DETAILED ACTION
Introduction
This Final Office Action is in response to amendments and remarks filed on June 12, 2026, for the application with serial number 19/010,403.
Claims 1-5 are amended.
Claims 6-9 are added.
Claims 1-9 are pending.
Response to Remarks/Amendments
35 USC §101 Rejections
The Applicant traverses the rejection of the claims as being directed to an ineligible abstract idea, contending that the claims are subject matter eligible because the claims recite steps for considering physical constraints for robot installation. See Remarks p. 8. In response, the Examiner submits that considering physical constraints of a space is not a practical application. The claims essentially recite a process that could be implemented mentally or on paper by a human being to determine how many robots and/or type of robots to deploy to a facility. The robots have no particular structure in the claims.
The rejection for lack of subject matter eligibility is updated and maintained.
35 USC §103 Rejections
Amendments to the claims changed the scope of the claims, necessitating further search and consideration of the prior art. A new search returned the Kennaley reference, which is cited in the rejection of the independent claims, below.
The Applicant traverses the rejection of the independent claims as being obvious over Monovich in view of Kennaley; contending that Monovich is only related to scheduling appointments. See Remarks p. 9. The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The title and abstract of Monovich teach that Monovich is concerned with providing services.
The rejection of the dependent claims stands or falls with the rejection of the independent claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
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.
The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) provides detailed rules for determining subject matter eligibility for claims in §2106. Those rules provide a basis for the analysis and finding of ineligibility that follows.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101. The claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter because the claimed invention recites a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without significantly more. Under Step 1 of the subject matter eligibility analysis, claims(s) 1-9 are all directed to one of the four statutory categories of invention. However, under step 2A, prong one, the claims recite a judicial exception: providing information about an autonomous mobile robot (as evidenced by the preamble of exemplary independent claim 1), an abstract idea. Certain methods of organizing human activity are ineligible abstract ideas, including managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people. Additionally, note that mathematical concepts, including mathematical calculations, are ineligible abstract ideas. See MPEP §2106.04(a). The limitations of exemplary claim 1 include: “receive input information . . . about a plurality of robot accessory units;” “receive information about a location where the autonomous mobile robot operations;” “perform a calculation process;” and “output [ ] resource information calculated by the calculation process.” The steps are all steps for managing personal behavior and/or making calculations that, when considered alone and in combination, are part of the abstract idea of providing information about an autonomous mobile robot. The dependent claims further recite steps for managing personal behavior that are part of the abstract idea of providing information about an autonomous mobile robot. These claim elements, when considered alone and in combination, are considered to be abstract ideas because they are directed to a method of organizing human activity which includes managing a fleet of service providing vehicles to efficiently satisfy demand for services.
Under step 2A, prong two, of the subject matter eligibility analysis, a claim that recites a judicial exception must be evaluated to determine whether the claim provides a practical application of the judicial exception. Additional elements of the independent claims amount to generic computer hardware that does not provide a practical application (a system with no particular hardware in independent claim 1; and a computer in independent claim 5; a device with a processor and user terminal in independent claim 6). See MPEP §2106.04(d)[I]. Mobile robots are recited, but the robots do not perform the steps of the claims, and the robots have no particular structure. Therefore, the robots do not constitute a particular machine. The claims do not recite an improvement to another technology or technical field, nor do they recite an improvement to the functioning of the computer itself. See MPEP §2106.05(a). Because the claims only recite use of a generic computer, they do not apply the judicial exception with a particular machine. See MPEP §2106.05(b). Under step 2B of the subject matter eligibility analysis, the claims do not integrate the abstract idea into a judicial exception. Referring to the additional elements provided in the analysis in step one, above, the generic computer hardware does not provide significantly more than the recited abstract idea. See MPEP §2106.05(f).
For these reasons, the claims do not provide a practical application of the abstract idea, nor do they amount to significantly more than an abstract idea under step 2B of the subject matter eligibility analysis. Using a generic computer to implement an abstract idea does not provide an inventive concept. Therefore, the claims recite ineligible subject matter under 35 USC §101.
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) 1-6, 8, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11615353 B2 to Monovich et al. (hereinafter ‘MONOVICH’) in view of US 7266566 B1 to Kennaley et al. (hereinafter ‘KENNALEY’).
Claim 1 (Currently Amended)
MONOVICH discloses an information providing system that provides information about an autonomous mobile robot (see col 52, ln 21-36 and col 126, ln 3-21; an autonomous vehicle, drone, or car), the information providing system comprising a device and a user terminal (see col 25, ln 50-63; a computing system and a client computing system), the device and the user terminal communicating with each other wirelessly (see again col 25, ln 50-63; a computing system employing a communications network), wherein the device is configured to:
receive information about a plurality of robot accessory units that enables the autonomous mobile robot to execute a plurality of different services when used in combination with the autonomous mobile robot (see again col 126, ln 3-21; the scheduling delivery of the at least one additional part may include booking or assigning an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a drone or an autonomous car) for delivering the at least one additional part) from a memory of the device upon receiving an instruction from the user terminal to start processing (see col 3, ln 7-20; a memory and processor connected to the network interface), information about a location where the autonomous mobile robot operates (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15; a location associated with a task), and information about a type of a service requested (see col 2, ln 33-54; the set of requests is associated with a number of task types. A scheduling weight for task types) from the user terminal, the information about the location where the autonomous mobile robot operates being obtained by receiving a name or an address (see col 13, ln 13-25 and col 58, ln 13-27; inquire any information about the address of a location).
MONOVICH does not explicitly disclose, but KENNALEY discloses, of a web page of a facility from the user terminal and obtaining at least a facility type of the facility as the information about the location (see col 20, ln 27-54 and Fig. 12; a basic web page that is linked to if it is identified in response to a search inquiry. This basic web page provides fundamental information about the business, such as business name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, contacts, type of business, year established, and recency of information. There are also links to contact information and a map).
MONOVICH further discloses perform a calculation process of calculating resource information based on the information about the plurality of robot accessory units, the information about the location, and the information about the type of the service requested, the resource information including information about the number and a type of the autonomous mobile robot and the robot accessory units required to be introduced to the location for the type of the service requested (see col 1, ln 26-37 and col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; match available resources to the tasks to be performed. Detect and resolve discrepancies between high level and low level resource allocation numbers. Allocate enough resources to satisfy demand for a region. Cover enough demand for a specific task type. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more.); and
output the resource information calculated by the calculation process to the user terminal (see again col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; generate a plan schedule that satisfies resource demands for task types. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more. See also col 17, ln 36-col 18, ln 3 and col 25, ln 25-48; a presentation layer for displaying data on a graphical user interface).
MONOVICH discloses scheduling tasks for field professionals provisioning autonomous drones and vehicles based on location information and tasks to be provided at the location (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15). KENNALEY discloses a database management system that provides information including the business type and address on a web page. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to include the web page as taught by KENNALEY in the system executing the method of MONOVICH with the motivation to provide location information to professionals provisioning autonomous vehicles and drones.
Claim 2 (Currently Amended)
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY discloses the information providing system according to claim 1.
MONOVICH further discloses wherein the calculation process includes calculating, as a part of the resource information, information including information about a necessary human resource amount based on the information about the plurality of robot accessory units, the information about the location, and the information about the type of the service requested (see col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more. See also col 21, ln 64- col 22, ln 49; schedule planner updates information in the human resources, finance, and other systems).
Claim 3 (Currently Amended)
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY discloses the information providing system according to claim 1.
MONOVICH further discloses wherein the calculation process includes calculating the resource information for each of a plurality of combinations of the autonomous mobile robot and the robot accessory units required for the type of the service requested (see col 19, ln 37-col 20, ln 24 & col 24, ln 18-30; the decision inherent in answering a customer demand. While some of the data used comes from analysis module 441, forecasting module 442 may be used as a decision-making tool letting managers define their expectations (out of the different possible predictions and scenarios) and commit to the decision that planning should proceed in a manner consistent with these decisions. What-if analysis and managing different scenarios concurrently).
Claim 4 (Currently Amended)
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY discloses the information providing system according to claim 1.
MONOVICH further discloses wherein the different services include at least two of a transport service (see col 126, ln 3-21; The autonomous vehicle may be part of a transportation service, such as Uber™, Lyft™, and Via™), a patrol service, or a cleaning service (see col 12, ln 27-54; distribute resources in the field. In property maintenance, field professionals may be individuals who are dispatched for landscaping, irrigation, and home and office cleaning).
Claim 5 (Currently Amended)
MONOVICH discloses an information providing method for a computer (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15; computer readable media and a processor) to provide information about an autonomous mobile robot (see col 52, ln 21-36 and col 126, ln 3-21; an autonomous vehicle, drone, or car), the information providing method comprising:
receiving information about a plurality of robot accessory units that enables the autonomous mobile robot to execute a plurality of different services when used in combination with the autonomous mobile robot (see again col 126, ln 3-21; the scheduling delivery of the at least one additional part may include booking or assigning an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a drone or an autonomous car) for delivering the at least one additional part) from a memory of the computer upon receiving an instruction from a user terminal communicating with the computer wirelessly to start processing (see col 3, ln 7-20; a memory and processor connected to the network interface),
receiving, information about a location where the autonomous mobile robot operates (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15; a location associated with a task), and information about a type of a service requested (see col 2, ln 33-54; the set of requests is associated with a number of task types. A scheduling weight for task types); from the user terminal, the information about the location where the autonomous mobile robot operates being obtained by receiving a name or an address (see col 13, ln 13-25 and col 58, ln 13-27; inquire any information about the address of a location).
MONOVICH does not explicitly disclose, but KENNALEY discloses, of a web page of a facility from the user terminal and obtaining at least a facility type of the facility as the information about the location (see col 20, ln 27-54 and Fig. 12; a basic web page that is linked to if it is identified in response to a search inquiry. This basic web page provides fundamental information about the business, such as business name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, contacts, type of business, year established, and recency of information. There are also links to contact information and a map).
MONOVICH further discloses, performing a calculation process of calculating resource information based on the information about the plurality of robot accessory units, the information about the location, and the information about the type of the service requested, the resource information including information about the number and a type of the autonomous mobile robot and the robot accessory units required to be introduced to the location for the type of the service requested (see col 1, ln 26-37 and col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; match available resources to the tasks to be performed. Detect and resolve discrepancies between high level and low level resource allocation numbers. Allocate enough resources to satisfy demand for a region. Cover enough demand for a specific task type. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more.); and
outputting the resource information calculated by the calculation process to the user terminal (see again col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; generate a plan schedule that satisfies resource demands for task types. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more. See also col 17, ln 36-col 18, ln 3 and col 25, ln 25-48; a presentation layer for displaying data on a graphical user interface).
MONOVICH discloses scheduling tasks for field professionals provisioning autonomous drones and vehicles based on location information and tasks to be provided at the location (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15). KENNALEY discloses a database management system that provides information including the business type and address on a web page. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to include the web page as taught by KENNALEY in the system executing the method of MONOVICH with the motivation to provide location information to professionals provisioning autonomous vehicles and drones.
Claim 6 (New)
MONOVICH discloses a management system comprising a management device (see col 25, ln 50-63; a computing system and a client computing system), autonomous mobile robots (see col 52, ln 21-36 and col 126, ln 3-21; an autonomous vehicle, drone, or car), accessory units, and a user termina (see again col 126, ln 3-21; the scheduling delivery of the at least one additional part may include booking or assigning an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a drone or an autonomous car) for delivering the at least one additional part)l, the management device including a processor (see col 3, ln 7-20; a memory and processor connected to the network interface) configured to receive a service request from the user terminal (see col 2, ln 33-54; the set of requests is associated with a number of task types. A scheduling weight for task types), select an autonomous mobile robot among the autonomous mobile robots and an accessory unit from the accessory units (see again col 126, ln 3-21; the scheduling delivery of the at least one additional part may include booking or assigning an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a drone or an autonomous car) for delivering the at least one additional part), and instruct the selected autonomous mobile robot to perform servicing (see again col 126, ln 3-21; a drone and a transportation service), wherein the processor of the management device is further configured to:
receive information about a plurality of robot accessory units that enables an autonomous mobile robot among the autonomous mobile robots to execute a plurality of different services when used in combination with the autonomous mobile robot (see again col 126, ln 3-21; the scheduling delivery of the at least one additional part may include booking or assigning an autonomous vehicle (e.g., a drone or an autonomous car) for delivering the at least one additional part) from a memory of the management device upon receiving an instruction from the user terminal to start processing (see col 3, ln 7-20; a memory and processor connected to the network interface);
receive information about a location where the autonomous mobile robot operates (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15; a location associated with a task), and information about a type of a service requested (see col 2, ln 33-54; the set of requests is associated with a number of task types. A scheduling weight for task types) from the user terminal, the information about the location where the autonomous mobile robot operates being obtained by receiving a name or an address (see col 13, ln 13-25 and col 58, ln 13-27; inquire any information about the address of a location).
MONOVICH does not explicitly disclose, but KENNALEY discloses, of a web page of a facility from the user terminal and obtaining at least a facility type of the facility as the information about the location (see col 20, ln 27-54 and Fig. 12; a basic web page that is linked to if it is identified in response to a search inquiry. This basic web page provides fundamental information about the business, such as business name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, contacts, type of business, year established, and recency of information. There are also links to contact information and a map).
MONOVICH further discloses, perform a calculation process of calculating resource information based on the information about the plurality of robot accessory units, the information about the location, and the information about the type of the service requested, the resource information including information about the number and a type of the autonomous mobile robot and the robot accessory units required to be introduced to the location for the type of the service requested (see col 1, ln 26-37 and col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; match available resources to the tasks to be performed. Detect and resolve discrepancies between high level and low level resource allocation numbers. Allocate enough resources to satisfy demand for a region. Cover enough demand for a specific task type. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more.); and
output the resource information calculated by the calculation process to the user terminal (see again col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; generate a plan schedule that satisfies resource demands for task types. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more. See also col 17, ln 36-col 18, ln 3 and col 25, ln 25-48; a presentation layer for displaying data on a graphical user interface).
MONOVICH discloses scheduling tasks for field professionals provisioning autonomous drones and vehicles based on location information and tasks to be provided at the location (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15). KENNALEY discloses a database management system that provides information including the business type and address on a web page. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to include the web page as taught by KENNALEY in the system executing the method of MONOVICH with the motivation to provide location information to professionals provisioning autonomous vehicles and drones.
Claim 8 (New)
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY discloses the information providing system according to claim 1.
MONOVICH further discloses wherein the calculation process is performed by a machine-learning model (see col 40, ln 41-59; in some embodiments, the prediction of the demand may be determined using a machine learning model (e.g., implemented as a software model executable by processing device 202).
Claim 9 (New)
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY discloses the information providing system according to claim 1.
MONOVICH further discloses wherein the device is further configured to cause a display of the user terminal to display UI images in which the information about the plurality of robots accessory units is read (see again col 21, ln 17-col 22, ln 48; generate a plan schedule that satisfies resource demands for task types. See also col 39, ln 40-col 40, ln 10; the available resources may include the field professionals themselves, working hours, vehicles, tools, equipment, spare parts, office space, and more. See also col 17, ln 36-col 18, ln 3 and col 25, ln 25-48; a presentation layer for displaying data on a graphical user interface).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11615353 B2 to MONOVICH et al. in view of US 7266566 B1 to KENNALEY et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 20040128215 A1 to Florance et al. (hereinafter ‘FLORANCE’).
Claim 7 (New)
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY discloses the information providing system according to claim 1.
MONOVICH does not explicitly disclose, but KENNALEY discloses, wherein the information about the location where the autonomous mobile robot operates is obtained by receiving the address of the web page of the facility from the user terminal and accessing the address to obtain at least the facility type (see col 20, ln 27-54 and Fig. 12; a basic web page that is linked to if it is identified in response to a search inquiry. This basic web page provides fundamental information about the business, such as business name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, contacts, type of business, year established, and recency of information. There are also links to contact information and a map).
The combination of MONOVICH and KENNALEY does not specifically disclose, but FLORANCE discloses, a size of the facility as the information about the location (see ¶[0382]; the Overview web page lists such data as the price, price per square foot, cap rate, percent leased, building size, land area, year built, and sale status of the property).
MONOVICH discloses scheduling tasks for field professionals provisioning autonomous drones and vehicles based on location information and tasks to be provided at the location (see col 1, ln 55-col 2, ln 15). KENNALEY discloses a database management system that provides information including the business type and address on a web page. FLORANCE discloses geographic-based data in web pages that includes building size. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to include the building size as taught by FLORANCE in the system executing the method of MONOVICH and KENNALEY with the motivation to provide geographic information
Conclusion
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 RICHARD N SCHEUNEMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-7947. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/RICHARD N SCHEUNEMANN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3624
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