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 Claims
Due to communications filed 2/4/25, the following is a non-final first office action. Claims 1-29 are pending in this application and are rejected as follows.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01.
Claims 1 and 16 recite “so to allow the offboard server to provide information which enables a requestor to determine whether or not the actual change in weight matches the expected change in weight”. Specifically the phrase “so as to allow” is functional language that merely states an intended result of the claimed system without positively reciting the structural/operational limitations required to achieve the result. Examiner is uncertain whether the if the server or requester performs the comparison or what specific action is actually performed. In addition, the phrase “enables a requester to determine” renders the scope of the claim uncertain because it does not define the specific steps or algorithm that must be executed to achieve the determination, and therefore it is unclear whether the server performs the comparison or merely transmits raw data. It is also unclear whether or not the requestor performs the comparison independently. Therefore, the claim is indefinite and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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, 4, 5, 8-10, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23-25, 27-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (CN 114111988 B ), and further in view of PENG (CN 102519563 A).
As per claim 1, Tang discloses:
- determine that a vehicle has come to a standstill, (Preferably, rubbish recycling intelligent weighing control method further comprises: when the receiving vehicle successfully enters into the weighing area, or when the idle load vehicle enters the idle load area, obtaining the image information captured by the front and back end of the ground; according to the image information captured by the front and back end of the loadometer);
- receive, from a camera associated with the vehicle, a captured image of an identification code, the identification code being external to the vehicle, (before receiving the vehicle entering into the weighing area, according to the image captured by the warehouse entrance snapshot machine, determining the license plate number, so as to determine the corresponding process information of the receiving vehicle, performing the verification processing, through the identity information verification; Preferably, the receiving vehicle information comprises license plate number, empty vehicle weight, driver weight, receiving batch number, process state, the received article information comprises article type, order number, object weight, two-dimensional code, article state information, according to the received article information and the obtained receiving vehicle actual weighing weight determining whether to pre-warning mark);
the processing circuitry is further configured to: - transmit said identification code and vehicle data including said event data to an off-board server located remotely from the vehicle so as to allow the off-board server to provide information which enables a requester to determine whether or not the actual change in weight matches the expected change in weight, (according to the image captured by the warehouse entrance snapshot machine, determining the license plate number, so as to determine the corresponding process information of the receiving vehicle, performing the verification processing...according to the image captured by the warehouse entrance snapshot machine, determining the process of information receiving vehicle, performing the verification processing; when the receiving vehicle checking successfully enters into the weighing area, verification the corresponding receiving vehicle information receiving the article information if verification, determining whether to perform pre-warning mark according to the received information and the received vehicle actual weighing weight of the received vehicle; In the solution, the two-dimensional code receiving object weight and the actual weighing of the checking object to check, can timely alarm in the weighing process. calculating and receiving the article weight in the receiving article information the vehicle associated with the receiving vehicle by accumulation, determining the total weight of the received article, then according to the actual weighing weight of the receiving vehicle subtracting the empty vehicle weight in the receiving vehicle information driver weight, estimating the total weight of the cargo, and associating and storing to the receiving vehicle information the data is accurate, convenient for the management staff to view. by judging whether the difference between the total weight of the received article and the total weight of the goods is greater than the first preset threshold value, so as to determine whether to perform the early warning mark, and controlling the scale voice announcer and the display screen early warning, by the early warning mark);
Tang does not disclose the following limitations, however, PENG discloses:
wherein the identification code is associated with a predefined loading event at which the vehicle is planned to become loaded or unloaded, wherein successful completion of the predefined loading event is associated with an expected change in weight carried or pulled by the vehicle, (PENG (CN 102519563 A): [0007] A weight change monitoring system, comprising a vehicle mounted terminal manager and connection with vehicle mounted terminal manager of the weighing sensing device, warning device...vehicle terminal manager is provided with a predetermined loading, unloading position of the geographical position information and weight change safe threshold value... the vehicle reaches all the vehicle weight value measured by unloading position front weighing sensing device are dynamic load value);
- receive, from a sensor of the vehicle, event data indicative of an actual change in weight carried or pulled by the vehicle at the loading event, and wherein, upon determination that the vehicle is at a standstill and upon receipt of the captured image and the event data, ([0007] the weighing sensing device the measured vehicle mounted weight value as the initial load value in the loading position in the vehicle, the vehicle reaches all the vehicle weight value measured by unloading position front weighing sensing device are dynamic load value, the difference between any dynamic load value with the initial load value is vehicle weight change value; [0008] vehicle terminal manager vehicle weight value is obtained by weighing sensing device, through electronic navigation system built in GPS to obtain position information, and determines the initial load value and the dynamic load value collected between the loading, unloading, vehicle terminal manager in real time calculating the difference between the dynamic load value with the initial load value namely the vehicle weight change value, when the calculated vehicle mounted weight change value is greater than the weight change safety threshold (generally not considering vehicle operation during the increased vehicle weight condition. vehicle-mounted weight change value is the initial load value by subtracting a positive dynamic load value after the vehicle weight-change value larger than weight change safety threshold, it is considered that the vehicle weight is obviously reduced, the vehicle present slag off, unloading phenomenon), vehicular terminal manager drives the alarming device, the whole system realizes, unloading the slag dropping phenomenon of judging and alarming.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by PENG in the systems of Tang, 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 4, Teng discloses:
wherein said identification code is a QR code or a bar code, (Teng: S202, the user subside the user through the user terminal; S204, the recycling person weighing and pasting two-dimensional code; S206, the recycling personnel through the recycling end scanning recording article type, article weight, generating the order number and the two-dimensional code for binding storage; S208, the driver end scanning the two-dimensional code receiving article, generating receiving batch number, associated storage, the information management process of the two-dimensional code is shown in FIG. 6, comprising user terminal information, article bar code information).
As per claim 5, Teng does not disclose:
wherein said sensor is a load sensor and wherein said event data includes:
- a first load value sensed by the load sensor before the loading event is initiated, and
- a second load value representative of the load exerted on the vehicle at a time of
determining by the processing circuitry that the loading event has been completed,
wherein said actual change in weight is determined from the difference between the first load
value and the second load value.
However, PENG discloses:
“the weighing sensing device the measured vehicle mounted weight value as the initial load value in the loading position in the vehicle, the vehicle reaches all the vehicle weight value measured by unloading position front weighing sensing device are dynamic load value, the difference between any dynamic load value with the initial load value is vehicle weight change value”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by PENG in the systems of Tang, 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 8, Tang discloses:
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, based on one or more of the below listed occurrences, determine that the loading event has been completed:
- the processing circuitry receiving information indicative of that the vehicle has moved a
predetermined distance relative to the ground after the initiation of the loading event;
- the processing circuitry receiving another captured image from the camera that captured the
image of the identification code or from another camera, said other captured image being
indicative of the loading event has been completed,
- the processing circuitry receiving a command from a user operated input device, such as
from a nomadic device, for example from a smartphone or portable computer, and
- the processing circuitry receiving information that a tipper body of the vehicle has been
returned from a tilted position to a rest position.
Tang: ‘Further rubbish the recycling intelligent weighing control method further comprises the following steps: receiving and recycling network monitoring video, GPS vehicle monitoring video, weighing monitoring video, unloading monitoring video, and according to the key time node recording time stamp to the video slice processing, uploading the corresponding video to the database storage, the key time node recording timestamp comprises: the driver receives the item scanning starting time, the driver corresponding to the last item scanning time of the driver, the driver over-weighing time, weighing finishing time, driver unloading starting time, driver unloading finishing time, driver out-of-cabin train through the pound time”.
As per claim 9,
wherein said receiving of the captured image of an identification code, in combination with said determining that the vehicle has come to a standstill, triggers the processing circuitry to receive said event data indicative of a change in weight carried or pulled by the vehicle.
See rejection of claim 1.
As per claim 10, Tang discloses:
wherein the vehicle data further comprises one or more of:
- a time stamp indicative of the time of the loading event, such as the time of initiation and/or
completion of the loading event,
- positional coordinates, such as GPS coordinates, indicative of where the loading event has
taken place,
- driver identification information, such as based on information from a tachograph card,
- vehicle camera images, such as bodybuilder camera images, for showing that
loading/unloading has actually occurred,
- camera images of environment/surroundings around the vehicle, for showing
location/conditions of the loading event.
Tang: “Further rubbish the recycling intelligent weighing control method further comprises the following steps: receiving and recycling network monitoring video, GPS vehicle monitoring video, weighing monitoring video, unloading monitoring video, and according to the key time node recording time stamp to the video slice processing, uploading the corresponding video to the database storage, the key time node recording timestamp comprises: the driver receives the item scanning starting time, the driver corresponding to the last item scanning time of the driver, the driver over-weighing time, weighing finishing time, driver unloading starting time, driver unloading finishing time, driver out-of-cabin train through the pound time.”.
As per claim 12, Tang discloses:
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
- control the issuance of a notification/alert, such as a visual or audible notification/alert, as a
confirmation of the loading event having been initiated, and/or
- control the issuance of a notification/alert, such as a visual or audible notification/alert, as a
confirmation of the loading event having been completed.
“In the solution, the two-dimensional code receiving object weight and the actual weighing of the checking object to check, can timely alarm in the weighing process. calculating and receiving the article weight in the receiving article information the vehicle associated with the receiving vehicle by accumulation, determining the total weight of the received article, then according to the actual weighing weight of the receiving vehicle subtracting the empty vehicle weight in the receiving vehicle information driver weight, estimating the total weight of the cargo, and associating and storing to the receiving vehicle information the data is accurate, convenient for the management staff to view. by judging whether the difference between the total weight of the received article and the total weight of the goods is greater than the first preset threshold value, so as to determine whether to perform the early warning mark, and controlling the scale voice announcer and the display screen early warning, by the early warning mark”.
As per claim 15, this claim recites limitations similar to those disclosed in independent claim 1 and is therefore rejected for similar reasons.
As per claim 16, this claim recites limitations similar to those disclosed in independent claim 1 and is therefore rejected for similar reasons.
As per claim 19,
The method of claim 16, wherein said identification code is a QR code or a bar code.
Please see the rejection of claim 4.
As per claim 20,
wherein said sensor is a load sensor and wherein said event
data includes:
- a first load value sensed by the load sensor before the loading event is initiated and
- a second load value representative of the load exerted on the vehicle at a time of determining by the processing circuitry that the loading event has been completed, wherein said actual change in weight is determined from the difference between the first load value and the second load value.
Please see the rejection of claim 5.
As per claim 23,
further comprising determining, by the processing circuitry,
based on one or more of the below listed occurrences, that the loading event has been
completed:
- the processing circuitry receiving information indicative of that the vehicle has moved a
predetermined distance relative to the ground after the initiation of the loading event;
- the processing circuitry receiving another captured image from the camera that captured the
image of the identification code or from another camera, said other captured image being
indicative of the loading event has been completed,
- the processing circuitry receiving a command from a user operated input device, such as
from a nomadic device, for claim from a smartphone or portable computer, and
- the processing circuitry receiving information that a tipper body of the vehicle has been
returned from a tilted position to a rest position.
Please see the rejection for claim 8.
As per claim 24,
wherein said receiving of the captured image of an identification code, in combination with said determining that the vehicle has come to a standstill, triggers the processing circuitry to receive said event data indicative of a change in weight carried or pulled by the vehicle.
See rejection of claim 1.
As per claim 25,
wherein the vehicle data further comprises one or more of:
- a time stamp indicative of the time of the loading event, such as the time of initiation and/or
completion of the loading event,
- positional coordinates, such as GPS coordinates, indicative of where the loading event has
taken place,
- driver identification information, such as based on information from a tachograph card,
- vehicle camera images, such as bodybuilder camera images, for showing that
loading/unloading has actually occurred,
- camera images of environment/surroundings around the vehicle, for showing
location/conditions of the loading event.
Please see the rejection of claim 10.
As per claim 27,
- controlling, by the processing circuitry, the issuance of a notification/alert, such as a visual
or audible notification/alert, as a confirmation of the loading event having been initiated,
and/or
- controlling, by the processing circuitry, the issuance of a notification/alert, such as a visual
or audible notification/alert, as a confirmation of the loading event having been completed.
Please see the rejection of claim 12.
As per claim 28,
A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when
executed by the processing circuitry, the method of claim 16.
Please see the rejection of claim 16.
As per claim 29,
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which
when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the
method of claim 16.
Please see the rejection of claim 16.
Claim(s) 2, 3, 17, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (CN 114111988 B ), and further in view of PENG (CN 102519563 A), and further in view of SAWADA (JP 2009279957 A).
As per claim 2, Tang does not disclose:
wherein the camera is a vehicle mounted camera,
However, SAWADA (JP 2009279957 A) discloses: “And you may comprise so that the display of a vehicle-mounted camera image may be continued”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by SAWADA in the systems of Tang, 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 3, Tang does not disclose the following, however, SAWADA (JP 2009279957 A) discloses:
further comprising said camera, wherein the camera has:
- a normal operating mode, in which it provides video representation of the environment, and
- a code reading mode, in which it is enabled to capture said image of an identification code,
wherein, upon determination by the processing circuitry that the vehicle has come to a
standstill, the processing circuitry is configured to control the camera to switch from the
normal operating mode to the code reading mode,
(SAWADA (JP 2009279957 A): (“Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated as an example the change of the wheel speed by ABS, you may apply to what is called a traction control system, for example. For example, the estimated vehicle speed as described above is calculated when the wheel is idling when the vehicle starts (when the in-vehicle camera image is displayed) and a high value is detected as the wheel speed. And you may comprise so that the display of a vehicle-mounted camera image may be continued, suppressing that the image of the display part 17 switches to a navigation image. Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated as an example the change of the wheel speed by ABS, you may apply to what is called a traction control system, for example. For example, the estimated vehicle speed as described above is calculated when the wheel is idling when the vehicle starts (when the in-vehicle camera image is displayed) and a high value is detected as the wheel speed. And you may comprise so that the display of a vehicle-mounted camera image may be continued, suppressing that the image of the display part 17 switches to a navigation image.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by SAWADA in the systems of Tang, 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 17:
wherein the camera is a vehicle mounted camera.
Please see the rejection of claim 2.
As per claim 18:
wherein the camera has:
- a normal operating mode, in which it provides video representation of the environment, and
- a code reading mode, in which it is enabled to capture said image of an identification code,
the method further comprising:
upon determination by the processing circuitry that the vehicle has come to a standstill,
controlling, by the processing circuitry, the camera to switch from the normal operating mode
to the code reading mode.
Please see the rejection of claim 3.
Claim(s) 6, 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (CN 114111988 B ), and further in view of PENG (CN 102519563 A), and further in view of Diamond (US 20250242784 A1).
As per claim 6, Tang does not disclose:
wherein said sensor is a trailer sensor configured to sense whether or not a trailer is connected to the vehicle, wherein said event data includes information indicative of the trailer having become disconnected from the vehicle and thus indicative of an actual change in weight pulled by the vehicle.
However, Diamond (US 20250242784 A1) [0046] In general, at steps 63, 76, and 82, the system may return to step 34 instead of returning to step 36. For example, the process may always return to step 34 at steps 63, 76, and 82, or the process may optionally include determining if sensor data or other circumstances exist that indicate a change in combined weight may have changed. Also, the process may return to step 30 (“start”) if the vehicle ignition is cycled off, a trailer has been disconnected and reconnected (which may indicate that a different trailer has been connected to the vehicle), or other predefined “start” criteria are determined to exist.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by Diamond in the systems of Tang, 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 21,
wherein said sensor is a trailer sensor configured to sense whether or not a trailer is connected to the vehicle, wherein said event data includes information indicative of the trailer having become disconnected from the vehicle and thus indicative of an actual change in weight pulled by the vehicle.
Please see the rejection of claim 6.
Claim(s) 7,22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (CN 114111988 B ), and further in view of PENG (CN 102519563 A), and further in view of GAO (CA 3162263 A1).
As per claim 7, Tang does not disclose:
wherein said camera is a first camera, wherein said sensor forms part of a second camera, wherein said event data includes information indicative of objects carried by the vehicle having disappeared from the second camera's field of view and thus indicative of an actual change in weight carried by the vehicle.
However, GAO (CA 3162263 A1) discloses: [0049] In response to such a detection, self-checkout vehicle 102 can trigger at least one camera 204 or 302 to start collecting image or video data of a merchandise item that is moving with respect to a selected reference position of vehicle... detect movement(s) of each merchandise item with respect to self-checkout vehicle 102, and transmit the captured information to the centralized computing device 124 via the communication network 120. In one aspect, one or more weight sensors 208 can be installed on the bottom of self-checkout vehicle 102 in order to continuously monitor changes or fluctuations in a weight of the contents of self-checkout vehicle 102 (e.g. the measured weight will go up or down as merchandise items or other objects are added or removed, respectively, from self-checkout vehicle 102).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by GAO in the systems of Tang, 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 22,
wherein said camera is a first camera, wherein said sensor forms part of a second camera, wherein said event data includes information indicative of objects carried by the vehicle having disappeared from the second camera's field of view and thus indicative of an actual change in weight carried by the vehicle.
Please see the rejection of claim 7.
Claim(s) 11, 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (CN 114111988 B ), and further in view of PENG (CN 102519563 A), and further in view of WANG et al (CN 111740953 B).
As per claim 11, Tang does not disclose the following:
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to bundle the identification code and vehicle data into an encrypted and/or signed data package before transmitting them in the data package to the off-board server.
However, WANG et al (CN 111740953 B) discloses: See Claim 1 of WANG et al: “A vehicle monitoring platform data access forwarding method, wherein it comprises the following steps: the vehicle-mounted terminal establishes tcp link with the access system, the vehicle-mounted terminal sends the login request to the access system, the access system analyzes the login request, the login request comprises a vehicle unique identification code vin; the access system verifies the vehicle terminal by verifying the validity and correctness of the unique identification code vin of the vehicle... decrypting the encrypted data body under the premise of the user password is correct, obtaining the vehicle collecting data... a complete data chain is started by consuming kafka data, finishing data conversion, data encryption, data package...”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by WANG et al in the systems of Tang, 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 26,
- bundling, by the processing circuitry, the identification code and vehicle data into an
encrypted and/or signed data package before transmitting them in the data package to the off-
board server.
Please see the rejection of claim 11.
Claim(s) 13, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (CN 114111988 B ), and further in view of PENG (CN 102519563 A), and further in view of Hay (US 20090024423 A1).
As per claim 13, Tang does not disclose:
further comprising said off-board server, wherein the off-board server is configured to receive a request of data from a requester, the request of data comprising information associated with the loading event.
However, Hay (US 20090024423 A1) discloses: (“[0024] FIG. 6 provides a flowchart showing the details of this process. At 600, the user links to reports process 190 and then chooses whether to view a report on scheduled reminders or one detailing service center loading at 605. If a reminder report is desired, a beginning and ending date to be covered by the report must be entered at 610. After requesting that the report be created by, for example, clicking on a button appearing on the Appointment Grid, at 615 the central server retrieves data from the reminder date database stored at the remote server for all dealerships served by the system indicating within the indicated date range vehicle by vehicle at which service center location service should take place, the calculated appointment date and the abbreviated VIN associated with each vehicle... A specific location to which the report should relate is chosen from among those participating in the use of the system at 675. At 680, data is retrieved from the no appointments database and the customer history database maintained at remote server 240 for the selected location listing all vehicles at the chosen location which should be serviced within the designated date range but for which no service appointment has been made along with associated customer identifying information. This report is displayed to the system user at 625 and may be exported at 635, as discussed above”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by Hay in the systems of Tang, 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 14, Tang does not disclose:
wherein the off-board server is configured to determine if the request of data is associated with said identification code and transmit said vehicle data to the requester when the request of data is associated with said identification code.
However, Hay (US 20090024423 A1) discloses: (“[0024] FIG. 6 provides a flowchart showing the details of this process. At 600, the user links to reports process 190 and then chooses whether to view a report on scheduled reminders or one detailing service center loading at 605. If a reminder report is desired, a beginning and ending date to be covered by the report must be entered at 610. After requesting that the report be created by, for example, clicking on a button appearing on the Appointment Grid, at 615 the central server retrieves data from the reminder date database stored at the remote server for all dealerships served by the system indicating within the indicated date range vehicle by vehicle at which service center location service should take place, the calculated appointment date and the abbreviated VIN associated with each vehicle... A specific location to which the report should relate is chosen from among those participating in the use of the system at 675. At 680, data is retrieved from the no appointments database and the customer history database maintained at remote server 240 for the selected location listing all vehicles at the chosen location which should be serviced within the designated date range but for which no service appointment has been made along with associated customer identifying information. This report is displayed to the system user at 625 and may be exported at 635, as discussed above”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include the above limitations as taught by Hay in the systems of Tang, 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Akiba Robinson whose telephone number is 571-272-6734 and email is Akiba.Robinsonboyce@USPTO.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 6:30am-4:30pm.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner's supervisor, Nathan Uber can be reached on 571-270-3923. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is (703) 305-3900.
March 4, 2026
/AKIBA K ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3628