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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figure 4 contains elements that are not translated to English. Specifically, elements 4, 17 and 19 are not described or labeled in English. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding independent claim 1, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Dependent claims 2-19 are reject for their dependency on rejected independent claim 1.
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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Step 1: Whether a Claim is to a Statutory Category
In the instant case, claims 1-19 recite a system/ machine that are performing a series of functions. Therefore, these claims fall within the four statutory categories of invention of a machine and a process. Step 1 is satisfied.
Step2A – Prong 1: Does the Claim Recite a Judicial Exception
Exemplary claim 1 recites the following abstract concepts that are found to include an enumerated “abstract idea”:
A system (1) for the optimized use of a sorting conveyor (2), in particular of a pouch sorter, comprising:
a sorting conveyor (2) which is set up to assemble items (3) to form packing orders (5) corresponding to customer orders (4), wherein the sorting conveyor (2) has a buffer (6) for the intermediate storage of items (3), and wherein the buffer (6) can be connected to a goods store (7) via an interface, wherein items (3) can be transferred between the buffer (6) and the goods store (7) at the interface;
and having a system control device (8) which is configured to:
- determine or receive an item demand (9) expected for a future time segment;
- and initiate the transfer of the items (10) corresponding to the expected item demand (9) from the goods store (7) to the buffer (6).
[Emphasis added to show the bolded abstract idea being executed by unbolded additional elements that do not meaningfully limit the abstract idea]
This system claim is grouped within the "certain methods of organizing human activity” grouping of abstract ideas in prong one of step 2A of the Alice/Mayo test because the claims involve a series of steps for following rules or instructions to initiate the transfer of the items corresponding to the expected item demand which is a process that is encompassed by the abstract idea of managing personal behavior. See e.g., MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(II)(C); 2106.05(h). Accordingly, claim 1 (and similarly claim 6) recite an abstract idea.
Step2A – Prong 2: Does the Claim Recite Additional Elements that Integrate the Judicial Exception into a Practical Application
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because, when analyzed under prong two of step 2A of the Alice/Mayo test, the additional elements of the claims such as sorting conveyor, pouch sorter, buffer, goods store, interface and system control device merely use a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea and/or generally link the use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment. Specifically, the sorting conveyor, pouch sorter, buffer, goods store, interface and system control device perform the steps or functions of following rules or instructions to initiate the transfer of the items corresponding to the expected item demand. The use of a processor/computer as a tool to implement the abstract idea and/or generally linking the use of the abstract idea to a particular technological environment does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it requires no more than a computer (or technical elements disclosed at a high level of generality such as sorting conveyor, pouch sorter, buffer, goods store, interface and system control device) performing functions of assembling, forming, storing, transferring, determining, receiving and initiating that correspond to acts required to carry out the abstract idea (MPEP 2106.05(f) and (h)). Accordingly, the additional elements do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea, and the claims are directed to an abstract idea.
Step2B: Does the Claim Amount to Significantly More
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. The additional element analysis of Step 2A Prong 2 is equally applied to Step 2B. “Another consideration when determining whether a claim recites significantly more than a judicial exception is whether the additional element(s) are well-understood, routine, conventional activities previously known to the industry. This consideration is only evaluated in Step 2B of the eligibility analysis.” MPEP 2106.05(d). The courts have recognized the following computer functions as well‐understood, routine, and conventional (“WURC”) functions when they are claimed in a merely generic manner (e.g., at a high level of generality) or as insignificant extra-solution activity. Exemplary claim 1 recites the following limitations that the courts have found to be WURC:
Claim 1 includes several limitations relating to receiving or transmitting data over a network (receive an item demand expected for a future time segment; initiate the transfer of the items corresponding to the expected item demand from the goods store to the buffer; as claimed). See MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) where courts found to be WURC - i. Receiving or transmitting data over a network, e.g., using the Internet to gather data, Symantec, 838 F.3d at 1321, 120 USPQ2d at 1362 (utilizing an intermediary computer to forward information); TLI Communications LLC v. AV Auto. LLC, 823 F.3d 607, 610, 118 USPQ2d 1744, 1745 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (using a telephone for image transmission); OIP Techs., Inc., v. Amazon.com, Inc., 788 F.3d 1359, 1363, 115 USPQ2d 1090, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (sending messages over a network); buySAFE, Inc. v. Google, Inc., 765 F.3d 1350, 1355, 112 USPQ2d 1093, 1096 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (computer receives and sends information over a network); but see DDR Holdings, LLC v. Hotels.com, L.P., 773 F.3d 1245, 1258, 113 USPQ2d 1097, 1106 (Fed. Cir. 2014) ("Unlike the claims in Ultramercial, the claims at issue here specify how interactions with the Internet are manipulated to yield a desired result‐‐a result that overrides the routine and conventional sequence of events ordinarily triggered by the click of a hyperlink." (emphasis added));
Claim 1 includes several limitations relating to storing and retrieving information in memory (initiate the transfer of the items (10) corresponding to the expected item demand (9) from the goods store (7) to the buffer (6); as claimed). See MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) where courts found to be WURC - ii. Performing repetitive calculations, Flook, 437 U.S. at 594, 198 USPQ2d at 199 (recomputing or readjusting alarm limit values); Bancorp Services v. Sun Life, 687 F.3d 1266, 1278, 103 USPQ2d 1425, 1433 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ("The computer required by some of Bancorp’s claims is employed only for its most basic function, the performance of repetitive calculations, and as such does not impose meaningful limits on the scope of those claims.")
Claim 1 includes several limitations relating to performing repetitive calculations (determine … an item demand (9) expected for a future time segment; as claimed). See MPEP 2106.05(d)(II) where courts found to be WURC - ii. Performing repetitive calculations, Flook, 437 U.S. at 594, 198 USPQ2d at 199 (recomputing or readjusting alarm limit values); Bancorp Services v. Sun Life, 687 F.3d 1266, 1278, 103 USPQ2d 1425, 1433 (Fed. Cir. 2012) ("The computer required by some of Bancorp’s claims is employed only for its most basic function, the performance of repetitive calculations, and as such does not impose meaningful limits on the scope of those claims.");
Accordingly, when viewed alone and in ordered combination, these additional elements are not found to recite significantly more than the underlying abstract idea.
Dependent claims 2-19 further describe the abstract idea of following rules or instructions to initiate the transfer of the items corresponding to the expected item demand. These claims do not include additional elements to perform their respective functions of determining, comparing, initiating, obtaining, loading, defining, dividing, creating, training, predicting, optimizing, assembling, feeding, processing, temporarily storing, loading, connecting in terms of conveying technology, unloading, receiving, managing and controlling beyond the technical elements disclosed at a high level of generality such as system control device, model, algorithm, machine learning, artificial intelligence, sorting conveyor, buffer, loading station, interface, goods store, unloading station, company resource planning module, warehouse management system, control module and as disclosed in independent claim 1 that integrate the abstract idea into a practical application or that provide significantly more than the abstract idea. Therefore, these dependent claims are also not patent eligible. Further, the dependency of these claims on ineligible independent claim 1 also renders dependent claims 2-19 as not patent eligible.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dadadahalli Prakash et al. (US 2025/0214779 A1), herein after “DP”.
Regarding claim 1, DP teaches:
A system (1) for the optimized use of a sorting conveyor (2), in particular of a pouch sorter (See DP ¶ [0025] - The pick stations, in part, are configured to receive products that have been ordered in preparation for making those products ready for the respective customer, such as packaging the product, labeling the product and/or packaging, sorting products, separating products, other such activities, or a combination of two or more of such activities… place one or more products into one or more respective packaging (e.g., box, bag, wrapping, flexible carton, bin, tote, and/or other such packaging) and [0085] - order packaging control system implements box-first approach with one or more products of an order being discretely picked directly into a right-sized box at the pick station. The determination of an accurate sizing of the package is performed, in some implementations applying a cubing algorithm as described above, which defines the dimensions of the package (e.g., box, bag, envelope, pouch, etc.) for a custom package building machine to create and/or the retrieval of a pre-fabricated package), comprising:
a sorting conveyor (2) which is set up to assemble items (3) to form packing orders (5) corresponding to customer orders (4) (See DP ¶ [0021] - one or more automated product retrieval (PR) systems that are each configured to retrieve one or more products from the one or more inventory retaining systems of orders being received over time… the PR systems include one or more forklifts, …, one or more conveyors (e.g., belts, rollers, rails, tracks, etc.), other such systems, or a combination of two or more of such systems), wherein the sorting conveyor (2) has a buffer (6) for the intermediate storage of items (3) (See DP ¶ [0090] - one or more of the pick stations can include one or more package transfer systems that can be configured to automate the movement of the respective queued packages between one or more packing positions and one or more package buffer stations of the respective pick station), and wherein the buffer (6) can be connected to a goods store (7) via an interface, wherein items (3) can be transferred between the buffer (6) and the goods store (7) at the interface (See DP ¶ [0090-0091] - the pick stations can include one or more package transfer systems [interface by example] that can be configured to automate the movement of the respective queued packages between one or more packing positions [goods store by example] and one or more package buffer stations of the respective pick station. The movement can be controlled based on and in response to an instruction from the pick station control circuit, which may be based on the tracking, that the corresponding one or more products of the order associated with the respective queued package are predicted to be available to be packaged with the respective queued package… One or more of the pick stations can each include product buffer stations that can be configured to receive and temporarily hold multiple different queued products, while the other products continue to be delivered to the respective pick station and packaged with the other packages);
and having a system control device (8) (See DP ¶ [0019] - The order packaging control system includes one or more product packaging (PP) control circuits) which is configured to:
- determine or receive an item demand (9) expected for a future time segment (See DP ¶ [0034] - the PP control circuit defines one or more order fulfillment sequences specifying a sequence of which orders are to be processed to fulfill at least part of the respective order from the one or more facilities. Typically, the one or more fulfillment sequences are continuously modified and/or changed over time… This enables the incorporation of new orders received (e.g., which may be designated with a higher priority than one or more orders already incorporated into the sequence) and/or a re-prioritization of one or more orders over time as varying conditions may change and/or are predicted to change that are associated with one or more of the factors considered in prioritizing (e.g., change in temperature, change in a rate of fulfillment, change to an order, variations in inventory levels, change in product demand, other such potential variations, or a combination of two or more of such variations));
- and initiate the transfer of the items (10) corresponding to the expected item demand (9) from the goods store (7) to the buffer (6) (See DP ¶ [0090] - the pick stations can include one or more package transfer systems that can be configured to automate the movement of the respective queued packages between one or more packing positions and one or more package buffer stations of the respective pick station).
Regarding claim 2, DP teaches:
The system according to claim 1, in which the system control device (8) is further configured to:
- determine the items (11) actually required for the future time segment on the basis of customer orders (4) received (See DP ¶ [0045] - the pick station includes multiple package buffer stations enabling multiple different packages for one or more different orders to be staged at the pick station while awaiting products to be received at the pick station);
- compare the actually required items (11) with the items located in the buffer in order to determine the missing items (12) for fulfilling the customer orders (4) received (See DP ¶ [0045] - pick station control circuit can control the movement of the packages at the respective pick station to transition a partially loaded package associated with a particular order to one of the package buffer stations until an additional product for the particular order is subsequently received at the pick station); and
- initiate the transfer of the missing items (12) from the goods store (7) to the buffer (6) (See DP ¶ [0045] - instruct the package transfer system to move the respective one or more queued packages between the packing position and the package buffer stations).
Regarding claim 3, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the system control device (8) is set up to determine the item demand (9) expected for a future time segment from customer order details collected in past time segments, in real time and/or in forecasts (See DP ¶ [0048-0049] - predicting timing [forecasting by example] to control the retrieval and movement of products to coincide with the fabrication and/or retrieval of packages to that one or more products of an order are available the pick station within a threshold time [future time segment] of a corresponding package of the order is available at the pick station… the PP control circuit can detect that two orders request the same product [item demand]. Accordingly, when retrieving that product for one order the product can similarly be retrieved at that time [real-time by example] and buffered even though other products of the second order may not yet be available for packaging).
Regarding claim 4, DP teaches:
The system according to claim 1, wherein the expected item demand is determined on the basis of at least one of the following data sources: sales and revenue data, visitor data, traffic sources, product services, customer behavior, historical sales data, customer behavior, inventory data, price developments, seasonalities, marketing activities and/or trends from the Internet (See DP ¶ [0032] - The PP control circuit, in some embodiments, is configured to receive the orders over time, from the one or more product order systems. Again, the orders can be for one or more products requested by a respective customer, retailer facility, retailer, and/or other such requestor [item demand]… Entity or customer profiles may similarly be maintained by a customer management system, the PP control circuits and/or an external source. These entity profiles can maintain information about the customer or entity such as a geographic location associated with the entity, one or more delivery addresses associated with the entity, preferences, purchase history information, shopping history information, a customer level or hierarchy associated with the customer that may relate to different benefits and/or restrictions, other such information or a combination of two or more of such information. Still further, in some embodiments, the order and/or products ordered may be associated with restrictions, conditions and/or factors that are considered in evaluating when, where and/or how an order should be partially or fully filled at a respective facility and/or multiple facilities).
Regarding claim 5, DP teaches:
The system according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the item demand (9) expected for a future time segment takes place on the basis of at least one of the following steps: obtaining real-time data, loading the real-time data, defining features and/or target variables, dividing the data into at least one training set and at least one test set, creating and training a model, making predictions, comparing the predictions with actual values (See DP ¶ [0034] - the one or more fulfillment sequences are continuously [real-time by example] modified and/or changed over time [loading the real-time data by example]. This enables the incorporation of new orders received (e.g., which may be designated with a higher priority that one or more orders already incorporated into the sequence [comparing the predictions with actual values by example]) and/or a re-prioritization of one or more orders over time as varying conditions may change and/or are predicted to change [making predictions] that are associated with one or more of the factors considered in prioritizing (e.g., change in temperature, change in a rate of fulfillment, change to an order, variations in inventory levels, change in product demand, other such potential variations, or a combination of two or more of such variations)).
Regarding claim 6, DP teaches:
The system according to claim 1, wherein an algorithm is provided for the determination of the item demand expected for a future time segment, which algorithm is set up by machine learning and/or artificial intelligence to optimize the accuracy of the expected item demand (See DP ¶ [0023] - fabricate on demand custom packages according to custom sizing as a function of one or more products intended to be shipped [item demand expected for a future time segment by example]… The CPF systems utilize dimensions of the one or more products as part of factors in determine a size, shape, volume, material and/or other factors used in fabricating one or more customized packaging (e.g., box, bag, carton, envelope, platform, tube, etc.) specific for the one or more products of the specific order to be packaged within the custom fabricated package. One or more algorithms, processes, machine learning systems and/or other such methods can be employed in determining a size, shape, interior volume, type of packaging material, type and/or amount of protection material(s), and/or other such factors in designing and fabricating the customer package).
Regarding claim 7, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the determination of an expected item demand (9) for a future time segment takes place continuously (See DP ¶ [0034] - Based on the order prioritization and/or one or more of the above identified factors the PP control circuit defines one or more order fulfillment sequences specifying a sequence or progression of which orders are to be processed to fulfill at least part of the respective order from the one or more facilities. Typically, the one or more fulfillment sequences [expected item demand by example] are continuously modified and/or changed over time).
Regarding claim 8, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the system control device (8) is set up to initiate the transfer of the items (10) corresponding to the expected item demand (9) of the future time segment from the goods store (7) to the buffer (6) before the corresponding customer orders (4) have been received completely (See DP ¶ [0048-0049] - predicting timing to control the retrieval and movement of products to coincide with the fabrication and/or retrieval of packages to that one or more products of an order are available the pick station within a threshold time [future time segment] of a corresponding package of the order is available at the pick station… the PP control circuit can detect that two orders request the same product [item demand]. Accordingly, when retrieving that product for one order the product can similarly be retrieved [transfer] at that time and buffered even though other products of the second order may not yet be available for packaging [before the corresponding customer orders have been received completely by example]).
Regarding claim 9, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the sorting conveyor (2) is set up to assemble the packing orders (5) corresponding to the customer orders (4) from the items located in the buffer (6) (See DP ¶ [0044] - the pick station further includes one or more package buffer stations that are each configured to receive and temporarily hold or partially hold one or more queued packages that were previously retrieved and transported to the pick station and staged, and from which buffered packages are subsequently retrieved in response to a product of an order with which the respective buffered package is available at the respective pick station).
Regarding claim 10, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the system (1) is further set up to feed item returns into the buffer (See DP ¶ [0041] - the pick station may be cooperated with one or more source feeds of the PR system to receive products, and one or more exit feeds of the PR system to return products and/or partially loaded packages to respective storage locations of the PR system and/or other storage system [buffer by example]).
Regarding claim 11, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the system control device (8) is further set up to initiate the transfer of at least a part of the items (13) not required for the time period after processing the customer orders (4) from the buffer (6) back to the goods store (7) (See DP ¶ [0041] - the pick station may be cooperated with one or more source feeds of the PR system to receive products, and one or more exit feeds of the PR system to return products and/or partially loaded packages to respective storage locations [goods store by example] of the PR system and/or other storage system [buffer by example]).
Regarding claim 12, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the buffer (6) is part of the sorting conveyor (2) (See DP ¶ [0044] - the pick station can include one or more package transfer systems that cooperatively operate with the package buffer stations, the one or more package inputs to the pick station (e.g., package routing system, hand delivery, robotic retrieval, etc.) and the packing positions and as shown in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, in which the buffer (6) is set up to temporarily store a plurality of transport units which are each set up to receive individual items (3) (See DP ¶ [0044] - the pick station further includes one or more package buffer stations that are each configured to receive and temporarily hold or partially hold one or more queued packages that were previously retrieved and transported to the pick station and staged, and from which buffered packages are subsequently retrieved in response to a product of an order with which the respective buffered package is available at the respective pick station).
Regarding claim 14, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, which further has a loading station (14), which is arranged at an interface between the goods store (7) and the sorting conveyor (2), for loading the transport units of the sorting conveyor (2) with items (3) from the goods store (7) (See DP ¶ [0044-0045] - the pick station can include one or more package transfer systems that cooperatively operate with the package buffer stations, the one or more package inputs to the pick station (e.g., package routing system, hand delivery, robotic retrieval, etc. [conveyors by example]) and the packing positions…pick station control circuit can control the movement of the packages [sorting] at the respective pick station [loading station by example] to transition a partially loaded package associated with a particular order to one of the package buffer stations until an additional product for the particular order is subsequently received at the pick station).
Regarding claim 15, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 14, wherein the loading station (14) is connected in terms of conveying technology to the buffer (6) (See DP ¶ [0044-0045] - the pick station can include one or more package transfer systems that cooperatively operate with the package buffer stations, the one or more package inputs to the pick station (e.g., package routing system, hand delivery, robotic retrieval, etc. [conveyors by example]) and the packing positions…pick station control circuit can control the movement of the packages [sorting] at the respective pick station [loading station by example] to transition a partially loaded package associated with a particular order to one of the package buffer stations until an additional product for the particular order is subsequently received at the pick station).
Regarding claim 16, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the sorting conveyor (2) further has at least one unloading station (15) which serves for unloading the items corresponding to a respective packing order (5) (See DP ¶ [0044-0045] - the pick station can include one or more package transfer systems that cooperatively operate with the package buffer stations, the one or more package inputs to the pick station (e.g., package routing system, hand delivery, robotic retrieval, etc. [conveyors by example]) and the packing positions…pick station control circuit can control the movement of the packages [sorting] at the respective pick station [loading station by example] to transition a partially loaded package associated with a particular order to one of the package buffer stations [unloading station by example] until an additional product for the particular order is subsequently received at the pick station).
Regarding claim 17, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the system control device (8) further has a company resource planning module (16) which is set up to receive and process the customer orders (4) (See DP ¶ [0019] - one or more databases that store relevant information and are accessible to one or more of the systems of the order packaging control system and/or other systems. The databases can store customer information and/or profiles, order information, inventory information, product information and/or profiles, location information, status information, log information, other such information, and typically a combination of two or more of such information).
Regarding claim 18, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the system control device (8) further has a warehouse management system (17) for managing the goods store (7) which is set up to receive information on the items corresponding to the customer orders (4) from the company resource planning module (16) (See DP ¶ [0020] - the order packing control system includes or is cooperatively operated with one or more inventory retaining systems that are configured to receive and store inventory used to fill orders for products from customers, which can include individuals, businesses, other retail facilities of a retailer, other retailers, and/or other such entities ordering products to be delivered and/or picked up... the inventory retaining systems can include one or more processors, computers, servers, sensor and/or other systems that track inventory, track levels of inventory, track occupied space in the one or more inventory retaining systems, track unoccupied space in the one or more inventory retaining systems, track locations of inventory items, racks, shelves, lockers and other components of the inventory retaining system, other such functionality or a combination of two or more of such functionality).
Regarding claim 19, DP teaches:
The system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the system control device (8) further has a control module (18) which is set up to control the goods store (7) and/or the sorting conveyor (2) (See DP ¶ [0020-0021] - the order packing control system includes or is cooperatively operated with one or more inventory retaining systems that are configured to receive and store inventory used to fill orders for products from customers, which can include individuals, businesses, other retail facilities of a retailer, other retailers, and/or other such entities ordering products to be delivered and/or picked up... the inventory retaining systems can include one or more processors, computers, servers, sensor and/or other systems that track inventory, track levels of inventory, track occupied space in the one or more inventory retaining systems, track unoccupied space in the one or more inventory retaining systems, track locations of inventory items, racks, shelves, lockers and other components of the inventory retaining system, other such functionality or a combination of two or more of such functionality… order packing control system can include and/or is cooperatively operated with one or more automated product retrieval (PR) systems that are each configured to retrieve one or more products from the one or more inventory retaining systems of orders being received over time).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW S WERONSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-5802. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm EST.
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/MATTHEW S WERONSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 3627
/MICHAEL JARED WALKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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