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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed in the Amendment and Response to Non-Final Office Action (“Response”) on 7 January 2026 have been fully considered but they are not fully persuasive.
Applicants amendment of “instructing a warehousing robot to carry the material in the target storage area to the matching storage area” in claims 13 and 17 is a practical application of an additional element, making these claims patent eligible. Therefore, the rejection under 35 USC 101 for claims 13 and 17-20 have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed in Response with respect to the rejection under 35 USC 101 for claims 1-12 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The “material storage area mapping model” is recited in the Instant Specification as being just a “mathematical model” (see ¶ 0059 of Instant Publication), which can broadly be interpreted as just an equation which does not even encompass an additional element such as a processor. Further, detecting is broadly recited as being performed by the warehouse system server. However, without reciting how the information is detected, such as by some form of sensor, “detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model” within the broadest reasonable interpretation can simply be the same as determining, deciding or retrieving using an equation, which does not necessarily recite a technical model (Response: pg. 11). Further, generating property-modification-confirmation information is the same as simply generating information and does not recite an execution-authorizing signal within the warehousing system’s control logic (Response: pg. 11). Claim 1 is not solving a technical problem, but is instead using generic components to perform the abstract idea of preventing incompatible modifications that trigger wasteful and error-prone physical operations. The claim features, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, are mental processes and/or certain methods of organizing human activity performed by generic computer components. That is, other than reciting “warehouse system server” and “a terminal device”, nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being performed in the mind or a method of organized human activity. These judicial exceptions are not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claims only recite three additional elements – “warehouse system server”, “terminal device” and “warehousing robot” (claim 8, however the warehousing robot is not recited as performing any steps). The “warehouse system server”, “terminal device” and “warehousing robot” are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing generic computer functions) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component (MPEP 2106.05(f)). Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea.
Applicant’s argument in the Response with respect to the rejections under 35 USC 102 and 103 have been considered but are not persuasive. First, “a storage area property of a storage area” could be the same as “a certain sized shelf in a warehouse”. Therefore, just because the material is not necessarily on the shelf, does not mean the material is not somewhere in the warehouse, and for the human worker or robot to be able to retrieve the material and stock the shelves with the material (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0075-0081), this means the material must be in the warehouse/store somewhere. (Response: pg. 20). Further, Applicant has not recited how the size of slot or item is ‘detected’, other than it being done by a mapping model which as mentioned above is the same as determining or deciding using an equation. Musunuri’s slot calculator (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0048-0054) is the equivalent of the mapping model of the instant claims, and Musunuri utilizes the shelving unit manager (Fig. 2, 202) which is part of the overall Inventory Control System/server (Fig. 1, 105) to determine or decide the specific information using the slot calculator (Response: pg. 20). Examiner also does not see where the claims are limited to “whether to readjust the slot is determined by… whether the slot after being adjusted matches the dimension of the first item” in feature F1 (Response: pg. 21).
Applicant further argues optional language. Musunuri clearly teaches “wherein the property pre-modification instruction is configured to test whether the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable” (Response: pg. 21). Musunuri teaches “the shelving unit manager 202 may select the unallocated portion that closely matches the first adjustable inventory slot to be the first portion to form the adjustable inventory slot. For example, the shelving unit manager 202 may select the unallocated portion with the smallest difference in slot width and/or slot height from the first adjustable inventory slot to be the first portion. In some embodiments, the unallocated portion having the slot width smaller than the slot width of the first adjustable inventory slot may not be selected. This is because the unallocated portion may be directly adjacent to existing adjustable inventory slots, and thus may not have additional horizontal space to expand. On the other hand, the unallocated portion having the slot height smaller than the slot height of the first adjustable inventory slot may still be selected. For example, the shelving unit manager 202 may determine an additional vertical space generated by vertically positioning the shelf including the unallocated portion and/or one or more shelves above or below the shelf including the unallocated portion. If the additional vertical space satisfies (e.g., larger than or equal to) the difference of slot height between the unallocated portion and the first adjustable inventory slot, the shelving unit manager 202 may select the unallocated portion to be the first portion. In some embodiments, the shelving unit manager 202 may select the unallocated portion to minimize the relative distances between the unallocated portion and other inventory slots allocated to the inventory items in the same product category as the first item. In some embodiments, the shelving unit manager 202 may prioritize the unallocated portions that are not a portion of an empty shelf (e.g., not yet include any inventory slot). The shelving unit manager 202 may also consider other factors to select the first portion to form the first adjustable inventory slot” (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0056-0057).
Applicant argues intended usage language that is not necessarily limiting to the claim. While the claim recites “transmitting the property-modification-confirmation information to a terminal device”, since these claims are recited as being performed by the warehouse system server, the steps being performed by the terminal device are not necessarily limiting (Response: pg. 22). Even still, Musunuri teaches “shelving unit manager 202 sends the shelving location of the first adjustable inventory slot 1121 to the assistance device 127, the display controller 206 may also send an instruction to the electronic display strip 121 extending along the shelf 1102 that includes the first adjustable inventory slot 1121. The instruction may cause the electronic display strip 121 to highlight the first visual representation 1125 indicating the first adjustable inventory slot 1121 (e.g., brighten up, blinking, etc.) to help the human worker 128 identify the first adjustable inventory slot 1121 quickly” (Musunuri: ¶ 0079) and “the shelving unit manager 202 may receive a notification of complete adjustment from the electronic display strip 121 and/or the shelf actuators 123. The shelving unit manager 202 may then update the shelf data and the slot data in the data store 119 according to the adjustment” (Musunuri: ¶ 0068). While the terminal device may broadly encompass the assistance device, it also encompasses the electronic display strip which clearly receives the property-modification-confirmation information and prompts a user and transmits a property modification instruction to the warehousing system server when the user completes the adjustment (Response: pg. 22).
Examiner has already responded above to the arguments made in the Response to F4-1 and F4-2 in claim 13, with the features of F1 in claim 1 (Response: pg. 24). Further, Examiner notes that nowhere do the claims recite physically detecting the size of the storage area or material property. These features can broadly be determined based on pre-stored information about the shelves or products in a database. Further, Musunuri does teach “a first portion to form the first adjustable inventory slot from the first unallocated portion and the second unallocated portion. The first portion may be selected using the slot width and the slot height of the first adjustable inventory slot. In some embodiments, the shelving unit manager 202 may retrieve the slot width and the slot height of the first unallocated portion and the second unallocated portion from the data store 119. The shelving unit manager 202 may select the unallocated portion having the slot width and the slot height that respectively satisfy the slot width and the slot height of the first adjustable inventory slot to be the first portion. For example, the shelving unit manager 202 may select the second unallocated portion to be the first portion to form the first adjustable inventory slot, because the slot width and the slot height of the second unallocated portion are larger than the slot width and the slot height of the first adjustable inventory slot” (Musunuri: ¶ 0055). The slot width and slot height are the equivalent of the first and second identifiers corresponding to the storage area property.
Applicant further argues optional language which is not necessarily limiting to the claim (Response: pg. 24). Claim 13 recites “wherein the material storage are mapping model comprises matching identifier mapping… or wherein the material storage area mapping model comprises matching degree matching…”. Examiner has provided arguments for the identifier mapping above.
Applicant argues Musunuri does not teach “a non-target storage area” (Response: pg. 25). However, Musunuri clearly teaches “the shelving unit manager 202 may determine a first unallocated portion and a second unallocated portion among a plurality of shelves of the shelving units in the storage facility. The first unallocated portion and the second unallocated portion may be included in the same shelf or in different shelves” (Musunuri: ¶ 0054).
Finally, Applicant argues Musunuri fails to teach “identification information of the matching storage area and identification information of the material in the target storage area” (Response: pg. 26). However, Musunuri clearly teaches “the shelving unit manager 202 may retrieve the allocation data that indicates the first adjustable inventory slot allocated to the first item from the data storage. In particular, the shelving unit manager 202 may use the product ID of the first item to retrieve the slot ID of the first adjustable inventory slot that is associated with the product ID of the first item in the data store 119” (Musunuri: ¶ 0075) and “the shelving unit manager 202 may instruct the autonomous vehicle to transport the first quantity of the first item to the shelving location for stocking in the first adjustable inventory slot… the shelving unit manager 202 may provide the autonomous vehicle with the shelving location of the first adjustable inventory slot 1121 (e.g., the shelving unit ID, the shelf ID, and the slot ID)” (Musunuri: ¶ 0080) and “the autonomous vehicle may transport the first quantity of the first item to the first adjustable inventory slot 1121 for stocking. As the autonomous vehicle reaches the first adjustable inventory slot 1121, the shelving unit manager 202 may instruct the autonomous vehicle to place the first quantity of the first item in the first adjustable inventory slot 1121, e.g., according to the arrangement pattern discussed elsewhere herein. FIG. 11D illustrates the shelving unit 1160 with the first adjustable inventory slot 1121 stocked with the first items. As depicted, 8 cases of copy paper GHJ are stocked in the first adjustable inventory slot 1121” (Musunuri: ¶ 0083).
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), 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. Claim 1 recites the limitation "the warehouse system server" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) for being dependent under a rejected claim under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., an abstract idea) without “significantly more.” Claims 1-12 are directed to detecting storage area property matches material property, generating and transmitting information, and modifying storage area property or material property, which is considered an abstract idea. Further, the claim(s) as a whole, when examined on a limitation-by-limitation basis and in ordered combination do not include an inventive concept.
Step 1 – Statutory Categories
As indicated in the preamble of the claims, the examiner finds the claims are directed to a process, machine, or article of manufacture.
Step 2A – Prong One - Abstract Idea Analysis
Exemplary claim 1 recites the following abstract concepts, in italics below, which are found to include an “abstract idea”:
A method for pre-modifying a property of a warehousing system, executed by the warehouse system server, comprising:
detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model, whether a storage area property of a storage area matches a material property of a material in the storage area in response to a property pre-modification instruction, wherein the property pre-modification instruction is configured to test whether the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable;
generating property-modification-confirmation information when the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the storage area, wherein the property-modification-confirmation information represents that the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable;
transmitting the property-modification-confirmation information to a terminal device, to prompt a user to transmit a property modification instruction to the warehousing system server through the terminal device; and
modifying the storage area property of the target storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area according to the property modification instruction.
The claim features in italics above as drafted, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, are mental processes and/or certain methods of organizing human activity performed by generic computer components. That is, other than reciting “warehouse system server” and “a terminal device”, nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being performed in the mind or a method of organized human activity. For example, “detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model, whether a storage area property of a storage area matches a material property of a material in the storage area in response to a property pre-modification instruction, wherein the property pre-modification instruction is configured to test whether the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable; generating property-modification-confirmation information when the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the storage area, wherein the property-modification-confirmation information represents that the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable; and modifying the storage area property of the target storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area according to the property modification instruction” in the context of this claim encompasses a mental process. If the claim limitations, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers steps which could be performed in the human mind including an observation, evaluation, judgement of opinion but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “mental process” grouping of abstract ideas. Further, “generating property-modification-confirmation information when the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the storage area, wherein the property-modification-confirmation information represents that the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable;… transmitting the property-modification-confirmation information …, to prompt a user to transmit a property modification instruction” in the context of this claim encompasses a certain methods of organizing human activity. If the claim limitations, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers fundamental economic practice, commercial or legal interaction or managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “certain methods of organizing human activity” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
Step 2A – Prong Two - Abstract Idea Analysis
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claims only recite three additional elements – “warehouse system server”, “terminal device” and “warehousing robot” (claim 8, however the warehousing robot is not recited as performing any steps). The “warehouse system server”, “terminal device” and “warehousing robot” are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing generic computer functions) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component (MPEP 2106.05(f)). Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea.
Step 2B - Significantly More Analysis
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to
significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of the “warehouse system server” and “terminal device” amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. Further, the background does not provide any indication that the “warehouse system server” and “terminal device” are anything other than a generic, off-the-shelf computer components. For these reasons, there is no inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-10, 13 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0220804 A1 to Musunuri et al. (“Musunuri”).
As per claim 1, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
a method for pre-modifying a property of a warehousing system, executed by the warehouse system server, comprising (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0003-0007, Fig. 1, 105):
detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model, whether a storage area property of a storage area matches a material property of a material in the storage area in response to a property pre-modification instruction, wherein the property pre-modification instruction is configured to test whether the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091);
generating property-modification-confirmation information when the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the storage area, wherein the property-modification-confirmation information represents that the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091);
transmitting the property-modification-confirmation information to a terminal device, to prompt a user to transmit a property modification instruction to the warehousing system
server through the terminal device (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0035, 0068 and 0074-0079); and
modifying the storage area property of the target storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area according to the property modification instruction (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0035, 0068 and 0074-0079).
As per claim 2, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
wherein the material storage area mapping model comprises matching identifier mapping, and the detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model, whether a storage area property of a storage area matches a material property of a material in the storage area comprises: acquiring a storage area property of a target storage area corresponding to the property pre-modification instruction and a material property of a material in the target storage area; determining a first identifier corresponding to the storage area property of the target storage area and a second identifier corresponding to the material property of the material in the target storage area; and determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in a first matching relationship when the first identifier and the second identifier satisfy an identifier mapping relationship indicated by predetermined matching identifier mapping, wherein the matching identifier mapping is configured to represent an identifier mapping relationship between the storage area property and the material property that match each other, and the first matching relationship represents that the storage area property of the target storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 3, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
wherein the identifier mapping relationship is a function comprising two input parameters and one output quantity; the first identifier and the second identifier are the input parameters, and the output quantity is in a form of a Boolean value (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 4, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
wherein the material storage area mapping model comprises matching degree mapping, and the detecting, according to the material storage area mapping model, whether the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area comprises: acquiring a storage area property of a target storage area corresponding to the property pre-modification instruction and a material property of a material in the target storage area; determining a matching degree between the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area according to the matching degree mapping; and determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in a first matching relationship when the matching degree is greater than a preset threshold, wherein the first matching relationship represents that the storage area property of the target storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 5, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
wherein the matching degree mapping is a function that comprising two input parameters and one output quantity, the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are the input parameters, and the output quantity is in a form of a numerical value (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 6, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
detecting whether the material property of the material stored in the target storage area has a matching storage area when the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are not in the first matching relationship; and determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in a second matching relationship when the matching storage area exists, wherein the second matching relationship represents that the material property of the material in the target storage area matches a storage area property of a non-target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 7, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
generating property modification conflict information when the matching storage area does not exist, wherein the property modification conflict information represents that the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is unmodifiable (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 8, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
wherein after the determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in the second matching relationship, the method further comprises: acquiring identification information of the matching storage area and identification information of the material in the target storage area; and generating carrying indication information according to the identification information of the matching storage area and the identification information of the material in the target storage area, wherein the carrying indication information is configured to indicate a warehousing robot to carry the material in the target storage area to the matching storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0023, 0030, 0051-0057, 0080 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 9, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
further comprising: transmitting the carrying indication information to the terminal device (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0023 and 0080).
As per claim 10, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
acquiring configuration information, wherein the configuration information is configured to represent storage conditions corresponding to materials with different item features; and constructing or updating the material storage area mapping model according to the configuration information (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030-0032 and Fig. 10).
As per claim 13, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
An electronic device, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a computer program, wherein the computer program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to implement operations of (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0003-0007, Fig. 1):
detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model, whether a storage area property of a storage area matches a material property of a material in the storage area in response to a property pre-modification instruction, wherein the property pre-modification instruction is configured to test whether the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091); and
generating property-modification-confirmation information when the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the storage area, wherein the property-modification-confirmation information represents that the storage area property of the storage area or the material property of the material in the storage area is modifiable (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091);
wherein the material storage area mapping model comprises matching identifier mapping, and the detecting, according to a material storage area mapping model, whether a storage area property of a storage area matches a material property of a material in the storage area comprises:
acquiring a storage area property of a target storage area corresponding to the property pre-modification instruction and a material property of a material in the target storage area;
determining a first identifier corresponding to the storage area property of the target storage area and a second identifier corresponding to the material property of the material in the target storage area; and
determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in a first matching relationship when the first identifier and the second identifier satisfy an identifier mapping relationship indicated by predetermined matching identifier mapping, wherein the matching identifier mapping is configured to represent an identifier mapping relationship between the storage area property and the material property that match each other, and the first matching relationship represents that the storage area property of the target storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area; or
wherein the material storage area mapping model comprises matching degree mapping, and the detecting. according to the material storage area mapping model, whether the storage area property of the storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area comprises:
acquiring a storage area property of a target storage area corresponding to the property pre-modification instruction and a material property of a material in the target storage area;
determining a matching degree between the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area according to the matching degree mapping; and
determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in a first matching relationship when the matching degree is greater than a preset threshold, wherein the first matching relationship represents that the storage area property of the target storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091);
detecting whether the material property of the material stored in the target storage area has a matching storage area when the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are not in the first matching relationship (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091); and
determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in a second matching relationship when the matching storage area exists, wherein the second matching relationship represents that the material property of the material in the target storage area matches a storage area property of a non-target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091);
wherein after the determining that the storage area property of the target storage area and the material property of the material in the target storage area are in the second matching relationship. the method further comprises:
acquiring identification information of the matching storage area and identification information of the material in the target storage area; and
generating carrying indication information according to the identification information of the matching storage area and the identification information of the material in the target storage area, wherein the carrying indication information is configured to indicate a warehousing robot to carry the material in the target storage area to the matching storage area; and
instructing the warehousing robot to carry the material in the target storage area to the matching storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0023, 0030, 0051-0057, 0075, 0080-0083 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 18, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, being configured to implement operations of (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0003-0007, Fig. 1):
receiving a property pre-modification instruction (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091);
detecting whether a storage area property of a target storage area matches a material property of a material in the target storage area, according to a material storage area mapping model (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091);
in response to determine that the storage area property of the target storage area matches the material property of the material in the target storage area, generating property-modification-confirmation information (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0051-0057 and 0090-0091);
in response to determine that the storage area property of the target storage area does not match the material property of the material in the target storage area, detecting whether the material property of the material in the target storage area has a matching storage area,
wherein the matching storage area is a non-target storage area that has a storage area property matches the material property of the material in the target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091);
in response to determine that the material property of the material in the target storage area has the matching storage area, acquiring identification information of the matching storage area and identification information of the material in the target storage area;
generating carrying indication information according to the identification information of the matching storage area and the identification information of the material in the target storage area; and
instructing a warehousing robot to carry the material in the target storage area to the matching storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0023, 0030, 0051-0057, 0075, 0080-0083 and 0086-0091).
As per claim 19, the claimed subject matter that is met by Musunuri includes:
further comprising generating property modification conflict information in response to determine that the material property of the material in the target storage area does not match the storage area property of the non-target storage area (Musunuri: ¶¶ 0030, 0051-0057 and 0086-0091).
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 11, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Musunuri in view of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0011276 A1 to Mehring et al. (“Mehring”).
As per claims 11, 17 and 20, Musunuri fails to specifically teach acquiring material-quality-monitoring information, wherein the material-quality-monitoring information is configured to represent a deterioration status of the material under a storage condition of the material; and determining to construct or update the material storage area mapping model according to the material-quality-monitoring information. The Examiner provides Mehring to teach and disclose this claimed feature.
The claimed subject matter that is met by Mehring includes:
acquiring material-quality-monitoring information, wherein the material-quality-monitoring information is configured to represent a deterioration status of the material under a storage condition of the material; and determining to construct or update the material storage area mapping model according to the material-quality-monitoring information (Mehring: ¶ 0062)
Mehring teaches a system and method of analyzing items. Mehring teaches a comparable system and method of analyzing items that was improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Mehring offers the embodiment of acquiring material-quality-monitoring information, wherein the material-quality-monitoring information is configured to represent a deterioration status of the material under a storage condition of the material; and determining to construct or update the material storage area mapping model according to the material-quality-monitoring information. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized the adaptation of the quality-monitoring information as disclosed by Mehring to the monitored information as taught by Musunuri for the predicted result of improved systems and methods of analyzing items. No additional findings are seen to be necessary.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Musunuri in view of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0285603 A1 to Velez et al. (“Velez”).
As per claim 12, Musunuri fails to specifically teach wherein the storage area property comprises at least one of a storage temperature, a storage humidity, and storage tightness; and the material property comprises at least one of an item type, an item quantity, an item material, and an item shelf life. The Examiner provides Velez to teach and disclose this claimed feature.
The claimed subject matter that is met by Velez includes:
wherein the storage area property comprises at least one of a storage temperature, a storage humidity, and storage tightness; and the material property comprises at least one of an item type, an item quantity, an item material, and an item shelf life (Velez: ¶ 0008)
Musunuri teaches a system and method of analyzing items. Velez teaches a comparable system and method of analyzing items that was improved in the same way as the claimed invention. Velez offers the embodiment of wherein the storage area property comprises at least one of a storage temperature, a storage humidity, and storage tightness; and the material property comprises at least one of an item type, an item quantity, an item material, and an item shelf life. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized the adaptation of the specific properties as disclosed by Velez to the properties as taught by Musunuri for the predicted result of improved systems and methods of analyzing items. No additional findings are seen to be necessary.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/A. Hunter Wilder/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627