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 .
Status of Claims
Applicant’s submission filed 12/10/24 has been entered. Claims 1-15 are presented for examination.
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, 3-9, 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Drago et al. (US 20210158319 A1), in view of HENRY et al. (US 20180322376 A1).
Re-claim 1, Drago et al. teach -- A system, comprising:
--location signaling hardware for providing a human-perceivable signal to identify a storage location; and
(see e.g. [0031] In view of such, the DLIM system 10 provides a means in which to quickly identify the position of such indistinguishable products in a gantry arrangement or cabinet 15 of one or more shelves 20 by means of a highly visible, illumination indicator strip 25 providing a plurality of lights 30 and/or a screen interaction/graphical user interface (GUI) 35 provided on a display 40, e.g., of a POS device 45. )
--a control system, comprising:
--a database for storing a storage location identifier for each of at least a first item and a second item;
(see e.g. [0007] wherein the processor further includes information relating to which bin each subset of the set of lights of the strip is associated.
[0065] A processor 100, having a memory 160, 165 which stores an item list 170 indicating which items 90 are held within each of the bins
-- a search interface for receiving a request for a storage location for a search item and for determining, based on querying the database, that the search item is stored in the first storage location; and --a signaling hardware interface module configured to direct the location signaling hardware to provide a human-perceivable signal to identify the first storage location.
(see e.g. [0007] An entry device in communication with the processor sends entered requests for item placement or removal to the processor. An indicator strip is attached to the shelf, e.g., along the entire front edge of the shelf, wherein the indicator strip has a set of lights linearly arranged in an single dimension such that an associated subset of the set of lights comprising two or more lights uniquely identifies an associated one of the bins when lit, wherein the strip is in communication with the processor and wherein the processor further includes information relating to which bin each subset of the set of lights of the strip is associated. Selection of one of the items from the list of items via the entry device causes the processor to send a signal to actuate the subset of the set of the plurality of lights which is associated with the bin with the selected item,
[0038] The processor 100 also controls, via sending a signal through the communication interface 105, the selective activation of a subset of lights 115 (of the plurality of lights 30) provided along the indicator strip 25 to help guide a store clerk to a specific bin 80 of a specific shelf 20 which holds a purchased item 90 as also depicted by FIGS. 1 and 2.).
Although Drago et al. teach a first location and a second location (see e.g. [0040] he subset of lights 115, comprising two or more lights, uniquely identifies an associated one of the bins 80 when lit/activated by the processor 100. [0034] A plurality of transverse dividers 85 divide the shelf 20 into the plurality of bins 80. Each bin 80 is used to hold visibly indistinguishable items 90).
Drago et al. do not explicitly teach the location identifier
However, HENRY et al. teach -A system, comprising: -a first storage location having a first storage location identifier; --a second storage location having second storage location identifier;
(see e.g. a location ID for a location at which an asset corresponding to the tag ID is stored and/or available;) .
HENRY et al. also teach --a control system, comprising: --a database for storing a storage location identifier for each of at least a first item and a second item;
(see e.g. [0057] --the central control computer storing at least a copy of the database, the database storing, for each tag ID associated therewith, a location ID for a location at which an asset corresponding to the tag ID is stored and/or available;)
(see also [0150] The part number for that tag is then displayed by the PDA 130 at block 970. This part number may be acquired by the PDA 130 by sending the Tag ID as a query to the location database 939′ and receiving in response the part and/or location ID (as seen in FIG. 9(d)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Drago et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by HENRY et al., in order to provide a method of tracking the location of an asset at a site (see e.g. [0046]).
Re-claim 3, Drago et al. teach --- The system of claim 1, wherein the first storage location is a first bin and the second storage location is a second bin
(see e.g. [0007] In another embodiment, the DLIM system described herein provides a shelf having a plurality of dividers which divide the shelf into a plurality of bins for holding visibly indistinguishable items.
[0006] In one exemplary embodiment, the DLIM system comprises a lighting system which guides a store clerk to a specific bin which holds a purchased item and includes a live inventory management application of items held by the bin.
Re-claim 4, Drago et al. teach --The system of claim 1, wherein the first storage location is a first drawer and the second storage location is a second drawer.
(see e.g. 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising: adjusting at least some of the dividers in the drawer to form a preferred arrangement of the bins).
Re-claim 5, Drago et al. teach ---The system of claim 1, wherein the location signaling hardware comprises a first LED that is spatially associated with the first storage location and a second LED that is spatially associated with the second storage location.
(see e.g. [0065] An indicator strip 25 attached to the shelf 20 has a set of lights 30 linearly arranged in an single dimension such that an associated subset of lights 115 thereof comprising two or more lights uniquely identifies one of the bins 80 when lit. The indicator strip 25 is in communication with the processor 100 and wherein the processor further includes information 140 relating to which bin 80 each subset of lights 115 is associated).
Re-claims 6-7, Drago et al. teach --The system of claim 1, wherein the location signaling hardware comprises LED strip lights having at least a uniquely addressable first light from the LED strip lights that is spatially associated with the first storage location and a uniquely addressable second light from the LED strip lights that is spatially associated with the second storage location.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the signaling hardware interface module is configured to direct the LED strip lights to activate the first light from the LED strip lights that is spatially associated with the first storage location.
(see e.g. abstract ---A shelf for items has bins each with an associated sensor. A processor receives a detection signal from the sensor which indicates placement or removal an item(s) from an associated bin. An entry device sends an entered request for placement or removal of items to the processor, and an indicator strip has lights which uniquely identify each one of the bins when lit. The processor has information relating to which bin each subset of lights is associated, and causes activation of a subset of lights associated with a bin of the item(s) in the request and records in memory a type of action, a time stamp and a quantity of the item(s) placed or removed from the bin having the subset of lights lit and indicated in the detection signal subsequently received from the sensor of the associated bin.
[0040] such that the subset of lights 115, comprising two or more lights, uniquely identifies an associated one of the bins 80 when lit/activated by the processor 100. In one embodiment the lights 30 are LEDs.
Claim 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the lights comprise LEDs,).
Re-claim 8, Drago et al. teach ---The system of claim 7, wherein activating the first light from the LED strip lights comprises at least one from the following list: solid illumination, color change, brightness change, and temporal pattern.
(see e.g. [0046] As best depicted by FIG. 4, the corresponding position of the associated bin 80 is indicated electronically on e.g., display 30, via a visible indicator 200, such as an image, icon, differentiating graphic, color change, etc., which highlights virtually the associated physical position of the one or more selected items 90 contained in the associated shelf 20 of the cabinet 15.).
Re-claim 9, Drago et al. teach ---The system of claim 6, wherein the LED strip lights are mounted on a LED strip light mount.
(see e.g. [0007] An indicator strip is attached to the shelf, e.g., along the entire front edge of the shelf, wherein the indicator strip has a set of lights linearly arranged in an single dimension such that an associated subset of the set of lights comprising two or more lights uniquely identifies an associated one of the bins when lit, wherein the strip is in communication with the processor and wherein the processor further includes information relating to which bin each subset of the set of lights of the strip is associated.
[0040] As best shown in FIG. 2, the indicator strip 25 is attached to the shelf 20 at a front end 133.).
Claim 11 recites similar limitations as claims 1, 6, 7 and is therefore rejected under the same art and rationale.
Re-claim 12, Drago et al. teach ---The system of claim 11, wherein activating the first light from the LED strip lights comprises at least one from the following list: solid illumination, color change, brightness change, and temporal pattern.
(see e.g. [0046] As best depicted by FIG. 4, the corresponding position of the associated bin 80 is indicated electronically on e.g., display 30, via a visible indicator 200, such as an image, icon, differentiating graphic, color change, etc., which highlights virtually the associated physical position of the one or more selected items 90 contained in the associated shelf 20 of the cabinet 15.)
Re-claim 13, Drago et al. teach ---The system of claim 12, wherein activating the first light from the LED strip lights comprises solid illumination.
(see e.g. [0060] After a selection input is received via the user input device 125, which is checked in block 510, the processor 100 will look up the information 140 related to the selected item 90 to determine the associated bin 80 and illuminate the associated subset of lights 115 in block 515.)
Re-claim 14, Drago et al. teach ---The system of claim 12, wherein activating the first light from the LED strip lights comprises a temporal blinking pattern.
(see e.g. [0047] It is further to be appreciated that the virtual storage arrangement 122 actively displayed with the visible indicator 200 (which can be shown also as a constant image, flashing image, spinning image, shaking image, and the likes) helps guide a clerk to the physical location of the one or more items 90 selected.
Claim 15 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore rejected under the same art and rationale.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Drago et al. (US 20210158319 A1), in view of HENRY et al. (US 20180322376 A1), in further view of Cobb et al. (US 20130297325 A1).
Re-claim 2, Drago et al., in view of HENRY et al., do not teach the limitation as claimed.
However Cobb et al. teach -The system of claim 1, wherein the first storage location is a first hanging location and the second storage location is a second hanging location.
(see e.g. abstract --The system includes a computer workstation or network, a wireless transmitter, and hanger bags for temporarily storing prescriptions awaiting customer pick up. The hanger bags are equipped with wireless receivers and transducers. When a pharmacy worker commands the computer system to locate a specific prescription, the specific hanger bag containing that prescription receives a wireless signal from the computer system and activates the transducer on the hanger bag to alert the pharmacy worker to the location of the prescription.
[0011] The target hanger bag with the customer's prescription illuminates the light or lights attached to the hanger, so that the pharmacist can easily find the target hanger bag.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Drago et al., in view of HENRY et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Cobb et al., in order to easily find the prescription/item in the hanger bag (see e.g. claim 10).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Drago et al. (US 20210158319 A1), in view of HENRY et al. (US 20180322376 A1), in further view of Seymour (US 5771003 A).
Re-claim 10, Drago et al., in view of HENRY et al., do not teach the limitation as claimed.
However Seymour teaches -- The system of claim 1, wherein the location signaling hardware comprises an audio indicator configured to identify the first storage location.
(see e.g. -Claim 2 --- . A system for locating items in accordance with claim 1 wherein:
said signals are selected from the group consisting of audible signals, bells, alarms, visual signals, lights, lightbulbs, lamps illuminators, light emitting diodes, release mechanisms, and signaling devices).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Drago et al., in view of HENRY et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Hein et al., in order to prominently identify the location of the product for easy retrieval. (see e.g. col. 5, lines 30-31).
Conclusion
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/LUNA CHAMPAGNE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
October 10, 2025