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
For the purpose of examination herein, the applicant's claim for priority is acknowledged based on a certified copy of an application filed in Japan on September 14th, 2023 and retrieved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-5, 13-16 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, modified Eiji teaches:
A sales data processing apparatus (See Eiji ¶ [0006] – sales data processing device) comprising:
a first display device facing a first direction (See Eiji ¶ [0006] – a first display section for displaying an operation screen);
a second display device facing a second direction opposite to the first direction (See Eiji ¶ [0006] – a second display section for displaying the operation screen, which is arranged in a direction different from the first display section as shown in Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c);
…;
a second table disposed lateral to the first display device (See Eiji Fig. 6a – table (45) oriented laterally of display (11));
a bag hanger disposed on the second table and on which a bag is hangable (See Eiji Fig. 6b – bag hanger (43, 431 and 432) below table (45)); and
...
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach a first table that is disposed in front of the first display device and on which an item is placeable or a third table disposed directly below the first table. This is taught by Terahara (See Terahara Fig. 5 – temporal placing table (5) in front of display (50) and table (20) below table (5)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a temporal placing table in front of a display as well as another table below said temporal placing table as taught by Terahara to allow an operator to place an item more smoothly during the registration process (Terahara ¶ [0076]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 2, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1 (See claim 1 above), …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration process, including tables supported by bag hangers (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach that the first table is attached to and supported by the bag hanger. This is taught by Terahara (See Terahara ¶ [0043] - the temporal placing table is fixed to the supporting structure (33) of the bag supporting part (4) through the supporting member (41) as shown in Fig. 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a temporal placing table mounted to a bag hanger as taught by Terahara to allow an operator to place an item more smoothly during the registration process (Terahara ¶ [0076]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 4, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first processor configured to control the first display device; and
a second processor configured to control the second display device (See Eiji ¶ [0010] – sales data processing device comprises a first operation section 1 [including display (11)] and a second operation section 2 [including display (21)] . The first operation unit 1 and the second operation unit 2 are operation units corresponding to different accounting processes, and execute processing independently, thereby showing functional example of two different processors).
Regarding Claim 5, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a processor configured to control both of the first display device and the second display device (See Eiji ¶ [0011] – the first operation unit 1 and the second operation unit 2 are connected to devices such as a higher-level store controller [processor by example]).
Regarding Claim 13, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first reading device including a reading window facing the first direction (See Eiji ¶ [0020-0021] – The scanner (12) is a functional unit that optically reads various kinds of information, and in this embodiment, it is composed of a fixed scanner (12-1) realized by a CCD camera [reading window by example] or the like and a handy scanner (12-2). The scanner (12) can optically read bar codes and two-dimensional codes (product codes, etc.) attached to products… The fixed scanner (12-1) is oriented in the same direction as the touch panel display (11)); and
a second reading device including a reading window facing the second direction (See Eiji ¶ [0035] – Note that the touch panel display (21), the scanner (22), the card settlement unit (23), the printing unit (25), the notification unit (26), and the camera (27) that constitute the second operation unit 2… similarly to the first operation unit 1, the scanner (22) and the card payment unit (23) are provided facing the same direction as the touch panel display (21)).
Regarding Claim 14, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein
the second reading device is disposed lateral to the second display device (See Eiji ¶ [0016] – sales data processing device (100C) has a handy scanner (22-2) for the second operation unit 2 and Fig. 6b and 6c – handy scanner (22-2) located beside display (21) [second display device]).
Regarding Claim 15, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the second table (See claim 1 above)…
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration process, including a second table (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach that said second table includes a weight scale, and the sales data processing apparatus is configured to compare a weight measured by the weight scale with a weight of an item registered in an item master database. This is taught by Terahara (See Terahara ¶ [0030] - The measuring part [scale] measures the load exerted on the placing part and outputs the measured load to the control unit as an electrical signal. The measuring part includes load cells, [0055] - The article master file is a file storing article name, price, weight, and the like of a corresponding article code. The sales file is a file storing sales data and the like. The program stored in the HDD is written in the RAM along with various files such as the article master file and [0065] - the CPU determines whether or not the actual weight calculated has identity with the weight of the article searched and stored in the RAM [comparing measured weights to stored weights by example]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a scale to measure registered item weights as taught by Terahara to allow an operator to place an item more smoothly during the registration process (Terahara ¶ [0076]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 16, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a handy scanner that is disposed between the first display device and the second display device and adjacent to the second table (See Eiji Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c – hand scanner (12-2) between displays (11) and (21) and adjacent to table (45) [second table]).
Regarding Claim 18, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the second table is disposed such that an item placed thereon is accessible from both of the first direction and the second direction (See Eiji Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c – no barriers preventing an operator from accessing either side of the bag hangers (43) mounted on table (4) [second table]).
Regarding Claim 19, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
upon receiving a switching operation, the sales data processing apparatus is configured to switch from a first mode in which a customer performs an item registration process for registering an item and a payment process of making a payment for the registered item, to a second mode in which both the customer and a store clerk can perform the item registration process and the customer performs the payment process (See Eiji ¶ [0026] - the customer or store clerk who operates the first operation unit 1 … when the change bill machine receives various operations and cash insertion from the customer, it calculates the amount of money inserted through the insertion port, [0028] - statuses that can be assumed when using the first operation unit 1 include: idle, registered, paying, forgetting to take change, near-end of change, calling store clerk, multiplication registration of product by customer, thereby showing product registration by both of the customer and store clerk and payment by the customer, [0061] - The full-self mode is an operation mode in which the customer executes all operations from registration of the purchase target product to payment using the sales data processing device and [0083] – appropriate settings can be used to switch between the payment types and operation modes that can be handled by the first operation unit 1 and the second operation unit 2).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1) and Susaki et al. (US 2021/0042729 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second table (See claim 1 above) …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach that the second table includes a weight scale, and the sales data processing apparatus is configured to acquire a total weight of one or more items on the first and second tables based on an output from the weight scale. This is taught by Susaki (See Susaki ¶ [0030] - The weighing unit 2 measures a total weight of the commodity placed on the tables 2 a and 2 b and the commodity put in the bag hung on the arm 2 c. In other words, the weighing unit 2 measures the total weight of the commodity transferred to the weighing unit 2 as the registered commodity as shown in Fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a weighing scale to measure weights of items placed on multiple tables for placing items as taught by Susaki to reduce the work load of the customer (Susaki ¶ [0092]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1) and Mason (US 7,127,706 B2).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a mounting table on which the first display unit and the second display unit are disposed (See Eiji ¶ Fig. 2b – display (11) and display (21) mounted on top surface [table by example] of housing (10)) …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach the display mounting table includes a moving mechanism movable in the first direction and the second direction. This is taught by Mason (See Mason Fig. 2a and 2c – a display for a checkout station mounted on a table that slides out, rotates and then slides back in place for operation). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a display(s) mounted on a moveable table as taught by Mason to reduce the time required for converting a checkout station from one operational mode to another (Mason Col. 2 lines 41-43), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 7, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising (See claim 6 above):
a fourth table (Eiji Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and at least four tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), Eiji does not explicitly teach the mounting table is between the second table and the fourth table, and at least one of the second table and the fourth table includes a connecting part that connects the at least one of the second table and the fourth table to the mounting table such that an orientation of a longitudinal direction of the at least one of the second table and the fourth table is changeable. This is taught by Mason (See Mason Col. 5 lines 31-34 - Sliding drawer 70 is mounted on slide rails 72 in the recessed compartment and scanner/Scales unit 26 is mounted by a Swivel on the top surface of sliding drawer 70 and Fig. 2a, 2b and 2c – a display for a checkout station mounted on a table between two other tables of said checkout station that slides out, rotates and then slides back in place for operation). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a display(s) mounted on a moveable table as taught by Mason to reduce the time required for converting a checkout station from one operational mode to another (Mason Col. 2 lines 41-43), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1), Mason (US 7,127,706 B2) and Honda et al. (JP 2021-051444 A).
Regarding Claim 8, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 7 (See claim 7 above), wherein
…
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and at least four tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), Eiji does not explicitly teach the second table includes the connecting part, and the second table further includes a top plate including a connecting part to which the bag hanger is attached such that an orientation of the bag hanger is changeable according to the orientation of the longitudinal direction of the second table. This is taught by Honda (See Honda ¶ [0020-0021] - the bag support 23 is mounted on the second mounting table 22, the first locking portion 25c is slid to be locked to one end of the second mounting table [connecting part] and Figs. 1 and 2 – showing the bag hanger oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second mounting table and Figs. 7 and 8 – showing the bag hanger oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second mounting table). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of bag hanger orientation adjustability as taught by Honda so that the bag support device does not get in the way and the clerk or the customer can easily access the bag provided on the mounting portion or the bag support (Honda ¶ [0007]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Claims 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1), Mason (US 7,127,706 B2) and Shimoyama (US 5,492,199).
Regarding Claim 9, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising (See claim 6 above):
…
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and at least four tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), Eiji does not explicitly teach a floor unit on which the mounting table is disposed, wherein the floor unit includes a guide along which the moving mechanism is movable. This is taught by Shimoyama (See Shimoyama Col. 4 lines 40-51 - the cashier display unit 27CHR and customer display unit 27CST are rotatable so as to face the positions of the cashier CHR and the customer CST-A (CSTB) and display each of the registered sales data items… the article table 40 is exposed in a portion between the display units 27CHR, 27CST and the keyboard 24, constructs a lid plate of the housing 30, and is used to temporarily hold an article whose article code is difficult to read by use of the scanner 15 on the corresponding scanning lane 10A (10B) side and Col. 4 lines 65-67 – As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the position adjusting mechanism 50 is composed of two rails 51 and 55 mounted on the floor between the scanning lanes 10A and 10B and Figs. 2 and 3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of a display(s) mounted on a moveable table that are moving on a floor mounted guide mechanism as taught by Shimoyama to provide a checkout device in which quick and smooth checkout is not impaired due to an increase in the number of customers waiting their turn for checkout (Shimoyama Col. 2 lines 18-20), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 10, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 9 (See claim 9 above), …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and at least four tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), Eiji does not explicitly teach the guide includes stoppers, each of which is disposed at an end of the guide. This is taught by Shimoyama (See Shimoyama Figs. 3 and 4 – guide stop PTS3 at the end of each floor guide (51 and 55)). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of guide stops for a moveable table that is moving on a floor mounted guide mechanism as taught by Shimoyama to provide a checkout device in which quick and smooth checkout is not impaired due to an increase in the number of customers waiting their turn for checkout (Shimoyama Col. 2 lines 18-20), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 11, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 9 (See claim 9 above), …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and at least four tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), Eiji does not explicitly teach the moving mechanism includes wheels, and the guide includes grooves for guiding the wheels. This is taught by Shimoyama (See Shimoyama Figs. 3 and 4 – wheels (36) and floor guides (51 and 55) for guiding said wheels). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of wheels and guide rails for a moveable table that is moving on a floor mounted guide mechanism as taught by Shimoyama to provide a checkout device in which quick and smooth checkout is not impaired due to an increase in the number of customers waiting their turn for checkout (Shimoyama Col. 2 lines 18-20), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Regarding Claim 12, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 9 (See claim 9 above), …
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with two displays mounted on a housing and at least four tables for placing items during a sales registration process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051] and Figs. 2b, 6a, 6b and 6c – table (3)), Eiji does not explicitly teach the moving mechanism includes a first slide rail, and the guide includes a second slide rail connectable to the first slide rail. This is taught by Mason (See Mason Col. 5 lines 31-34 - Sliding drawer 70 is mounted on slide rails 72 in the recessed compartment and scanner/Scales unit 26 is mounted by a Swivel on the top surface of sliding drawer 70 and Fig. 2a, 2b and 2c – showing slide rails as two-piece telescoping slide rails). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration system of Eiji the use of two-piece slide rails mounted on a moveable table as taught by Mason to reduce the time required for converting a checkout station from one operational mode to another (Mason Col. 2 lines 41-43), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1) and Okamura (US 2019/0026549 A1).
Regarding Claim 17, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the first table (See claim 1 as noted above) ...
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration and settlement process (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0051], [0083] and Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach that a table is formed of a transparent material. This is taught by Okamura (See Okamura ¶ [0035] – a stand on which the commodity is placed is provided, and the bottom of the stand is made of a transparent member). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales registration and settlement process that is performed by switching modes of operation by either a clerk or customer system of Eiji the use of a mode wherein a clerk performs the sales registration and settlement process as taught by Okamura to allow a customer to easily recognize only the useful information without requiring burdensome pre-registration process (Okamura ¶ [0005]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled sales data processing device.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eiji (JP 2022-167156 A) in view of Terahara et al. (US 2011/0192900 A1) and Matsui (US 2018/0285852 A1).
Regarding Claim 20, modified Eiji teaches:
The sales data processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein
the sales data processing apparatus is also switchable … and to a fourth mode in which the store clerk performs the item registration process and the customer performs the payment process (See Eiji ¶ [0026] - the customer or store clerk who operates the first operation unit 1 … when the change bill machine receives various operations and cash insertion from the customer, it calculates the amount of money inserted through the insertion port, [0028] - statuses that can be assumed when using the first operation unit 1 include: idle, registered, paying, forgetting to take change, near-end of change, calling store clerk, multiplication registration of product by customer, thereby showing product registration by at least the store clerk and payment by the customer and [0083] – appropriate settings can be used to switch between the payment types and operation modes that can be handled by the first operation unit 1 and the second operation unit 2).
While Eiji teaches a sales data processing device with multiple tables for placing items during a sales registration and settlement process that is performed by switching modes of operation by either a clerk or customer (Eiji ¶ [0006], [0026], [0028], [0051], [0083] and Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c), Eiji does not explicitly teach a third mode in which the store clerk performs the item registration process and the payment process. This is taught by Matsui (See Matsui ¶ [0080] – the store clerk display is disposed in a location and a direction where a store clerk executing product registration processing and settlement processing by operating the register terminal is located within a range of a viewing angle of a screen of the display). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to include in the sales registration and settlement process that is performed by switching modes of operation by either a clerk or customer system of Eiji the use of a mode wherein a clerk performs the sales registration and settlement process as taught by Matsui to improve convenience for the customer (Matsui ¶ [0188]), thereby improving the efficiency of Eiji’s multi-tabled/ multi-modal sales data processing device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW S WERONSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-5802. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm EST.
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/MATTHEW S WERONSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 3627
/PETER LUDWIG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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