DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 have been submitted for examination and are pending further prosecution by the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
Allowable Subject Matter
With respect to independent claim 1, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest, either solely or in combination, the limitations "an object library component configured to maintain, in an object library, a cross-domain object comprising a plurality of layers and shared elements that are shared by the plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers comprise a visual layer, a controller layer, and a collaboration layer, and wherein the shared elements comprise: a device property corresponding to an industrial device deployed in an industrial automation process, a visualization property corresponding to the industrial device, and a collaboration method performed on one or more properties of the cross-domain object, wherein the collaboration method facilitates multi-user access to the cross-domain object;" when considered in combination with the other limitations of claim 1.
With respect to independent claim 14, the prior art of record does not teach or suggest, either solely or in combination, the limitations "maintaining, in an object library, a cross-domain object comprising a plurality of layers and shared elements that are shared by the plurality of layers, wherein the plurality of layers comprise a visual layer, a controller layer, and a collaboration layer, and wherein the shared elements comprise: a device property corresponding to an industrial device deployed in an industrial automation process, a visualization property corresponding to the industrial device, and a collaboration method performed on one or more properties of the cross-domain object, wherein the collaboration method facilitates multi-user access to the cross-domain object;" when considered in combination with the other limitations of claim 14.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: an object library component, an industrial control development module, an HMI development module in claim 1; a testing development module in claim 13; and an industrial control development module, and an HMI development module in claim 14.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to because of informality and antecedence issues. It is suggested Applicants amend these claims as follows:
Claim 1
-- a [[an]] human machine interface (HMI) development module functionally coupled to the object library component and configured to: --
Claim 14
-- generating, by an industrial control development module, based at least in part on the device property, [[the]] control logic executable by an automated control device in the industrial automation process for controlling the industrial device in response to incorporating the cross-domain object into the industrial control development module; and --
-- generating, by a [[an]] human machine interface (HMI) development module, based at least in part on the visualization property, display elements corresponding to the industrial device in the industrial automation process in response to incorporating the cross-domain object into the HMI development module. --
Claims 2-13 and 15-20 are additionally objected to due to their dependence on objected parent claim(s).
Appropriate correction is required.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20040215355 A1 discloses a system and method for programming machine automation controls which includes a library of minor step modules and a procedure creator for creating a machine automation procedure using the minor step modules. US 9031975 B2 discloses a system and method for populating a library of modular objects and associated metadata for designing industrial automation applications, and identifying one or more objects in the library that satisfy a query. EP 3151071 A1 discloses systems and methods for updating a control program actively controlling an industrial process. US 7324856 B1 discloses a system and method that facilitates generation of code from an HMI representation of objects in an industrial automation environment. The NPL document "Human Machine Interface Using OPC (OLE For Process Control)" discusses Human Machine Interfaces and OLE for Process Control (OPC), their roles, coordination and functionality in Industrial Automation Technology.
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/GEOFFREY R ST LEGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2192
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