DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-5, 8, 10, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morito (JP 2005010911 A) in view of Smith (US 11689927 B2) and an Official Notice.
Re Claim 1: Morito discloses a cash handling system comprising:
a cash handling apparatus (fig 1: 12) installed in a first store (fig 1: 11), wherein
the first application is configured to handle cash withdrawal from a bank account of a customer of the first store and cash deposit into the bank account (p56: general financial transaction, and starts an operation for performing a normal financial transaction such as deposit, with),
the second application is configured to handle sales proceeds and change funds of the first store (p57: a screen for selecting the register machine 17 is displayed on the touch panel of the operation unit.), and
acquisition circuity configured to acquire ID information from a user (p56: clerk card) of the cash handling apparatus (p56: determines whether or not the card corresponds to a clerk card registered in advance), wherein
the cash handling apparatus
operates based on the first application or the second application selected according to the ID information acquired by the acquisition circuitry (p56: when the card does not correspond to the clerk card, the automatic transaction device 12 determines that the card is a general card to be used for a general financial transaction, p57: when it is determined that the card is a salesperson card, the automatic transaction device 12 may select a corresponding register machine 17 from among the plurality of register machines 17. In this case, a screen for selecting the register machine 17 is displayed on the touch panel of the operation unit.),
connects to a bank support server (fig 1: 18, "Financial Institution Accounting Host Computer (18)") including a bank support server application related to handling the cash withdrawal based on operation of the first application,
connects to the bank support server and a store support server (fig 1: Payment Server (13)) including a store support server application related to managing cash of each of the first store and the second store based on operation of the second application,
However, Morito does not disclose
an apparatus operable based on a first application and a second application
the cash handling apparatus comprises circuitry configured to operate the first
application and the second application independently of each other;
displays different operation screens between a case where the first application is executed and a case where the second application is executed,
performs cash handling corresponding to an operation performed on the operation screen.
the first application is a web application executed in response to execution of the bank support server application by the bank support server, and
the second application is a native application executed by the cash handling apparatus.
Smith however discloses
an apparatus operable based on a first application and a second application (col 2 ll 18+: “native” mobile application (alternatively referred to herein as a “mobile app”) and a “headless” browser.)
the cash handling apparatus comprises circuitry configured to operate the first
application and the second application independently of each other (examiner: Discloses independent but cooperative processing by “receiving, at a native application, access credential data and providing the access credential data from the native application to a headless browser.“);
displays different operation screens between a case where the first application is executed and a case where the second application is executed (fig 1: 113, 114, col 5 ll 44+: receiving, at a native application, access credential data and providing the access credential data from the native application to a headless browser. examiner: the native application displaying a graphical user interface distinct from the headless browser's background web processing.), performs cash handling corresponding to an operation performed on the operation screen,
the first application is a web application executed in response to execution of the bank support server application by the bank support server (col 16 ll 25+:
a headless browser, at 402… initiating a secured connection from the headless browser to a remote server that hosts a website, at 404. receiving first web page data of the website from the remote server., examiner: utilizing a headless browser to emulate a web application interface and connect securely to a remote banking website.), and
the second application is a native application executed by the cash handling apparatus (col 16 ll 22+: executing the native app 310, examiner: executing a native mobile application natively on the device hardware to provide distinct capabilities.).
Official Notice is taken that a second store which differs from the first store is obvious from the business practice of a Headquarters Account (22) managing multi-node enterprise retail cash networks.
Re Claim 2: Morito discloses the cash handling system according to claim 1,
wherein in a case where the first application is executed (p56: general financial transaction,),
information on cash handling performed by the cash handling apparatus is transmitted to the bank support server (fig 1: 16), and
the bank support server performs the handling on the bank account (examiner: Discloses transmission of transaction records to the Host Computer (18) to update the "Temporary Account (24)" and "Headquarters Account (22)".).
Re Claim 3: Morito discloses the cash handling system according to claim 2, wherein
in a case where the second application is executed (p57), the information on the cash handling performed by the cash handling apparatus and the ID information acquired by the acquisition circuitry are transmitted to the store support server (examiner: Discloses transmission of "Preparation Funds" and "Sales Amount" data to the Payment Server (13) recorded in the 2nd and 3rd storage units.), and
Official Notice is taken that in a case where the user is determined to be a clerk of the first store based on the received ID information, the store support server performs a process for updating information on cash of the first store (p57) and in a case where the user is determined to be a clerk of the second store, the store support server performs a process for updating information on cash of the second store is obvious by standard POS authentication practices distinguishing clerk IDs from customer account IDs and by multi-store accounting tracked via the centralized Headquarters Account (22) (p19 & p22: a plurality of stores 11, p39: the first storage unit 32 includes a data-storing file 32a,32b,32c corresponding to each shop 11, the second storage unit 33 includes a data-storing file 33a,33b,33c corresponding to each store 11. the third storage section 34 includes a data-storing file 34a,34b,34c corresponding to each shop 11.).
Re Claim 4: Morito discloses the cash handling system according to claim 3, wherein
the store support server (fig 1: 13, fig 2: 13)
stores therein information on cash of the first store and the second store (p19 & p22: a plurality of stores 11), and conditions for account handling on a bank account of each of the first store and the second store (fig 5, p43: the left column shows the operation from opening to closing of the store 11), and
determines, based on the conditions, a timing to perform the account handling on the bank account for reflecting a result of the cash handling having been performed by the cash handling apparatus in the balance of the bank account of a corresponding store (fig 5, p43: the left column shows the operation from opening to closing of the store 11), and
the bank support server (fig 1: 16, fig 2: 16) performs the account handling on the bank account, based on the determination by the store support server.
Re Claim 5: First embodiment of Morito discloses the cash handling system according to claim 1.
However, First embodiment of Morito does not disclose that wherein the cash handling apparatus stores therein information on content of cash handling performed during an operation based on the first application, and information on content of cash handling performed during an operation based on the second application, so as to be distinguishable from each other.
Second embodiment of Morito however discloses that wherein the cash handling apparatus stores therein information on content of cash handling performed during a specific function, and information on content of cash handling performed during another function, so as to be distinguishable from each other (p38: the temporary account 24, the change account 25, and the proceeds account 26. The first storage unit 32 functions as the temporary account 24, the second storage unit 33 functions as the change account 25, and the third storage unit 34 functions as the proceeds account 26.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinarily skill in the art to incorporate second embodiment of Morito in the system of first embodiment of Morito for the purpose of organizing information.
Re Claim 8: Morito modified by Smith discloses the cash handling system according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the first application is executed, the cash handling apparatus displays the operation screen based on an instruction from the bank support server (Smith: col 5 ll 44+: receiving, at a native application, access credential data and providing the access credential data from the native application to a headless browser.).
Re Claim 10: Morito discloses the cash handling system according to claim 1, wherein the cash handling apparatus accepts a login operation performed by the user (p56: determines whether or not the card corresponds to a clerk card registered in advance), and operates based on the second application when the user is authenticated (p57: when it is determined that the card is a salesperson card, the automatic transaction device 12 may select a corresponding register machine 17 from among the plurality of register machines 17. In this case, a screen for selecting the register machine 17 is displayed on the touch panel of the operation unit).
Re Claim 11: Claim is directed to a method of operating the cash handling system defined in Claim 1. As established above, the system of Claim 1 is rendered unpatentable over Morito (JP 2005010911 A) in view of Smith (US 11689927 B2) and an Official Notice.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the obvious system of Claim 1 for its intended purpose, thereby performing the steps of Claim 11. Such an operation represents nothing more than the predictable use of prior art elements according to their established functions to yield predictable results (KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007))."
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morito (JP 2005010911 A) in view of Smith (US 11689927 B2) and Official Notice modified by Hatanaka (JP 2022173884 A).
Re Claim 9: Morito modified by Smith and Official Notice discloses the cash handling system according to claim 8.
However, Morito modified by Smith and Official Notice does not disclose that the cash handling apparatus displays, on the operation screen, code information for specifying the cash handling apparatus, and the bank support server specifies the cash handling apparatus to be used by the user, based on the code information read by a mobile communication terminal operated by the user, and transmits an instruction to the specified cash handling apparatus.
Hatanaka however discloses that the cash handling apparatus displays, on the operation screen, code information for specifying the cash handling apparatus, and the bank support server specifies the cash handling apparatus to be used by the user, based on the code information read by a mobile communication terminal operated by the user, and transmits an instruction to the specified cash handling apparatus (the touchless transaction application instructs the user to read the two-dimensional code displayed on the display input unit 12 of the automated teller machine 10 with the portable terminal 3. Therefore, when the user reads the two-dimensional code with the camera (not shown) of the mobile terminal 3 (S20, S21), the touchless transaction application reads the ATM identification number and the transaction information).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinarily skill in the art to incorporate Hatanaka’s teaching in the system of Morito modified by Smith and Official Notice for the purpose of identifying the specific cash handling apparatus.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection.
A newly cited reference, Smith, discloses
an apparatus operable based on a first application and a second application (col 2 ll 18+: “native” mobile application (alternatively referred to herein as a “mobile app”) and a “headless” browser.)
the cash handling apparatus comprises circuitry configured to operate the first
application and the second application independently of each other (examiner: Discloses independent but cooperative processing by “receiving, at a native application, access credential data and providing the access credential data from the native application to a headless browser.“);
displays different operation screens between a case where the first application is executed and a case where the second application is executed (fig 1: 113, 114, col 5 ll 44+: receiving, at a native application, access credential data and providing the access credential data from the native application to a headless browser. examiner: the native application displaying a graphical user interface distinct from the headless browser's background web processing.), performs cash handling corresponding to an operation performed on the operation screen,
the first application is a web application executed in response to execution of the bank support server application by the bank support server (col 16 ll 25+:
a headless browser, at 402… initiating a secured connection from the headless browser to a remote server that hosts a website, at 404. receiving first web page data of the website from the remote server., examiner: utilizing a headless browser to emulate a web application interface and connect securely to a remote banking website.), and
the second application is a native application executed by the cash handling apparatus (col 16 ll 22+: executing the native app 310, examiner: executing a native mobile application natively on the device hardware to provide distinct capabilities.).
In addition, Official Notice is taken that a second store which differs from the first store is obvious from the business practice of a Headquarters Account (22) managing multi-node enterprise retail cash networks.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAE W KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-5971. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven S Paik can be reached at 5712722404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TAE W KIM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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