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 .
Summary
This Final Office Action in response to the communication received on December 29, 2025.
Claims 17, 20, 23, 26-28, and 30-31 have been amended.
Claims 33-34 have been added.
Claims 1-16, 18-19, 29, and 32 have been cancelled.
Claims 17, 20-28, 30-31, and 33-34 are pending.
The effective filing date of the claimed invention is November 4, 2021.
Response to Amendment
Amendments to claims 17, 20, 23, 26-28, and 30-31 are acknowledged. Amendments to Claims 30-31 are sufficient to overcome the 35 USC 112 rejection of Claims 30-31. Claims 29 and 32 that were also rejected under 35 USC 112 have been cancelled.
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.
Claims17, 20-28, 30-31, and 33-34- are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed a judicial exception (i.e., an abstract idea) without significantly more.
Step 1 – Statutory Categories
As indicated in the preamble of the claim, the examiner finds the claim is directed to a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter.(Claims 17, 20-27, and 33 are processes and Claims 28, 30-31, and 34 are machines). Accordingly, step 1 is satisfied.
Step 2A – Prong 1: was there a Judicial Exception Recited
Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) recites the following abstract concepts that are found to include “abstract idea.” Any additional elements will be analyzed under Step 2A-Prong 2 and Step 2B:
An apparatus for determining a goods storage location, the apparatus comprises:
a host computer including a processor, the processor being configured to:
acquire acquiring a goods weight and a storing and retrieving frequency of a piece of goods to be put in storage (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016));
acquire a storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016));
acquire, in accordance with the goods weight and a pre-acquired mapping relationship, target storage location information determined for the piece of goods to be put in storage, comprising (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016)):
acquiring, in accordance with the goods weight, the storing and retrieving frequency and the mapping relationship, the target storage location information determined for the piece of goods to be put in storage (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016));
the mapping relationship is a corresponding relationship between offset information, a weight and storage location information of each piece of goods, and the offset information includes an offset distance and/or an offset angle, wherein (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016)).
determining, in accordance with the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage, a target goods partition that satisfies a preset frequency optimization strategy in racks, wherein the frequency optimization strategy indicates that the higher the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods is, the closer to a hoister the piece of goods is, and the rack includes a plurality of good partitions that are allocated in advance in accordance with distances from a post and distances from a guide rail (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016));
determining, in accordance with the goods weight and the mapping relationship, a storage location with the smallest offset information corresponding to the goods weight in the target goods partition as a target storage location of the piece of goods to be put in storage to obtain the target storage location information (See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016)).
Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) is directed to a series of steps for acquiring a storage location for each piece of goods, which are mental processes. The mere nominal recitation of a host computer including a processor does not take the claim out of mental processes. Thus, Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) recites an abstract idea.
Step 2A – Prong 2: Can the Judicial Exception Recited be integrated into a practical application
Limitations that are indicative of integration into a practical application:
Improvements to the functioning of a computer, or to any other technology or technical field - see MPEP 2106.05(a)
Applying or using a judicial exception to effect a particular treatment or prophylaxis for a disease or medical condition – see Vanda Memo
Applying the judicial exception with, or by use of, a particular machine - see MPEP 2106.05(b)
Effecting a transformation or reduction of a particular article to a different state or thing - see MPEP 2106.05(c)
Applying or using the judicial exception in some other meaningful way beyond generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment, such that the claim as a whole is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception - see MPEP 2106.05(e) and Vanda Memo
Limitations that are not indicative of integration into a practical application:
Adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea - see MPEP 2106.05(f)
Adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception - see MPEP 2106.05(g)
Generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use – see MPEP 2106.05(h)
The identified abstract idea of exemplary Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) is not integrated into a practical application. The additional elements are: a host computer including a processor. These additional elements are broadly recited computer elements that do not add a meaningful limitation to the abstract idea because they amount to merely using a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea - see MPEP 2106.05(f).
Accordingly, alone and in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) is directed to an abstract idea.
Step 2B – Significantly More Analysis
Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because, when considered separately and in combination, steps a) acquiring a goods weight and retrieving frequency of a piece of goods to be put in storage, b) acquire a storing and retrieving frequency, c) acquire target storage location information, d) acquiring the target storage location information, e) determining a target goods partition, and f) determining a storage location, do not add significantly more to the exception because they amount to merely using a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea - see MPEP 2106.05(f). Claim 28 (and similarly Claims 17 and 31) is ineligible.
Claim 20 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
Claim 21 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
Claim 22 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III). For the additional limitation of a shuttle vehicle, the examiner refers to the "apply it" rationale of MPEP 2106.05(f).
Claim 23 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
Claim 24 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
Claim 25 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
Claim 26 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III). For the additional limitation of a weighing conveyor line, the examiner refers to the "apply it" rationale of MPEP 2106.05(f).
Claim 27 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
Claim 30 recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III). For the additional limitations of a shuttle vehicle, a hoister, and a weighing conveyor line, the examiner refers to the "apply it" rationale of MPEP 2106.05(f).
Claim 33 (and similarly Claim 34) recites the abstract idea of mental processes. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
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) 17, 20-28, 30-31, and 33-34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat Pub 2020/0377315 “Diankov”, in view of US Pat Pub 2023/0219753 “Bates”, in view of US Pat Pub 2021/0294930 “Cai”.
As per Claims 17, 28, and 31, Diankov discloses a method, a system, and a non-transitory readable storage medium for determining a goods storage location, the method comprises:
a host computer including a processor, the processor (Diankov: [0035] Many embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure described below can take the form of computer- or processor-executable instructions, including routines executed by a programmable computer or processor.) being configured to:
acquire, in accordance with the goods weight and a pre-acquired mapping relationship, target storage location information determined for the piece of goods to be put in storage (Diankov: [0060] The robotic system 100 can generate the placement plan 350 according to a set of placement rules, placement conditions, parameters, requirements, etc. In some embodiments, the robotic system 100 can generate the placement plan 350 based on packages grouped according to the set, such as according to the package types (e.g., package types 321-325), package heights, customer specified priority, fragility (e.g., maximum supported weight, such as for packages stacked thereon), weight range, or a combination thereof.);
the mapping relationship is a corresponding relationship between offset information, a weight and storage location information of each piece of goods, and the offset information includes an offset distance and/or an offset angle (Diankov: [0076] FIG. 4A illustrates a horizontal offset rule 402 used to generate 3D placements (e.g., the 3D placement plan 350). And [0077] In some embodiments, the horizontal offset rule 402 can be based on weight, dimension, and/or center-of-mass (CoM) locations 412.).
Diankov fails to disclose a method, a system, and a non-transitory readable storage medium for determining a goods storage location, the method comprises:
acquire acquiring a goods weight and a storing and retrieving frequency of a piece of goods to be put in storage;
acquire a storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage;
wherein
determining, in accordance with the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage, a target goods partition that satisfies a preset frequency optimization strategy in racks, wherein the frequency optimization strategy indicates that the higher the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods is, the closer to a hoister the piece of goods is, and the rack includes a plurality of goods partitions that are allocated in advance in accordance with distances from a post and distances form a guide rail;
determining, in accordance with the goods weight and the mapping relationship, a storage location with the smallest offset information corresponding to the goods weight in the target goods partition as a target storage location of the piece of goods to be put in storage to obtain the target storage location information.
Bates teaches a method, a system, and a non-transitory readable storage medium for determining a goods storage location, the method comprises:
acquire acquiring a goods weight (Bates: [0035] To keep a record of stock or inventory stored in the storage and retrieval system (i.e. grid framework structure), preferably the at least one access conveyor unit comprises a load cell for weighing a container. Preferably, the load cell is arranged below the at least one access conveyor unit. More preferably, the load cell is arranged below the at least one access conveyor unit such that the load cell is at the access station. When operated as a pick station, the load cell measures the weight of a storage container in the access station each time an item is removed from the storage container. Optionally, the one or more storage bins comprises a label readable by a user interface for establishing the identity of each of the one or more storage bins as it paused at the pick station. This allows a stock control system to identify and correlate the contents of the storage bins or containers to the storage bins or containers stored in the grid framework structure. Optionally, the label of one or more of the storage bins can be a barcode, 1-D barcode, 1 2-D barcode, or a QR code or a RFID tag. A handheld scanner can be used to identify the identification of one or more of the storage bins and the stock control system can correlate the contents of the one or more storage bins or containers to the identification of the storage bins or containers themselves. The weight readings are recorded, together with the identification of the storage bin or container in an inventory database or stock database, and the data is used to monitor and control the amount of stock in the storage system. For example, when the weight of a particular storage bin is less than its allocated predetermined weight, this will provide information to the stock control system that the storage bin or container can accept more items. Preferably, the predetermined weight is between 15 kg to 50 kg, more preferably 20 kg to 40 kg. An inventory database or stock database is created recording the weight of each of the storage bins or containers and their contents in the grid framework structure.) and a storing and retrieving frequency of a piece of goods to be put in storage (Bates: [0165] analyses the frequency distribution of ordered items. These typically include convenience or staple common everyday items having a relatively short sell buy date, e.g. milk, dairy products etc. One or more storage bins or containers 10b, 10c can be organized in the storage and retrieval system whereby each of the one or more storage bins or containers can store different items that are frequently ordered together, i.e. have a high frequency distribution of request.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov to include storing and retrieving frequency of goods as taught by Bates, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov with the motivation of improving the efficiency of the inventory handling station (Bates: [0038]).
Diankov and Banks fail to disclose a method, a system, and a non-transitory readable storage medium for determining a goods storage location, the method comprises:
acquire a storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage;
wherein
determining, in accordance with the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage, a target goods partition that satisfies a preset frequency optimization strategy in racks, wherein the frequency optimization strategy indicates that the higher the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods is, the closer to a hoister the piece of goods is, and the rack includes a plurality of goods partitions that are allocated in advance in accordance with distances from a post and distances form a guide rail;
determining, in accordance with the goods weight and the mapping relationship, a storage location with the smallest offset information corresponding to the goods weight in the target goods partition as a target storage location of the piece of goods to be put in storage to obtain the target storage location information.
Cai teaches a method, a system, and a non-transitory readable storage medium for determining a goods storage location, the method comprises:
acquire a storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage (Cai: [0062] The warehouse structural data 310 is processed via an automatic layout analysis operation 312 to offer one or more candidate storage designs 314 of the storage space of the warehouse based on the inventory information 208 of the product packages to be stored in the storage space. The inventory information 208 includes one or more of a package type, a quantity, a package size, an expected weight, a maximal weight, an access frequency, and a storage type of each of the product packages.);
wherein
determining, in accordance with the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage, a target goods partition that satisfies a preset frequency optimization strategy in racks, wherein the frequency optimization strategy indicates that the higher the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods is, the closer to a hoister the piece of goods is, and the rack includes a plurality of goods partitions that are allocated in advance in accordance with distances from a post and distances from a guide rail (Cai: [0063] For each product package to be stored in the warehouse, each operation of loading, unloading and transporting incurs a cost associated with labor, equipment and space involved in the respective operation. A candidate storage design 314 having a lower overall cost is more desirable. For example, product packages having a greater turnover rate (i.e., a higher access frequency) are stored closer to an exit or placed at a lower rack than product packages having a lower turnover rate. Product packages that are more difficult to transport are stored closer to an exit than product packages that are easier to transport. Otherwise, the product packages that have the greater turnover rate or are more difficult to transport may incur additional labor and equipment costs, causing the overall cost of a corresponding candidate storage design 314 to be less desirable.);
determining, in accordance with the goods weight and the mapping relationship, a storage location with the smallest offset information corresponding to the goods weight in the target goods partition as a target storage location of the piece of goods to be put in storage to obtain the target storage location information (Cai: [0063] For each product package to be stored in the warehouse, each operation of loading, unloading and transporting incurs a cost associated with labor, equipment and space involved in the respective operation. A candidate storage design 314 having a lower overall cost is more desirable. For example, product packages having a greater turnover rate (i.e., a higher access frequency) are stored closer to an exit or placed at a lower rack than product packages having a lower turnover rate. Product packages that are more difficult to transport are stored closer to an exit than product packages that are easier to transport. Otherwise, the product packages that have the greater turnover rate or are more difficult to transport may incur additional labor and equipment costs, causing the overall cost of a corresponding candidate storage design 314 to be less desirable.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov and Bates to include storing goods based on a preset frequency optimization strategy as taught by Cai, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov and Bates with the motivation to optimize usage of a storage space of a warehouse for storing a plurality of product packages based on floor plan information, inventory information and/or resource information (Cai: [0003]).
As per Claim 20, Diankov discloses a method, wherein the step of acquiring, in accordance with the goods weight, the storing and retrieving frequency and the mapping relationship, the target storage location information determined for the piece of goods to be put in storage comprises:
determining, in accordance with the goods weight and the mapping relationship, a plurality of storage locations with the offset information corresponding to the goods weight being less than a preset threshold in racks (Diankov: [0143]);
determining, in accordance with the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage, a target storage location that satisfies a preset frequency optimization strategy from the plurality of storage locations to obtain the target storage location information, wherein the frequency optimization strategy indicates that the higher the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods is, the closer to a hoister the piece of goods is (Diankov: [0143]).
As per Claim 21, Diankov discloses a method, wherein the step of acquiring, in accordance with the goods weight and a pre-acquired mapping relationship, target storage location information determined for the piece of goods to be put in storage comprises:
determining, in accordance with the goods weight and the mapping relationship, a storage location with the smallest offset information corresponding to the goods weight in the storage locations of racks as a target storage location of the piece of goods to be put in storage to obtain the target storage location information (Diankov: [0060]).
As per Claim 22, Diankov discloses a method, wherein the method further comprises:
sending, in accordance with the target storage location information, to a shuttle vehicle a command for putting goods in storage for instructing the shuttle vehicle to place the piece of goods to be put in storage in the location indicated by the target storage location information (Diankov: [0141]).
As per Claim 23, Diankov discloses a method, wherein, before the step of acquiring, in accordance with the goods weight and a pre-acquired mapping relationship, target storage location information determined for the piece of goods to be put in storage, the method further comprises:
receiving the offset information of the piece of goods in each storage location reported by the shuttle vehicle in an inspection process (Diankov: [0105]);
storing the offset information of the piece of goods in each storage location (Diankov: [0105]).
As per Claim 24, Diankov fails to disclose but Bates teaches a method, the method further comprises:
receiving, when each piece of goods is put in storage, the weight of the piece of goods reported by a weighing conveyor line (Bates: [0035]);
storing, after each piece of goods is put in storage, the weight of each piece of goods and the storage location information of each piece of goods (Bates: [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov to include storing and retrieving frequency of goods as taught by Bates, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov with the motivation of improving the efficiency of the inventory handling station (Bates: [0038]).
As per Claim 25, Diankov discloses a method, the method further comprises:
performing a statistical analysis for the weights, storage location information, and offset information of all pieces of goods stored in a storage space to obtain the mapping relationship (Diankov: [0100]).
As per Claim 26, Diankov fails to disclose but Bates teaches a method, wherein the step of acquiring a goods weight of a piece of goods to be put in storage comprises:
receiving the goods weight of the piece of goods to be put in storage reported by the weighing conveyor line (Bates: [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov to include storing and retrieving frequency of goods as taught by Bates, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov with the motivation of improving the efficiency of the inventory handling station (Bates: [0038]).
As per Claim 27, Diankov fails to disclose but Bates teaches a method, wherein the step of acquiring a storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage comprises:
acquiring, in accordance with configuration information of the piece of goods to be put in storage input by a user or pre-acquired, the storing and retrieving frequency of the piece of goods to be put in storage (Bates: [0165]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov to include storing and retrieving frequency of goods as taught by Bates, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov with the motivation of improving the efficiency of the inventory handling station (Bates: [0038]).
As per Claim 30, Diankov fails to disclose but Bates teaches a shuttle vehicle system, comprising:
a shuttle vehicle (Bates: [0008]), a hoister (Bates: [0038]) and a weighing conveyor line respectively communicating and connected with the host computer (Bates: [0035]);
wherein the shuttle vehicle is used for putting the goods in storage, delivering the goods from storage, and inspecting the goods in accordance with instructions from the host computer (Bates: [0008]), the hoister is used for cooperating with the shuttle vehicle to lift the goods in accordance with the instructions from the host computer (Bates: [0038]), and the weighing conveyor line is used for determining the weight of each piece of goods (Bates: [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov to include storing and retrieving frequency of goods as taught by Bates, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov with the motivation of improving the efficiency of the inventory handling station (Bates: [0038]).
As per Claims 33 and 34, Diankov fails to disclose but Bates teaches a system and non-transitory readable storage medium, wherein the processor is further configured to control a shuttle vehicle to place the piece of goods to be put in storage in the location indicated by the target storage location (Bates: [0009]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Diankov to include storing and retrieving frequency of goods as taught by Bates, when mapping a storage location as taught by Diankov with the motivation of improving the efficiency of the inventory handling station (Bates: [0038]).
Response to Arguments
35 USC 101
Applicant's arguments filed December 29, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the claims have been amended to include hardware features including a hoister, and to clarify the technical implementation of the method. Applicant argues that the amended claims recite a technical solution to a technical problem (e.g., comprehensive planning of storage location for goods by logistical systems) that considers the impacts of location and weight on offset information to reduce the offset of goods under the impact of a shuttle vehicle and prevent retrieval failures due to excessive offset.
While the claims have been amended to mention a technical feature, such as the hoister, the claims are not directed nor do they incorporate the implementation or functioning of the hoister. Instead, they are directed to analyzing storage locations and products to develop an optimized storage location based on a variety of parameters including product information, product transport information, and warehouse information. Analyzing information to calculate an optimized result is considered to be mental processes, and thus, an abstract idea. See MPEP 2106.04 III) mental processes, a claim to “collecting information, analyzing it, and displaying certain results of the collection and analysis,” where the data analysis steps are recited at a high level of generality such that they could practically be performed in the human mind, Electric Power Group v. Alstom, S.A., 830 F.3d 1350, 1353-54, 119 USPQ2d 1739, 1741-42 (Fed. Cir. 2016).
If the claims included limitations that caused the hoister and/or shuttle vehicle to be electronically controlled (claimed in a way that could not be interpreted as a human operating the devices) based on the determinations of the claims, they might be considered to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application.
35 USC 103
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment, filed December 29, 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 17, 20-28, and 30-31 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of US Pat Pub 2020/0377315 “Diankov”, in view of US Pat Pub 2023/0219753 “Bates”, in view of US Pat Pub 2021/0294930 “Cai”.
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.
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/REVA R MOORE/Examiner, Art Unit 3627
/FAHD A OBEID/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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