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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/06/2024 was considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Neeld (2019/0044753) in view of Stevens et al. (2011/0106296). As per claim 1, Neeld teaches a system comprising: a shelving unit including a shelf defining a supporting surface, wherein the shelving unit is electrically coupled to a power source and a network (e.g. A set of warehouse shelves (300) that may be configured to provide an EPS (105) may include one or more shelves (302) of length and width to hold one or more active containers (500), each shelf (302) of the set of shelves (300) having a surface (304) for holding an active container (500), the surface (304) having an underside (not pictured), and 21 frame (306) that holds the shelves (302) and active containers (500) in place, para [0034]-100351); a bin removably positioned on the supporting surface (e.g. placing the active container (500) on a shelf, para [0036]; Fig. 4 and 5); a first wireless component coupled to the shelf and in electrical communication with the network (e.g. Such information may also be transmitted to remote locations and servers via a network device (412) installed within or nearby an active shelf (404), which could include, for example, a wireless network device, Bluetooth device, cellular data device, or other wireless data transmitting device., para [0038]); and a second wireless component coupled to the bin or the module (e.g. an active container (900) could use a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other network device (910) to connect to a device or local area network available within the warehouse (702) in order to send and receive information with the warehouse (702) computer system, para [0055]); wherein electrical power is wirelessly transferred between the first wireless component and the second wireless component (e.g. Where the EPS (404) delivers power wirelessly, such as where it is an inductive, capacitive, magnetodynamic, or optical transmitter, the EPS receiver (504) could he an inductive, capacitive, magnetodynamic, or optical receiver. Wireless EPSs (404) may automatically begin to provide power to an active container (500) as the result of the act of placing the active container (500) on a shelf having a wireless EPS, para [0036]); and wherein a data set is wirelessly transferred between the first wireless component and the second wireless component (e.g. This identification may then be passed to an inventory management system (410) and stored so that various details of the active containers (500) transit may be determined Such information may be stored locally on the inventory management system (410), which may be a processor and memory, a single-board computer, or other computing device that may be installed within or nearby an active shelf (404). Such information may also be transmitted to remote locations and servers via a network device (412) installed within or nearby an active shelf (404), para 100381). Neeld fails to teach a module removably coupled to the bin; and wherein the module is in electrical communication with the network. However, Stevens, in an analogous art, teaches a module removably coupled to the bin (para [0063]); and wherein the module is in electrical communication with the network (para [0063], [0096]-[0099]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the system of Neeld by including a module removably coupled to the bin; and wherein the module is in electrical communication with the network as taught by Stevens because the modification would efficiently and effectively track inventory. store. or warehouse the items (Stevens. para [0017]).
As per claim 2. Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the shelving unit includes a display or user interface (para [0103]-[0104]).
As per claim 3, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the shelving unit includes a shelf processor electrically coupled to the first wireless component, and wherein the shelf processor is in electrical communication with the network (para [0038]).
As per claim 4, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the shelf processor controls wireless power transfer between the first wireless component and the second wireless component (para [0036]); and processor sends the data set to a device or receives the data set from a device through the first wireless component and the second wireless component (para [0038]). Stevens further teaches wherein the module (para [0063]).
As per claim 5, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the shelf defines a plurality of slots, and each of the plurality of slots is configured to receive at least two bins (para [0034]-[0035], Fig. 4 and 5).
As per claim 6, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the bin includes a recess in which the module is at least partially received (Fig. 4a and 4a).
As per claim 7, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the second wireless component is positioned within a wall of the bin, and wherein the wall abuts the supporting surface of the shelf (para [0036]-[0038], [0055]).
As per claim 8. Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module includes a display (para [0069], [0094], [0096]- [0099]).
As per claim 9, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the display shows an indicator, and wherein the display changes the indicator in response to receiving instructions from the second wireless component ( para [0069], [0094], [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123]).
As per claim 10, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the indicator is a product name, a product type, a quantity, a connection status, or any combination thereof ( para [0069], [0094], [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123]).
As per claim 11, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module includes a switch movable in response to a user input (para [0069], [0094], [0096] [0099], [0143] [0144]).
As per claim 12, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module includes a module processor in electrical communication with the wireless component (para [0063], [0067], [0089]). Neeld further teaches the second wireless component (para [0038], [0055]).
As per claim 13, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module includes a battery (para [0063]).
As per claim 14, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the network includes a database, and wherein the database is updated based on the data set (para [0036]-[0038], [0055], [0081]-[0082]).
As per claim 15, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches further comprising a terminal electrically coupled to the network, and wherein the data set is wirelessly transferred from the first wireless component to the second wireless component in response to a user command received at the terminal (para [0036]-[0038], [0081]-[0082], [0095]).
As per claim 16, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module provides a location signal in response to a user selecting a desired item on the terminal, wherein the desired item is positioned within the bin (para [0069], [0094], [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123]).
As per claim 17, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module provides a location signal in response to a user selecting a desired item on a user interface on the shelving unit, wherein the desired item is positioned within the bin (para [0069]. [0094]. [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123]).
As per claim 18, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the first wireless component is a Qi transmitter or a receiver, and wherein the second wireless component is a Qi transmitter or a receiver (para [0038], [0055]).
As per claim 19, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the module can send the data set to the network, and the module can receive the data set from the network (para [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123], [0157]-[0162]).
As per claim 20, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches a system comprising: a shelving unit with a first wireless platform coupled to a shelf and a second wireless platform coupled to the shelf (e.g. A set of warehouse shelves (300) that may be configured to provide an EPS (105) may include one or more shelves (302) of length and width to hold one or more active containers (500), each shelf (302) of the set of shelves (300) having a surface (304) for holding an active container (500), the surface (304) having an underside (not pictured), and a frame (306) that holds the shelves (302) and active containers (500) in place, para [0034]-[0035]; e.g. Such information may also be transmitted to remote locations and servers via a network device (412) installed within or nearby an active shelf (404), which could include, for example, a wireless network device, Bluetooth device, cellular data device, or other wireless data transmitting device., para [0038]); a first bin (para [0038]); a second bin (para [0038]); wherein, when the first bin is positioned on the first wireless platform, the first wireless platform wirelessly transmits power to the first device, and the first wireless platform wirelessly transmits data to or wirelessly receives data from the first module (e.g. where the EPS (404) delivers power wirelessly, such as where it is an inductive, capacitive, magnetodynamic, or optical transmitter, the EPS receiver (504) could be an inductive, capacitive, magnetodynamic, or optical receiver. Wireless EPSs (404) may automatically begin to provide power to an active container (500) as the result of the act of placing the active container (500) on a shelf having a wireless EPS, para [0036]; e.g. an active container (900) could use a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other network device (910) to connect to a device or local area network available within the warehouse (702) in order to send and receive information with the warehouse (702) computer system, para [0055]); and when the first bin is positioned on the second wireless platform, the second wireless platform wirelessly transmits power to the first device, and the second wireless platform wirelessly transmits data to or wirelessly receives data from the first device (para [0036]-[0038], [0055]); and when the second bin is positioned on the first wireless platform, the first wireless platform wirelessly transmits power to the second device, and the first wireless platform wirelessly transmits data to or wirelessly receives data from the second device (para [0036]-[0038], [0055]). Neeld fails to teach a first module coupled to the first bin; and a second module coupled to the second bin; the first module; the second module. However, Stevens, in an analogous art, teaches a first module coupled to the first bin (para [0063]): and a second module coupled to the second bin (para [0063]); the first module (para [0063]): the second module (para [0063]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the system of Neeld by including a first module coupled to the first bin; and a second module coupled to the second bin; the first module; the second module as taught by Stevens because the modification would efficiently and effectively track inventory, store, or warehouse the items (Stevens, para [0017]).
As per claim 21, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the second module is interchangeable with the first module (para [0063]).
As per claim 22, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches further comprising a user input device configured to receive a user indication of a desired product ( para [0069], [0094], [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123]); wherein the first bin contains the desired product, and wherein the first module produces a location signal in response to the user indication (para [0069], [0094], [0096]-[0102], [0121]-[0123]).
As per claim 23, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the shelf includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a support surface extending between the front surface and the rear surface (para [0034]-[0035], Fig. 4 and 5); and wherein the first wireless platform and the second wireless platform are positioned along an axis that extends through the front surface and the rear surface (para [0034]-[0035], Fig. 4 and 5).
As per claim 24, Neeld in view of Stevens teaches wherein the shelving unit is electrically coupled to a power source and a network with an inventory database (para [0036]-[0038], [0055], [0081]-[0082]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA LEA-EDMONDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2043. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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LISA LEA-EDMONDS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/LISA LEA-EDMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847 2026-03-20
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