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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7-11, 13-15, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cenaj, et al. US PUB 2024/0061555 A1.
Regarding Claim 1, Cenaj teaches a system for writing to a territory assignment file using geospatial relationships [par. 2, lines 9-16], the system comprising:
one or more memories [par. 46; fig. 3:330; memory]; and
one or more processors [par 46; fig. 3:320; processor], communicatively coupled [par 46; fig. 3:310; bus] to the one or more memories, configured to:
retrieve [par. 55; fig. 4:420; receive], from a first data structure [par. 55; fig. 4:420 “user device”], entity data indicating a plurality of entities that are to have territory assignments to a plurality of territories of a region [par. 60; 5:510, lines 2-4 (text box)];
scan [par. 31; determine] the entity data to identify an entity, of the plurality of entities, that lacks a territory assignment [par. 31; recommendations for changes to… state of relationships],
wherein the entity data indicates a physical address for the entity [par. 24, entity information may indicate and address];
retrieve [par. 17; receive], from a second data structure [par. 17; fig. 1A:110; user device], assignment data indicating the territory assignments of the plurality of entities to respective territories of the plurality of territories [par. 17; fig. 1A:110; territory alignment data], wherein the plurality of entities have physical addresses [par. 24; entity information…. Indicate… an address] in a plurality of serviced locations [par. 16; region that includes multiple entities];
identify [par. 36; indicate], for the plurality of serviced locations, respective travel times [par. 36; driving directions… optimized for travel efficiency] between the plurality of serviced locations and a location relating to the physical address [par. 36, lines 15-20];
compile a list of nearest entities [par. 36; relationship management database… stores… territory alignment data], of the plurality of entities, in an order of travel proximity to the location according to the respective travel times [par. 36; driving directions… to respective geographic locations… optimized for travel efficiency];
monitor [par. 34; user input element], during compilation of the list of nearest entities [par. 34; updated territory alignment data] and in accordance with the territory assignments [par. 16; aligning or re-aligning entities with territories to balance metrics], respective counts of nearest entities for the plurality of territories, until a count of nearest entities for a territory, of the plurality of territories, satisfies a threshold [par. 16; metrics within… threshold amount/percentage. See also par. 37; lines 1-3];
retrieve [par. 43; receive] the territory assignment file [par. 43; information for territory optimization] from a cloud storage location [par. 43; server in cloud computing system];
and write [par. 43; storing], to the territory assignment file [par. 43; information for territory optimization], updated assignment data indicating an assignment of the entity to the territory [par. 28; information indicating new state of relationships].
Regarding claim 2, Cenaj teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
retrieve [par. 17; receive] the territory assignment file [par. 17; territory alignment data] to obtain the updated assignment data [par. 17; from the territory management device] [par. 17, lines 10-12]; and
output [par. 16, lines 3-6; present], for presentation in a user interface [par. 16; UI of user device], a depiction of a map of the region and a user interface layer, over the map [par. 19; depiction of map… and UI layer over map], that indicates a state of relationships between the plurality of entities [par. 19; indicates territory alignment data] and the plurality of territories in accordance with the updated assignment data [par. 28; Fig. 1:125; information indicating new state of relationships between entity and territory. See also Abstract].
Regarding claim 3, Cenaj teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit [par. 36; transmit], for a user device [par. 36; a user device] of a user that services the territory [par. 36; representative], driving directions [par. 36; driving directions] from a geographic location [par. 36; geographic location] associated with the user [par. 36; associated with… representative] to respective geographic locations associated with entities, of the plurality of entities, assigned to the territory [par. 36; Lines 15-20; respective geo-locations associated with entities].
Regarding claim 7, Cenaj teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
transmit [par. 31; line 15; transmit], for a user device [par. 31; user device] of a user that services the territory, a notification [par. 31 notification] indicating the assignment of the entity to the territory [par. 31; automatic execution of recommendation (re-associate entity to territory)].
Regarding claim 8, Cenaj teaches a method of updating a territory assignment using geospatial relationships, comprising:
retrieving [par. 17; receive] assignment data indicating territory assignments [par. 17; territory alignment data] of a plurality of entities to respective territories of a plurality of territories of a region, [par. 17; indicates relationships between entities and territories of region]
wherein the plurality of entities have physical addresses in a plurality of serviced locations, and [par. 24; entity information may indicate and address]
wherein an entity, of the plurality of entities, lacks a territory assignment [par 31; determine recommendations for changes to state of relationships (lacking a territory leads to recommendation for change)];
identifying [par. 36; indicate], for the plurality of serviced locations, respective travel times [par. 36; driving directions] between the plurality of serviced locations [par. 36; optimal for travel efficiency of representative to visit entities] and a location relating to a physical address for the entity [par. 36; geographic location];
identifying [par. 36; indicate] a set of nearest entities, of the plurality of entities [par. 36; respective geographic locations of entities], in an order of travel proximity to the location according to the respective travel times [par. 36; lines 15-20; optimal order… for travel efficiency];
monitoring [par 34; user input element], during identifying of the set of nearest entities [par. 34; updated territory alignment data] and in accordance with the territory assignments [par. 16; aligning or re-aligning various territories], respective counts of nearest entities for the plurality of territories, until a count of nearest entities for a territory, of the plurality of territories, satisfies a threshold [par. 16, lines 24-29; balance one or more metrics across the territories… may be balanced if the one or more metrics for each territory are within a threshold amount]; [par. 37, lines 1-3; par. 16, lines 24-29] and
generating [par. 43; generating] updated assignment data to indicate an assignment of the entity to the territory [par. 28; information indicating new state of relationships between entity and territory].
Regarding claim 9, Cenaj teaches the method of claim 8, further comprising:
retrieving [par. 43; receive] a territory assignment file [par. 43; territory alignment data] from a cloud storage location; [par. 43; server in a cloud computing system] and
writing [par. 43; storing] the updated assignment data [par. 28; information indicating new state of relationship] to the territory assignment file [par. 43; territory alignment data].
Regarding claim 10, Cenaj teaches the method of claim 9, further comprising:
retrieving [par. 43; receive] the territory assignment file [par. 43; territory alignment data] from the cloud storage location [par. 43; server in a cloud computing system] to obtain the updated assignment data [par. 43; stored territory alignment data. par 28; information indicating new state of relationship]; and
outputting [par. 19; present], for presentation in a user interface [par. 19; UI of user device], a depiction of a map of the region and a user interface layer, over the map [par. 19; depiction of map… and UI layer over map], that indicates a state of relationships between the plurality of entities and the plurality of territories [par. 19; indicates territory alignment data] in accordance with the updated assignment data [par. 28; Fig. 1:125; information indicating new state of relationships between entity and territory].
Regarding claim 11, Cenaj teaches the method of claim 8, further comprising:
Transmitting [par. 31; transmit], for a user device of a user that services the territory [par. 31; representatives user device], a notification indicating the assignment of the entity to the territory. [par. 31, lines 14-17; notification indicating… recommendations… that may automatically execute]
Regarding claim 13, Cenaj teaches the method of claim 8, further comprising:
Transmitting [par. 36; transmit], for a user device of a user that services the territory [par. 36 representatives user device], a route order for visiting entities, of the plurality of entities, assigned to the territory. [par. 36, lines 15-20; optimal order… to visit entities]
Regarding claim 14, Cenaj teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of entities are car dealerships. [par. 16; entity may be car dealership]
Regarding claim 15, Cenaj teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for updating a territory assignment using geospatial relationships, the set of instructions comprising: [par. 4; set of instructions]
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to: [par. 4; executed by processors of device]
retrieve [par 17; receive] assignment data indicating territory assignments [par. 17; territory alignment data] of a plurality of entities to respective territories of a plurality of territories of a region [par. 17; indicates relationships between entities and territories of region],
wherein the plurality of entities have physical addresses in a plurality of serviced locations, and [par. 24; entity information… indicate and address]
wherein an entity, of the plurality of entities, lacks a territory assignment; [par. 31; determine recommendations for changes to state of relationships (lacking a territory implicitly leads to recommendation for assignment change)]
identify [par. 36; indicate], for the plurality of serviced locations, respective travel times between the plurality of serviced locations and a location [par. 36; driving directions] relating to a physical address for the entity; [par. 36, lines 15-20; geographic location]
identify [par. 36; indicate] a set of nearest entities, of the plurality of entities [par. 36; respective geographic locations of entities], in an order of travel proximity to the location according to the respective travel times; [par. 36, lines 15-20; optimal order… for travel efficiency]
monitor [par. 34; user input element], during identification of the set of nearest entities [par. 36; updated territory alignment data] and in accordance with the territory assignments [par. 16; aligning or re-aligning various territories], respective counts of nearest entities for the plurality of territories, until a count of nearest entities for a territory, of the plurality of territories, satisfies a threshold [par. 16, lines 24-29; balance one or more metrics across the territories… may be balanced if the one or more metrics for each territory are within a threshold amount]; [par. 37, lines 1-3; par. 16, lines 24-29] and
transmit [par. 28; transmit], for a user device of a user that services the territory, a notification indicating an assignment of the entity to the territory [par. 28; information indicating new state of relationships between entity and territory].
Regarding claim 17, Cenaj teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
retrieve [par. 43; receiving] a territory assignment file [par. 43, line 14; the territory management database] from a cloud storage location [par. 43, line 12; a server in a cloud computing system]; and
write [par. 43; generating], to the territory assignment file, updated assignment data indicating the assignment of the entity to the territory [par. 43; territory alignment data] [par. 43, lines 1-2, 12, and 14-16].
Regarding claims 18, Cenaj teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions [par. 43; devices], when executed by the one or more processors [par. 43 devices], further cause the device to:
retrieve [par. 43; capable of receiving, generating] the territory assignment file from the cloud storage location [par. 43; a server in a cloud computing system] to obtain the updated assignment data [par. 43; may store territory alignment data];
and output [par. 19; present], for presentation in a user interface [par. 19; user interface], a depiction of a map of the region [par. 19; depiction of a map] and a user interface layer, over the map, that indicates a state of relationships between the plurality of entities and the plurality of territories in accordance with the updated assignment data. [par. 19, lines 5-8 and 12-14; and fig. 1: 125].
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 4, 12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cenaj, et al. US PUB 2024/0061555 A1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sussman, et al. US PUB 20030078788 A1.
Regarding claim 4, Cenaj teaches the system of claim 1, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint, a request for geographic coordinates relating to the physical address; and
receive, via the API endpoint, a response indicating the geographic coordinates,
wherein the location corresponds to the geographic coordinates.
However, Sussman further teaches wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint [par. 91, lines 5-6; prompts the salesperson to select the interested destination location from a list], a request for geographic coordinates [par. 91, line 7; Longitude and Latitude Coordinates] relating to the physical address [par. 91; street address]; and
receive [par. 91, line 11; transfers], via the API endpoint, a response indicating the geographic coordinates [par. 91, line 7; Longitude and Latitude coordinates],
wherein the location [par. 91, lines 11-12; street address] corresponds to the geographic coordinates [par. 91].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Cenaj with the teachings of Sussman since using API’s is common practice to integrate computer-to-computer communications [par. 64, lines 13-14] and such a modification would allow a user to send a request for geographic coordinates, and receive a response indicating the geographic coordinates.
Regarding claim 12, Cenaj teaches the method of claim 8, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose further comprising:
transmitting, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint, a request for geographic coordinates relating to the physical address; and
receiving, via the API endpoint, a response indicating the geographic coordinates,
wherein the location corresponds to the geographic coordinates.
However, Sussman further teaches
transmitting, via an application programming interface (API) [par. 91, line 1; preferred embodiment uses and API] endpoint [par. 91, lines 5-6; prompts the salesperson to select the interested destination location from a list], a request for geographic coordinates [par. 91, line 7; Longitude and Latitude Coordinates] relating to the physical address [par. 91; street address]; and
receiving [par. 91, line 11; transfers], via the API endpoint, a response indicating the geographic coordinates [par. 91, line 7; Longitude and Latitude coordinates],
wherein the location [par. 91, lines 11-12; street address] corresponds to the geographic coordinates [par. 91].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Cenaj with the teachings of Sussman since using API’s is common practice to integrate computer-to-computer communications [par. 64, lines 13-14] and such a modification would allow a user to send a request for geographic coordinates, and receive a response indicating the geographic coordinates relating to a physical address.
Regarding claim 16, Cenaj teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint, a request for geographic coordinates relating to the physical address; and
receive, via the API endpoint, a response indicating the geographic coordinates,
wherein the location corresponds to the geographic coordinates.
However, Sussman further teaches wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:
transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint [par. 91, lines 5-6; prompts the salesperson to select the interested destination location from a list], a request for geographic coordinates [par. 91, line 7; Longitude and Latitude Coordinates] relating to the physical address [par. 91; street address]; and
receive [par. 91, line 11; transfers], via the API endpoint, a response indicating the geographic coordinates [par. 91, line 7; Longitude and Latitude coordinates],
wherein the location [par. 91, lines 11-12; street address] corresponds to the geographic coordinates [par. 91].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Cenaj with the teachings of Sussman since using API’s is common practice to integrate computer-to-computer communications [par. 64, lines 13-14] and such a modification would allow a user to send a request for geographic coordinates, and receive a response indicating the geographic coordinates.
Claims 5-6, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cenaj, et al. US PUB 2024/0061555 A1 as applied to claim 1 and claim 15 above, and further in view of Salchert, et al. US PUB 20220374452 A1.
Regarding claim 5, Cenaj teaches the system of claim 1, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose wherein the plurality of serviced locations being zip code regions that contain the physical addresses of the plurality of entities, and
wherein the one or more processors, to identify the respective travel times, are configured to:
identify the respective travel times between central points of the zip code regions and the location.
However, Salchert teaches a plurality of serviced locations being zip code regions [par. 93, lines 3-4; relevant geographic entities] that contain the physical addresses of the plurality of entities [par. 91, lines 7-10; geographic summary values… information by which it can be geographically located on a map], and
wherein the one or more processors [par. 93; computer system], to identify the respective travel times, are configured to:
identify the respective travel times between central points of the zip code regions [par. 93, lines 7-8; a distance between centroid points of the two Zip codes, and an estimated travel time] and the location [par. 93, lines 4-5; travel time calculations for each entity to each adjacent or bordering entity].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Cenaj with the teachings of Salchert, since making such modifications to travel routes [par. 69; currents] based off real time changes in a sales-based business can increase efficiency and help to eliminate inefficiencies [par. 69-71]. Such a modification would allow the one or more processors, to identify the respective travel times between central points of the zip code regions and the location.
Regarding claim 6, Cenaj teaches the system of claim 1, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose wherein the entity lacks the territory assignment due to being a newly added entity since a last execution of a process that handles updating of a territory assignment.
However, Salchert further discloses wherein an entity [par. 43; units] lacks a territory assignment [par. 43; Constructal group] due to being a newly added entity [marked for clustering] since a last execution [par. 43; repeating… until all units have been process] of a process [par. 43; data processing method] that handles updating of territory assignments [par. 43; balanced geographic territories].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Cenaj with the teachings of Salchert since such fully automated, computer-implemented techniques simplify territory management by defining and managing geographic territories that can change easily as conditions change [par. 42, lines 1-5]. Salchert further teaches that efficiency is achieved by focusing on likely movement of persons or entities, and by resolving them in real time [par. 42, lines 5-11]. Such a modification would allow for the newly added entity lacking the territory assignment due to being newly added since a last execution of a process that handles updating of territory assignments.
Regarding claim 19, Cenaj teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose the one or more instructions, that cause the device to identify the respective travel times, cause the device to:
transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint, a request for a travel time between the location and a serviced location of the plurality of serviced locations; and
receive, via the API endpoint, a response indicating the travel time.
However, Salchert teaches the one or more instructions [par. 91; initial point of execution of processes], that cause the device [par. 91; computer system] to identify the respective travel times [par. 91; travel time calculations], cause the device to:
transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint [par. 131; API calls], a request [par. 131; perform tasks] for a travel time [par. 93; travel time calculations] between the location [par. 93; entity] and a serviced location of the plurality of serviced locations [par. 93; adjacent or bordering entity]; and
receive, via the API endpoint [par. 131; API calls], a response indicating the travel time [par. 93; access to a searchable, precompiled data table comprising a complete roster of relevant geographic entities, with distance and travel speed or travel time calculations for each entity to each adjacent or bordering entity].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Cenaj with the teachings of Salchert since making such modifications to travel routes [currents] based off real time changes in a sales-based business can increase efficiency and help to eliminate inefficiencies [par. 69-71]. Using API calls is one of several methods disclosed for performing functions like this [par. 131]. Such a modification would allow the one or more instructions, that cause the device to identify the respective travel times, cause the device to: transmit, via an application programming interface (API) endpoint, a request for a travel time between the location and a serviced location of the plurality of serviced locations; and receive, via the API endpoint, a response indicating the travel time.
Regarding claim 20, Cenaj teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, but Cenaj does not particularly disclose the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causing the device to:
determine, based on the location, a geographic boundary around the location, and wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to identify, for the plurality of serviced locations, the respective travel times, causing the device to:
identify, for the plurality of serviced locations within the geographic boundary, the respective travel times.
However, Salchert teaches one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors [par. 89; fig. 17:1710; territory calculation computer], further cause the device to:
determine, based on the location, a geographic boundary [par. 93; Zip codes read as geographic boundaries as shown in fig. 11 and also described in par.72] around the location [par. 105; maximum allowed clustering distance], and wherein the one or more instructions [par. 89; fig. 17:1710; territory calculation computer], that cause the device to identify, for the plurality of serviced locations, the respective travel times [par. 93; a distance between centroid points of the two Zip codes, and an estimated travel time for travel between the centroids], cause the device to:
identify, for the plurality of serviced locations within the geographic boundary [par 104-105; fig. 18B:1842, 1846; calculates nearest neighbors and not exceeding the maximum allowed distance], the respective travel times [par. 93; travel time calculations].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to, to modify the claimed invention of Cenaj with the teachings of Salchert since making such modifications would aid to eliminate inefficiencies for traveling sales representatives, and allow sales organizations to eliminate subjective factors in territory management, and operate on objective computational principles [par. 7]. Such modifications would enable the device of Cenaj to determine a geographic boundary based on a location, and identify respective travel times to a multiple serviced locations within the geographic boundary.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. MacDonald (US PG PUB 2016/0063527 A1) discloses methods for automatically generating and assigning customer lists for company representatives by overlaying maps and user interfaces within various regions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIJAH P WILSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9401. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/ELIJAH PETER WILSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2643
/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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