CTFR 18/547,721 CTFR 82649 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-37 AIA Applicant's arguments filed 01/08/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the claims now integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. The Examiner disagrees. The claims use the additional elements as a tool to perform the recited abstract steps. The supposed improvement described by Applicant is not a technological improvement to a problem rooted in computer technology. Applicant further argues, “ The loading provides an optimized approach that, as recited, reduces the duration of the overall predicted time schedule of the trip route to the predefined unloading points. Having the optimized loading configuration that results in the reduced duration of the overall predicted time schedule of the trip route is a practical application. The method is an improvement in the technology of loading and unloading.” The Examiner disagrees. What Applicant describes is a business improvement, not a technological one. Accordingly, Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive and the rejections are maintained . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101 07-04-01 AIA 07-04 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 and 3-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without significantly more. MPEP 2106 Step 2A-Prong 1 The claims recite: providing at least one candidate loading configuration of the at least one vehicle; the at least one candidate loading configuration specifying a location of each good of the plurality of goods within the at least one vehicle ; providing at least one candidate route leading successively to all predefined unloading points of the plurality of predefined unloading points; determining at least one predicted time schedule of the trip route to the unloading points using the at least one candidate loading configuration and the at least one candidate route in conjunction with at least map data, traffic data, and information about an availability of offloading places at the predefined unloading points, evaluating, using the at least one said predicted time schedule, the candidate loading configuration and at least one the candidate route according to a predefined cost function; optimizing the at least one candidate loading configuration and the at least one candidate route with an objective that a reevaluation using the predefined cost function after the predicted time schedule has been updated leads to an optimized evaluation; wherein an optimized at least one candidate loading configuration includes new locations for at least some goods of the plurality of goods; and loading the at least one vehicle with the plurality of goods according to the optimized at least one candidate loading configuration by placing the goods of the plurality of goods in the new locations, wherein the at least one candidate loading configuration and the at least one candidate route are optimized by (i) reducing a duration of an overall predicted time schedule of the trip route to the predefined unloading points, (ii) reducing a duration of a time that at least one perishable good of the plurality of goods spends in the at least one vehicle according to the at least one predicted time schedule, (iii) increasing a quantity of the plurality of goods to be loaded into the at least one vehicle according to the at least one candidate loading configuration, (iv) minimizing a time difference between an arrival time of the at least one vehicle at a corresponding predetermined unloading point and an agreed-upon target time for the corresponding predetermined unloading point, and/or (v) reducing an expected energy consumption by the at least one vehicle during the at least one predicted time schedule. The claims falls into the abstract idea groupings of (b) Certain Methods Of Organizing Human Activity ** fundamental economic principles or practices (including hedging, insurance, mitigating risk) commercial or legal interactions (including agreements in the form of contracts; legal obligations; advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors; business relations) managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people (including social activities, teaching, and following rules or instructions)** The limitations under their broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of certain methods of organizing human activity but for the recitation of generic computer components. That is, other than recited, “vehicle, computer program, non-transitory-machine readable medium”, nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being business relations. Accordingly, the claims recite an abstract idea. MPEP 2106 Step 2A-Prong 2 The recited limitations are not indicative of integration into a practical application. In particular, the claims only recite the following additional elements, vehicle, computer program, non-transitory-machine readable medium. These additional elements are recited at a high-level of generality such that in conjunction with the abstract limitations, they amount to no more than: Adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea - see MPEP 2106.05(f); - (computer program, non-transitory-machine readable medium) iv. Generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use, -(vehicle) The claims do not include additional elements individually or in an ordered combination that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. Integration into a practical application requires the additional element(s) to apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception. This is not the case in the instant application. Further, as discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements amount to no more than: mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component; mere data gathering/post solution activity; generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Dependent Claims Step 2A: The limitations of the dependent claims but for those addressed below merely set forth further refinements of the abstract idea without changing the analysis already presented (that is, they further limit the organizing of human activities at step 2A — Prong One without adding any new additional elements other than those already analyzed above with respect to the independent claims at 2A — Prong Two; Dependent Claims Step 2B: The dependent claims merely use the same general technological environment and instructions to implement the abstract idea as the independent claims without adding any new additional elements. Accordingly, they are not directed to significantly more than the exception itself, and are not eligible subject matter under § 101. Conclusion 07-39 AIA 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. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TONYA S JOSEPH whose telephone number is (571)270-1361. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-2:30, First Fridays Off. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shannon Campbell can be reached at (571) 272-5587. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /TONYA JOSEPH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3628 Application/Control Number: 18/547,721 Page 2 Art Unit: 3628 Application/Control Number: 18/547,721 Page 3 Art Unit: 3628 Application/Control Number: 18/547,721 Page 4 Art Unit: 3628 Application/Control Number: 18/547,721 Page 5 Art Unit: 3628 Application/Control Number: 18/547,721 Page 6 Art Unit: 3628 Application/Control Number: 18/547,721 Page 7 Art Unit: 3628
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