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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/12/2026 has been entered.
Status of Claims
This non-final office action is responsive to Applicant’s submission filed 08/12/2026. Currently, claims 4-23 are pending. Claims 4, 16 and 20 have been amended. Claims 1-3 have been cancelled. No newly added claim(s).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 4-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Appl. Pub. No. 2013/0226649 (Grissom) in view of U.S. Patent No. 9,714,139 (Aggarwal et al. – hereinafter Aggarwal), and further in view of U.S. Patent Appl. Pub. No. 2020/0034780 (Sikka et al. – hereinafter Sikka).
Referring to claim 4, Grissom discloses a method for storing an item in a facility, the method comprising:
identifying a set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type from among a plurality of locations in the facility; [See paragraphs 0036, 0044, 0090]
determining a type score for each available location storing physical items of the particular type in the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type to generate a set of scores corresponding to the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type; [See paragraphs 0032, 0041, 0052, 0096, 0097]
generating a set of scores corresponding to the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type based on determining the type score for each available location storing physical items of the particular type; and [See paragraphs 0032, 0041, 0052, 0096, 0097]
selecting a location from among the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type based on the selected location having a most favorable type score amongst the set of scores corresponding to the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type. [See paragraphs 0041, 0096, 0097]
Grissom does not explicitly disclose the limitations:
receiving a request to store a physical item of a particular type in a facility;
wherein each type score is based on how many times are being routed to the respective available location storing physical items of the particular type;
dynamically weighting the type score for each available location storing physical items of the particular type based on applying a machine learning algorithm to the type score, wherein the machine learning algorithm is continuously trained in real-time on data corresponding to (i) other physical items of the particular type that are stored in the facility and (ii) conditions and a layout of the facility; and
executing instructions by a mechanical moving system to cause the mechanical moving system to route the physical item from its current location to the selected location in the facility, wherein the instructions comprise location coordinates for the selected location that, when executed, cause the mechanical moving system to generate control signals that actuate movement of the mechanical moving system to the selected location corresponding to the location coordinates.
Aggarwal teaches a method with the limitations:
receiving a request to store a physical item of a particular type in a facility; and [See col. 41, line 63-col. 42, line 5]
wherein each type score is based on how many times are being routed to the respective available location storing physical items of the particular type. [See col. 42, lines 6-48 – Some items are frequently accessed, thus often routed to a particular storage location. This is considered when selecting a storage location.]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system executing the method of Grissom to have incorporated a storage location determination feature as in Aggarwal with the motivation of storing items in suitable locations in a storage facility according to one or more constraints. [See Grissom paragraphs 0021-0035; Aggarwal col. 41, line 63-col. 42, line 48]
Sikka teaches a method with the limitations:
dynamically weighting the type score for each available location storing physical items of the particular type based on applying a machine learning algorithm to the type score, wherein the machine learning algorithm is continuously trained in real-time on data corresponding to (i) other physical items of the particular type that are stored in the facility and (ii) conditions and a layout of the facility; and [See paragraphs 0087-0090]
executing instructions by a mechanical moving system to cause the mechanical moving system to route the physical item from its current location to the selected location in the facility, wherein the instructions comprise location coordinates for the selected location that, when executed, cause the mechanical moving system to generate control signals that actuate movement of the mechanical moving system to the selected location corresponding to the location coordinates. [See paragraphs 0090-0094]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system executing the method of combined teachings of Grissom and Aggarwal to have incorporated an inventory organization process as in Sikka with the motivation of storing items in suitable locations in a storage facility. [See Grissom paragraphs 0021-0035; Sikka paragraph 0020]
Referring to claim 5, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein identifying the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type comprises identifying the set of available locations storing the physical items with a same perishable date as the physical item. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0045]
Referring to claim 6, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein identifying the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type comprises identifying the set of available locations storing the physical items with a same storage temperature as the physical item. [See Grissom paragraph 0045]
Referring to claim 7, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 6, wherein the storage temperature is a freezing temperature. [See Grissom paragraph 0045]
Referring to claim 8, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein identifying the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type comprises identifying the set of available locations storing the physical items with a same product as the physical item. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0045]
Referring to claim 9, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein identifying the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type comprises identifying the set of available locations storing the physical items with a same unique identifier as the physical item. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0045]
Referring to claim 10, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier comprises a SKU. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0045]
Referring to claim 11, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier comprises a customer identifier. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0045]
Referring to claim 12, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the selected location comprises a cold storage location. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0045]
Referring to claim 13, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein identifying the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type comprises identifying the set of available locations storing the physical items with same storage conditions as the physical item. [See Grissom paragraphs 0033, 0039, 0045]
Referring to claim 14, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein determining the type score for each available location storing physical items of the particular type in the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type comprises:
determining a quantity of the physical items of the particular type stored at the available location; and [See Grissom paragraphs 0032, 0041, 0052, 0096, 0097]
assigning the type score to the available location based on the quantity of the physical items of the particular type stored at the available location exceeding a threshold value. [See Grissom paragraphs 0032, 0041, 0052, 0096, 0097]
Referring to claim 15, the combination of Grissom, Aggarwal and Sikka discloses the method of claim 4, wherein selecting the location from among the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type based on the selected location having the most favorable type score comprises selecting the location having a greatest quantity of the physical items of the particular type among the set of available locations storing physical items of the particular type. [See Grissom paragraphs 0041, 0096, 0097]
Referring to claims 16-19, they recite similar limitations as set forth in claims 4, 6, 8 and 12, and therefore are rejected based on similar rationale.
Referring to claims 20-22, they recite similar limitations as set forth in claims 4, 6, 8 and 12, and therefore are rejected based on similar rationale.
Response to Arguments
103 Rejections
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 4-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/OLUSEGUN GOYEA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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