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 .
Response to Amendment and Arguments
Obara et al. (US 2006/0036711) uses HTML and a web server to serve up the screens for an ATM. In this context, serving images would have been extremely old and well-known.
The motivations for having local image generation in Obara et al., like server load, would hardly be an issue 20 years later. Networks and servers easily handle vast amounts of multimedia data incredibly quickly.
The motivation to serve images on an ATM from a server is multi-fold: To serve up ads, to allow more customization and improve aesthetics.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 or in the alternative 35 USC § 103
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Obara et al. (US 2006/0036711).
Firstly, it is noted that this rejection is being made using 35 USC § 102 and in the alternative 35 USC § 103 out of an abundance of caution. Although it is believed that Obara et al. is applicable under 35 USC 102 for most the claims, the examiner secondarily employs the obviousness standard of 35 USC 103 to allow for minor, obvious differences.
It is also noted that the European Search Report dated 7/22/2024 in parallel and nearly identical application 24166860.7 names Obara et al. as an X reference for all claims.
Re claim 1:
Although the claims are a translation from Japanese, which often is associated with clarity problems, in this case the meaning of the claims is straightforward.
A medium handling apparatus (typically an ATM) has configurable transaction screens that are served from a server such that configuration data defines the appearance and display of the transaction screen, including images.
What this means in practice in the instant invention is that HTML files define different transaction screens for an ATM (similar to how the World Wide Web works). Another way of saying this is that the ATM system display/interface is handled by a Web server.
Obara et al. operates in exactly this way. Obara et al. is an ATM (see figure 1) whose screens are defined by HTML files and these can include images.
For example, Obara et al. teaches at para 0021 to 0034 (with emboldening by the examiner for emphasis):
“[0021] To achieve these objects, the automatic service apparatus of the present invention is an automatic service apparatus for communicating with a Web server and performing guide display and service operation according to operation by a user, has: a display unit for displaying the guide operation; a plurality of I/O units for performing the service operation; and a control unit for controlling the guide operation display on the screen of the display unit by a browser according to the screen content from the Web server, and controlling the plurality of I/O units according to a script embedded in the screen content. And the control unit stores in advance applets downloaded from the Web server in a resident frame of a browser screen, that is divided into a service screen frame and a resident frame, and performs the guide operation display by the screen content from the Web server, as well as calls up a method of an applet for controlling the I/O unit and controls the I/O unit by a script embedded in the screen content.
[0022] The automatic service system of the present invention comprises a Web server and an automatic service apparatus which is connected to the Web server via a network for communicating with the Web server, and performing guide operation display and service operation according to the operation by the user. And the automatic service apparatus further has a display unit for displaying the guide operation, a plurality of I/O units for performing the service operation, and a control unit for controlling the guide operation display on the screen of the display unit by a browser according to the screen content from the Web server, and controlling the plurality of I/O units according to the script embedded in the screen content. The control unit stores in advance applets downloaded from the Web server in a resident frame of a browser screen, that is divided into a service screen frame and the resident frame, and performs the guide operation display by the screen content from the Web server, as well as calls up a method of an applet for controlling the I/O unit and controls the I/O unit by the script embedded in the screen content.
[0023] The automatic service method of the present invention has the steps of: storing applets downloaded from a Web server in a resident frame of a browser screen, that is divided into a service screen frame and a resident frame of an automatic service apparatus; performing guide operation display on a display device of the automatic service apparatus by the screen content from the Web server; and calling up a method of an applet for controlling an I/O unit of the automatic service apparatus and controlling the I/O unit by the Script embedded in the screen content.
[0024] In the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit sets the service screen frame to display and the resident frame to non-display depending on the frame control content from the Web server.
[0025] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit further has a browser which interprets the screen content and performs the guide operation display, as well as interprets the script of the object embedded in the screen content, and calls up a method in processing units of the transaction operation for synchronously controlling the plurality of I/O units, and synchronously controls the plurality of I/O units from the browser.
[0026] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the browser of the control unit allows the screen of the service frame to transit according to the screen content from the Web server, and does not allow the resident frame to transit except for the startup time.
[0027] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the I/O unit further has at least a cash processing unit and a card processing unit.
[0028] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit further receives a screen image generation applet for generating an image of the guide operation screen from the Web server and embeds it into the resident frame, and generates an image file for displaying it on the service frame by the screen image generation applet, when the device is started up.
[0029] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit acquires the screen image file and displays it on the display unit when a callup instruction for the screen image generation applet is included in the screen content.
[0030] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the screen image generation applet creates the screen image from a pattern definition file.
[0031] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the screen image generation applet creates the arranged screen image file from multiple button images defined in the pattern definition file.
[0032] In the present invention, the screen frame of the browser is divided into a transaction frame and a resident frame, and all the applets are downloaded from the server to the resident frame of the browser of the automatic service device in advance. And during communication with the Web server for screen transition, applets are not transmitted but the transaction screen, where a tag for specifying the applet is embedded, is transmitted. So the download time of the applet can be deleted when the transaction screen transits can be decreased. Therefore the wait time of the user for screen transition can be decreased, the time for the user to use the automatic service apparatus can be decreased, use can be more efficient, and the operating efficiency of the apparatus also improves.
[0033] When the apparatus is started up (e.g. at power ON), the screen image generation applet, in addition to the I/O control applet, is also downloaded from the server to the applet resident frame (invisible frame) of the browser in embedded foam. And in the resident frame, the screen image generation applet acquires the button images to be used in the transaction screen and the screen image in advance, and during communication with the server, the transaction screen content is received according to the transaction operation, and when the screen control applet is downloaded, the screen image is acquired from the screen image generation applet of the resident frame, and is drawn in the transaction frame.
[0034] Therefore the screen display time of the applets and the download time of the button images can be decreased at screen transition time, so the screen switching time can be decreased. Even if a complicated pattern is displayed for visual sensation, the image switching time can be decreased, and this contributes to improving the visual sensation of the user during the operation input.”
As para 0076 makes abundantly clear, Obara et al. serves up HTML and Javascript-based pages for display on the ATM, just as in the instant specification. HTML of course is a graphic display template and layout language and embedded images are a central part of that:
“[0076] The browser 120 is constructed of such a Web browser as Internet Explorer.RTM. (Microsoft Corp.), requests the Web server 100 to send content, and interprets and displays the screen content (Web page) sent by the Web server 100. In this case, the browser 120 requests the Web page required for a transaction constructed by HTML and JavaScript, interprets the transmitted Web page, and controls the ATM middleware 130 and the screen of the UOP 30.”
As to the limitations regarding embedding images, that is a standard feature in HTML. The examiner notes the following:
Obara et al. uses HTML and a web server to serve up the screens for an ATM. In this context, serving images would have been extremely old and well-known.
The motivations for having local image generation in Obara et al., like server load, would hardly be an issue 20 years later. Networks and servers easily handle vast amounts of multimedia data incredibly quickly.
The motivation to serve images on an ATM from a server is multi-fold: To serve up ads, to allow more customization and improve aesthetics.
Re claim 2: As Obara et al. makes clear, there a multiple different screen areas and windows for performing different functions.
As another interpretation, one server can handle multiple ATMs.
Re claim 3: As noted above, HTML is a visual layout language that controls screen configuration. HTML/Web systems are adaptable based on the display particulars.
Re claim 4: The Web/HTML display system is customizable, and it would have been obvious to allow customization for the motivation of allowing a better user experience.
Re claim 5: A para 0103 of Obara et al.
The system is designed to handle a variety of conditions including various ATM error conditions which are named at para 0103.
Re claim 6:
Obara teaches:
“[0028] Also in the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit further receives a screen image generation applet for generating an image of the guide operation screen from the Web server and embeds it into the resident frame, and generates an image file for displaying it on the service frame by the screen image generation applet, when the device is started up.”
What this means is that an image of the screen is generated and fitted to the size of the frame it will be displayed in.
Re claim 7:
Obara et al. teaches a series of frame images according the different stages and steps of the ATM transaction.
Re claim 8:
Transaction execution is central to operation of the ATM in Obara et al.
Re claim 9:
As can be seen in many of the images of Obara et al., a big part of the role of the interface is to guide the operator/user through the transaction.
Re claim 10:
See discussions above. HTML is employed. Para 0076 states this explicitly.
Re claim 11:
The iframe tag is a part of HTML and would have been an obvious choice in the present context.
Re claim 12:
The use of the web server has been discussed extensively above.
Re claims 13 and 14:
See discussion re claim 1 above. These claims are similar in scope to the independent claim and have been covered above.
Conclusion
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 DANIEL A HESS whose telephone number is (571)272-2392. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G. Lee can be reached at (571)272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL A HESS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876