DETAILED ACTION
Claims 18-34 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claims do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter.
As per claim 32, the claim language recites a “data processing module.” However, it appears that the system would reasonably be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art as software, per se, failing to be tangibly embodied or include any recited hardware as part of the system. Software alone is directed to non-statutory subject matter. Applicant is advised to amend the claims to include a hardware element (i.e., a processor and/or memory) in order to overcome the 101 rejection. Claim 33 does not cure the deficiencies of the claim on which they depend.
As per claim 34, the claim language recites a “data processing network.” However, it appears that the system would reasonably be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art as software, per se, failing to be tangibly embodied or include any recited hardware as part of the system. Software alone is directed to non-statutory subject matter. Applicant is advised to amend the claims to include a hardware element (i.e., a processor and/or memory) in order to overcome the 101 rejection.
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)(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 18, 20, 21, and 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Standley et al (WO 2016/117639 A1, 26 November 2015, hereinafter Standley).
Standley was cited in the IDS filed on 04/16/2024.
As per claim 18, Standley teaches the limitations as claimed, including a method for processing data using a data processing network including a plurality of data processing modules, which each include at least one data processing component, wherein each data processing component is configured for a defined data processing task for processing the data (Paragraph [0051]), wherein each data processing module receives, as input data, data from at least one data source and/or output data from further data processing modules and generates output data which are network output data of the data processing network and/or input data of further data processing modules (Figure 5D), wherein the following steps are carried out in the method for at least one data processing module:
a) receiving at least one set of input data for performing the data processing task in the at least one data processing component of the data processing module (Figure 1B, input signals);
b) receiving a stimulus for activating the at least one data processing component of the data processing module and assigning a pipeline stage of the at least one data processing component (Paragraphs [0056], [0063], [0064], [0138]);
c) when the set of input data has been received in step a) and the stimulus has been received in step b): activating the pipeline stage of the at least one data processing component of the data processing module and performing the data processing task for which the data processing component is configured with the set of input data to generate output data (Figure 1B); and
d) providing the output data for further data processing and/or as network output data (Figure 1B, outputs).
As per claim 20, Standley teaches at least one timer is used to generate the stimulus used in step b), the timer specifing a time pattern for regular repetition of the execution of the data processing task with the data processing component (Paragraph [0345]).
As per claim 21, Standley teaches that at least one availability signal that indicates availability of data is used to generate the stimulus used in step b) (Paragraph [0067]).
As per claims 32, it is a module claim with no further limitations beyond those rejected above. Therefore, it is rejected for the same reasons.
As per claim 33, Standley teaches that at least the input memory or the output memory has a plurality of stages for storing the set of input data or the output data (Figure 1B).
As per claim 34, it is a network claim with no further limitations beyond those rejected above. Therefore, it is rejected for the same reasons.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19 and 22-31 are 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gregory Kessler whose telephone number is (571)270-7762. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8:30 - 5, Alternate Fridays 8:30-4.
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/GREGORY A KESSLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2197
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