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 .
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed on 1/2/26. Claims 1-4, 9 -10 amended. Claims 11-12 newly added. Claims 1-12 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Sadai JP2018025844A translated provided by Examiner.
Re Claim 9, Sadai discloses a control method for a checkout system, comprising:
storing, in a storage device, list data indicating a list of transaction products that are subjects of a transaction in a store for each paid transaction (P18, The storage unit 20 includes a program storage unit 21, a purchased product data storage unit 22, and a settlement data storage unit 23);
narrowing down paid transactions of which list of transaction products are included in the list data into transactions including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers acquired by a scanner in accordance with an operation of a customer as transaction products by referring to the list data stored in the storage device control unit 10 (P15, P48,P74 tag receiving unit 12 receives tag data including the tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product via the reader unit 28. Here, when the user intends to purchase a plurality of products, the user brings the IC tag 8 of each product close to the reader unit 28, so that the control unit 10 receives a plurality of tag IDs. The control unit 10 may add and display the product name of the read product on the product input screen 70 as shown in FIG. 8B each time…… control unit 10 stores the tag ID and the price in the purchased product data storage unit 22…..The purchased merchandise data storage unit 22 is a storage area for storing data relating to purchased merchandise for which payment processing has been completed.;
determining whether the paid transactions can be narrowed down into one transaction including a predetermined number of products as the transaction products (P74, The fact that the payment is completed is registered in association with the stored tag ID. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID);
upon determining that the paid transactions cannot be narrowed down into the one transaction, outputting an error notification (P31, P41, P9, P7, the gate server 6 includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 65, and a communication interface unit 69 (control unit60/40) sets the permission flag to 0 indicating a rejection, the control unit 40 (gate transmission unit 49) transmits registration request data including the tag ID registered in the product management DB 57a to the gate server 6…..if there is one that matches the received tag ID and there is at least one settlement status flag that has not been completed, the control unit 60 (traffic control unit 61) determines that the passage is disabled. Then, the control unit 60 transmits the determination result to the gate 9;
and upon determining that the paid transactions can be narrowed down into the one transaction , (P7, P26, P58, the gate transmission unit 49 transmits permission request data including the tag ID to the gate server 6 based on the payment completion data. …tag registration unit 6 tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product for which payment has been completed is registered as payment completion in the tag registration unit 66. Therefore, when the gate 9 reads the IC tag 8, The control unit 60 can permit passage. The tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product in the store S is stored in the settlement support server 4 and the gate server 6, and when the settlement of the product is completed, the tag ID is stored in the settlement support server 4 and the gate server 6. The fact that the payment is completed is registered in association with the stored tag ID. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID. In the gate 9, if the determination result permits passage, the gate 9 is opened so that the user can pass through the gate . …the payment system 100, the mobile terminal 1 reads the tag ID (Identification) (medium identification information) of the IC tag 8 attached to each product, and the product indicated by the tag ID is a product that the user purchases. Perform payment processing. Furthermore, in the payment system 100, when the payment process is normally performed, the user passes through the gate 9 provided at the exit of the sales space X in the store S with the product for which payment has been completed),
controlling a notification device to notify the customer of a permission status that the customer is allowed to pass through (P31, P33, P84, P65, P71 the gate server 6 includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 65, and a communication interface unit 69(control unit60/40) sets the permission flag to 0 indicating a rejection , the control unit 40 (gate transmission unit 49) transmits registration request data including the tag ID registered in the product management DB 57a to the gate server 6…..if there is one that matches the received tag ID and there is at least one settlement status flag that has not been completed, the control unit 60 (traffic control unit 61) determines that the passage is disabled. Then, the control unit 60 transmits the determination result to the gate 9. .)
Re Claim 10, Sandi discloses a checkout system, comprising:
a gate device that is provided to face a checkout lane through which a customer passes when leaving a store ( P12, gate 9) ;
and an information processing apparatus that manages transactions in the store, wherein the information processing apparatus includes a storage device that stores list data indicating a list of transaction products that are subjects of a transaction in the store for each paid transaction (P18, P7, The storage unit 20 includes a program storage unit 21, a purchased item data storage unit 22, and a settlement data storage unit 23; purchase object management database (57a), and
a first processor configured to narrow down paid transaction of which list of transaction products are included in the list data in to transactions including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers notified from the gate device as transaction products by referring to the list data stored in the storage device
(P15, P48, control unit 10 (tag reception unit 12) receives tag data including the tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product via the reader unit 28. Here, when the user intends to purchase a plurality of products, the user brings the IC tag 8 of each product close to the reader unit 28, so that the control unit 10 receives a plurality of tag IDs. The control unit 10 may add and display the product name of the read product on the product input screen 70 as shown in FIG. 8B each time…… control unit 10 stores the tag ID and the price in the purchased product data storage unit 22…..The purchased merchandise data storage unit 22 is a storage area for storing data relating to purchased merchandise for which payment processing has been completed);,
output, in a case where the paid transactions cannot be narrowed down into one transaction including a predetermined number of products as the transaction products, output an error notification, an error notification
((P31, P41, P9, P7, the gate server 6 includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 65, and a communication interface unit 69(control unit60/40) sets the permission flag to 0 indicating a rejection , the control unit 40 (gate transmission unit 49) transmits registration request data including the tag ID registered in the product management DB 57a to the gate server 6…..if there is one that matches the received tag ID and there is at least one settlement status flag that has not been completed, the control unit 60 (traffic control unit 61) determines that the passage is disabled. Then, the control unit 60 transmits the determination result to the gate 9,
and transmit, in a case where the paid transactions can be narrowed down into the one transaction a notice of allowance to the gate device (P71, P74, The fact that the payment is completed is registered in association with the stored tag ID. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID; In the gate server 6, the control unit 60 refers to the tag registration unit 66 to determine whether there is a match with the received tag ID, and if so, whether the settlement status flag has been completed. Judge whether or not when there is no match with the received tag ID and when there is a match with the tag ID and the settlement status flag has been completed, the control unit 60 (traffic control unit 61) determines to permit the passage,
and wherein the gate device includes a scanner that acquires an identifier of a product in accordance with an operation of the customer, a notification device that notifies the customer a permission status regarding whether the customer is allowed to pass through (P15, P48, P36, The gate 9 has a reader unit (not shown) for reading the IC tag 8. The gate 9 reads the IC tag 8 attached to the product possessed by the user passing by the reader unit, and communicates with the gate server 6 to confirm whether there is any fraud such as shoplifting of the product. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID. In the gate 9, if the determination result permits passage, the gate 9 is opened so that the user can pass through the gate . n the payment system 100, the mobile terminal 1 reads the tag ID (Identification) (medium identification information) of the IC tag 8 attached to each product, and the product indicated by the tag ID is a product that the user purchases. Perform payment processing. Furthermore, in the payment system 100, when the payment process is normally performed, the user passes through the gate 9 provided at the exit of the sales space X in the store S with the product for which payment has been completed; . ),
and a second processor (control unit60/40) configured to notify the information processing apparatus of the identifier of the product acquired by the scanner (P39, P33, P84, P65, P71 The gate 9 reads the IC tag 8 attached to the product possessed by the user passing by the reader unit, and communicates with the gate server 6 to confirm whether there is any fraud such as shoplifting of the product. The gate 9 may have a lamp or a speaker for notifying when an unauthorized take-out of a product is confirmed,
and control the notification device to notify the customer a permission status that the customer is allowed to pass through in accordance with the notice of allowance from the information processing apparatus (P7, P26, P58by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID. In the gate 9, if the determination result permits passage, the gate 9 is opened so that the user can pass through the gate).
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi US Publication No. 2022/0391871 cited in previous action in view of JP Sadi JP Publication No. 2018025844 A, translation provided by Examiner.
Re Claim 1, Yamaguchi discloses a checkout system, comprising:
a storage device (accounting devices 604 ) that stores list data indicating a list of transaction products (Transaction information ) Fig, 5 that are subjects of a transaction in a store for each paid transaction (P25, P31-P32, P54, 6 P73 2, P82, P92) ;
a scanner that acquires an identifier of a product in accordance with an operation of a customer (P32, P80, P87, P91);
a notification device that notifies a permission status regard whether the customer is allowed to pass through (P142);
Yamaguchi fails to specifically discloses a first processor configured to narrow down paid transactions of which list of transaction products are included in the list data into transactions including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers acquired by the scanner as transaction products by referring to the list data stored in the storage device, and in a case where the paid transactions cannot be narrowed down into one transaction including a predetermined number of products as the transaction products, output an error notification; and a second processor (control unit60/40) configured to control the notification device to notify the customer of a permission status that the customer is allowed to pass through in a case where the paid transactions can be narrowed down into the one transaction.
Sadi discloses (P18, The storage unit 20 includes a program storage unit 21, a purchased product data storage unit 22, and a settlement data storage unit 23 and a
first processor (control unit 10) configured to narrow down paid transactions of which list of transaction products are included in the list data into transactions including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers acquired by the scanner as transaction products by referring to the list data stored in the storage device (P7, P15, P18, P24, P32, P48, P74, control unit 10, tag reception unit 12 receives tag data including the tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product via the reader unit 28. Here, when the user intends to purchase a plurality of products, the user brings the IC tag 8 of each product close to the reader unit 28, so that the control unit 10 receives a plurality of tag IDs. The control unit 10 may add and display the product name of the read product on the product input screen 70 as shown in FIG. 8B each time…… control unit 10 stores the tag ID and the price in the purchased product data storage unit 22…..The purchased merchandise data storage unit 22 is a storage area for storing data relating to purchased merchandise for which payment processing has been completed. The inquiry transmission unit 13 transmits inquiry data including the tag ID received by the tag reception unit 12 to the settlement support server 4. The settlement support server 4 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 55, and a communication interface unit 59. The control unit 40 includes an inquiry reception unit 41 (inquiry reception unit), a relay device determination unit 42 (relay device determination unit), a price transmission unit 43 (price transmission unit), a settlement completion reception unit 46, and an update request reception. Unit 47, update unit 48 (update unit), gate transmission unit 49 (gate transmission unit), and information notification unit 50 (information notification unit). The payment completion receiving unit 46 receives payment completion data including the tag ID from the mobile terminal … the gate transmission unit 49 transmits permission request data including the tag ID to the gate server 6 based on the payment completion data. …tag registration unit 6 the tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product for which payment has been completed is registered as payment completion in the tag registration unit 66. Therefore, when the gate 9 reads the IC tag 8, The control unit 60 can permit passage. The tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product in the store S is stored in the settlement support server 4 and the gate server 6, and when the settlement of the product is completed, the tag ID is stored in the settlement support server 4 and the gate server 6. The fact that the payment is completed is registered in association with the stored tag ID. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID )
, and
in a case where the paid transactions cannot be narrowed down into one transaction including a predetermined number of products as the transaction products, output an error notification (P31, P41, P9, P7, the gate server 6 includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 65, and a communication interface unit 69 (control unit60/40) sets the permission flag to 0 indicating a rejection , the control unit 40 (gate transmission unit 49) transmits registration request data including the tag ID registered in the product management DB 57a to the gate server 6…..if there is one that matches the received tag ID and there is at least one settlement status flag that has not been completed, the control unit 60 (traffic control unit 61) determines that the passage is disabled. Then, the control unit 60 transmits the determination result to the gate 9;
and a second processor (control unit60/40) configured to control the notification device to notify the customer of a permission status that the customer is allowed to pass through in a case where the paid transactions can be narrowed down into the one transaction, (P39, P33, P84, P65, P71, the gate transmission unit 49 transmits permission request data including the tag ID to the gate server 6 based on the payment completion data. …tag registration unit 6 tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product for which payment has been completed is registered as payment completion in the tag registration unit 66. Therefore, when the gate 9 reads the IC tag 8, The control unit 60 can permit passage. The tag ID of the IC tag 8 attached to the product in the store S is stored in the settlement support server 4 and the gate server 6, and when the settlement of the product is completed, the tag ID is stored in the settlement support server 4 and the gate server 6. The fact that the payment is completed is registered in association with the stored tag ID. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID. In the gate 9, if the determination result permits passage, the gate 9 is opened so that the user can pass through the gate . n the payment system 100, the mobile terminal 1 reads the tag ID (Identification) (medium identification information) of the IC tag 8 attached to each product, and the product indicated by the tag ID is a product that the user purchases. Perform payment processing. Furthermore, in the payment system 100, when the payment process is normally performed, the user passes through the gate 9 provided at the exit of the sales space X in the store S with the product for which payment has been completed. be able to.
Given the teachings of Sadi it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Yamaguchi with a first processor configured to narrow down paid transactions of which list of transaction products are included in the list data into transactions including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers acquired by the scanner as transaction products by referring to the list data stored in the storage device, and in a case where the paid transactions cannot be narrowed down into one transaction including a predetermined number of products as the transaction products, output an error notification; and a second processor configured to control the notification device to notify the customer of a permission status that the customer is allowed to pass through in a case where the paid transactions can be narrowed down into the one transaction.
As suggested by Sadi In this way, when making a payment using the payment system 100, for example, even if a malicious user performs shoplifting or reduces the number of illegally purchased products, the gate 9 Can see through fraud.
Re Claim 2, Yamaguchi and Sadi discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Sadi discloses wherein the first processor is further configured to narrow down paid transactions for which a payment has been completed within a most recent predetermined period into the transactions including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers acquired by the scanner (P15, P48,P74 The fact that the payment is completed is registered in association with the stored tag ID. Therefore, by referring to the storage unit 55 of the settlement support server 4, it is possible to confirm the purchase status of the product corresponding to the tag ID).
Re Claim 3, Yamaguchi and Sadi discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Sadi discloses wherein the first processor is further configured to exclude, the one transaction
Re Claim 4, Yamaguchi and Sadi discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Sadi discloses wherein the second processor is further configured to perform, where the first processor cannot narrow down the paid transactions to the one transaction including one or more products identified by one or more identifiers as transaction products before a number of products used to narrow down transactions reaches the predetermined number processing for causing a staff member to deal with (P31, P41, P9, P7, P71-P72).
Re Claim 5, Yamaguchi and Sadi discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Sadi discloses wherein the storage device further stores leaving data that indicates a leaving status of the customer from the store for each paid transaction, and the first processor is further configured to exclude a transaction including leaving data that indicates a state representing that the customer has left from a target of narrowing down (P71, P72).
Re Claim 6, Yamaguchi and Sadi discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi discloses further comprising an information processing apparatus that manages transactions, the information processing apparatus including the storage device and the first processor (Figs. 3-5) .
Re Claim 7, Yamaguchi and Said discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Yamaguchi discloses further comprising a gate device that is provided to face a checkout lane through which the customer passes when leaving the store, the gate device including a scanner and a notification device (P24, P99, P111-P112; Fig. 10).
Re Claim 8, Yamaguchi and Said discloses the checkout system according to claim 7, and Yamaguchi discloses wherein the gate device further includes the second processor (P111, Fig. 10).
Re Claim 11, Yamaguchi and Sandi discloses the checkout system according to claim 1, and Sadi discloses wherein the first processor is configured to repeat the narrowing down of the paid transactions until a number of products used to narrow down the paid transactions reaches the predetermined number (P71, 72).
Re Claim 12, Yamaguchi and Sandi discloses the checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the second processor (control unit60/40) is configured to control the notification device to notify the customer of a permission status that the customer is not allowed to pass through in accordance with the error notification output by the first processor (P36, The gate 9 reads the IC tag 8 attached to the product possessed by the user passing by the reader unit, and communicates with the gate server 6 to confirm whether there is any fraud such as shoplifting of the product. The gate 9 may have a lamp or a speaker for notifying when an unauthorized take-out of a product is confirmed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1,9, and 10 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.
Applicant amended the claims with new limitations which necessitated new search and consideration. Therefore this action is final.
Conclusion
The following reference is cited but not relied upon:
High discloses a payment system for paying for goods at a door of a store. The system includes a purchase tunnel that has an entrance door or gate, an exit door or gate and a scanning device
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 SONJI N JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5266. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-9pm.
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SONJI N. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/SONJI N JOHNSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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