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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/13/2023 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 29, 32, 33, 36, and 37 are objected to because of the following informalities: Each of the listed claims depend from claim 26, however, it seems they should depend from claim 27. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 27 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 14 of claim 27 currently reads “at least one further functional module via f the logic unit”. Examiner assumes this should read “at least one further functional module via the configurable logic unit”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 16-37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Johansson (US PGPub 2015/0301547) in view of Jandhyala et al. [Jandhyala] (US PGPub 2011/0296430).
As to claim 16
Johansson discloses a functional module (cloud server 100, see Figs. 1 and 2), comprising:
at least one technical object (electric distribution appliances 130, 134, 138; see Fig. 2) which implements a technical process (distributing power) (see paragraph 0073, lines 13-16);
a control unit (processor 104/memory means 107, see Fig. 1) which controls the at least one technical object based on predetermined rules (pre-defined rule; see paragraph 0032, line 12/rules relating to how power should be distributed by individual electric distribution appliances 130, 134, 138; see paragraph 0073, lines 13-14) which are stored in the control unit and cannot be changed (see paragraph 0073, lines 2-15);
a communication unit (external network/internet 120, see Fig. 2) which exchanges data with external communication partners (mobile phone or mobile computer; see paragraph 0033, line 11);
a configurable logic unit (master communication unit 106, see Figs. 1 and 2) which is configured to receive, via the communication unit additional, variably specifiable rules (information packages relating to updates of said rules; see paragraph 0045, lines 2-3) from an external communication partner and, based on the additional, variably specifiable rules and interconnections, to update the rules predetermined in the control unit with respect to an interaction of the functional module with at least one further functional module (see paragraph 0045, lines 1-8).
Though Johansson teaches updating existing rules from an external partner; Johansson fails to specifically disclose supplementing the rules and interconnections predetermined in the control unit with respect to an interaction of the functional module.
Jandhyala discloses a functional module (clients 110, 112, 114; see Fig. 1) comprising:
a configurable logic unit (policy management 105, see Fig. 1) supplementing rules (embedded rules 310, see Fig. 3) and interconnections (access control rules 314, see Fig. 3) predetermined in a control unit (application 302, see Fig. 3) with respect to an interaction of the functional module (see paragraph 0070, lines 5-7 and paragraph 0071, lines 2-6).
Johansson and Jandhyala are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, which is manipulation of embedded rules. At the time of the invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Johansson’s invention with Jandhyala’s in order to supplement both rules and interconnections related to Johansson’s electric distribution appliances, since doing so would permit adjustments to rules and interconnections dictating distribution of electricity.
As to claim 17
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the functional module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the communication unit comprises a server, a client, and a subscriber (see Jandhyala paragraph 0045, lines 4-7).
As to claim 18
Johansson discloses the functional module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive information relating to a communication unit of the at least one further functional module and is configured to store said received information in the functional module (see paragraph 0059, lines 1-5).
As to claim 19
Johansson discloses the functional module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control unit includes computer-implemented function blocks; and wherein the control unit is configured, for controlling the technical objects, to use the computer-implemented functional blocks based on the rules and interconnections permanently stored in the control unit (see paragraph 0073, lines 3-15).
As to claim 20
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the functional module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the configurable logic unit includes computer-implemented functional blocks and is configured to undertake, based on the received additional, variably specifiable rules and interconnections, a supplementation of the rules and interconnections predetermined in the control unit with respect to an interaction of the functional module with at least one further functional module based on the computer- implemented functional blocks of the configurable logic unit (see Johansson paragraph 0045, lines 1-8; also see Jandhyala paragraph 0070, lines 5-7 and paragraph 0071, lines 2-6).
As to claim 21
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the functional module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the server comprises an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture server, the client comprises an OPC UA client or an OPC UA publisher, and an OPC UA subscriber (see Jandhyala paragraph 0045, lines 4-7).
As to claim 22
Johansson discloses the functional module as claimed in claim 18, wherein the received information relates to a network address of the communication units of the at least one further functional module (see paragraph 0059, lines 1-5).
As to claim 23
Jandhyala discloses a technical installation, comprising a plurality of functional modules as claimed in claim 17 which are connected to one another for an interaction (see paragraph 0054, lines 1-5; also see Fig. 1).
As to claim 24
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the technical installation as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:
a configuration system which is configured to communicate the additional, variably specifiable rules and interconnections to the communication unit of one functional module of the plurality of functional modules or to a plurality of communication units of the plurality of functional modules (see Johansson paragraph 0045, lines 1-8).
As to claim 25
Johansson discloses the technical installation as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:
a visualization system which is configured to visualize the rules and interconnections used to control the at least one technical object of the functional module (see paragraph 0032, lines 12-16).
As to claim 26
Johansson discloses the technical installation as claimed in claim 24, further comprising:
a visualization system which is configured to visualize the rules and interconnections used to control the at least one technical object of the functional module (see paragraph 0032, lines 12-16).
As to claim 27
Johansson discloses a method for operating a functional module (cloud server 100, see Figs. 1 and 2) in a technical installation, the functional module comprising at least one technical object (electric distribution appliances 130, 134, 138; see Fig. 2) which implements a technical process (distributing power) (see paragraph 0073, lines 13-16), a control unit (processor 104/memory means 107, see Fig. 1) which controls the at least one technical object based on predetermined rules (pre-defined rule; see paragraph 0032, line 12/rules relating to how power should be distributed by individual electric distribution appliances 130, 134, 138; see paragraph 0073, lines 13-14), a communication unit (external network/internet 120, see Fig. 2) which is configured to exchange data with external communication partners (mobile phone or mobile computer; see paragraph 0033, line 11), and a configurable logic unit (master communication unit 106, see Figs. 1 and 2), the method comprising:
a) permanently storing the predetermined rules in the control unit in an unchangeable manner (see paragraph 0073, lines 2-15);
b) transferring additional, variably specifiable rules to the configurable logic unit of the functional module via an external communication partner (mobile phone or mobile computer; see paragraph 0033, line 11) of the functional module (see paragraph 0045, lines 1-8);
c) updating the predetermined rules stored in the control unit based on previously received additional, variably specifiable rules with respect to an interaction of the functional module with at least one further functional module via the configurable logic unit (see paragraph 0045, lines 1-8); and
d) operating the functional module based on adapted rules in the technical installation (see paragraph 0036, lines 4-6 and paragraph 0045, lines 1-8).
Though Johansson teaches updating existing rules from an external partner; Johansson fails to specifically disclose supplementing the rules and interconnections predetermined in the control unit with respect to an interaction of the functional module.
Jandhyala discloses a method for operating a functional module (clients 11, 112, 114; see Fig. 1) in a technical installation comprising:
a configurable logic unit (policy management 105, see Fig. 1) supplementing rules (embedded rules 310, see Fig. 3) and interconnections (access control rules 314, see Fig. 3) predetermined in a control unit (application 302, see Fig. 3) with respect to an interaction of the functional module (see paragraph 0070, lines 5-7 and paragraph 0071, lines 2-6).
Johansson and Jandhyala are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, which is manipulation of embedded rules. At the time of the invention it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Johansson’s invention with Jandhyala’s in order to supplement both rules and interconnections related to Johansson’s electric distribution appliances, since doing so would permit adjustments to rules and interconnections dictating distribution of electricity.
As to claim 28
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said transferring occurs based on a server-client architecture (see Jandhyala paragraph 0045, lines 4-7).
As to claim 29
Johansson discloses the method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the communication unit receives information relating to communication units of the at least one further functional module and stores said received information in the functional module (see paragraph 0059, lines 1-5).
As to claim 30
Johansson discloses the method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the communication unit receives information relating to communication units of the at least one further functional module and stores said received information in the functional module (see paragraph 0059, lines 1-5).
As to claim 31
Johansson discloses the method as claimed in one of claim 28, wherein the communication unit receives information relating to communication units of the at least one further functional module and stores said received information in the functional module (see paragraph 0059, lines 1-5).
As to claim 32
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the method as claimed in claim 26, wherein a communication partner from which the communication unit of the functional module receives the additional, variably specifiable rules and interconnections is a configuration system which is configured to communicate to the communication unit, of the functional module and to a communication unit of at least one further functional module at a runtime of the technical installation additional, variably specifiable rules and interconnections; and
wherein, based on previously permanently stored rules and interconnections and based on the additional, variably specifiable rules and interconnections, the functional module and the at least one further functional module interact with one another and possibly with further functional modules at a runtime of the technical installation (see Johansson paragraph 0045, lines 1-8 and paragraph 0073, lines 3-15).
As to claim 33
Johansson discloses the method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the rules and interconnections used to control the at least one technical object the functional module are visualized via a visualization system (see paragraph 0032, lines 12-16).
As to claim 34
Johansson and Jandhyala disclose the method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the server-client architecture comprises an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture server-client architecture or an OPC UA publisher-subscriber architecture (see Jandhyala paragraph 0045, lines 4-7).
As to claim 35
Johansson discloses the method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the received information relates to a network address of the communication units of the at least one further functional module (see paragraph 0059, lines 1-5).
As to claim 36
Johansson discloses a computer program with program code instructions which are executable by a computer for implementing the method as claimed in claim 26 (see paragraph 0073, lines 1-15).
As to claim 37
Johansson discloses a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising commands which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as claimed in claim 26 (see paragraph 0073, lines 1-15).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael J. Brown whose telephone number is (571)272-5932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 5:30am-4:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamini Shah can be reached at (571)272-2279. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael J Brown/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115