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 .
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1, 3-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
According to step 1 claim 1 is an apparatus.
According to step 2A, prong 1 the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., an abstract idea).
That is Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 are directed to an information processing apparatus.
Independent claim 1 recites:
one or more memories storing instructions;
one or more processors executing the instructions;
acquire a request for provision of labor in a specified environment;
acquire sensor information measured by one or more sensors…;
acquire information on a candidate group of robots…..;
select a first robot group that includes one or more robots…….., based on the request and the sensor information.
These limitations are directed to general processor and memory performing mathematical computations or algorithms within the internals of processor with no output to link the mathematical algorithms and processes a practical or method. The mathematical computations or algorithms do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
In addition, the steps of:
“acquire a request for provision of labor in a specified environment;”
“ acquire information on a candidate group of robots…..,”
“select a first robot group that includes one or more robots…….., based on the request and the sensor information”,
are directed to mental processes that can be done by a human or on a piece of paper and pencil.
According to step 2A, prong 2 the judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application.
According to step 2B, the claim(s) do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because even though the claims recite additional elements of memories, processors and a group of robots these additional elements simply apply the judicial exception to a particular technological environment by generally linking it to an information processing apparatus for selecting a group of robots. Accordingly, the additional elements do not integrate the abstract into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
Accordingly, the claims recite additional elements that do not amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional element generally links the use of the judicial exception to selecting a group of robots – see MPEP 2106.05(h).
The rest of the claims are rejected for having similar abstract ideas as claim 1.
Applicant may overcome the 101 rejection by reciting a computer or controller that controls a group of robots to provide labor.
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.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Christman (US 2024/0181645).
Regarding claim 1, Christman discloses an information processing apparatus (figs. 1-7; abstract; sec 0031-0035) comprising:
one or more memories storing instructions (sec 0031, 0063, 0067, 0068); and
one or more processors executing the instructions (sec 0063, 0067, 0068, 0078) to:
acquire a request for provision of labor in a specified environment (sec 0037, 0048, 0078, 0083, 0085, etc);
acquire sensor information measured by one or more sensors inside the environment (sec 0062, 0065);
acquire information on a candidate group of robots that provide the labor (sec 0034, 0063, 0065, 0076, 0079); and
select a first robot group that includes one or more robots capable of providing the labor from the candidate group based on the request and the sensor information (sec 0078-0084).
Regarding claim 2, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to display information related to the selected first robot group on a display unit (sec 0048, 0054, 0080, 0083).
Regarding claim 3, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein when selecting the first robot group, a provision efficiency of the labor of a robot of the candidate group is used as a criterion for the selection (sec 0037, 0039, 0050, 0053, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 4, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein when selecting the first robot group, measurement accuracy of self-position and/or orientation of a robot of the candidate group in the environment is used as a criterion for the selection (sec 0060, 0064, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 5, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein when selecting the first robot group, an amount of work or a cost of the labor is used as a criterion for the selection (sec 0037, 0039, 0050, 0053, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 6, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein the request includes information on a time limit of provision of the labor, and when selecting the first robot group, the first robot group capable of executing the labor within the time limit is selected based on an amount of work (job is trigged to start at step at step 412 and ends at step 416 of fig. 1; sec 0048, 0050, 0053, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 7, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to generate work data to be used by any robot of the first robot group for providing the labor in the environment based on the sensor information (sec 0037, 0039, 0050, 0053, 0062, 0065, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 8, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the work data includes map data for any robot of the first robot group to measure self- position and/or orientation in the environment (sec 0060, 0064, 0078-0080).
Regarding claim 9, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the work data includes parameters of sensors mounted on robots of the first robot group (sec 0037, 0039, 0050, 0053, 0062, 0065, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 10, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein any robot of the first robot group has mounted thereon a sensor corresponding to at least one of the one or more sensors (sec 0037, 0039, 0050, 0053, 0062, 0065, 0079, 0080).
Regarding claim 11, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim1, wherein when selecting the first robot group, in a case in which the sensor information is insufficient as a criterion for selection, an apparatus having the sensor mounted thereon or a predetermined user is notified of the necessity of additional sensor information (fault or failure and then alarm and then what robot to select; sec 0074, 0079-0081).
Regarding claim 12, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein the notification includes information related to a content of the sensor information that needs to be added (fault or failure of a sensor implies sensor needs to provide unfaulty information else there is alarm and then decision on what robot to select; sec 0074, 0079-0081).
Regarding claim 13, Christman discloses the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein when selecting the first robot group, in a case in which no combination of robots selectable as the first robot group exists in the candidate group, a condition necessary for any combination of robots in the candidate group to become capable of providing the labor is notified to a predetermined user (fault or failure of robot and robot is not selected and then alarm and then other capable robots are selected; sec 0074, 0079-0081).
Regarding claim 14, Christman discloses an information processing system (figs. 1-7; abstract; sec 0031-0035) comprising:
one or more memories storing instructions (sec 0031, 0063, 0067, 0068); and
one or more processors executing the instructions (sec 0063, 0067, 0068, 0078) to:
transmit a request for provision of labor in a specified environment by means of a user terminal (sec 0037, 0048, 0078, 0083, 0085, etc);
acquire the request transmitted by the user terminal (sec 0037, 0048, 0078, 0083, 0085, etc);
acquire sensor information measured by one or more sensors inside the environment (sec 0062, 0065);
acquire information on a candidate group of robots that provide the labor (sec 0034, 0063, 0065, 0076, 0079); and
select a first robot group that includes one or more robots capable of providing the labor from the candidate group based on the request and the sensor information (sec 0078-0084).
Regarding claim 14, Christman discloses an information processing method (figs. 1-7; abstract; sec 0031-0035) comprising:
acquiring a request for provision of labor in a specified environment (sec 0037, 0048, 0078, 0083, 0085, etc);
acquiring sensor information measured by one or more sensors inside the environment (sec 0062, 0065);
acquiring information on a candidate group of robots that provide the labor (sec 0034, 0063, 0065, 0076, 0079); and
selecting a first robot group that includes one or more robots capable of providing the labor from the candidate group based on the request and the sensor information (sec 0078-0084).
Regarding claim 16, Christman discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program including instructions (sec 0063, 0067, 0068, 0078) for executing following processes:
acquiring a request for provision of labor in a specified environment (sec 0037, 0048, 0078, 0083, 0085, etc);
acquiring sensor information measured by one or more sensors inside the environment (sec 0062, 0065);
acquiring information on a candidate group of robots that provide the labor (sec 0034, 0063, 0065, 0076, 0079); and
selecting a first robot group that includes one or more robots capable of providing the labor from the candidate group based on the request and the sensor information (sec 0078-0084).
Conclusion
The prior art (US 20170286916 A1, US 11263596 B2, US 10410007 B2) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONNIE MANCHO whose telephone number is (571)272-6984. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Adam Mott can be reached at 571 270 5376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RONNIE M MANCHO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657
/ADAM R MOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3657