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 the Claims
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s initially filed application dated 8/08/2024, claims 1-10 are currently pending and being examined in this reply
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.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim does not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because:
Claim 10 is directed to a system while reciting an “order management module” which is nothing more than software or computer-executable instructions or code per se.
Given the BRI of the term “order management module” the “system” can be reasonable interpreted as being directed to a program, per se, comprising sub programs.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., an abstract idea) without “significantly more.” Claims 1-10 are directed to certain methods of organizing human activity which is considered an abstract idea. Further, the claim(s) as a whole, when examined on a limitation-by-limitation basis and in ordered combination do not include an inventive concept.
Step 1 – Statutory Categories
In regard to claims 1-9 as indicated in the preamble of the claims, the examiner finds the claims are directed to a process, machine, or article of manufacture.
Step 2A – Prong One - Abstract Idea Analysis
Representative independent claim 1 recites the following abstract concepts, in italics below, which are found to include an “abstract idea”:
A method for synchronizing order information, applied to an order management module of e-commerce enterprise resource planning (ERP), wherein the order management module comprises an order template, and the method comprises:
step S1, obtaining data access authorities of an order information interface and a notification information interface of an e-commerce platform, and creating, by the order management module, a subscription notification of order status information based on the notification information interface, wherein the order information interface is configured to obtain first order information from the e-commerce platform, and the notification information interface is configured to obtain second order information from the e-commerce platform;
step S2, obtaining the second order information according to step S21, obtaining the first order information according to step S22, and generating corresponding target order information, wherein the step S2 further comprises:
step S21, when an order status changes, receiving, by the order management module, a corresponding order status information notification from the notification information interface, extracting order information in an order status information notification as the second order information, and filling the second order information into the order template to generate target order information synchronized from the notification information interface at that time;
step S22, synchronizing, by the order management module, the first order information from the order information interface at an interval time t1, and filling the first order information synchronized each time into the order template to generate target order information synchronized from the order information interface at that time; and
step S3, configuring target order information newly generated in the order template as synchronized target order information.
The claim features in italics above as drafted, under its broadest reasonable interpretation are certain methods of organizing human activity (fundamental economic practices and managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people) performed by generic computer components. That is, other than reciting “order management module”, nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being a method of organized human activity. For example, but for the “order management module”, the above italicized limitations in the context of this claim encompasses certain methods of organizing human activity. If the claim limitations, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people and fundamental economic practices, but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “certain methods of organizing human activity” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
Step 2A – Prong Two - Abstract Idea Analysis
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim only recites 1 additional elements – “order management module”. They are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing generic computer functions) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component (MPEP 2106.05(f)), data gathering, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity (MPEP 2106.05(g)), and linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use (MPEP 2106.05(h)). Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea.
Step 2B - Significantly More Analysis
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to
significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional elements of “order management module” amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component, insignificant extra-solution activity, and linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. Mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component, insignificant extra-solution activity, and linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use, cannot provide an inventive concept. Further, the background and specification does not provide any indication that the “order management module” is anything other than a generic, off-the-shelf computer components. For these reasons, there is no inventive concept.
Prior art made of record and not relied upon
US 2024/0020731 A1 to Fu teaches The system receives data regarding inventory from the one or more integrated third party systems, wherein the data is received via an application programming interface (API). The system aggregates a collection of available inventory based on the data regarding the inventory from the one or more integrated third party system. The system filters the aggregated collection of available inventory based on one or more categories of the inventory. The system generates, on a graphical user interface, a custom display based on a received criteria that matches the one or more categories of the inventory. Further various tools that connect the buyer 210 to the publisher marketplace 220 allow orders to be created in the publisher marketplace order management system 230. The order management system 230 of the publisher marketplace may further connect with third party systems 204 of the seller 201, such as CRM 251, ERP 252, reporting and business intelligence (BI) 501, and ad server 102 via API. (abstract and 0063)
US 7,315,830 B1 to Wirtz teaches An electronic shopping server formats and sends an electronic page, having an integrated shopping basket with drag and drop functionality, from a virtual catalog to a plurality of clients. The server includes an e-sessions controller that manages and tracks each session with the clients, profile generator that identifies and authorizes each consumer to engage in the sessions, catalog selector responsive to on-demand requests for the contents and supporting data of each catalog page, and order processor that supports purchase requests. The e-sessions controller manages the sessions by causing each client to launch an electronic sessions application. The resident application includes a local sessions controller that brokers all client communications with the server and implements the instructions from the e-sessions controller. The resident application also includes an image generator for displaying an image of each item from the catalog page, descriptive data generator for displaying supporting data for each item, and an order panel generator for displaying a shopping basket that remains on the same page with the image at all times. An order initiator can be included to send a request for the server to create a facsimile of the shopping basket. An item adder and item remover cause items to be added/removed from the client's basket and, if included, server's basket upon executing a web page function. An order executor synchronizes the two shopping baskets and/or sends a request to purchase the items listed in the shopping basket. The shopping basket can be configured to travel with the consumer to receive input from various servers hosting different web sites.
https://developers.activecampaign.com/docs/configuration-walkthrough-1 (active campaign) teaches using API polling and update webhook commands for real-time data updates and provide historical data and retrieving backlog data.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH M MUTSCHLER whose telephone number is (313)446-6603. The examiner can normally be reached 0600-1430.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Florian Zeender can be reached at (571)272-6790. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH M MUTSCHLER/Examiner, Art Unit 3627
/A. Hunter Wilder/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627