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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 were previously pending and subject to a non-final office action mailed 02/20/2026. Claims 1, 2, 8-12, and 18-20 were amended; no claim was cancelled, or added in a reply filed 05/14/2026. Therefore claims 1-20 are currently pending and subject to the final office action below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks p. 18-21, filed 05/14/2026, with respect to 101 rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 101 rejection of claims 1-20 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 05/14/2026 in regards to 103 rejection have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
“Applicant respectfully submits that Yang does not disclose or suggest at least the feature (5) of amended claim 1. Specifically, Yang does not disclose a configuration process that includes (i) acquiring configuration scenario information that indicates a configuration scenario, (ii) determining at least one configurable item matching the configuration scenario, (iii) acquiring configuration item content corresponding to the at least one configurable item, and (iv) obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content.
While Yang discloses storing PDF template-related data in configuration tables and retrieving a particular PDF template based on port routing information during generation (Yang, 2:20-23), Yang's retrieval of a pre-existing PDF template based on a port routing tag is fundamentally different from the claimed configuration process. In amended claim 1, the recited configuration process specifically produces the business resource generating
template itself "based on the configuration item content" acquired in accordance with at least one configurable item that matches a particular configuration scenario. Yang does not describe using configuration scenario information to determine one or more configurable items in a specific configuration scenario, nor does Yang describe obtaining the template based on configuration item content corresponding to those configurable items.
Moreover, Yang's "port routing information" is used solely to match a pre-existing template from a lookup table; it does not serve as configuration scenario information that drives the identification of configurable items from which configuration item content is acquired to obtain the template. Yang's approach therefore does not teach or suggest the recited configuration-scenario-driven, configurable-item-based template construction process.” (remarks p. 23).
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are not persuasive. Applicant addresses only Yang’s later document generation operation, in which port routing information is used to retrieve a previously configured template. The rejection, as clarified, additionally relies on Yang’s separate disclosure describing the configuration and formation of the template itself, particularly the figure 3 embodiment. Yang expressly describes a configuration process in which “the template is created based on the label data” (page 4) and the system specifies “And specify the port information, distributor information, and product line information to which the template belongs; upload the pre-designed template label file, establish the required label mapping relationship for the template, set the label attributes, etc., and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template.” (page 4).
The above disclosure is mapped to the amended limitation as follows:
“acquiring configuration scenario information, the configuration scenario information indicating a configuration scenario”: Yang’s port information, distributor information, and product line information constitute configuration scenario information because those items identify the logistics environment for which the template is being configured. Yang additionally maintains a template/port routing relationship table storing port information, supplier information, and logistics route information corresponding to the template.
“Determining at least one configuration item matching the configuration scenario”: Yang’s PDF tags, labels, label mapping relationships, and label attributes constitute configurable items. Yang discloses a “PDF template and tag relationship mapping table, used to store the list of tags required by the PDF template” (page 1) and further establishes the “required label mapping relationship” and sets the label attributes for the template associated with the identified port, distributor and product line information.
Under broadest reasonable interpretation, determining the tags or labels “required by” a scenario associated template constitutes determining configurable items matching the configuration scenario. The claim does not require a particular matching algorithm, a numerical similarity determination, or a comparison against any particular number of alternative items.
Yang further explains that different ports have different content requirements and that a new integration plan was conventionally required for each new port and distribution company.
A person of ordinary skill would therefore have understood that the labels and fields selected for a port specific template must correspond to the information requirements of that port, distributor, product line, or route. Thus, Yang at least suggests determining the configurable labels or tags that match the identified logistics scenario.
“Acquiring configuration item content corresponding to the at least one configurable item”: Yang acquires the content associated with those configurable items by: creating the label source data required by the template; uploading the predesigned template label file; establishing the required label mapping relationship; and setting the label attributes. These constitute the content defining the selected tags, labels, and associated attributes.
“obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content”: Yang expressly states that the label data, uploaded template label file, mapping relationship, and label attributes: “and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template.” (page 4).
Applicant’s argument incorrectly limits Yang to its later runtime retrieval operation. Yang separately discloses both configuring and forming the PDF template from label data, mappings, and attributes; and subsequently selecting and filling the configured template according to port routing information. Yang’s runtime matching operation does not replace or negate Yang’s earlier template configuration process.
To the extent Applicant interprets the recited steps as requiring a strict temporal order in which scenario information must always be entered before any label source data is created, the claim does not expressly recite that degree of temporal exclusivity, Moreover, even under that interpretation, it would have been an obvious implementation choice to identify the port/distributor/product line scenario before selecting the labels required for that scenario because Yang expressly teaches that different ports impose different document content requirements. The result would predictably be a template containing the fields required for the selected logistics scenario.
Applicant argues “Even assuming arguendo that Murthy's field-wise rule set could be mapped to the claimed "attribute information operation identification" and "attribute arithmetic function" under a broadest reasonable interpretation, Murthy does not cure the deficiencies of Yang. Murthy's auto-fill engine describes how field values are computed from simple if-then trigger rules once a form is already designed; it does not describe a configuration process in which configuration scenario information is used to determine at least one configurable item and configuration item content corresponding to the at least one configurable item is used to obtain the template itself, as required by feature (5) of amended claim 1.
Nowhere in Murthy is there any teaching or suggestion of acquiring configuration scenario information that indicates a configuration scenario, determining configurable items matching that configuration scenario, or obtaining the business resource generating template based on configuration item content of the configurable items.” (remarks p. 24).
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are not persuasive because they do not address the rejection as actually applied. The Examiner does not rely on Murthy to supply the newly added configuration process limitation. As discussed above, that limitation is taught or suggested by Yang’s template configuration embodiment.
Murthy is relied upon for the limitation involving an attribute information operation identification and an attribute arithmetic function. Murthy teaches an administrator editable auto fill engine that maintains field wise rules (table 2). The content can also be in the form of calculation or function (paragraph 38), wherein the system maintains in the knowledge base, functions to compute all calculation fields (paragraph 49). Thus, Yang teaches the scenario-based template configuration process, while Murthy supplies the field associated operation rules and arithmetic functions that Yang does not expressly describe. Applicant cannot establish non-obviousness merely by showing that Murthy, considered separately, does not teach a limitation supplied by Yang.
Applicant argues “Even when combined, Yang and Murthy fail to disclose or suggest the feature (5) of amended claim 1. Yang's port-routing-based template lookup, even as supplemented by Murthy's field-wise rule engine, does not result in the claimed configuration process in which (i) configuration scenario information is acquired to indicate a configuration scenario, (ii) at least one configurable item matching that configuration scenario is determined, (iii) configuration item content corresponding to the at least one configurable item is acquired, and (iv) the business resource generating template is obtained based on the configuration item content. The proposed combination, at most, produces a PDF template lookup system with per-field auto-fill rules; it does not result in the specific configuration-scenario-driven, configurable-item-based template configuration process as recited in amended claim 1.” (remarks p. 25).
Applicant argument is not persuasive because it rests on the incorrect premise that Yang discloses only a port routing-based template lookup system. Yang’s figure 3 embodiment expressly describes creating label source data, associating a template with port/distributor/product line information, uploading template label content, establishing required label mappings, setting label attributes, and finally forming the PDF template.
Consequently, the combination is not merely a preexisting template lookup system supplemented by autofill rules. Rather, the combination provides: Yang’s scenario associated template configuration process; Yang’s configurable tags, labels, mappings, and attributes; Yang’s formation of the template from corresponding label content; and Murthy’s administrator editable field specific operations and arithmetic functions.
The references need not independently disclose the entire claimed invention. The rejection relies on their combined teachings, with Yang teaching the template configuration and Murthy teaching the rule/function limitations.
Applicant argues “Furthermore, the Examiner's stated rationale for combining Yang and Murthy is merely that "the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable" (Office action, page 11). This conclusory rationale is inadequate under KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 418 (2007), which requires "some articulated reasoning with some rational underpinning to support the legal conclusion of obviousness." See also MPEP § 2143. The Examiner has not articulated any specific reason why one of ordinary skill in the art would have combined Yang's PDF generation system with Murthy's field-wise auto-fill engine, much less a reason that would have led to the specific configuration-scenario-based template configuration process now recited in amended claim 1.” (remarks p. 25).
Applicant’s argument has been fully considered but is not persuasive.
The rationale set forth in the previous Office action is a recognized rationale under KSR and MPEP 2143. The Examiner determined that the claimed subject matter results from combining known elements according to their established functions and that the combination would have produced predictable results. That rationale is not legally deficient merely because it was stated concisely. KSR does not require a rigid formula or an express teaching in the prior art to combine the references. Rather, the obviousness determination may be supported by the nature of the problem to be solved, the ordinary creativity of one of ordinary skill in the art, and the predictable use of known techniques to improve similar devices or methods.
The factual basis for the rationale is present in the cited references and is further explained below.
Yang discloses a computer implemented logistics document generation system in which PDF content elements are abstracted into configurable tags, the tags and corresponding metadata are stored in configuration tables, and a template is generated and populated using those tags and corresponding business data. Yang further discloses establishing the required label mapping relationships and setting label attributes to form the PDF template.
Yang discloses a computer implemented logistics document generation system in which PDF content elements are abstracted into configurable tags, the tags and corresponding metadata are stored in configuration tables, and a template is generated and populated using those tags and corresponding business data. Yang further discloses establishing the required label mapping relationships and setting label attributes to form the PDF template.
Yang also identifies a specific problem with conventional template systems. Yang explains that when a new template was created or an area of a PDF was modified, conventional implementation required: “, a lot of hard coding and complicated testing work were required to complete a PDF template at the end, which was very efficient. low.” (page 4) and that Yang’s tag-based configuration avoids substantial repeated coding.
Murthy discloses a closely related computer implemented form generation system that automatically determines and fills values for form fields by using administrator editable field wise rules. Murthy’s rules listed in table 2. Murthy further teaches that the applicable rules may be calculations or functions and that the system maintains functions in the knowledge base to compute calculation fields.
In view of these teachings, one of ordinary skill in the art would have had reason to incorporate Murthy’s known administrator editable field wise rules and arithmetic functions into Yang’s tag-based template generation system. Both references concern automatic generation and population of structured business forms. Yang provides configurable tags and mappings for defining the fields of a template, while Murthy provides known rules and functions for automatically determining the values to be inserted into such fields.
The modification would have addressed Yang’s identified problem of repeated hard coding and complicated testing by permitting calculation logic associated with a tag or field to be maintained as an editable rule or function, rather than separately coded into each template implementation. It also would have reduced manual entry of derived business information and improved the consistency of the values inserted into generated documents.
The combination therefore amounts to the predicable use of Murthy’s known field rule technique to improve Yang’s similar template generation method. Yang’s tags and mapping tables would continue to define the template fields and their relationships to business data, while Murthy’s rules and functions would continue to determine values for designated fields. The result, automatically calculating and populating selected fields in Yang’s generated logistics template, would have been the predictable result of the combination, and nothing in either reference indicates that the system was technically incompatible or that the modification would have required more than ordinary skill.
Applicant argues “Amended claim 2 depends from patentable amended claim 1 and further recites additional features that distinguish the claimed invention from the cited references. Amended claim 2 is therefore patentable at least for the reasons provided above for amended claim 1, and further patentable based on its own additional features. Dependent claim 12, which is the electronic device counterpart of amended claim 2 and depends from independent claim 11, has been amended in a commensurate manner and is patentable for the same reasons.” (remarks p. 26).
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are not persuasive. First, amended claim 1 remains rejected for the reasons stated above; therefore, dependency from claim 1 does not establish patentability.
Second, claim 2 requires that the at least one configurable item includes at least one of: a predetermined business attribute information item; an attribute information operation identification; or an attribute arithmetic function. The claim does not require that every alternative be present in the same configurable item. Yang’s tags or labels constitute predetermined business attribute information items. Yang discloses: “PDF template and tag relationship mapping table, used to store the list of tags required by the PDF template;” (page 1), and a label metadata table in which the metadata corresponds to business data on a one-to-one basis.
Yang further permits the template and label information to be added or deleted, establishes the required label mapping relationship, and sets label attributes during formation of the template. Accordingly, Yang’s tags and labels are both configurable items and predetermined business attribute information items. Murthy additionally teaches the other recited alternative involving an attribute arithmetic function. Murthy maintains functions for computing calculation fields and provides the specific example f1 = f2*10 (table 2). Thus claim 2 is rendered obvious by Yang in view of Murthy. Claim 12 is rejected for the same reasons because it recites the corresponding device limitation.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 11-12 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 112036803) in view of Murthy (US 2009/0204881).
As per claim 1/11/20, Yang discloses a method of business information generation, comprising:
acquiring business attribute information input based on a business information input component (1:56-58, “abstract the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags, and use 56 the editable and design characteristics of PDF tags to store the tags in the mysql database and become the record 57 data of the configuration table;”, 2:26-28, “The printing data 26 service receives the business party’s entire logistics distribution face-to-face print data and transmits it to mySql 27 Database storage,” Yang teaches receiving business-side input information and storing it), and
matching a business resource generating template based on the business attribute information (2:20-23, “PDF file generation, each full logistics distribution list contains port routing information, according to 20 the port routing information, match the specified template and label information from the configuration table, 21 and fill in the PDF template according to the corresponding label metadata table , Complete the filling of various 22 information in the PDF template;” Yang teaches matching a specified template from a configuration table based on routing information included in the logistics distribution list);
wherein the business attribute information comprises a corresponding business attribute information item and a business attribute information value (3:16-17, “abstract the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags,”, 3:30-31, “The label metadata table is used to store all kinds of labels required by all types of PDF files, including character 30 strings, QR codes and/or barcodes, and the metadata corresponds to business data one-to-one;“, 3:20-33); and
based on a business attribute information item in the business resource generating template, acquiring a business attribute information value corresponding to the business attribute information item, and generating business resource information based on the business attribute information value; (3:42-43, “fill in the PDF template according to the corresponding label metadata table , Complete the filling of various 42 information in the PDF template;”), and
wherein the business resource generating template is configured and generated based on at least one of the following: a predetermined business attribute information item (3:16-18, “the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags, and use 16 the editable and design characteristics of PDF tags to store the tags in the mysql database and become the record 17 data of the configuration table;” 3:28, “PDF template and tag relationship mapping table, used to store the list of tags required by the PDF template;”, 4:17-22, “It first creates the label source 17 data required by the template. This data is the data prepared at the initial stage of the whole logistics distribution 18 sheet, and it is rarely modified in the future; the template is created based on the label data , And specify the port 19 information, distributor information, and product line information to which the template belongs; upload the 20 pre-designed template label file, establish the required label mapping relationship for the template, set the label 21 attributes, etc., and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template.”),
wherein the predetermined business attribute information item is pre-configured based on a predetermined attribute data structure (1:56-57, “Step two, PDF file template configuration, abstract the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags, and use 56 the editable and design characteristics of PDF tags to store the tags in the mysql database and become the record 57 data of the configuration table;”, 2:8, “PDF template and tag relationship mapping table, used to store the list of tags required by the PDF template;”, 2:10-11, “The label metadata table is used to store all kinds of labels required by all types of PDF files, including character 10 strings, QR codes and/or barcodes, and the metadata corresponds to business data one-to-one;”);
wherein a configuration process of the business resource generating template comprises: acquiring configuration scenario information, the configuration scenario information indicating a configuration scenario (page 4, “, And specify the port information, distributor information, and product line information to which the template belongs; upload the pre-designed template label file, establish the required label mapping relationship for the template, set the label attributes, etc., and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template.”, page 2, “PDF template and port routing relationship table, used to store port information, supplier information and logistics route information corresponding to the template.” Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the port information, distributor information, product line information, supplier information, and/or logistics route information constitutes the claimed configuration scenario information, because the information identifies the particular logistics environment, port, distributor, product line, supplier, or route for which the template is being configured. The identified logistics environment constitutes the claimed configuration scenario”);
determining at least one configurable item matching the configuration scenario (page 2, “PDF template and tag relationship mapping table, used to store the list of tags required by the PDF template”, page 4, “, establish the required label mapping relationship for the template, set the label attributes, etc., and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template”, under BRI, the PDF tags, labels mapping relationships, and/or label attributes constitute the claimed configurable item because those items are selected, associated, added, deleted, mapped, or assigned attributes during configuration of the template. Yang’s determination of the tags “required by” the template associated with the specified port, distributor and product line information teaches determining at least one configurable item matching the configuration scenario. In particular, the template is associated with a particular port/distributor/product line scenario, and the template/tag relationship identifies the tags required for that scenario associated template. Yang also explain in page 1 that “. The supervision methods of different pilot cities are not consistent; each port customs has a check on the delivery note on the package. The content requirements are not all consistent. This leads to a new docking plan for each new port and its distribution company, and a new docking plan for the distribution order, which makes the technical cost of each new port higher.” Thus, Yang recognizes that different port and distributor scenarios require different document content.
acquiring configuration item content corresponding to the at least one configurable item (page 4, “Figure 3 shows the block diagram of the templated configuration of the PDF file. It first creates the label source data required by the template. This data is the data prepared at the initial stage of the whole logistics distribution sheet, and it is rarely modified in the future; the template is created based on the label data , And specify the port information, distributor information, and product line information to which the template belongs; upload the pre-designed template label file, establish the required label mapping relationship for the template, set the label attributes, etc., and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template.” The label source data, template label file, label mapping information, and label attribute information constitute the claimed configuration item content corresponding to the at least one configurable item, because they provide the data, content, mapping, and attributes used to define the configurable tags or labels); and
obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content (page 4, “establish the required label mapping relationship for the template, set the label attributes, etc., and finally form the entire logistics distribution list PDF file template.” Yang teaches obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content.).
However, Yang does not disclose but Murthy discloses an attribute information operation identification, or an attribute arithmetic function (table 2, paragraph 36, “This request is handled by an auto-fill engine 45, which maintains field-wise rules 46, which can be edited by an administrator 47. Examples of such rules include the ones listed in Table 2.”, “Auto-fill engine rules Precedents Antecedents If F2 changes F1 = F2*10 F3 Compute value (database) F4 Pick value from knowledgebase”, “[0049] In the case where field values are calculated, the system maintains in the knowledge base, functions to compute all calculation fields.”, under BRI, the maintained rule set for a template field functions as “operation identification” (which operation is applied) and the rule itself is an “arithmetic function”).
the attribute arithmetic function is pre-constructed based on the predetermined business attribute information item (table 2, paragraph 36, “This request is handled by an auto-fill engine 45, which maintains field-wise rules 46, which can be edited by an administrator 47. Examples of such rules include the ones listed in Table 2.”, “Auto-fill engine rules Precedents Antecedents If F2 changes F1 = F2*10 F3 Compute value (database) F4 Pick value from knowledgebase”, “[0049] In the case where field values are calculated, the system maintains in the knowledge base, functions to compute all calculation fields.”); and
the attribute information operation identification is configured to indicate that an arithmetic operation corresponding to the attribute information operation identification is performed on a business attribute information value of a predetermined business attribute information item corresponding to the attribute information operation identification (table 2, paragraph 36, “This request is handled by an auto-fill engine 45, which maintains field-wise rules 46, which can be edited by an administrator 47. Examples of such rules include the ones listed in Table 2.”, “Auto-fill engine rules Precedents Antecedents If F2 changes F1 = F2*10 F3 Compute value (database) F4 Pick value from knowledgebase”, “[0049] In the case where field values are calculated, the system maintains in the knowledge base, functions to compute all calculation fields.” Under BRI, the rule section for field F1 is the “operation identification”, and it indicates performing multiplication on the value of predetermined field F2 to obtain the value for predetermined field F1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to administrator editable field wise rules and calculation functions as taught by Murthy in the teaching of Yang’s tag based logistics template system. Yang seeks to automate the generation of logistics distribution documents, reduce manual order replacement, avoid mismatches, and eliminate repeated hard coding when a template or an area of template is changed. Murthy teaches that editable field wise rules and calculation functions automatically fill form fields, reduce the time required to complete forms, and improve the correctness of entered values. Thus, incorporating Murthy’s rules into Yang’s predetermined tags would have predicably enabled values for calculated logistics fields to be derived automatically from other business attribute values while retaining Yang’s scenario specific template and tag structure. Therefore, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
As per claim 2/12, Yang discloses wherein the at least one configurable item includes at least one of: a predetermined business attribute information item an attribute information operation identification to identify the business attribute information value, or an attribute arithmetic function for determining the business attribute information (page 1, “Step two, PDF file template configuration, abstract the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags, and use the editable and design characteristics of PDF tags to store the tags in the mysql database and become the record data of the configuration table”, page 2, “PDF template and tag relationship mapping table, used to store the list of tags required by the PDF template;”, page 2, “The label metadata table is used to store all kinds of labels required by all types of PDF files, including character strings, QR codes and/or barcodes, and the metadata corresponds to business data one-to-one;” under BRI, Yang’s PDF tags and labels constitute the claimed predetermined business attribute information items because the tags represent predetermined content elements fields of the logistics document and the tags are designated as required by the PDF template. Yang’s tags and labels also constitute the claimed configurable item because Yang teaches configuring the template by adding or deleting template and label information, establishing required label mapping relationships, and setting label attributes).
Claim(s) 3 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 112036803) in view of Murthy (US 2009/0204881), as disclosed in the rejection of claim 2/12, in further view of Vishal (2018/0357274).
As per claim 3/13, Yang discloses wherein the configuration process of the business resource generating template further comprises:
obtaining template application configuration information input based on a template application component (2:2-6, “ PDF template table, used to store the basic information data of each new template, including the file size, type, 2 and address of the print template file; PDF template and port routing relationship table, used to store port information, supplier information and 5 logistics route information corresponding to the template;” under BRI, retrieving, these stored relationships and associated routing information constitutes obtaining “template application configuration information”); and
While Yang disclose a system with multiple templates and routing based application rules (template, port-routing relationship table), which is a form of application logic governing when a template applies, it does not disclose but Vishal discloses determining, based on the template application configuration information, an application logic relationship between at least two different business resource generating templates (paragraph 56, “Changes to a data model template can include changing default configuration values, or making other changes to the data model template (e.g., adding or removing properties or attributes, changing configuration information, changing inheritance from other models or templates, changing data bindings, changing how bound data is processed, etc., paragraph 70, “Configuration metadata 438 (or attributes) can also include navigation information, which can establish links between entities 404, including for the purposes of viewing information regarding related entities or for inheritance purposes. The configuration metadata 438 can also be attributes and can be associated with a configuration value (e.g. ATOM versus JSON, particular relationships between entities 404 including inheritance, including actual values, configuration values, attributes 416, and properties).”).”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include the limitations above as taught by Vishal in the teaching of Yang, in order to provide improved performance, as multiple configuration values can be use with a single data service and a single data model template (Vishal, abstract).
While Vishal teaches that changing associations/inheritance and rules/processing applied to a template produces a changed template configuration (i.e. a new/updated template as a result of the relationship logic, it does not explicitly disclose but Yang discloses
obtaining a new business resource generating template based on the application logic configuration/relationship (2:22-23, “fill in the PDF template according to the corresponding label metadata table, Complete the filling of various 22 information in the PDF template;”).
Claim(s) 4-17 and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 112036803) in view of Murthy (US 2009/0204881), as disclosed in the rejection of claim 2/12, in further view of Padula (US 2021/0334453) and He (CN 116881279).
As per claim 4/14, Yang does not disclose but Padula discloses wherein a configuration process of the predetermined business attribute information item comprises:
acquiring, on a business attribute information item configuration page, field attribute configuration information input based on an information input component of a predetermined information field attribute configuration item (paragraph 36, “The Form Designer Module 0k provides a form editor, which presents a what-you-see-is-what-you-get view of the form. The user can add and remove fields, and change their attributes”);
determining the predetermined business attribute information item based on the field attribute configuration information (paragraph 36, “The Form Designer Module 0k provides a form editor, which presents a what-you-see-is-what-you-get view of the form. The user can add and remove fields, and change their attributes” Padula discloses by adding/removing fields and changing attributes in the editor, the system defines/determines the fields (items) and their attributes);
wherein the business attribute information item configuration page comprises a graphical presentation of the predetermined attribute data structure and a business attribute information item configuration panel, and the business attribute information item configuration panel comprises the information input component of the predetermined information field attribute configuration item (paragraph 36, “The Form Designer Module 0k provides a form editor, which presents a what-you-see-is-what-you-get view of the form. The user can add and remove fields and change their attributes. In some embodiments, the Form Designer Module 0k also provides a graphical workflow editor that presents workflows as either a flow chart or a “swim-lane” style process so that the workflows are easy to understand and change. The Form Designer Module 0k may also allow the user to see the form as it would appear on various screen sizes, to enter test data to ensure correct functionality, and to exercise the workflow.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include the limitations above as taught by Padula in the teaching of Yang, in order to dynamically generating, defining and customizing forms and workflows based on a user's input and design (Padula, abstract).
However, Yang in view of Padula does not disclose but He discloses wherein the predetermined information field attribute configuration item corresponds to the predetermined attribute data structure (page 21-22, “The parameter information includes at least one of the following: the creation sequence number, type, identifier, assignment rule, index of the structure object in the blank template, and the hierarchical relationship of the structure object” He also reinforces the idea of determining/configuring attribute fields based on configuration information in page 22, “Step S602: Based on the parameter information, configure the attribute fields corresponding to the structure object in the blank template to obtain the second template corresponding to the second business scenario. The attribute fields are used to indicate the attributes of the structure object in the second template.” And provides the predetermined attribute data structure being presented (i.e. structure objects with hierarchical relationship and index) and the configuration of corresponding attribute fields).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include the limitations above as taught by He in the teaching of Yang in view of Padula, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
As per claim 5/15, Yang in view of Murthy, Padula and He disclose all the limitation of claim 4. He further discloses wherein the predetermined information field attribute configuration item comprises at least one of the following: a name of a business attribute information item (page 12, “The instantiation name of the object; parent: The index of the object's parent object. Optional: If no value is provided, it indicates that this object has no parent object. If a value is provided, it represents the Oname of its parent object”), a category to which the business attribute information item belongs, a type of the business attribute information item (page 22, “For example, create a sequence number Oorder, a type Otype, an identifier Oname, a hierarchical relationship connect, an index parent assignment rule Ovalue, etc., as detailed above”), an available business configuration scenario, a description of the business attribute information item, or a source of a business attribute information value corresponding to the business attribute information item (please see claim 5 rejection for combination rationale)
As per claim 6/16, Yang in view of Murthy, Padula and He disclose all the limitation of claim 5. Yang further discloses wherein the business attribute information value source comprises at least one of the following: an input configuration source (2:25-28, “The printing domain system includes printing data service, 25 file generation service, file download service, file service component and mysql database. The printing data 26 service receives the business party’s entire logistics distribution face-to-face print data and transmits it to mySql 27 Database storage,”), a logistics field assignment source (1:56-58, “Step two, PDF file template configuration, abstract the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags, and use 56 the editable and design characteristics of PDF tags to store the tags in the mysql database and become the record 57 data of the configuration table;”), a function return value source, or a predetermined key value information source.
As per claim 7/17, Yang in view of Murthy, Padula and He disclose all the limitation of claim 5. Yang does not disclose but Murthy discloses wherein when the business attribute information value source is configured to be the function return value source (“[0049] In the case where field values are calculated, the system maintains in the knowledge base, functions to compute all calculation fields.”), and determining, based on the function configuration information, a configuration result corresponding to the business attribute information value source (“[0049] In the case where field values are calculated, the system maintains in the knowledge base, functions to compute all calculation fields.”)(please see claim 1 rejection for combination rationale).
However, Yang in view of Murthy does not disclose but Padula further discloses the configuration process of the predetermined business attribute information item further comprises: presenting a function configuration page corresponding to the function return value source; and on the function configuration page, acquiring input function configuration information based on a target function configuration component and a function parameter configuration component (paragraph 85, “[0085] In some embodiments, the designer tool provides a specialized calculation editor 106. The specialized calculation editor 106 assists the user when working with calculations. The specialized calculation editor 106 has a learning feature that recognizes common patterns of usage and suggests them. The learning feature uses machine learning to identify common patterns across all of the fields on all of the forms in the system and suggest the appropriate calculations or calculation arguments within the context of the field. The machine learning aspect allows it to evolve over time as more calculations are entered or updated and more forms are added to the system. Thus, the learning feature results in faster and more efficient operation of the specialized calculation editor 106 and enhances the form designer's experience.” The specialized calculation editor is a function configuration page for the function return value source because it is the user facing configuration interface for specifying calculation logic for a field, “[0092] The calculation learning engine 118 ingests calculation arguments 116 that have been defined on the forms by the form designer”)(please see claim 4 rejection for combination rationale).
Claim(s) 8 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 112036803) in view of Murthy (US 2009/0204881), as disclosed in the rejection of claim 2/12, in further view of Zhang (US 2020/0027060)
As per claim 8/18, Yang discloses acquiring a second configuration item content input based on an information input component of a business resource reference information item in the predetermined business attribute information item, and determining a business resource reference information value and based on the transportation start and end interval and the business resource reference information value, determining a business resource generating template corresponding to the transportation start and end interval (2:20-23, “Step 4, PDF file generation, each full logistics distribution list contains port routing information, according to 20 the port routing information, match the specified template and label information from the configuration table, 21 and fill in the PDF template according to the corresponding label metadata table , Complete the filling of various 22 information in the PDF template;”, label information and label metadata are business resource reference information and the label meta data provides the business resource reference information value used for generation. Yang further discloses determining the specified template based on logistics routing information and the configuration table).
However, Yang does not disclose but Zhang discloses wherein the configuration scenario is a business configuration scenario associated with transport start and end addresses in a logistics business (abstract, paragraph 21, 33, , “order information from a terminal, where the order information includes a shipper address, a consignee address, and configuration address information, where the configuration address information includes a transit address and/or a non-transit address”), and obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content comprises: acquiring a first configuration item content input by an information input component based on a start address information item and an end address information item in the predetermined business attribute information item, and determining a transportation start and end interval of logistics transport based on the first configuration item content (abstract, paragraph 21, 33, “order information from a terminal, where the order information includes a shipper address, a consignee address, and configuration address information, where the configuration address information includes a transit address and/or a non-transit address”, “and a path planning unit configured to plan a first logistics path based on the shipper address, the configuration address information, and the consignee address, where the first logistics path includes the transit address, or the first logistics path does not include the non-transit address, or the first logistics path includes the transit address and does not include the non-transit address.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include the limitations above as taught by Zhang in the teaching of Yang, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Claim(s) 9 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 112036803) in view of Murthy (US 2009/0204881), as disclosed in the rejection of claim 2/12, in further view of He (CN 116881279).
As per claim 9/19, Yang discloses the configuration scenario is a business configuration scenario associated with a business resource identification in a logistics business, and obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content comprises: acquiring a configuration item content input based on an information input component of a predetermined business attribute information item in the at least one configurable item, and determining a business resource targeted object based on the configuration item content ; acquiring a source information value based on a business attribute information value source configuration input component of the business resource targeted object, and determining a business attribute information value source of the business resource targeted object (1:52-58, “Step 1. Formulate a full-process logistics delivery note, including international delivery note number, sender's 52 name and address, domestic delivery note number, recipient name and address, port clearance number, declared 53 item information and settlement information, and generate PDF files; Step two, PDF file template configuration, abstract the content elements in the PDF file into PDF tags, and use 56 the editable and design characteristics of PDF tags to store the tags in the mysql database and become the record 57 data of the configuration table;”, 2:20-23, “Step 4, PDF file generation, each full logistics distribution list contains port routing information, according to 20 the port routing information, match the specified template and label information from the configuration table, 21 and fill in the PDF template according to the corresponding label metadata table , Complete the filling of various 22 information in the PDF template;” port routing information is business resource identification information because it identifies which logistics template is applicable); and
determining a business resource generating template corresponding to the business resource targeted object
However, Yang does not disclose but He discloses acquiring operation identification input information of an input control of the attribute information operation identification corresponding to the business resource targeted object (page 16, “The first preset property can be Ocreate or Ovalue. The assignment type of Ocreate and Ovalue is ftype, which has two optional values: join and fiulecase”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include the limitations above as taught by He in the teaching of Yang, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 112036803) in view of Murthy (US 2009/0204881), as disclosed in the rejection of claim 2, in further view of MacGillivray (US 2017/0017724).
As per claim 10, Yang discloses the configuration scenario is a business configuration scenario associated
However, Yang does not disclose but MacGillivray discloses filtering/search result filtering applied to a set of resource responsive to a user query (“[0014] A search engine system provides user-selectable search query result filters for display on a user device in response to a user-input search query.” This combination corresponds to a logistics business scenario of Yang in which resource information (ie. Templates/labels/resources) are filtered using filtering options)
obtaining the business resource generating template based on the configuration item content comprises: acquiring a configuration item content input based on an information input component of a predetermined business attribute information item in the at least one configurable item, determining a resource information filtering object based on the configuration item content, and determining the selectable attribute information operation identification based on the resource information filtering object (“[0041] The filter subsystem 108 receives data identifying a set of resources that are determined to be responsive to a search query (302).” The set of resources corresponds to the claimed resource information filtering object and the user’s query/configuration input corresponds to configuration item content input. MacGillivray further discloses determining candidate query filters from the contents of the responsive resources “[0014] A search engine system provides user-selectable search query result filters for display on a user device in response to a user-input search query. The system receives data identifying a set of resources that are determined to be responsive to the search query and extracts a set of keywords from the contents of the resources. The keywords are processed according to candidate selection criteria, and a set of candidate query filters are determined.”);
in response to a selection operation on an optional attribute information operation identification, determining a target attribute information operation identification, and presenting an input control of a resource information filtering condition value corresponding to the target attribute information operation identification (“[0014] A search engine system provides user-selectable search query result filters for display on a user device in response to a user-input search query.” The filters are user selectable and are provided for display on a user device which corresponds to presenting an input control that allows selection and selecting one displayed filter corresponds to determining a target attribute information operation identification);
wherein the input control of the resource information filtering condition value presents a category to which a business attribute information item belongs, which matches a combined result of the resource information filtering object and the target attribute information operation identification (paragraph 34, “In yet further examples, the candidate criteria 211 may include additional keywords corresponding to categorical search queries related to the search query input by the user 202.”, MacGillivray teaches the filters correspond to categorical search queries related to the search query. Because the set of filters is generated from the responsive resource set and presented as selectable filters, the presented categories are tied to the responsive resources (filtering object) and the selected filter (target operation identification)); and
determining an information filtering condition value of the resource information filtering object based on filtering condition information that is input based on the input control of the resource information filtering condition value, and determining a business resource generating template corresponding to the resource information filtering object based on the information filtering condition value (paragraph 47, “The system may determine that the set of content resulting from applying the query filter “guacamole” to the set of resources for the search query “burgers” may be similar, if not identical, to the set of content resulting from applying the query filter “guac” to the set of resources for the search query “burgers.” Upon determining that the filtered sets of content resulting from applying the query filters “guacamole” and “guac” do not meet a difference threshold, the set of query filters will not include both query filters “guacamole” and “guac.” MacGillivray teaches applying the selected filter to the set of resources to produce filtered content. The selected query filter value is the information filtering condition value, and the resulting filtered set corresponds to the filtered resource object. Yang discloses using logistics routing information to match/select the specified template from configuration tables and fill it (according to the port routing information, match the specified template). In this combination, after filtering down the relevant resource information (filters applied to the resource set), the system determines the corresponding logistics template to use for generating the logistics PDF business resource).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include the limitations above as taught by MacGillivray in the teaching of Yang, in order to provide filters from resource content (MacGillivray, abstract).
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.
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OMAR . ZEROUAL
Examiner
Art Unit 3628
/OMAR ZEROUAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3629
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