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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to the application filed on 05/12/2026.
Claims 1-19 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group I and II, there being no allowable generic or linking claims. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 05/12/2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group III claim 20 in the reply filed on 05/12/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-19 have been cancelled.
Claims 21-33 have been newly added.
Claims 20-33 are currently pending and have been examined.
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.
Claims 20-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. Specifically, claims 20-33 are directed to an abstract idea without additional elements amounting to significantly more than the abstract idea.
With respect to Step 2A Prong One of the framework, claim 1 recites an abstract idea. Claim 1 includes elements for “a project management
The limitations above recite an abstract idea. More particularly, the elements above recite certain methods of organizing human activity related to managing personal behavior or relationships or interactions between people because the elements describe a project management system for identify physical products. Further, the elements above recite mental processes because the elements describe observations or evaluations that could be practically performed in the mind or by using pen and paper. As a result, claim 20 recites an abstract idea under Step 2A Prong One.
Claim 26 include substantially similar limitations to those included with respect to claim 20. As a result, claim 20 recite an abstract idea under Step 2A Prong One for the same reasons as stated above with respect to claim 20.
Claims 21-24 and 27-33 further describe the process for selecting and viewing organizational information and further recite certain methods of organizing human activity and/ mental processes for the same reasons as stated above. As a result, claims 21-24 and 27-33 recite an abstract idea under Step 2A Prong One.
With respect to Step 2A Prong Two of the framework, claim 20 does not include additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. Claim 20 includes additional elements that do not recite an abstract idea under Step 2A Prong One. The additional elements include a system, memory process and RFID. When considered in view of the claim as a whole, the additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because the system, memory process and RFID amounts to no more than a general computing component that is used as a tool to perform the recited abstract idea, and the step for gathering information is an insignificant extra solution activity to the recited abstract idea. As a result, claim 20 does not include any additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application under Step 2A Prong Two.
As noted above, claims 26 include substantially similar limitations to those included with respect to claim 20. Although claim 26 further includes a processor and memory, the additional element, when considered in view of the claim as a whole, do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because the additional elements amount to no more than general computing components that are used as a tool to perform the recited abstract idea. As a result, claim 26 do not include any additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application under Step 2A Prong Two.
Claims 21-25 and 27-33 do not include any additional elements beyond those included with respect to the claims from which claims 21-25 and 27-33 depend. As a result, claims 21-25 and 27-33 do not include any additional elements that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application under Step 2A Prong Two for the same reasons as stated above.
With respect to Step 2B of the framework, claim 1 does not include additional elements amounting to significantly more than the abstract idea. As noted above, claim 1 includes additional elements that do not recite an abstract idea under Step 2A Prong One. The additional elements include a computing device and a step for gathering information. The additional elements do not amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea because the additional elements the computing device amounts to no more than a general computing component that is used as a tool to perform the recited abstract idea, and the step for gathering information is a well-understood, routine, and conventional computer function in view of MPEP 2105.06(d)(II). Further, looking at the additional elements as an ordered combination adds nothing that is not already present when considering the additional elements individually. As a result, claim 20 does not include any additional elements that amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea under Step 2B.
As noted above, claim 26 include substantially similar limitations to those included with respect to claim 20. Although claim 26 further includes a processor and memory, the additional elements do not amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea because the additional elements amount to no more than general computing components that are used as a tool to perform the recited abstract idea. Further, looking at the additional elements as an ordered combination adds nothing that is not already present when considering the additional elements individually. As a result, claim 26 do not include any additional elements that amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea under Step 2B.
Claims 21-25 and 27-33 do not include any additional elements beyond those included with respect to the claims from which claims 21-25 and 27-33 depend. As a result, claims 21-25 and 27-33 do not include any additional elements that amount to significantly more than the recited abstract idea under Step 2B for the same reasons as stated above.
Therefore, the claims are directed to an abstract idea without additional elements amounting to significantly more than the abstract idea. Accordingly, claims 20-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 as being directed to non-statutory subject matter.
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 –
Claims 20-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Blackburn et al. “US 2021/0304155 A1” (Blackburn).
Regarding Claim 26: A system comprising:
a project management system, the project management system comprising at least one memory storing executable instructions and at least one processor for executing the instructions to (at least see Blackburn Abstract; [007]-[0010]):
record details about a project, the project comprising installation of one or more physical products (at least see Blackburn Abstract; Figs. 3A-3D; [0010]);
receive identification data for an installed or to be installed physical product, the identification data being read with a first radio frequency reader enabled device from a radio- frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to a physical product (at least see Blackburn Abstract; [0056]);
store the identification data read from the RFID tag in a data storage (at least see Blackburn Abstract; [0067]);
associate the identification data read from the RFID tag with project information associated with installation of the physical product stored in the data storage (at least see Blackburn Abstract; [007]-[0010]);
receive the identification data read from the RFID tag with a second radio frequency reader enabled device placed in proximity to one of the one or more physical products, the second radio frequency reader enabled device having a customer application thereon for instructing a customer in performing the reading, the RFID tag attached to the one of the one or more physical products installed at a customer's residence (at least see Blackburn Abstract; Fig. 25A; [0150]);
check the received identification data read from the RFID tag with the second radio frequency reader enabled device against the stored project information (at least see Blackburn [0071]);
based on the check, identify the one of the one or more physical products (at least see Blackburn [0013]); and
receive, for the identified one of the one or more physical products, an initiation of a service or a warranty request (at least see Blackburn [0016]-[0017]).
Regarding Claim 27: The system of claim 26, wherein the physical product is a window installed at the customer's residence (at least see Blackburn [0056]).
Regarding Claim 28: The system of claim 26, wherein the project information includes one or more of the physical product's purchase date, manufacturing status, installation date, installed location, model, specification, serial number, project number, maintenance history, and warranty information (at least see Blackburn [0056]).
Regarding Claim 29: The system of claim 26, wherein the second radio frequency reader enabled device is a smart phone or tablet (at least see Blackburn [0038]).
Regarding Claim 30: The system claim 26, wherein the customer application includes a service or a warranty service request feature (at least see Blackburn [0063]).
Regarding Claim 31: The system of claim 30, wherein the customer application is configured to display to a user the project information retrieved using the checked identification data (at least see Blackburn [0008]).
Regarding Claim 32: The system of 26, further comprising the first radio frequency reader enabled device, the first radio frequency reader enabled device communicatively coupled to the product management system, the first radio frequency reader enabled device configured to wirelessly obtain the identification data for the installed or to be installed physical product when placed in proximity to the installed or to be installed physical product and communicate the identification data to the product management system (at least see Blackburn [0082]).
Regarding Claim 33: The system of claim 26, further comprising the second radio frequency reader enabled device, the second radio frequency reader enabled device communicatively coupled to the product management system, the second radio frequency reader enabled device configured to wirelessly read the RFID tag and communicate the identification data read from the RFID tag to the product management system (at least see Blackburn [0082]).
Regarding Claims 20-25: all limitations as recited have been analyzed and rejected with respect to claims 26-33.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon, which is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, are cited in the Notice of Reference Cited form (PT0-892).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FATEH M OBAID whose telephone number is (571)270-7121. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M to 4:30 P.M.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ryan Zeender can be reached at (571) 272-6790. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FATEH M OBAID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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