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 .
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
claim 1, lines 3-4, "a storage unit configured to store cable information"
claim 1, lines 9-10, "a storage member configured to store the cable"
claim 11, lines 3-4, "a storage unit configured to store cable information including information on a cable"
claim 12, lines 7-8, "a storage member configured to store the cable".
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-9, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barron et al., USPN 9934485 B2 (hereafter referred to as Barron).
Claim 1, Barron teaches a cable management system for managing a cable, the cable management system comprising a mobile terminal and a server, wherein the server includes a storage unit configured to store cable information including information on the cable (column 3, lines 53-60; “The example system 10 also includes an inventory management server 110 that communicates with the mobile device 105 to receive and store wire or cable reel information and provide inventory data. The example inventory management server 110 can manage numerous categories of information for wire or cable reels, and can update or store information in an example inventory database 115 (e.g., in real time, or near real time).”),
the mobile terminal includes: a processor; and a memory storing program instructions that cause the processor (column 3, lines 48-53; “The example system 10 includes an example mobile device 105 that may be used by a user 100, such as an electrician, technician, contractor and/or any other user. The example mobile device 105 includes GPS and Bluetooth capabilities. “ And column 7, lines 42-48; “The example mobile device 105 is provided with the example processor 225 to execute computer-readable instructions stored in the example memory 235. For example, the processor 225 may execute such instructions to control overall operation of the mobile device 105 including examples disclosed herein to track, manage, and/or locate wire or cable in an inventory storage environment.”); to:
transmit identification information of the cable to the server, the identification information of the cable being assigned to a storage member configured to store the cable (column 4, lines 25-35; “… the reel identifier 138 could be encoded in an example beacon 140 and/or in an example barcode 145 located on the reel 135. For example, if the reel identifier 138 is encoded in the beacon 140, a device such as the mobile device 105 could obtain the reel identifier 138 from the beacon 140 using wireless communications such as Bluetooth communications or any other suitable type of wireless communications. If the reel identifier 138 is encoded on the barcode 145, a device such as the mobile device 105 could obtain the reel identifier 138 from the barcode 145 using a camera or an infrared scanner.”); and
display the cable information transmitted from the server (column 5 , lines 18-20; “In the illustrated example of FIG. 1, the user 100 is able to add or search for a specific wire or cable reel 135 by communicating with the inventory management server 110.” And column 4, lines 3-8; “Based on the communications from the example mobile device 105, the example inventory management server 110 accesses the inventory database 115 for relevant information. Additionally, the example inventory management server 110 can communicate with the mobile device 105 via, for example, protocols such as HTTP, TCP, and/or IP.” Using HTTP to display.), and
the server includes: a processor (column 10, line 65 – column 11, line 2; “more generally, the example mobile device 105, the example beacon 140, and the example inventory management server 110 could be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuit(s), logic circuits, programmable processor(s)…”; and a memory storing program instructions that cause the processor (column 11, lines 34-42; “The programs may be embodied in software stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a Blu-ray disk, or a memory associated with the example processor 225 or example processor 2312, but the entire programs and/or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than the example processor 225, 2312 and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware.”) to:
to extract the cable information from the storage unit, based on the identification information transmitted from the mobile terminal (column 8, lines 22-33; “For example, the reel identifier interface 240 may receive image or scan data from the example camera 210 and decode or otherwise determine reel identifiers (ID's) 138 (FIG. 1) (e.g., a Unique Device Identifier (UDID)) encoded in scanned ones of the barcodes 145 (FIG. 1).” And column 10, lines 10-17; “The inventory management server 110 of the illustrated example includes an example query handler 400 that processes requests from the example mobile device 105 (e.g., queries generated by the example query builder 260 of FIG. 2) and executes a search in the inventory database 115 for requested information (e.g., information/location of a wire or cable reel 135).”); and
transmit the extracted cable information to the mobile terminal (column 10, lines 17-27; “When a search or an update for specific cable information is requested (e.g., by the user 100) an example category matcher 405 of the inventory management server 110, analyzes the user-provided information and matches the information to a given inventory detail category in the example inventory database 115. When the example category matcher 405 finds a match between the user-provided information and a particular inventory detail category, the query handler 400 returns information relevant to the inventory category to the mobile device 105.”). Barron does not specifically teach the description of the play other than the interface (column 8, lines 14-19; “… some or all of the reel tracker 215 is implemented as an application (e.g., an app) for installation, execution, and use on mobile devices such as the mobile device 105. In the illustrated, the reel tracker 215 is provided with an example reel identifier interface 240, an example associator 245, an example data store interface 250, an example user input interface 255, an example query builder 260, an example location resolver 265, and an example user output interface 270.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barron by incorporating displays from another embodiment. The motivation the combination is consistent with the displays available in Figures 13 and 14 which are available to the server.
Claim 2, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, wherein the cable information includes a product name of the cable and a cable length at a time of shipment (column 9, lines 59-64; “In the illustrated example, the example beacon 140 includes an example memory 315 (e.g., a data store) to store information (e.g., wire length, wire type, location, and/or any other type of information) of the wire or cable reel 135.” And column 10, lines 1-9; In some examples, the memory 315 may store one or more of the type of information categories shown in FIG. 12 (e.g., one or more of an example reel identifier 1205, an example product name 1210, an example supplier part number 1215, an example detailed material description 1220, an example customer identifier 1225, an example remaining material length 1230, an example beacon attachment status 1235, and example location coordinates 1240).”).
Claim 3, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, wherein
the storage member is provided with an identification mark including the identification information (column 13, lines 38-43; “At block 506, the example reel tracker 215 obtains an identifier 145 (FIG. 1) of the example reel 135. For example, the reel tracker 215 may obtain the reel identifier 138 (FIG. 1) from the camera 210 (FIG. 2) based on scanning or imaging a barcode 145 (FIG. 1) corresponding to the reel identifier 138 located on the example reel 135.”), and
the program instructions of the mobile terminal cause the processor of the mobile terminal to:
capture an image of the identification mark (column 8, lines 22-33; “For example, the reel identifier interface 240 may receive image or scan data from the example camera 210 and decode or otherwise determine reel identifiers (ID's) 138 (FIG. 1) (e.g., a Unique Device Identifier (UDID)) encoded in scanned ones of the barcodes 145 (FIG. 1).” “In this manner, the reel identifier interface 240 can provide unique identifiers to identify ones of the reels 135.”); and
extract the identification information from the captured image of the identification mark (column 13, lines 50-55; “For example, the reel identifier interface 240 (FIG. 2) may obtain the reel identifier 138 from the camera 210 and/or the Bluetooth transceiver 205. In addition, the location resolver 265 (FIG. 2) may receive GPS location information from the GPS receiver 200 to determine a location of the reel 135 relative to the mobile device 105.”).
Claim 4, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, wherein the program instructions of the server cause the processor of the server to store usage information in the storage unit, the usage information including information on usage of the cable, the usage information includes a remaining cable length (column 12, line 57-column 13, line 5; “Users 100 may also use example user interfaces 1000, 1100, 1200 shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 to manage and edit the inventory information about wire or cable reels 135 in the inventory management server 110. Example inventory category details, depicted in FIG. 12, may include, for example, example reel identifiers 1205, example product names 1210, example supplier part numbers 1215, example detailed material descriptions 1220, example customer identifiers 1225 (e.g., identifiers of customers that purchase cable or wire from a supplier), example remaining material lengths 1230 (e.g., feet, yards, meters, and/or any other length unit), example beacon attachment status 1235, and example location information 1240. In addition, reel data for storing in the inventory database 115 can be entered via the example interfaces, depicted in FIGS. 13 and 14.”),
the program instructions of the mobile terminal cause the processor of the mobile terminal to:
capture an image of a length mark near a top end of the cable (column , lines ; “the reel identifier interface 240 may receive image or scan data from the example camera 210 and decode or otherwise determine reel identifiers (ID's) 138 (FIG. 1) (e.g., a Unique Device Identifier (UDID)) encoded in scanned ones of the barcodes 145 (FIG. 1).”);
extract length information from the captured image of the length mark (column 4, lines 32-35; “If the reel identifier 138 is encoded on the barcode 145, a device such as the mobile device 105 could obtain the reel identifier 138 from the barcode 145 using a camera or an infrared scanner.” And column 16, lines 38-42; “For example, the reel tracker 215 can determine the remaining length by subtracting the cut length obtained via the update length user interface 2100 from a previous length of wire or cable on the reel 135.”); and
transmit the extracted length information to the server (column 8, lines 41-46; “The example reel tracker 215 is provided with the example data store interface 250 to store physical locations of the reels 135, wire or cable lengths on the reels 135, types of wire or cable on the reels 135, and/or any other information or characteristics of wire or cable on the reels 135 at a network data store (e.g., the inventory database 115 of FIG. 1)…” And column 12, lines 57-60; “Users 100 may also use example user interfaces 1000, 1100, 1200 shown in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 to manage and edit the inventory information about wire or cable reels 135 in the inventory management server 110.”), and
the program instructions of the server cause the processor of the server to update the remaining cable length in the usage information, based on the length information having been received (column , lines 12, lines 57-66, “Users 100 may also use example user interfaces 1000, 1100, 1200 … edit the inventory information about wire or cable reels 135 in the inventory management server 110.” ““Users 100 may also use example user interfaces 1000, 1100, 1200 … to … edit the inventory information about wire or cable reels 135 in the inventory management server 110.” “Example inventory category details, … example remaining material lengths 1230 (e.g., feet, yards, meters, and/or any other length unit) …”).
Claim 5, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 4, wherein the usage information includes position information (column 13, lines 31-36; “… the reels 135 can be identified separately based on their different reel IDs (e.g., the reel identifiers 1205) to separately track their respective lengths (e.g., 4498 length units and 23 length units) and their respective locations (e.g., location coordinates (37.419698,−121.897207) and (32.931647,−97.165514)).”), the mobile terminal further includes:
the program instructions of the mobile terminal cause the processor of the mobile terminal to:
perform position measurement in vicinity of the storage member (column 5, lines 21-28; “Upon request, the example inventory management server 110 can send reel location information (e.g., latitude and longitude) to the mobile device 105.”); and
transmit a positioning result obtained by the position measurement to the server (column 13, lines 56-61; “material intake phase 502, the mobile device 105 is located at the same location as the reel 135 being entered into the inventory management server 110. As such, when a physical location is determined by the mobile device 105 for use at block 508, such physical location corresponds to the location of the reel 135.”), and
the program instructions of the server cause the processor of the server to
update the position information in the usage information, based on the positioning result having been received (column 13, lines 37-43; “The example material intake phase 502 starts at block 506. At block 506, the example reel tracker 215 obtains an identifier 145 (FIG. 1) of the example reel 135. For example, the reel tracker 215 may obtain the reel identifier 138 (FIG. 1) from the camera 210 (FIG. 2) based on scanning or imaging a barcode 145 (FIG. 1) corresponding to the reel identifier 138 located on the example reel 135.”).
Claim 6, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 4, wherein the server displays the program instructions of the server cause the processor of the server to display an inventory of a purchaser having purchased the cable, based on the usage information (column 12, line 61-column 13, line 2; “Example inventory category details, depicted in FIG. 12, may include, for example, example reel identifiers 1205, example product names 1210, example supplier part numbers 1215, example detailed material descriptions 1220, example customer identifiers 1225 (e.g., identifiers of customers that purchase cable or wire from a supplier), example remaining material lengths 1230 (e.g., feet, yards, meters, and/or any other length unit), example beacon attachment status 1235, and example location information 1240.”).
Claim 8, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, wherein the cable information includes content of a trouble (column 7, line 61- column 5, line 5; “The example mobile device 105 is provided with the example alert 230 to provide notifications (e.g., audible notifications, vibratory notifications, visual notifications, etc.) that inform users (e.g., the user 100 of FIG. 1) regarding proximity of the mobile device 105 to a target reel 135 as described above in connection with FIG. 1. The alert 230 may be implemented using a speaker or buzzer to provide audible alerts, a vibration motor or actuator to provide vibration alerts, a light emitting diode (LED) to provide visual alerts. Although one alert is shown, the mobile device 105 may be provided with numerous alerts of the same or different types.”).
Claim 9, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, wherein the storage member is a cable drum (column 3 , lines 34-39; “An example reel tracker disclosed herein facilitates locating, utilizing, and updating characteristics of wire or cable stored on reels in inventory storage environments. The example reel tracker communicates with a cloud-based inventory data store that may be used to store wire or cable properties and reel locations for use in guiding users to particular wire lengths and/or types.” A reel is a version of a drum.).
Claim 11, Barron teaches a cable management method using a cable management system including a mobile terminal and a server including a storage unit configured to store cable information including information on a cable (column , lines ; “FIG. 4 illustrates the example inventory management server 110 of FIG. 1. The inventory management server 110 of the illustrated example includes an example query handler 400 that processes requests from the example mobile device 105 (e.g., queries generated by the example query builder 260 of FIG. 2) and executes a search in the inventory database 115 for requested information (e.g., information/location of a wire or cable reel 135).”), the cable management method comprising:
Operations similar to steps of claim 1 above.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barron as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Achacoso et al., US 20050222817 A1 (hereafter referred to as Achacoso).
Claim 7, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, as cited above teaches cable information. Barron does not specifically teach wherein the cable information further includes specification information, an installation instruction, shipment data, and inspection data. However, in the same field of endeavor, Achacoso teaches the cable (the product from the inventory) information further includes specification information, an installation instruction, shipment data, and inspection data (p. 129, “The master product profile 300410 includes an integrated product's manufacturing, supplier, deployment, and usage history across its entire supply chain. The profile 300 consolidates various products' supplied materials logistics data with various reports (e.g., manufacturing, inspection, disposition, shipping, storage, and field performance reports) organized according to the products supplied materials.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barron by incorporating detailed inventory management information form Achacoso to improve order fulfilment. The motivation would have been to provide data that further allows for analysis of product history and thereby provide better feedback to different warehouse departments.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barron as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of O'Brien et al., US 20040255810 A1 (hereafter referred to as O'Brien).
Claim 10, Barron teaches the cable management system according to claim 1, as cited above. Barron does not specifically teach wherein the storage member is a box. However, in the same field of endeavor, O’Brien teaches wherein the storage member is a box (p. 4-5; “p. 4-5, a detonating cord is typically supplied on a reel inside an outer fiberboard box.” “In field use the reel of detonating cord will be removed from the box and detonating cord can be unreeled horn the spool until the desired length is removed from the spool.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barron to incorporate a storage box from O’Brien to protect the cords from tangling and preventing cords from hanging. The storing the cords in a box would have been an equivalent solution.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
P. Octaviani and W. Ce, Inventory Placement Mapping using Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon Technology for Warehouses: teaches BLE beacons will be utilized for zone mapping in the warehouse. The device will be located in a certain inventory product that represents its territory. The first step in this phase is to construct the floor layout by dividing the warehouse into different zones. For asset tracking, beacon tags that perform a similar function of RFID tags, are used to be allocated for each type of asset to locate that item. Figure 8 shows the mobile application prototype to navigate through the warehouse as a live navigator and receiving the information of the paper roll and finished goods.
Fujita, US 2008/0172722 A1, teaches portable terminal comprises: a reading device which reads the cable identification information out of the cabling data card attached to the end of the cable, a first storage device which downloads and stores operation information which, being associated in advance with cable identification information and provided by the server, supports operations on cables authorized for use, an operation information acquiring device which acquires, from the first storage device based on the cable identification information read by the reading device,
Fujita, US 2013/0268309 A1, teaches when the cut-and-divide operation is finished, as shown in FIG. 12(B), a software keyboard is displayed on PDA 50, and input items (drum number of cable drum, length, length (length marks of start and end), cut and divide date) showing an operation result in the cut-and-divide operation are inputted to PDA 50.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICE L WINDER whose telephone number is (571)272-3935. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KAMAL B DIVECHA can be reached at (571)272-5863. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Patrice L Winder/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2453
Prosecution Insights