”, and Fig. 4, Ref. Numeral 124 “electronic control device capable of activating the winding/unwinding means and in order to selectively place the aprons and in selected relative positions” and associated supporting text]; and
the access opening has an identification code, and the controller set drives, according to the identification code, the door assembly to cover the portion of the opening portion other than the access opening corresponding to the identification code [See at least Dufour: “An identification code of this selected locker 13 is assigned…the recipient introduces his identification code into the selection means 126 for its recognition…the control device 24 activates the unwinding winding means 16 and 21 to establish an access passage P between the aprons 15 and 20 opposite the selected locker 13”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention incorporate the teachings of the container, sliding door panels, and identification code system of Dufour into the storage device comprised of movable carrier plates, transmission system, and controller of Bidram because doing so would further define the storage space and its associated security and accessibility while maintaining mobility. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, including this claim and any following dependent claims, “carrier assembly” is construed as any system comprised of shelves, trays, or horizontal surfaces for the purpose of item storage; “transmission assembly” is construed as any motor, cylinder, or electrical/pneumatic device along with (a) connecting rod(s) or member(s) intended to drive the carrier plates and/or door assembly, as mentioned in, but not limited to the specification; “door assembly” is construed as any shutter or plate assembly or the like for restricting access or defining a space; “controller set” is construed as any processor as described in, but not limited to, the specification that performs the described functions, along with an operatively coupled non-transitory storage medium for the same purpose; “identification code” is construed as any type of input from a user, including a PIN, QR/bar code, password, or other identifier, designed to aid in tracking inventory and/or monitoring and controlling access.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have had the capability and motivation to combine the elements by known methods, and that in combination, each element merely performs the same functions as it does separately.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings for the purpose of increasing item security, safety, and storage efficiency with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 13, Dufour discloses what Bidram lacks, particularly a storage cabin composed of generally horizontal plates with a storage area in the space between them:
the storage cabin comprises a top plate and a bottom plate, the receiving portion and the opening portion are located between the top plate and the bottom plate, and the storage space is subtracted from the receiving portion to obtain a remaining space [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 34 and Description “the distributor 1 can be installed in a box 34, one of the walls of which consists of the wall 2” and “the intermediate shelves 12 can be removable so that the number and height of the compartments 13 are adjustable and depend on the number and the relative vertical arrangements of the intermediate shelves 12 placed in position”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of the basic container structure, as taught by Dufour, in the storage system of Bidram, to further define the storage space with simple physical structures around the receiving portion.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings to create an easily constructed and cost-effective solution for a storage container containing the movable plates and sliding doors, along with associated equipment, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 14, Dufour discloses what Bidram lacks, particularly the door assembly and its specific two-door structure:
the door assembly comprises a first door panel, a second door panel [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 15 and 20, “upper apron” and “lower apron” respectively (“formed by a plurality of longitudinal horizontal strips connected to one another by articulations)], and an actuator; and when the door assembly is driven, the actuator actuates the first door panel and the second door panel [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 16 and 21 “upper winding/unwinding means” and “lower winding/unwinding means” respectively], such that the first door panel and the second door panel separately cover the portion of the opening portion other than the access opening [See at least Dufour: Fig. 1, Ref. Numerals 14-23 and Description “To establish an access passage P between the lower horizontal edge 18 of the upper deck 15 and the upper horizontal edge 23 of the lower deck 20, for access to a rack selected from any one of the racks 13, the winding/unwinding means 16 and 21 are activated so that the lower horizontal edge 18 of the upper deck 15 and the upper horizontal edge 23 of the lower deck 20 are placed in the vertical direction respectively facing, horizontally, the shelves which vertically delimit this selected rack. The other compartments are then inaccessible”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention incorporate the teachings of the two rolling “articulated apron” style doors, as taught by Dufour, in the storage system of Bidram, as they provide controllable and adjustable access to the interior portion of the storage space. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “actuator” is construed as including, but not limited to, any type of pneumatic/electric motor and connecting drive system such as belts, gears, or the like.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings to control the access opening for storage efficiency and parcel management with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 15, Bidram in concert with Dufour discloses an automated transmission assembly for driving carrier plates to adjust them according to the height of items and required/remaining storage space inside the storage container:
the controller set selectively drives the transmission assembly according to the item height, the height of the storage space, and a height of the remaining space, to adjust the height of the storage space [See at least Bidram: Para. 0014-0016, 0130, and 0139-0142, specifically “a plurality of spaced apart shelves disposed on the frame along an axis normal to the surface of the shelves, each shelf configured to provide a storage area for a plurality of articles and slidably adjustable along the axis; and a lift mechanism disposed on the frame and coupled to the plurality of shelves, the lift mechanism configured to slidably adjust the position of the shelves along the axis” and “checking, with the one or more sensors, if there is at least one more article to load; if there is an additional article, checking, with the one or more sensors, if there is available space on the current shelf; if there is no available space, checking if there is another empty shelf; and if there is an empty shelf, driving, by the processor, the lift mechanism to raise the loaded shelf to provide access to the subsequent loading shelf”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of the movable plates system and its respective controller and transmission assembly of Bidram with the storage cabin and associated assemblies of Dufour to automatically adjust the height of the storage areas of each plate for controlled access to that space via the container and access opening created by the door assembly.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to incorporate the respective teachings into the claimed invention to have computer controlled and machine-driven actuation of the carrier plates based on item heights and storage space available for the sake of efficiency and usability, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 16, Bidram discloses a plurality of carrier plates including a first, second, and third adjustable plate, adjacent to each other in that vertical order, forming two storage spaces and access openings between them, inside the storage space as defined by Dufour:
wherein the carrier plates comprise a first carrier plate, a second carrier plate, and a third carrier plate, the first carrier plate is adjacent to the bottom plate, the third carrier plate is adjacent to the top plate, and the second carrier plate is located between the first carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Bidram: Fig. 1, Ref. Numeral 16]; and when the transmission assembly is driven, a first storage space and a first access opening are formed through division by the first carrier plate and the second carrier plate, and a second storage space and a second access opening are formed through division by the second carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Bidram: Fig. 3A through 7E, Ref. Numerals 18-77, and Para. 0279-0316].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings of Bidram to modify a storage space comprised of a plurality of movable carrier plates, adjacent to each other, to make them adjustable via a transmission assembly to create a specific number of varying and consistently adaptable storage spaces between them and individual access openings therein.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to utilize the respective teachings to create specific storage spaces inside the container and align them with the associated assemblies for the purpose of specific article retrieval, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 17, Bidram and Dufour together describe an operation assembly to obtain item height and identification codes to drive a door assembly to selectively cover an area other than the access opening:
further comprising an operation assembly, wherein the operation assembly is configured to obtain the item height and an identification code, the identification code corresponds to the first access opening and the second access opening, and the controller set is configured to drive, according to the item height and the identification code, the door assembly to selectively cover a portion of the opening portion other than the first access opening or the second access opening [See at least Bidram: “The actuator may be disposed on the wheeled structure. The actuator and subsequently the lift mechanism may be controllable via a user interface disposed on the wheeled structure or via a remote controller” and “The cart 10 may further include a control unit (not shown in the figures). The control unit is configured to control the process of the sensors and actuators disposed on the cart 10” and Para. 0414, “Each shelf 114 may include an identifier tag 194 disposed thereon. The identifier tag 194 may facilitate identification and tracking of the storage shelves and, subsequently, the stored articles on the shelves”, as well as at least Dufour: “the dispenser 1 is equipped with an electronic control device 124 capable of activating the winding/unwinding means 16 and 21 in order to selectively place the aprons 15 and 20 in selected relative positions, corresponding to the positions described above” and “the recipient introduces his identification code into the selection means 126 for its recognition, for example by remote control. Once this has been done, the control device 24 activates the unwinding winding means 16 and 21 to establish an access passage P between the aprons 15 and 20 opposite the selected locker 13. The recipient takes the merchandise through this passage”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teachings of Bidram and Dufour to use an operation assembly including a controller set to obtain item height and any respective identification codes to control the door assembly to selectively cover/uncover specific portions of the opening in the storage container, corresponding with the movable shelf locations contained therein and the storage space between the shelves. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “operation assembly” is construed as any communication and control apparatus designed to control an electrical system based on user input, including, but not limited to, the embodiments described in the specification; “identification code” is construed as any type of input from a user, including a PIN, QR/bar code, password, or other identifier, designed to aid in tracking inventory and/or monitoring and controlling access.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine said teachings for the purpose of selection and control over the storage system to access the ideal storage area based on identification codes and/or item height, respective to the storage area created by the movable shelves contained in the storage container, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 6-7 and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bidram et al. (US 20200156868, hereinafter Bidram) in view of Dufour et al. (WO 2018069211, hereinafter Dufour); Kjerland et al. (NO 20210960, hereinafter Kjerland); and Jun (US 10019610, hereinafter Jun).
Regarding Claim 6, while Bidram and Dufour disclose visual sensors, specifically Dufour mentions having a “a detector 28 of the presence/absence of at least some of these intermediate tablets 12”, and Bidram mentions “there may be other sensors such as article detection sensors disposed on each shelf, vision camera disposed on the apparatus, and infrared sensors disposed on the apparatus”, “the processing unit checks, with one or more sensors 441, if there is more storage available on the current shelf”, and “the processing unit checks, with one or more sensors 441, if there is another empty shelf”, neither explicitly describes a visual assembly on the carrier plates for the specific purpose of obtaining remaining storage height of the two spaces adjacent to said plates based on item height. However, Kjerland describes an image sensor(s) mounted on the shelves or a fixed surface of the shelves, and further Jun describes a variety of visual assemblies mounted adjacent to the shelves in the storage space to perform this function:
a visual assembly, wherein the visual assembly is connected to a fixed surface of each of the second carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Kjerland: “The apparatus may be adapted to be installed above the shelf and /or on an under side of another shelf of the arrangement of shelves”, and “The image sensor can be, for example, an image sensor for generating image or video data which can then be processed” as shown in Fig. 3, Ref. Numerals 210 and 115, Fig. 5a, Ref. Numerals 118-119 and 127-128, as well as Fig. 6, Ref. Numerals 611 and 621], the visual assembly is configured to obtain a remaining storage height, and the controller set updates a height of the first storage space, a height of the second storage space, and the height of the remaining space according to the remaining storage height [See at least Kjerland: “This possibility allows requiring less space to be provided between shelves, which is advantageous for achieving a high storage density” and Fig. 5b, Ref. Numeral 220, and at least Jun: “The article sensors 1840 used in this embodiment may be various types of sensors that can sense articles 120 positioned at a predetermined distance. For example, as the article sensors 1840, an optical sensor using light, an ultrasonic distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, and a laser distance sensor (LDS) using a laser may be used”, and Fig. 2, Ref. Numeral 1026 “control unit”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bidram to include the mentioned sensors to visually detect stored objects and their respective height, as well as associate them with the carrier plates and their location, as per Dufour. Additionally, Kjerland outlines the placement of the sensors as connected to a fixed surface of the shelves above the lowest one as an obvious solution, using a variety of visual sensors taught by Jun that can accomplish the task. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “visual assembly” is construed as any optical camera or electromagnetic spectrum recording device, including, but not limited to, the three-dimensional camera or time-of-flight camera described in the specification.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings for the purpose of visually tracking the quantity and height of the items stored on a shelf to indicate their presence and maximize available storage space using the movable shelves contained therein, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 7, Bidram describes using article detection sensors on the shelves inside the storage space of Dufour, but not in detail. However, Jun describes a variety of sensors in a sensor set while Kjerland describes mounting them to a fixed surface of each shelf, both in prior art and in their inventive concept, Kjerland and Jun disclose what Bidram and Dufour lack:
a sensor set [See at least Jun: “The article sensors 1840 used in this embodiment may be various types of sensors that can sense articles 120 positioned at a predetermined distance. For example, as the article sensors 1840, an optical sensor using light, an ultrasonic distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, and a laser distance sensor (LDS) using a laser may be used” and non-visual sensors as outlined by “The scanner 1820 can scan articles 120 in the storage section 111 of the display case 110 by recognizing a signal from a wireless recognition part attached on the article 120, using a plurality of antennas 1821”], wherein the sensor set is connected to a fixed surface of each of the second carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Kjerland: “The apparatus may be adapted to be installed above the shelf and /or on an under side of another shelf of the arrangement of shelves”], the sensor set is actuated to generate a sensing signal, and the controller set updates a height of the first storage space, a height of the second storage space, and the height of the remaining space according to the sensing signal [See at least Kjerland: “This possibility allows requiring less space to be provided between shelves, which is advantageous for achieving a high storage density” and Fig. 5b, Ref. Numeral 220, and at least Jun: “The article sensors 1840 used in this embodiment may be various types of sensors that can sense articles 120 positioned at a predetermined distance. For example, as the article sensors 1840, an optical sensor using light, an ultrasonic distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, and a laser distance sensor (LDS) using a laser may be used” and Col. 2, line 61 through Col.4, line 18, and Fig. 2, Ref. Numeral 1026 “control unit”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bidram to include the mentioned sensors to detect objects and their respective height using a sensing signal. Additionally, Kjerland outlines the placement of the sensors as connected to a fixed surface of the shelves above the lowest one as an obvious solution, using a variety of signal based or non-visual sensors taught by Jun that can accomplish the task. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “sensor set” is construed as any device capable of measuring a sensing signal, be it visual, electromagnetic, touch, etc., including, but not limited to, the ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, or grating as described in the specification.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings for the purpose of using sensing signals to track the quantity and height of the items stored on a shelf to indicate their presence and maximize available storage space using the movable shelves contained therein, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 18, while Bidram and Dufour disclose visual sensors, specifically Dufour mentions having a “a detector 28 of the presence/absence of at least some of these intermediate tablets 12”, and Bidram mentions “there may be other sensors such as article detection sensors disposed on each shelf, vision camera disposed on the apparatus, and infrared sensors disposed on the apparatus”, “the processing unit checks, with one or more sensors 441, if there is more storage available on the current shelf”, and “the processing unit checks, with one or more sensors 441, if there is another empty shelf”, neither explicitly describes a visual assembly on the carrier plates for the specific purpose of obtaining remaining storage height of the two spaces adjacent to said plates based on item height. However, Kjerland describes (an) image sensor(s) mounted on the shelves or a fixed surface of the shelves, and further Jun describes a variety of visual assemblies mounted adjacent to the shelves in the storage space to perform this function:
a visual assembly, wherein the visual assembly is connected to a fixed surface of each of the second carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Kjerland: “The apparatus may be adapted to be installed above the shelf and /or on an under side of another shelf of the arrangement of shelves”, and “The image sensor can be, for example, an image sensor for generating image or video data which can then be processed” as shown in Fig. 3, Ref. Numerals 210 and 115, Fig. 5a, Ref. Numerals 118-119 and 127-128, as well as Fig. 6, Ref. Numerals 611 and 621], the visual assembly is configured to obtain a remaining storage height, and the controller set updates a height of the first storage space, a height of the second storage space, and the height of the remaining space according to the remaining storage height [See at least Kjerland: “This possibility allows requiring less space to be provided between shelves, which is advantageous for achieving a high storage density” and Fig. 5b, Ref. Numeral 220, and at least Jun: “The article sensors 1840 used in this embodiment may be various types of sensors that can sense articles 120 positioned at a predetermined distance. For example, as the article sensors 1840, an optical sensor using light, an ultrasonic distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, and a laser distance sensor (LDS) using a laser may be used”, and Fig. 2, Ref. Numeral 1026 “control unit”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bidram to include the mentioned sensors to visually detect stored objects and their respective height, as well as associate them with the carrier plates and their location, as per Dufour. Additionally, Kjerland outlines the placement of the sensors as connected to a fixed surface of the shelves above the lowest one as an obvious solution, using a variety of visual sensors taught by Jun that can accomplish the task. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “visual assembly” is construed as any optical camera or electromagnetic spectrum recording device, including, but not limited to, the three-dimensional camera or time-of-flight camera described in the specification.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings for the purpose of visually tracking the quantity and height of the items stored on a shelf to indicate their presence and maximize available storage space using the movable shelves contained therein, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 19, Bidram describes using article detection sensors on the shelves inside the storage space of Dufour, but not in detail. However, Jun describes a variety of sensors in a sensor set while Kjerland describes mounting them to a fixed surface of each shelf, both in prior art and in their inventive concept, Kjerland and Jun disclose what Bidram and Dufour lack:
a sensor set [See at least Jun: “The article sensors 1840 used in this embodiment may be various types of sensors that can sense articles 120 positioned at a predetermined distance. For example, as the article sensors 1840, an optical sensor using light, an ultrasonic distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, and a laser distance sensor (LDS) using a laser may be used” and non-visual sensors as outlined by “The scanner 1820 can scan articles 120 in the storage section 111 of the display case 110 by recognizing a signal from a wireless recognition part attached on the article 120, using a plurality of antennas 1821”], wherein the sensor set is connected to a fixed surface of each of the second carrier plate and the third carrier plate [See at least Kjerland: “The apparatus may be adapted to be installed above the shelf and /or on an under side of another shelf of the arrangement of shelves”], the sensor set is actuated to generate a sensing signal, and the controller set updates a height of the first storage space, a height of the second storage space, and the height of the remaining space according to the sensing signal [See at least Kjerland: “This possibility allows requiring less space to be provided between shelves, which is advantageous for achieving a high storage density” and Fig. 5b, Ref. Numeral 220, and at least Jun: “The article sensors 1840 used in this embodiment may be various types of sensors that can sense articles 120 positioned at a predetermined distance. For example, as the article sensors 1840, an optical sensor using light, an ultrasonic distance sensor using ultrasonic waves, and a laser distance sensor (LDS) using a laser may be used” and Col. 2, line 61 through Col.4, line 18, and Fig. 2, Ref. Numeral 1026 “control unit”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Bidram to include the mentioned sensors to detect objects and their respective height using a sensing signal. Additionally, Kjerland outlines the placement of the sensors as connected to a fixed surface of the shelves above the lowest one as an obvious solution, using a variety of signal based or non-visual sensors taught by Jun that can accomplish the task. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “sensor set” is construed as any device capable of measuring a sensing signal, be it visual, electromagnetic, touch, etc., including, but not limited to, the ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, or grating as described in the specification.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to apply said teachings for the purpose of using sensing signals to track the quantity and height of the items stored on a shelf to indicate their presence and maximize available storage space using the movable shelves contained therein, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 9 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bidram et al. (US 20200156868, hereinafter Bidram) in view of Dufour et al. (WO 2018069211, hereinafter Dufour); and Yuan (CN 114537936, hereinafter Yuan).
Regarding Claim 9, while Bidram and Dufour together describe a storage space with driven movable shelves and rolling doors to create an access opening, along with a variety of sensors, neither describe using weight measurement of the stored items to control any of the functions. However, Yuan, in a similar inventive concept of an adjustable sliding shelf system, describes using a pressure sensor for weight measurement of a shelf:
a weight measurer, wherein the weight measurer is connected to a carrying surface of each of the first carrier plate, the second carrier plate, and the third carrier plate, the weight measurer is actuated to obtain an item weight [See at least Yuan: Fig. 2, Ref. Numeral 44 “pressure sensor” and “the pressure sensor 44 on the adjustment pallet 4 will sense the weight of the item”], and the controller set selectively drives, according to the item weight, the door assembly to cover the opening portion [See at least Dufour: “the dispenser 1 is equipped with an electronic control device 124 capable of activating the winding/unwinding means 16 and 21 in order to selectively place the aprons 15 and 20 in selected relative positions, corresponding to the positions described above”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the storage space described by the teachings of Bidram and Dufour with the weight measurer disclosed by Yuan in a similar inventive concept that uses said sensor to measure item weight, if any, on a shelf. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “weight measurer” is construed as any sensor using direct or indirect pressure or other means to obtain and identify the weight of any item, if any are present.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the referenced storage space with a weight measurer, using a pressure sensor or other suitable device, for the purpose of obtaining the weight of any stored items on the shelf, if any are present, to further identify the quantity of storage space available and maximize storage efficiency, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding Claim 20, while Bidram and Dufour together describe a storage space with driven movable shelves and rolling doors to create an access opening, along with a variety of sensors, neither describe using weight measurement of the stored items to control any of the functions. However, Yuan, in a similar inventive concept of an adjustable sliding shelf system, describes using a pressure sensor for weight measurement of a shelf:
a weight measurer, wherein the weight measurer is connected to a carrying surface of each of the first carrier plate, the second carrier plate, and the third carrier plate, the weight measurer is actuated to obtain an item weight [See at least Yuan: Fig. 2, Ref. Numeral 44 “pressure sensor” and “the pressure sensor 44 on the adjustment pallet 4 will sense the weight of the item”], and the controller set selectively drives, according to the item weight, the door assembly to cover the opening portion [See at least Dufour: “the dispenser 1 is equipped with an electronic control device 124 capable of activating the winding/unwinding means 16 and 21 in order to selectively place the aprons 15 and 20 in selected relative positions, corresponding to the positions described above”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the storage space described by the teachings of Bidram and Dufour with the weight measurer disclosed by Yuan in a similar inventive concept that uses said sensor to measure item weight, if any, on a shelf. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “weight measurer” is construed as any sensor using direct or indirect pressure or other means to obtain and identify the weight of any item, if any are present.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the referenced storage space with a weight measurer, using a pressure sensor or other suitable device, for the purpose of obtaining the weight of any stored items on the shelf, if any are present, to further identify the quantity of storage space available and maximize storage efficiency, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bidram et al. (US 20200156868, hereinafter Bidram) in view of Dufour et al. (WO 2018069211, hereinafter Dufour); Prateek et al. (GB 2608653, hereinafter Prateek); and Kim et al. (KR 102468221, hereinafter Kim).
Regarding Claim 10, while Bidram and Dufour together describe a storage space with driven movable shelves and rolling doors to create an access opening, neither describe a counter or any counting/timing mechanism. However, Prateek, describes a sliding door system with a delay timer, although mechanical in a preferred but not limited embodiment, but Kim describes a similar concept for rolling shutters using a timer circuit connected to a controller:
a counter, wherein the counter is coupled to the controller set, and is configured to generate a counting stopping signal, and the controller set drives, according to the counting stopping signal, the door assembly to cover the opening portion [See at least Prateek “the closing mechanism further includes a timer element adapted to keep the sliding door in the open position for a predetermined delay time and to release the sliding door after lapse of the predetermined delay time” and Fig. 2, Ref. Numerals 140 “sliding door” and 250 “timer element”, as well as at least Kim: Fig. 10a, Ref. Numerals 50 “sliding door”, 700 “control unit”, 770 “timer unit”, 300 “sliding door opening/closing unit”, and “When the casement door 40 and the sliding door 50 are opened, the timer unit 770 measures the open maintenance time for maintaining the open state… the open maintenance time measured by the timer unit 770 is received and compared with the open set time, when the open maintain time reaches the open set time, the sliding door opening/closing unit 300 or the casement opening/closing unit 400 is closed”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the storage space described by Bidram and Dufour with a counting/timing mechanism as described in Prateek and further in Kim used for automatic control of a door system. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “counter” is construed as any mechanical or electronic circuit, relay, or the like used for measuring time or distance moved.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the referenced storage space with a counting/timing mechanism in order to set a specific time for the access door to remain open when in use so that it would automatically close without needing any user input, increasing security and simplifying user control, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bidram et al. (US 20200156868, hereinafter Bidram) in view of Dufour et al. (WO 2018069211, hereinafter Dufour); and Antonioli (EP 4053048, hereinafter Antonioli).
Regarding Claim 11, Bidram and Dufour together describe the storage above, and Bidram further describes the device having a mobile base that can transport the multi-shelf unit to a desired location using motorized wheels. Bidram fails to disclose a specific method for indicating the desired location or control of the mobile unit, however, Antonioli describes a mobile carrier for transporting a storage unit:
a moving carrier, comprising:
a moving assembly, connected to the storage cabin and configured to move the storage cabin [See at least Bidram: Fig. 35A and 35B, Ref. Numerals 440, 442, and 446, and “The multi-shelf unit 444 may be fixed on the mobile base 442 or may be allowed a plurality of degrees of freedom in order to facilitate article loading or unloading by facilitating alignment of the loading or unloading shelf with the direction of article delivering or receiving…configured to transport the mobile unit 440 to a desired location by means of the motorized wheels 446” as well as at least Antonioli: Fig. 4A through 5B, Ref. Numeral 20, “transfer of the storage unit 1 from a standby location to a target location (and more in general transfer of the storage unit 1, whatever the route) is performed via a mobile carrier such as an automated guided vehicle”];
a communication assembly, configured to receive an access signal [See at least Bidram: “The apparatus may include at least one sensor disposed on the wheeled base that is configured to send signals regarding the location of the apparatus to the processing unit” and “detecting, by one or more sensors, the plurality of articles in a pick-up location, and sending a signal to a processing unit on the mobile storage unit; causing, by the processing unit, motorized wheels on the mobile storage unit to navigate the mobile storage unit such that the unit is sufficiently close to the plurality of articles”]; and
a processor, coupled to the moving assembly and the communication assembly, wherein the processor is configured to drive the moving assembly according to the access signal [See at least Bidram: “The mobile base 442 further comprises a processing unit (not shown in the figures) comprising a processor and a memory, the processor capable of autonomously executing instructions stored on the memory, and one or more sensors configured to send signals to the processing unit”], such that the moving assembly moves to an access position [See at least Antonioli “The mobile carrier 20 with the storage unit 1 riding piggyback then travels to the target location - for instance an operator station wherein the human operator is instructed to pick products from the storage unit 1 to assemble a purchase order - and stops at the same to release the storage unit 1 thereat”].
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the mobile storage space wheeled carrier system as described by Bidram and Dufour to add a specified method of control to the transport system as taught by Antonioli and gain the ability to disclose a desired location for it to move to for user access. For the purpose of examination and broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims, “moving assembly” is construed as any integrated or separate wheeled, tracked, magnetic, or mobile through other means device designed to move a storage system from point to point; “communication assembly” is construed as any wired or wireless method or device for controlling the referenced moving assembly and communicating with a user via any desired inputs.
Before the effective filing date, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the referenced mobile storage space for the purpose of increasing controllability and efficiency, as well as possibly autonomy of the mobile storage space, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Examiner’s Note
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and figures in the references as applied to the claims set forth hereinabove for the convenience of the Applicant. While the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claims, other passages and figures in the cited references may be applicable, as well. It is respectfully requested that the Applicant, in preparing any response to the Office Action, fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, in addition to the context of the passage(s) as taught by the prior art or as disclosed by the Examiner. Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is required to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicant’s definitions that are not specifically set forth in the claims.
Additionally, Examiner notes that allowable content may exist within the claimed invention, but as the claims are currently written, with a broad scope and lacking some necessary specificity in structure and function, are rejectable by an abundance of various prior art references as obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Examiner recommends prioritizing and incorporating some of the dependent claims and their associated limitations into the independent claims to potentially avoid this issue, and would be willing to elaborate further, within reason, via interview, for the purpose of compact prosecution.
Furthermore, Examiner notes that additional translation/localization efforts made to at least the claims to clarify terminology and syntax within the disclosure may also assist with examination and potential allowability of the claimed invention. Applicant is reminded that the recommendations above and any future recommendations are for informational purposes, other approaches may exist; Applicant is not limited to these recommendations and may choose wording or options they deem appropriate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure [See PTO-892 Notice of References Cited] because the prior art references contain subject matter that relates to one or more of Applicant’s claim limitations.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Scott can be reached at (571) 270-3415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/F JERVIS/Examiner, Art Unit 3655 5 Jan 2026
/JACOB S. SCOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655