DETAILED ACTION
Amendment
1. Receipt is acknowledged of the amendment filed on April 22, 2026. Currently claims 18, 19, 24, 27, 28, and 30-34 remain in the examination.
Claim Objections
2. Claims 18, 24, and 30-33 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Please remove all “-“ from these claims.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
5. Claims 18, 19, 24, 27, 28, and 30-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2013/0093591 A1 to Campero et al. (previously cited, hereinafter “Campero”).
Regarding claim 18, Campero discloses an exhibitor 700 (see figure 7) comprising a frame 700 and one more shelves 738 (see paragraph 0062); a plurality of RFID reader antenna 710, 720, and 730 which detects items 716, 726, and 736 (see paragraphs 0063). A host computer (see figure 9 and paragraphs 0066 and 0067) comprises RFID readers (see paragraphs 0069 and 0070 and figure 10), and the system is HF or UHF systems (see paragraph 0095), and the RIFD system is embodied with a short arrange in terms of signal strength (see paragraph 0003).
Regarding claim 19, the support fixture 700 has a vertical component and a shelf 837 and the wall on which the hooks 718 and clip 728 can be attached to can be interpreted as a shoulder recited in this claim.
Regarding claim 24, the system of Campero include various network including a local area network (LAN) (see paragraph 0066, 0083 and others).
Regarding claim 27, the antenna 710, 720, and 730 is shown in figure 7, and the antenna can be installed on a shelf or shelves (see paragraph 0024).
Regarding claim 28, the items are tagged with RFID tag (see paragraph 0002); and the RFID tags may be High Frequency (HF) or UHF (see paragraph 0095).
Regarding claim 30, relying on figure 7, the items are arranged in several centimeters apart (se figure 7).
Regarding claims 31 and 32, the RFID data may be stored in a database (see paragraph 0066) which is on a computer, and the information may be displayed (see paragraph 0066).
Regarding claims 33 and 34, the shelf 738 and the fixture 700 make L shaped section, and the items can be arranged apart by some space due to packing and item arrangement (also see figures 1A-7).
Response to Arguments
6. Receipt is acknowledged of Applicants response including amended claims and arguments filed on April 22, 2026.
Applicant canceled claims 22, 26, and 26 previously rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 rejection.
With respect to amended claims and arguments, Applicant's arguments filed on April 22, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
It is noted that the amended claim 18 now incorporates the limitations of claims 20, 21, and 25, and these claims are now canceled. However, in the previous Office Action, the limitations of these claims were rejected with the same reference to the Campero references. Accordingly, the rejection on claim 18 and other claims is maintained.
It is the Examiner’s position that the system of Campero already detects the presence/absence of the article automatically (see paragraphs 0006 and 0026). The system of Campero is used in retail embodiment (see paragraph 0021 and 0054) where the inventory of the items should be tracked (see paragraph 0022 and 0073). Retail inventory system should be run to provide in timely manner in order to provide up-to-date inventory information for the system to be properly operational.
In view of the above, the rejection made in the previous Office Action is maintained, and this Office Action is made final.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ahshik Kim whose telephone number is (571)272-2393. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday. Examiner’s fax phone number is (571)273-2393.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Michael G. Lee, can be reached on (571)272-2398. The fax phone number for this Group is (571)273-8300.
Communications via Internet e-mail regarding this application, other than those under 35 U.S.C. 132 or which otherwise require a signature, may be used by the applicant and should be addressed to [ahshik.kim@uspto.gov].
PTO employees do not engage in Internet communications where there exists a possibility that sensitive information could be identified or exchanged unless the record includes a properly signed express waiver of the confidentiality requirements of 35 U.S.C. 122. This is more clearly set forth in the Interim Internet Usage Policy published in the Official Gazette of the Patent and Trademark on February 25, 1997 at 1195 OG 89.
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/AHSHIK KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
May 28, 2026
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