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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Status
Claims 1-15 are pending in this application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “shelf member” of claim 6 must be shown or the feature canceled from the claim. No new matter should be entered. Note: we do not identify the “partition member” of fig. 11 with the claimed shelf member as the partition member does not appear to have the claimed discharge function of the shelf member.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
See objections to the specification below for contingencies that might require further amendments to applicant’s drawings depending on the method chosen to amend the specification.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. MPEP § 608.01.
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. We object to the title because the claimed invention not only incorporates no sales functions as might be expected from the titular word “vending”, but also because the titular term “vending machine” strongly suggests a well-known category of point of sale devices for consumer use that does not appear in the disclosure or the claims. Applicant’s invention appears to be a warehouse system comprising many discrete machines, one device being used for dispensing but not, apparently, for vending. Applicant’s Summary of Invention section [0008]-[0012] describes operations as taking place in a warehouse, not a store and discloses no sales function. Moreover, though in itself not sufficient grounds for objection, the titular word “mega” is meaningless in the context of the title and should be redacted given that amendment to the title is required on the grounds discussed above.
The following title is suggested: “Warehouse product dispensing system and method”. Of course, many other suitable titles are possible.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: the instant specification makes repeated reference (e.g. in [0010]) to a “shelf partition area” and a “shelf compartment area”, terms which also frequently appear in the claims and so have considerable significance for the application. We believe these terms likely denote the same concept. Applicant should either conform one term to the other or make clear that the two types of areas definitely refer to different entities. In this latter case it would be necessary also to amend the drawings to indicate the differences between the areas. See also claim objections below.
The disclosure is further objected to because the terms “discharge box” and “discharge basket” appear to be similarly confused or conflated. The term “discharge basket” appears in claims 5 and 12 and in flowchart step S117 of fig. 6, but does not appear in any diagram figures. The term “discharge box” appears in fig. 1 but does not appear in the text of the instant specification or in the claims. We presume the terms “discharge box” and “discharge basket” refer to the same structure. Again, applicant should either conform one term to the other or make clear that the basket and box definitely refer to different entities. If the term “discharge basket” is retained, it would be necessary also to amend the drawings to depict the basket as part of a diagram. See also the rejections of claims 5 and 12 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) below.
Appropriate correction is required.
Examiner’s Note
The examiner would welcome an interview to clarify any of the various rejections seen below in order to expedite prosecution of the instant application.
Claim Interpretation
Claims 1 and 8-15 recite the term “mega vending machine control device” (ref. char. 100 in applicant’s figs. 1-2) While the claimed entity may perhaps be part of a larger unclaimed vending process, per applicant’s paragraph [0009] and per its fig. 2 which list the comprised elements of the “control device”, we consider the claimed device to actually be a warehouse system comprising multiple devices including a general-purpose computer and several discrete machines including mobile robots (“shelf transport units”). We do not find a true vending machine anywhere in applicant’s disclosure.
We note as well that it is unreasonable for a “control device” such as is disclosed in [0009] to comprise discrete structures such as mobile transport units. A control device is commonly considered in the art to be a computer such as a PLC. Even if a control device were considered to be a larger and more abstract machine with mechanical features, a single machine cannot comprise discrete vehicles such as applicant’s shuttle container driving units; rather this entity should be considered a complex system which can legitimately comprise a variety of elements including mobile devices.
In this office action, we therefore consider applicant’s “mega vending machine control device” to be a warehouse system that comprises either explicitly claimed elements or those elements disclosed in [0009] and/or fig. 2 when not explicitly claimed.
Numerous claims recite a variety of units found in applicant’s fig. 2. We recognize three categories of units as follows:
We interpret applicant’s “recognition classification processing unit”, “warehouse information processing unit”, “order information processing unit”, and “discharge information processing unit” as aspects of software running in applicant’s control device, and not discrete machines. As such, when citing references in rejection, it is unnecessary for the references to teach or disclose discrete devices of their own that perform the claimed method steps, but rather must teach or disclose similar functionality through control functions of their own control devices.
We interpret applicant’s “communications unit”, “database unit”, and “control unit” as components of a general-purpose computer such as a server or PLC.
We interpret applicant’s “shuttle container driving unit”, “shelf transport driving unit”, and “picking manipulator driving unit” either as discrete machines or as mechanical components of discrete machines.
Claims 5 and 12 recite a “discharge device”. This device is the featureless box 500 in fig. 1 with no embodied form or internal structure described in the instant specification. As such we interpret “discharge device” by plain English meaning as any machine whatsoever that can be related to the act of discharging an item, which act we consider to be the removal of an item from a location or a container.
Claim 6 recites a “shelf member”. Because the shelf member is not described in detail in the instant specification (appearing briefly only in [0061]) and because it does not appear in any figure, our broadest reasonable interpretation is any structure associated with a shelf capable of the claimed “discharging” or “exporting” method step. Also see drawing objection above.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-2 are objected to because of the following informalities: these claims recite the term “individual small product” where the term should be plural. Correction to “individual small products” appears proper.
Claim 2 is further objected to because the claim recites, “and mapping shelf compartment area identification information of the shelf compartment area from which the individual small product has been discharged…” (emphasis added). However, in claim 1, the individual small product was discharged to the shelf, not from it. We belief the quoted word “from” should be “to”.
Claim 6 is objected to because it recites “the first product” where no first product has been introduced in this or a parent claim. Because parent claim 5 introduces “one or more individual small products” it is presumed that the first of those products is the “first product” of claim 6 and hence no antecedent basis rejection is indicated. Nevertheless, this is a possible point of confusion which should be corrected, for example by reciting instead of, “the first product” rather, “the first of the said individual small products”. We note as an aside that in the absence of large products to compare to or a size range definition for the word “small”, the word “small” is effectively meaningless in the claims.
Claims 3-4, 7-11, and 15 recite the limitations “the shelf partition area” or “the target shelf partition area”. We presume these terms relate to the “shelf compartment area” of claims 1, 8, and 15 and so again we cite only an objection and not a rejection for an absent antecedent basis. See also objection to the specification above.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 8 recite the limitations “each slot” and "the shuttle container" in lines 4 and 5 respectively. Claims 5 and 12 recite the limitation “the discharge basket” in lines 10 and 11-12 respectively. Claims 5 and 12 further recite the limitation “the discharge device” in lines 11 and 12-13 respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims. Claims 2-7 and 9-14 inherit the indefiniteness of claims 1 and 8 and Claims 6 and 13 inherit the indefiniteness of claims 5 and 12.
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.
Claims 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gondoh, et al., US 2018/0022551 (hereinafter Gondoh) in view of Lindley, et al., US 2022/0048708 (hereinafter Lindley).
Regarding claim 1,
Gondoh discloses:
A method of operating a mega vending machine control device comprising the steps of:Per Claim Interpretation above, we consider the “mega vending machine control device” to map to the overall dispensing and transport system that constitutes Gondoh’s invention as depicted in figs. 1-3.
identifying individual small product from a warehousing box; (article identification, [0048])
picking up the identified individual small product and arranging them in each slot of the shuttle container (case D: fig. 1);Gondoh discloses in [0021]-[0022] that its robot R picks and places items into item collection case D, which is a shuttle container as it may be transported per [0021]. Per [0022], particular order positions (i.e. slots) are considered by Gondoh’s system when placing items into case D.
transporting the shuttle container to a shelf compartment area of a warehouse (transporting case D in [0021]);
However, Gondoh does not disclose:
and discharging the individual small products into the shelf compartment area by opening a lower side of the slot of the shuttle container and processing the completion of the warehousing of the individual small product. Gondoh’s item collection case D does not open slots for discharging products onto shelves.
Lindley, an invention in the field of picking station automation, teaches:
and discharging the individual small products into the shelf compartment area by opening a lower side of the slot (34b: fig 3) of the shuttle container (27a: fig. 3) and processing the completion of the warehousing of the individual small product.Lindley’s invention is largely concerned with an “article discharging device” 27a that maps to applicant’s shuttle container and uses the claimed slot to discharge articles per fig. 3 and [0160]. In combination with Gondoh we make use of Lindley’s shuttle container and discharge method.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh, by discharging the individual small products into the shelf compartment area by opening a lower side of the slot of the shuttle container and processing the completion of the warehousing of the individual small product, as taught by Lindley, because as Lindley states in [0003], its device and method improves the order picking process by enabling a packaging machine to proceed more efficiently and quickly. In combination with Gondoh, the same feeding procedure would be followed with respect to a storage rack as for a packaging machine.
Regarding claim 3,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the step of processing the completion of warehousing includes transporting the shuttle container so that the lower side of the slot of the shuttle container is located on a sliding guide (Lindley, 37, 39: fig. 4) connected to the shelf partition area. Lindley teaches sliding guides 37 and 39 in fig. 4 that guide items from a container to a conveyor. In combination with Gondoh which discloses the transport of a container to a shelf, Lindley’s guides would be used to guide its container to Gondoh’s shelf.
Regarding claim 4,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 1 and also:
wherein the step of processing the completion of warehousing includes transporting the shuttle container so that the lower side of the slot of the shuttle container is located above the shelf partition area. In the combination of Gondoh and Lindley, the system of Gondoh transports the shuttle container of Lindley. Where Lindley places its shuttle container so that the lower side of the slot of the shuttle container is above a conveyor per its figs. 3-9, Gondoh, in transporting a shuttle container to a shelf, would locate the shuttle container and its lower side slot above the shelf as claimed.
Regarding claim 5,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 1, and also:
further comprising the steps of: receiving order information from a buyer terminal or order processing device (Lindley, “order processing computer”, [0027], [0243]) ;
identifying location information and number information on one or more individual small products corresponding to the order information; (Lindley, order information in [0243])
determining transport and pickup process for each of one or more shuttle containers based on the location information and number information on the individual small products; (Lindley, retrieving and transferring items from storage in [0145])
transmitting control commands according to the transport and pickup process to the one or more shuttle containers; (Lindley, controlling mobile robots, [0256])
and when the one or more individual small products which have been picked up in the one or more shuttle containers are all collected in the discharge basket, transmitting a discharge processing command corresponding to the discharge basket to the discharge device, and performing discharge completion processing corresponding to the order information. This step or set of steps is the central subject of Lindley’s invention and is disclosed in great detail throughout its lengthy specification; however, we direct attention to figs. 3-9 for embodiments of Lindley’s picking station at which discharge baskets of shuttle containers discharge items, and to [0160] for summary description of the first picking zone of fig. 3. Lindley’s system discharges items to a conveyor which could be considered a discharge device in itself, but in combination with Gondoh we take the discharge device to be the shelving system of Gondoh’s figs. 2 and 7 to which Lindley’s shuttle, shuttle container, and discharge basket would be delivering articles.
Regarding claim 8,
Gondoh discloses:
A mega vending machine control devicePer Claim Interpretation above, we consider the “mega vending machine control device” to map to the overall dispensing and transport system that constitutes Gondoh’s invention as depicted in figs. 1-3.
comprising: a recognition classification processing unit for identifying individual small products from warehousing boxPer Claim Interpretation above we consider the claimed recognition classification processing unit to be an aspect of control software. As such, Gondoh’s disclosure of a product identification step in its [0048] maps to the claimed recognition unit, which operates as a function of Gondoh’s controller H in fig. 3.
a picking manipulator driving unit (pick and place robot R: fig 2) for picking up the identified individual small products and places them in each slot of the shuttle container (item collection case D: fig. 2);Gondoh discloses in [0021]-[0022] that its robot R picks and places items into item collection case D, which is a shuttle container as it may be transported per [0021]. Per [0022], particular order positions (i.e. slots) are considered by Gondoh’s system when placing items into case D.
a shelf transport unit (unnumbered self-propelled carriage, [0021]) for transporting the shuttle container to a shelf compartment area of a warehouse;
and a warehousing information processing unit for processing the completion of the warehousing of the discharged individual small products.Per Claim Interpretation above we consider the claimed warehousing information processing unit to be an aspect of control software. As such, Gondoh’s disclosure of processing control steps as introduced in [0035], presented in detail in [0036]-[0044], and summarized in [0045] maps to the claimed processing unit, which operates as a function of Gondoh’s controller H in fig. 3.
However, Gondoh does not disclose:
a shuttle container driving unit for opening a lower part of the slot of the shuttle container and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area;Gondoh’s item collection case D does not open slots for discharging products onto shelves.
Lindley, an invention in the field of picking station automation, teaches:
a shuttle container driving unit for opening a lower part of the slot (34b: fig 3) of the shuttle container (27a: fig. 3) and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area;Lindley’s invention is largely concerned with an “article discharging device” 27a that maps to applicant’s shuttle container and uses the claimed slot to discharge articles per fig. 3 and [0160]. In combination with Gondoh we make use of Lindley’s shuttle container and discharge method.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh, with a shuttle container driving unit for opening a lower part of the slot of the shuttle container and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area; as taught by Lindley, because as Lindley states in [0003], its device and method improves the order picking process by enabling a packaging machine to proceed more efficiently and quickly. In combination with Gondoh, the same feeding procedure would be followed with respect to a storage rack as for a packaging machine.
Regarding claim 10,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 8 and also:
wherein the shelf transport unit transports the shuttle container so that the lower part of the slot of the shuttle container is located on a sliding guide (Lindley, 37, 39: fig. 4) connected to the shelf partition. Lindley teaches sliding guides 37 and 39 in fig. 4 that guide items from a container to a conveyor. In combination with Gondoh which discloses the transport of a container to a shelf, Lindley’s guides would be used to guide its container to Gondoh’s shelf.
Regarding claim 11,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 8 and also:
wherein the shelf transport unit transports the shuttle container so that the lower part of the slot of the shuttle container is located above the shelf partition area. In the combination of Gondoh and Lindley, the system of Gondoh transports the shuttle container of Lindley. Where Lindley places its shuttle container so that the lower side of the slot of the shuttle container is above a conveyor per its figs. 3-9, Gondoh, in transporting a shuttle container to a shelf, would locate the shuttle container and its lower side slot above the shelf as claimed.
Regarding claim 12,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 8, and also:
a communication unit for receiving order information from a buyer terminal or an order processing device (Lindley, “order processing computer”, [0027], [0243]) ;
an order information processing unit for identifying location information and number information on one or more individual small products corresponding to the order information (Lindley, processing order information in [0243]), determining a transport and pickup process for each of one or more shuttle containers based on the location information and number information of the individual small products (Lindley, retrieving and transferring items from storage in [0145]) and transmitting a control command according to the transport and pickup process to one or more shuttle containers; (Lindley, controlling mobile robots, [0256])Per Claim Interpretation above, we consider the claimed order information processing unit to be an aspect of software in applicant’s control device, and so in rejection, citing Lindley, we demonstrate the claimed functionality without requiring a named processing unit, which is not a discrete hardware unit or device.
and a discharge information processing unit for transmitting, when one or more individual small products picked up in the one or more shuttle containers are all collected in the discharge basket, a discharge processing command corresponding to the discharge basket to a discharge device and performing a discharge completion processing corresponding to the order information. Per Claim Interpretation above, we consider the claimed discharge information processing unit to be an aspect of software in applicant’s control device, and so in rejection, citing Lindley, we demonstrate the claimed functionality without requiring a named processing unit, which is not a discrete hardware unit or device. The claimed step or set of steps is the central subject of Lindley’s invention and is disclosed in great detail throughout its lengthy specification; however, we direct attention to figs. 3-9 for embodiments of Lindley’s picking station at which discharge baskets of shuttle containers discharge items, and to [0160] for summary description of the first picking zone of fig. 3. Lindley’s system discharges items to a conveyor which could be considered a discharge device in itself, but in combination with Gondoh we take the discharge device to be the shelving system of Gondoh’s figs. 2 and 7 to which Lindley’s shuttle, shuttle container, and discharge basket would be delivering articles.
Regarding claim 15,
Gondoh discloses:
A shuttle container (case D: fig. 1) connected to a mega vending machine control devicePer Claim Interpretation above, we consider the “mega vending machine control device” to map to the overall dispensing and transport system that constitutes Gondoh’s invention as depicted in figs. 1-3. Gondoh discloses in [0021]-[0022] that its robot R picks and places items into item collection case D, which is a shuttle container as it may be transported per [0021].
comprising: one or more slots in which individual small products picked up by a pickup manipulator (robot R: fig. 1) of the mega vending machine control device are placed;Per [0022], particular order positions (i.e. slots) are considered by Gondoh’s system when placing items into case D.
a transport control unit for transporting the shuttle container to a shelf compartment area of a warehouse where the individual small products are warehoused; (unnumbered self-propelled carriage, [0021])We note that all AGVs and all other robotic or driverless vehicles such as Gondoh’s self-propelled carriage are necessarily controlled by a transport control unit (typically a PLC) even though Gondoh does not explicitly disclose such a unit.
However, Gondoh does not disclose:
and a slot control unit for opening, when the shuttle container is transported to the shelf partition area, the lower part of the one or more slots and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area.Gondoh’s item collection case D does not open slots for discharging products onto shelves.
Lindley, an invention in the field of picking station automation, teaches:
and a slot control unit (52: fig. 12, [0256]-[0257]) for opening, when the shuttle container (27a: fig. 3) is transported to the shelf partition area, the lower part of the one or more slots (34b: fig 3) and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area.Lindley’s invention is largely concerned with an “article discharging device” 27a that maps to applicant’s shuttle container and uses the claimed slot to discharge articles per fig. 3 and [0160]. In combination with Gondoh we make use of Lindley’s shuttle container and discharge method.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh, with a slot control unit for opening, when the shuttle container is transported to the shelf partition area, the lower part of the one or more slots and discharging the individual small products into the shelf partition area, as taught by Lindley, because as Lindley states in [0003], its device and method improves the order picking process by enabling a packaging machine to proceed more efficiently and quickly. In combination with Gondoh, the same feeding procedure would be followed with respect to a storage rack as for a packaging machine.
Claims 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gondoh in view of Lindley and further in view of Liu, et al., US 2021/0082031 (hereinafter Liu).
Regarding claim 2,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 1, but not all aspects of:
wherein the step of arranging includes mapping and storing slot placement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and wherein the step of processing the completion of warehousing includes opening a lower side of a first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information;
and mapping shelf compartment area identification information of the shelf compartment area from which the individual small product has been discharged to the individual small product information and storing it in an inventory database.Regarding these two limitations, while Gondoh discloses considerations regarding item positioning in a shuttle container, and while Lindley teaches opening a lower side slot of a shuttle container in order to dispense an item, neither reference teaches mapping the shelf to which items are discharged and storing the resultant data.
Liu, an invention in the field of warehouse order processing, teaches the missing aspects of the limitations:
wherein the step of arranging includes mapping and storing slot placement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and wherein the step of processing the completion of warehousing includes opening a lower side of a first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information;
and mapping shelf compartment area identification information of the shelf compartment area from which the individual small product has been discharged to the individual small product information and storing it in an inventory database.Liu teaches in [0132] that after an item is stored on a shelf location, a location information mapping table is generated and stored.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh and Lindley, wherein the step of arranging includes mapping and storing slot placement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and wherein the step of processing the completion of warehousing includes opening a lower side of a first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information; and mapping shelf compartment area identification information of the shelf compartment area from which the individual small product has been discharged to the individual small product information and storing it in an inventory database, as taught by Liu, because these method steps amount to managing the inventory of a warehouse with data suitable for subsequent automated retrieval of items stored to warehouse shelves. These are core capabilities for warehouse order fulfillment automation. While it is commonplace to perform inventory management separate from warehousing operations such as item storage to shelves, combining these two functions (a method also well known to the art) plainly increases operational efficiency over requiring separate inventory and storage operations.
Regarding claim 9,
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 1, but not all aspects of:
wherein the warehouse information processing unit maps and stores slot placement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and when the lower part of the first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information is opened, the warehouse information processing unit maps the shelf partition area identification information of the shelf partition area from which the individual small product has been discharged is stored to the individual small product information and stores it in an inventory database.While Gondoh discloses considerations regarding item positioning in a shuttle container, and while Lindley teaches opening a lower side slot of a shuttle container in order to dispense an item, neither reference teaches mapping the shelf to which items are discharged and storing the resultant data.
Liu, an invention in the field of warehouse order processing, teaches the missing aspects of the limitations:
wherein the warehouse information processing unit maps and stores slot placement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and when the lower part of the first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information is opened, the warehouse information processing unit maps the shelf partition area identification information of the shelf partition area from which the individual small product has been discharged is stored to the individual small product information and stores it in an inventory database.Per Claim Interpretation above, we consider applicant’s warehouse information processing unit to be an aspect of software running in a control device and not a discrete machine. Liu teaches in [0132] that after an item is stored on a shelf location, a location information mapping table is generated and stored.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh and Lindley, wherein the warehouse information processing unit maps and stores slot placement information corresponding to the individual small product information, and when the lower part of the first slot of the shuttle container corresponding to the slot placement information is opened, the warehouse information processing unit maps the shelf partition area identification information of the shelf partition area from which the individual small product has been discharged is stored to the individual small product information and stores it in an inventory database, as taught by Liu, because these method steps amount to managing the inventory of a warehouse with data suitable for subsequent automated retrieval of items stored to warehouse shelves. These are core capabilities for warehouse order fulfillment automation. While it is commonplace to perform inventory management separate from warehousing operations such as item storage to shelves, combining these two functions (a method also well known to the art) plainly increases operational efficiency over requiring separate inventory and storage operations.
Claims 6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gondoh in view of Lindley and further in view of Fosnight, et al., US 2020/0223630 (hereinafter Fosnight).
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 5 (parent of claim 6) and claim 12 (parent of claim 13) but not:
wherein the transport and pickup process for each of the one or more shuttle containers includes the steps of: obtaining pick-up target shelf partition area identification information corresponding to the first product;
processing a transport command of a first shuttle container corresponding to the pick-up target shelf partition area identification information;
and processing an export command of a shelf member corresponding to the pick-up target shelf partition area identification information, and processing the shelf member to discharge the first product into the first shuttle container. Regarding these three limitations, neither reference teaches the pick-up procedure from a source storage shelf using a shelf member as claimed. Both references, however, must logically perform some such method steps and are compatible with the claimed method; they simply do not concern themselves with the details of article transfer from shelf to shuttle. Gondoh, for example, could use the claimed method to discharge products from its storage shelves to its stacker cranes S in its fig. 1.
Fosnight, an invention in the field of automatic storage and retrieval systems, teaches:
wherein the transport and pickup process for each of the one or more shuttle containers includes the steps of: obtaining pick-up target shelf partition area identification information corresponding to the first product;Fosnight teaches the identification of shelves in [0044] and [0061] by means of cameras that can read, for example, bar-code labels mounted on the shelves to identify positions.
processing a transport command of a first shuttle container corresponding to the pick-up target shelf partition area identification information;Fosnight teaches the transport of a container in [0006].
and processing an export command of a shelf member corresponding to the pick-up target shelf partition area identification information, and processing the shelf member to discharge the first product into the first shuttle container.Fosnight teaches the discharge of items (totes containing products) from a shelf using arms and flippers considered as the claimed shelf members in figs. 5B-C and [0057]-[0058]. In combination with Gondoh and Lindley, Fosnight’s arm-and-flipper-equipped shelves would be used with Gondoh’s storage racks as described in Gondoh’s [0019].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh and Lindley, wherein the transport and pickup process for each of the one or more shuttle containers includes the steps of: obtaining pick-up target shelf partition area identification information corresponding to the first product; processing a transport command of a first shuttle container corresponding to the pick-up target shelf partition area identification information; and processing an export command of a shelf member corresponding to the pick-up target shelf partition area identification information, and processing the shelf member to discharge the first product into the first shuttle container, as taught by Fosnight, because in automating the picking of articles from shelves it is first necessary to identify the position on the shelf from which the article should be picked, and secondly, some means of discharging the item from the shelf to a container or transport must be devised. Fosnight provides via its cameras and shelf members one of many possible implementations of method steps not explicitly taught by Gondoh or Lindley but which both Gondoh and Lindley must necessarily perform.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gondoh in view of Lindley and further in view of Mihic, et al., US 2013/0275277 (hereinafter Mihic).
Gondoh in view of Lindley teaches the limitations of claim 1 (parent of claim 7), and claim 8 (parent of claim 14) but not all aspects of:
wherein the shelf partition area is a first shelf partition area determined according to a random access-based optimization algorithm. While most warehouse shelves known to the art are “random access” in the sense that items may be picked or stored to the shelves without conforming to a fixed queuing order, neither Gondoh nor Lindley teaches an optimization algorithm for random access shelf layout.
Mihic, an invention in the field of shelf placement optimization, teaches:
wherein the shelf partition area is a first shelf partition area determined according to a random access-based optimization algorithm.This is the subject of Mihic’s invention and accounts for its entire disclosure. We direct attention in particular to summary paragraph [0006] which discloses a “randomized search” algorithm for optimizing shelf space placement.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the system and method of Gondoh and Lindley, wherein the shelf partition area is a first shelf partition area determined according to a random access-based optimization algorithm, as taught by Mihic, because it is well known in the warehousing arts that optimizing shelf storage space improves efficiency of warehouse operations and myriad methods for performing such optimization are in common use. Mihic motivates their algorithm by citing increased profitability in [0004].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2007/0208454 is an example of art teaching the mapping of storage shelf locations. US 2018/0346255 is an example of art teaching lower-side lids or flaps giving access to materials in a shuttle container.
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/ERNESTO A SUAREZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
LAURENCE RAPHAEL BROTHERS
Examiner
Art Unit 3655A
/L.R.B./ Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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