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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/21/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the limitation “a return deadline”. It is suggested to amend the limitation to “a return deadline of the item”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4 is objected to because of the limitation “…in response to entry of the user identification information and the item identification information to the management area”.
Meaning of entry of information in an area is unclear. It is suggested to amend the limitation to clear state “entry of the user and the item associated each other at the time of the lending processing to the management area”, for example. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 8 is objected to because of the limitation “the gate” throughout the claim. It is suggested to amend the limitation to “the gate of the area”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 14 is objected to because of the limitation “the use name”. It is suggested to amend the limitation to “the user name”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, 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.
Regarding claims 2 and 8, the limitations “close to a return deadline” and “the return deadline… is approaching” render the claims indefinite because the meaning of the phrase fails to clearly define the mete and bounds of the claimed invention. For examination purpose, the limitation a broadly interpreted as “the return deadline is within a predetermined number of days”. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding claim 4, the limitation “determine, each time the user passes through the gate…whether the item is subjected to relending for the different user other than the user” renders the claim indefinite.
First, it is unclear whether “the gate” is generally referring to both the gates of the management area and the area;
Second, assuming the limitation referring generally when user associated with the lent item passing through any of the gates, it is unclear why and how that would result in the determination of “whether the item is subjected to relending for different user other than the user”.
For examination purpose, the limitation is broadly interpreted as checking to see if a different user placed a hold or reserved the item.
Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding claim 15, the limitation “in a case that the different user identification information different from the user identification information recorded at the time of the lending processing is transmitted from the gate, the item management apparatus circuitry is further configured to: determine that the item is subjected to relending for the different user…” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear why different user with the item is detected at a gate meant that the item is subjected to relending to the different user. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding claim 16, the recited limitation renders the claim indefinite when reading in combination with limitation recited in claim 1. When the item after being lent is taken to from the management area to the area, the gate at the area would send a gate identification information that is different from the gate identification information at the gate of the management area. It is unclear why the gate at the area would lock the item in there because that would not allow the item to be returned to the management area. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 3-7, 9-14, 17 and 20 either directly or indirectly depend on claim 2 are indefinite in view of foregoing reasons explained in rejection of claim 2 set forth above.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Regarding claims 6-7, these claims depend on claims 1-2, and scopes of these claims are essentially the same as limitations recited in claims 1-2.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (CN 114898511 A) in view of Chikada (US 2010/0073134 A1) and Gong (CN 104809779 A) (hereinafter rejections rely on provided equivalent English machine translations).
Regarding claim 1, Sun discloses a tracking system (e.g. Abstract), comprising:
a gate (e.g. Fig. 3) including an information reader (e.g. Fig. 3: 11-13, 16) and gate circuitry (e.g. Fig. 5: 2 & p. 14),
the gate including one gate placed at a management area (e.g. Fig. 3),
the management area being a place to keep an item to be lent (e.g. p. 2: book borrowing);
a server (e.g. p. 7 & 11-13: inherently discloses a server for comparing identity tag and book label with pre-stored information; storing user’s account including number of books borrowed, over-period number, account balance, etc., and books inventory of the library); and
an item management apparatus (e.g. Fig. 4: 100), the gate circuitry being configured to request accumulating, in the item management apparatus via the server, item identification information identifying the item and read from an information holding medium related to the item, user identification information identifying a user and read from another information holding medium related to the user (p. 10-13: reader 13 reads user ID and unit 17 perform authentication; reader 16 reads book label and unit 18 perform borrowing analysis by comparing borrowing information and book state; unit 19 update and storing the borrowing record of the borrowed book and the user account so borrowed book associated with the user).
Sun fails to disclose, but Chikada explicitly teaches a document management system comprises a server (e.g. Fig. 2: 9, 26) , and gate circuitry (e.g. Fig. 1: 10-13) being configured to request accumulating (e.g. [0074-0083]: acquiring and comparing the employee ID and tag ID of the document), in the item management apparatus (e.g. Fig. 2: 22 & [0074-0083]) via the server (e.g. Fig. 2: 9), item identification information and user identification information (i.e. tag ID and employee ID).
Although obvious, Sun is silent on the use of computer (e.g. server and management apparatus), but Chikada teaches it is known to acquire and process user ID and document ID to grant take-out authority by using a processing device.
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Sun with a processing device as taught by Chikada, since it is merely utilizing a known process as taught by Sun with a general-purpose computer as taught by Chikada. The modification would have yielded only predictable results to one skilled in the art.
Sun and Chikada in combination fails to disclose, but Gong teaches the gate being at least two gates including other gate placed at an entrance of an area (e.g. p. 2: library with plurality of regions, and each region entrance has an RFID reader, i.e. gate, to determine whether user is authorized to enter the region and to borrow book from there), the area being included in another place to which the item is taken after being lent (no patentable weight is given to limitation regarding where the item is taken after being lent since it is merely intended use of the claimed limitation), and gate identification information identifying the gate (inherently disclosed since each RFID reader corresponds to a region that the user may or may not be allowed to enter).
Gong teaches the use of account scores to monitor whether user return books on time.
Thus, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Sun with the teachings of Gong to have gates at different regions within a library to grant or deny user access for different users based on account scores of the users so as to encourage users to maintain good balance on their accounts.
Claim(s) 2-7, 9-14, 17-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (CN 114898511 A) in view of Chikada (US 2010/0073134 A1) and Gong (CN 104809779 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wang (CN 203552320 U) (hereinafter rejections rely on provided equivalent English machine translations).
Regarding claims 2 and 7, Sun and Chikada in combination discloses the gate circuitry is configured to: read, via the information reader, the item identification information and the user identification information from the information holding medium of the item and said another information holding medium of the user; and transmit, to the server, the item identification information, the user identification information, and the gate identification information (e.g. Sun: p. 10-13 & Chikada: [0074-083]),
wherein, in a case that different user identification information identifying a different user other than the user to whom the item has been lent is read with the item identification information (e.g. Sun: p. 8: borrowed state), the gate circuitry is further configured to lock a door of the gate (e.g. p. 12: analysis is not qualified if book state is borrowed state, and the gate only open if the analysis is qualified).
Sun and Chikada in combination fails to disclose, but Wang teaches, in a case that the user passes through the gate with the item at a date and time close to a return deadline determined by the item management apparatus, the gate circuitry is further configured to make a reminder for the user to return the item (e.g. [0008, 0020]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Sun with the teachings of Wang to provide reminder to user about book return due date so as to avoid overtime penalty.
Regarding claim 3, Chikada teaches the server includes server circuitry (e.g. Fig. 2: 26) configured to: receive, from the gate (e.g. Fig. 2: 15), the user identification information, the item identification information, and the gate identification information; and transmit, to the item management apparatus, the user identification information, the item identification information, and the gate identification information (e.g. Fig. 2: 22 & [0074-0083]: gate 10-13 transmit detected employee ID and tag ID to server 9, and server 9 transmits both ID to unit 22 to perform analysis).
Regarding claim 4, Sun, Chikada, Gong and Wang in combination discloses the item management apparatus includes item management apparatus circuitry configured to:
accumulate, in a memory (e.g. Chikada: Fig. 2: 18-22), the item identification information, the user identification information, and the gate identification information that are received from the server;
associate the user identification information and the item identification information to be accumulated to perform lending processing for lending the item to the user, in a case that the user exits the management area with the item (Sun: p. 10-13: reader 13 reads user ID and unit 17 perform authentication; reader 16 reads book ID and unit 18 perform borrowing analysis by comparing borrowing information and book state; unit 19 update and storing the borrowing record of the borrowed book and the user account so borrowed book associated with the user);
complete returning processing for returning the item in response to accumulation of the user identification information and the item identification information that have been associated with each other at a time of the lending processing, the accumulation being performed in response to entry of the user identification information and the item identification information to the management area (e.g. Sun: p. 11: self-borrowing and returning book; obvious that the returning is similar process as described in self-borrowing);
add a user name of the user and an item name of the item to management information that includes the user identification information and the item identification information (e.g. p. 10-13: unit 19 update and storing the borrowing record of the borrowed book and the user account so borrowed book associated with the user);
determine one of entry to the area and exit from the area to obtain a determination result; add the determination result to the management information (e.g. Sun: p. 12: passing state);
determine, each time the user passes through the gate, whether the user identification information is one that has been associated with the item identification information at the time of the lending processing based on the user identification information and the item identification information to determine whether the item is subjected to relending for the different user other than the user (e.g. Sun p. 8: pre-borrowed state indicate books is predetermined to another reader); and
determine, each time the user passes through the gate, whether the item has been forgotten to be returned, wherein, in a case that a difference between a current date and time and the return deadline is within a predetermined number of days, the item management apparatus circuitry is further configured to: determine that the item has been forgotten to be returned; and transmit a non-return notification instruction to the server (e.g. Wang: [0008, 0020]).
Regarding claim 5, Sun discloses the gate circuitry is further configured to determine presence of said another information holding medium held by the user (e.g. p. 11: borrowing card) and the information holding medium attached to the item (e.g. p. 7: book label) to read the user identification information and the item identification information from the information holding medium and said another information holding medium, respectively.
Regarding claim 6, Sun, Chikada and Gong in combination discloses the gate circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the server, the user identification information, the item identification information, and the gate identification information, the gate identification information being assigned to the gate of each of the management area and the area (see rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 9, Sun, Chikada, Gong and Wang in combination dsicloses the server circuitry is configured to: receive, from the gate, the user identification information, the item identification information, and the gate identification information; and transmit, to the item management apparatus, the user identification information, the item identification information, and the gate identification information (e.g. Chikada: Fig. 2: server 9, 26 receives information from gate 15 and transmits information to management apparatus 22);
notify the gate of a gate lock instruction to lock the door of the gate, the gate lock instruction being transmitted from the item management apparatus; and notify the gate of a non-return notification instruction transmitted from the item management apparatus, and the gate circuitry is further configured to: receive one of the gate lock instruction (e.g. Sun: p. 8: borrowed state to indicate analysis fails and the gate stays closed) and the non-return notification instruction; lock the door of the gate in response to receiving the gate lock instruction; and make the reminder for the user to return the item and lock the door of the gate in response to receiving the non-return notification instruction (e.g. Wang: [0008, 0020]: make reminder).
Regarding claim 10, Sun and Chikada in combination discloses the server circuitry is configured to notify the gate of the gate lock instruction transmitted from the item management apparatus in a case that the item is determined to be subjected to relending for the different user (e.g. Chikada teaches the server circuitry and Sun in p. 11 discloses locking the gate when detected pre-borrowed book state).
Regarding claim 11, Sun, Chikada and Wang in combination the gate circuitry is configured to make the reminder for the user to return the item in response to the non-return notification instruction, the non-return notification instruction being transmitted from the item management apparatus in a case that the item is determined to be forgotten to be returned (e.g. Chikada teaches the server circuitry and Wang: [0008, 0020]).
Regarding claim 12, Sun and Chikada in combination discloses the item management apparatus circuitry is configured to accumulate the user identification information and the item identification information as the management information (e.g. Sun: p. 10-13: reader 13 reads user ID and reader 16 reads book label; Chikada: Fig. 2: 15, 22 & [0074-0083]: employee ID and tag ID).
Regarding claim 13, Sun and Gong in combination discloses,in a case that the user exits the management area with the item, the item management apparatus circuitry is configured to: associate the user identification information and the item identification information to complete the lending processing (e.g. Sun: p. 10-13: reader 13 reads user ID and unit 17 perform authentication; reader 16 reads book label and unit 18 perform borrowing analysis by comparing borrowing information and book state; unit 19 update and storing the borrowing record of the borrowed book and the user account so borrowed book associated with the user); and
additionally record a lending date and time and the return deadline of the item in the management information, the lending date and time being a date and time when the user passes through the gate, the return deadline being a date and time obtained by adding a lendable period that is set to the item to the lending date and time, and in a case that the user identification information and the item identification information that have been associated with each other at the time of the lending processing enter the management area, the item management apparatus circuitry is configured to: complete the returning processing for returning the item; and additionally record a return date and time in the management information, the return date and time being a date and time when the user identification information and the item identification information that have been associated with each other at the time of the lending processing enter the management area (e.g. Gong: p. 2-3: deadline inherently disclosed at the time of lending, and Gong further teaches recording borrowing time and returning time).
Regarding claim 14, Sun and Chikada in combination discloses the item management apparatus circuitry is further configured to: prepare a table that is a list including a user name corresponding to the user identification information and an item name corresponding to the item identification information in the item management apparatus; search the table for the use name and the item name corresponding to the user identification information and the item identification information, respectively, in response to receiving the user identification information and the item identification information from the server; and add the user name and the item name to the management information (e.g. Sun: p. 10-13: reader 13 reads user ID and unit 17 perform authentication; reader 16 reads book label and unit 18 perform borrowing analysis by comparing borrowing information and book state; unit 19 update and storing the borrowing record of the borrowed book and the user account so borrowed book associated with the user; thus, Sun discloses the table of listing in user and book database of the library; Chikada in Fig. 2 further teaches the database).
Regarding claim 17, Sun, Chikada and Gong in combination discloses the area includes a plurality of areas (e.g. Gong: p. 2: plurality of regions), the item is restricted from being taken into at least one of the plurality of areas, the item management apparatus includes item management apparatus circuitry, and in a case that the gate identification information of one of the plurality of areas received from the server together with the item identification information of the item is consistent with the at least one of the plurality of areas, the item management apparatus circuitry is configured to transmit, to the server, the gate lock instruction, and the server circuitry is configured to notify the gate of the gate lock instruction transmitted from the item management apparatus (e.g. Chikada: [0074-0083]: locking the door if document not allowed to leave the room; thus, not allow to enter another area beside the room).
Regarding claim 18, Gong teaches the area includes one or more sub-areas inside the area, and the other gate is placed at each of the entrance of the area and one or more entrances corresponding to the one or more sub-areas (e.g. p. 2: plurality of regions within library).
Regarding claim 20, Sun discloses the item management apparatus circuitry is further configured to: receive a reservation request from another user for the item that has been lent to the user; and add an item name of the item for which the reservation request is received and a user name of said another user to the management information (e.g. p. 11: pre-borrowed state indicate book has been predetermined for another reader; thus, implies receive reservation request and storing information of the another reader).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (CN 114898511 A) in view of Chikada (US 2010/0073134 A1) and Gong (CN 104809779 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Okamoto et al. (US 2007/0247321 A1) (hereinafter rejections rely on provided equivalent English machine translations).
Regarding claim 19, Sun fails to disclose, but Okamoto teaches the item management apparatus includes item management apparatus circuitry configured to display, on a display, an area arrangement diagram indicating the area to which the item is taken (e.g. Figs. 14, 34, 42, 44 and [0297, 0378, 0379]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Sun with the teachings of Okamoto to display location/movement history of an item so as to assist user to easily and convenient track the location of the item.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/KAM WAN MA/Examiner, Art Unit 2688