DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to a non-provisional utility patent application filed by Applicant on 4/1/2024.
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 PTO-1449
The Information Disclosure Statement submitted by applicant on 4/1/2024 has been considered. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR § 1.97. Form PTO-1449 signed and attached hereto.
Double Patenting
No conflicting application or issued patent was identified that would require a rejection under double patenting.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
The present application, as claimed, satisfies the requirements for patent-eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101.
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.
Claims 1–4, 6–10, 12–13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stump (US 11,567,737 B1, issued Jan. 31, 2023).
Regarding claims 1, 7, and 13, Stump discloses: an OT domain low-code development platform comprising an OT domain low-code development tool configured to: receive an instruction from a user on a graphical user interface with an OT domain low-code development tool (industrial control software development interface receives input in a graphical format via interaction with the graphical editor window. Stump 1:19–40. User interface component receives user input and renders output to the user. Stump 8:60–65. The system project 302 generated by the UDE system 202 for a given automation system being designed is built on object-based architecture that uses automation objects 222 as building blocks. Stump Figures 5 and 7 and 16:4–55.); use the instruction to generate an OT domain workflow (the project generation component creates a system project based on design input received via the user interface and implements a common set of services and workflows spanning not only design, but also commissioning, operation, and maintenance. Stump 9:16–19 and 53–55.); use the OT domain workflow to define an operation to be performed by a work unit in an OT domain (designed system project 302 define parameters and instructions to execute on devices on the plant floor for implementation of the automation project. Stump 10:4–21.); wherein a main controller of the work unit is connected to OT devices in the work unit to control the OT devices to complete the operation to be performed by the work unit according to the definition of the OT domain workflow (the system project 302 generated by the UDE system 202 for a given automation system being designed is built on object-based architecture that uses automation objects a building blocks where the system project 302 is deployed to target control devices for execution. Stump Figures 5 and 7 and 16:4–55.); determine, based on the instruction, functional blocks in the OT domain workflow and relationships between the functional blocks, wherein, for each OT device in the work unit, an operation to be performed by the OT device is defined by a functional block (the system project 302 generated by the UDE system 202 for a given automation system being designed is built on object-based architecture that uses automation objects 222 as building blocks. Stump Figures 5 and 7 and 16:4–55.), the functional block being an instance of an operation template of a category to which the OT device belongs (operational templates 506 can be classified according to industrial vertical, type of industrial application, plant facility and other categories. Stump 13:40–43.), wherein the operation template predefines an operation which can be performed by the OT device of said category (project generation component 206 leverages guardrail templates 506 to implement rules-based programming, whereby programming feedback such as dynamic intelligence autocorrection, type-ahead, or coding suggestions are rendered based on industry expertise and best practices. Stump 13:51–57.); and generate the OT domain workflow according to the determined functional blocks and relationships between the functional blocks (the system project 302 is deployed to target control devices for execution. Stump Figures 5 and 7 and 16:4–55.).
Regarding claims 2 and 8, Stump discloses the limitations of claims 1 and 7, respectively, wherein the OT domain low-code development tool is further configured to: deploy the OT domain workflow onto a runtime of the main controller of the work unit, so that the OT devices in the work unit connected to the main controller perform operations according to the OT domain workflow (Stump 16:41–55.).
Regarding claims 3 and 9, Stump discloses the limitations of claims 2 and 8, respectively, further comprising an OT domain microservice generator, configured to generate a microservice on the basis of the OT domain workflow, so that an IT domain code development tool causes an IT device to call the microservice via a data platform, triggering the runtime of the main controller of the work unit to perform the OT domain workflow (cloud-based and platform-as-a-service (Paas) IDE services 1402 are used to deploy industrial application to a plant environment and are accessible to authorize remote client devices and translate system projects to appropriate executable, control, visualization, and device configuration files. Stump Figure 14 and 24:64–25:47.).
Regarding claims 4 and 10, Stump discloses the limitations of claims 3 and 9, respectively, wherein: the OT domain microservice generator is further configured to register the microservice on the data platform, so that the IT domain code development tool causes an IT device to discover the connected microservice via the data platform; or the platform further comprises a third-party apparatus configured to register the microservice on the data platform, so that the IT domain code development tool causes an IT device to discover the connected microservice via the data platform (the IDE system can determine whether pre-defined visualization content is available for any of the object discovered in the drawings and generate appropriate screens and content for the discovered objects. Stump 11:53–57. The IDE system resides on a cloud platform and executes as a set of cloud-based IDE service that are accessible to authorized remote client device. Stump 25:14–34. The industrial environment includes industrial controllers, HMI terminals, motor drive, servers running higher level application and other assets connected to a plant network that facilitate data exchange between industr4uial devices on the plant floor. Stump 24:64–25:13.).
Regarding claims 6 and 12, Stump discloses the limitations of claims 2 and 8, respectively, wherein the operation template conforms to an information model that interacts with the runtime of the main controller (project generation component 206 leverages guardrail templates 506 to implement rules-based programming, whereby programming feedback such as dynamic intelligence autocorrection, type-ahead, or coding suggestions are rendered based on industry expertise and best practices. Stump 13:51–57.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 11 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Sanchis (NPL Sanchis, Garcia-Perales, Fraile, and Poler, Low-Code as Enabler of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Industry, Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 12, www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci (2020)); Mehrabi (NPL Mehrabi, Ulsoy, and Koren, Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems; Key to Future Manufacturing, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing (2000) 11, 403–419, Kluwer Academic Publishers (2000)).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VANCE M LITTLE whose telephone number is (571) 270-0408. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jung (Jay) Kim can be reached on (571) 272-3804. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/VANCE M LITTLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2493