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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-13 are presented for examination.
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 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim 12 recites “A transformation library comprising multiple transformations, wherein each transformation maps one or more first values that are associated with first semantic meanings in the context of at least one industrial plant to one or more second values that are associated with second semantic meanings in the context of the plant, wherein the first semantic meaning, and/or the second semantic meaning, comprises one or more of: a measurement unit of a physical quantity measured in the plant that a value represents; a location in the plant where a value has been determined; and one or more classes with respect to which a value is a classification score.” As one can see the claim 12 simply claims “a transformation library” with description of it or defining it’s characteristics which can be a mental process (i.e., concepts performed in the human mind (including an observation, evaluation, judgment, opinion)). This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because no controller or processor is disclosed to control a process. The claim 12 does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
Dependent claim 13 when analyzed as a whole is held to be patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. 101 because there is no additional limitation(s) that can amount significantly more.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-3 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Malakuti et al (EP 37092271; hereinafter Malakuti).
As per claim 1, Malakuti discloses a computer-implemented broker entity for conveying state information from a technical system as a producer to a requesting device as a consumer [Abstract; Fig. 1; computer system 100 acts (i.e., broker entity) for interoperable data exchange between a plurality of information systems (201 to 20n) via a digital representation service (S1, S2, Sn) associated with a digital representation (111) of a physical device], wherein the state information comprises a plurality of values that have been measured and/or generated by components of the technical system, each value is associated with a given semantic meaning [Abstract; Fig. 1, 5; a semantic relations library (150); para 0058], and the broker entity is configured to:
receive from the requesting device a request for one or more target values of state information that have sought target semantic meanings [Abstract; Fig. 1; a plurality of information systems (201 to 20n); para 0037, 0042];
obtain from the technical system one or more source values of state information that are associated with given source semantic meanings [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; para 0037; “A particular digital representation service S1 includes an interface 110 to receive a request for device related data. Such a request may be received 1100 from any one of the information systems 201 to 20n in the role of an information consumer.”];
obtain at least in part from a transformation library one or more transformations, wherein each transformation maps one or more first values that are associated with first semantic meanings to one or more second values that are associated with second semantic meanings [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; a semantic relations library (150); para 0042-0043; “That is, the digital twin 111 of the physical device together with the semantic relations defined in the semantic relations library 150 acts as a transformer with regards to different formats of the data models of the respective information consumer and information source.”];
apply the one or more transformations, or a new transformation obtained based on the one or more transformations, to the source values of state information, thereby obtaining the one or more target values of state information [Abstract; Fig. 1; para 0043-0044; “A further feature of the computer system 100 is that the digital representation 111 and the corresponding semantic relations can dynamically evolve over time.”]; and
transmit the one or more target values to the requesting device [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; para 0058-0061; executing data exchange].
As per claim 8, Malakuti discloses a method for conveying state information from an industrial plant as a technical system to a requesting device as a consumer [Abstract; Fig. 1; computer system 100 acts (i.e., broker entity) for interoperable data exchange between a plurality of information systems (201 to 20n) via a digital representation service (S1, S2, Sn) associated with a digital representation (111) of a physical device], comprising the steps of:
providing a broker entity [Abstract; Fig. 1; computer system 100 acts (i.e., broker entity)];
forwarding at least one request for one or more target values of state information that have sought target semantic meanings from a requesting device to the broker entity [Abstract; Fig. 1; a plurality of information systems (201 to 20n); para 0037, 0042]; and
forwarding the target values to the requesting device [Abstract; Fig. 1; a plurality of information systems (201 to 20n); para 0037, 0042];
wherein the broker entity is configured to:
receive from the requesting device a request for one or more target values of state information that have sought target semantic meanings [Abstract; Fig. 1; a plurality of information systems (201 to 20n); para 0037, 0042];
obtain from the technical system one or more source values of state information that are associated with given source semantic meanings [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; para 0037; “A particular digital representation service S1 includes an interface 110 to receive a request for device related data. Such a request may be received 1100 from any one of the information systems 201 to 20n in the role of an information consumer.”];
obtain at least in part from a transformation library one or more transformations, wherein each transformation maps one or more first values that are associated with first semantic meanings to one or more second values that are associated with second semantic meanings [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; a semantic relations library (150); para 0042-0043; “That is, the digital twin 111 of the physical device together with the semantic relations defined in the semantic relations library 150 acts as a transformer with regards to different formats of the data models of the respective information consumer and information source.”];
apply the one or more transformations, or a new transformation obtained based on the one or more transformations, to the source values of state information, thereby obtaining the one or more target values of state information [Abstract; Fig. 1; para 0043-0044; “A further feature of the computer system 100 is that the digital representation 111 and the corresponding semantic relations can dynamically evolve over time.”]; and
transmit the one or more target values to the requesting device [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; para 0058-0061; executing data exchange].
As per claim 12, Malakuti discloses a transformation library comprising multiple transformations, wherein each transformation maps one or more first values that are associated with first semantic meanings in the context of at least one industrial plant to one or more second values that are associated with second semantic meanings in the context of the plant [Abstract; Fig. 1-2; a semantic relations library (150); para 0042-0043; “That is, the digital twin 111 of the physical device together with the semantic relations defined in the semantic relations library 150 acts as a transformer with regards to different formats of the data models of the respective information consumer and information source.”], wherein the first semantic meaning, and/or the second semantic meaning, comprises one or more of:
a measurement unit of a physical quantity measured in the plant that a value represents [Abstract; Fig. 1, 5; para 0009, 0059; values measured during operation];
a location in the plant where a value has been determined [para 0053; locations closer to the user; para 0085; location-related wireless data]; and
one or more classes with respect to which a value is a classification score [Fig. 6; para 0061; class libraries; para 0063; “In AutomationML, the element types can be catergorized as System Unit Classes designed for reusable components. The semantic descriptions can be stored in the class Description field or instantiated from Role Classes used for defining abstract object semantics. Finally, the element type relations can be instantiated using interface Classes.”].
As per claim 2, Malakuti discloses wherein the source semantic meanings, and/or the target semantic meanings, comprise one or more of: a measurement unit of a physical quantity that a value represents [Abstract; Fig. 1, 5; para 0009, 0059; values measured during operation (inherent to have a measurement unit to measure values)]; a location in the technical system where a value has been determined [para 0053; locations closer to the user; para 0085; location-related wireless data]; and one or more classes with respect to which a value is a classification score [Fig. 6; para 0061; class libraries; para 0063; “In AutomationML, the element types can be catergorized as System Unit Classes designed for reusable components. The semantic descriptions can be stored in the class Description field or instantiated from Role Classes used for defining abstract object semantics. Finally, the element type relations can be instantiated using interface Classes.”].
As per claim 3, Malakuti discloses further configured to obtain at least one transformation that computes, from two or more first measurement values of different physical quantities, at least one second value of an aggregate of these physical quantities [para 0008; an aggregation of data; para 0067; “… to aggregate these models …”; para 0069; “Withing the digital twin DT2, the local IDs 720, 730 of information sources 702, 703 can be aggregated …”].
As per claim 7, Malakuti discloses wherein the broker entity is further configured to obtain the new transformation and/or the candidate transformation based at least in part on a match between the technical system and other technical systems to which transformations that form an inheritance hierarchy within in the transformation library relate [Fig. 2; para 0008; “The information systems are then dynamically discovered by using a discovery module of a digital representation service, and, based on semantic descriptions, data obtained from information sources is automatically matched against the data required by respective information consumers resulting in corresponding mappings of data model elements which allow the respective information systems (consumer and source systems) interoperable data exchange regarding device related data via said mappings.”; para 0060-0061; instance hierarchy].
As per claim 9, Malakuti discloses wherein components of the industrial plant that measure and/or generate values are chosen to comprise at least one of: sensor devices that measure physical quantities in an industrial process executed on the plant [para 0054; “The device D1 can continuously push its operational data (e.g., sensor data, data about the internal state of D1, etc.) …”]; and actor devices that act upon the execution of the industrial process and report a state of operation [para 0056; technical reports].
As per claim 10, Malakuti discloses wherein providing the broker entity comprises placing the broker entity within an internal network of the industrial plant, and/or on an edge device of this internal network [para 0001; “… connectivity to a network.”; para 0006; “… connected to the same network to exchange data …”; para 0013; para 0029; “… edge of the device itself.”]; and providing connectivity between the broker entity and a transformation library that resides outside this internal network [Abstract; Fig. 1; para 0001; interoperable communication].
As per claim 11, Malakuti discloses wherein the providing the broker entity further includes providing access to a transformation library that is common to multiple industrial plants [Abstract; Fig. 1, 5; para 0016; para 0021, 0042, 0057].
As per claim 12, Malakuti discloses wherein at least a first transformation relates to a first semantic meaning and a second semantic meaning that are relevant within the context of a first industrial plant, and at least a second transformation relates to a different first semantic meaning and a different second semantic meaning that are relevant within the context of a different second industrial plant, but not within the context of the first industrial plant [Fig. 5; para 0008, 0027, 0043, 0052, 0059; different semantics].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A. US-20150241873 discloses a monitoring management that outputs a semantic representation at least of the first input data wherein the semantic representation is adapted to a particular first piece of equipment to be monitored.
B. US-20240056502 discloses a computer-implemented method includes receiving a command to read a value of a variable from a field device, wherein the field device is designated by a field device identifier and the variable is designated by a semantic identifier.
C. US-20140222712 discloses systems and methods for data acquisition, normalization, and exchange in a retail ecosystem wherein the system includes a transformation library.
D. US-20200183035 discloses data augmentation for seismic interpretation systems and methods wherein an assessment is utilized as feedback to update an augmentation transformation library.
E. US-20210263900 discloses generating rules for data processing values of data fields from semantic labels of the data fields wherein candidate labels are a library of existing labels, each associate with one or more attributes, that identify the semantic meaning of a data field (e.g., to a downstream application or a user).
F. US-20200380212 discloses discovering a data processing system for discovering a semantic meaning of a field included in one or more data sets is configured to identify a field included in one or more data sets, with the field having an identifier.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SURESH K SURYAWANSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-3668. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM.
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/SURESH SURYAWANSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
1 Prior art cited by applicant in submitted information discloser statement.