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 .
This is a Non-final Office Action on the merits. Claims 1-21 are currently pending and are addressed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 12/15/2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manci of US 20200250502 A1, published 08/06/2020, hereinafter “Manci”, in view of Kumar of US 20180219869 A1, published 08/02/2018, hereinafter “Kumar”.
Regarding claim 1, Manci teaches:
A materials-handling vehicle for use in an environment comprising multiple beacons positioned at respective locations within the environment and (See at least [0027]: “According to various aspects of the present disclosure, systems and computer-implemented processes provide communication between electronic badges operating in a constrained environment such as a warehouse, and badge communicators on industrial vehicles also operating in the constrained environment.”)
a real-time location system that is configured to track locations of materials-handling vehicles within the environment and establish multiple zones within the environment, the materials-handling vehicle comprising: (See at least [0201]: “In this example configuration, the server can continuously monitor the positions of industrial vehicles in a fleet of industrial vehicles…” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID. Here, there can be a fixed dependency between the badge ID and a function. Alternatively, an operator interacting with a graphical user interface can program a designated function into an electronic badge 126. The function, and the response thereto may vary based upon operator, vehicle, vehicle type, other factors, combinations thereof, etc. For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
a processor in the materials-handling vehicle and operably coupled to at least one vehicle system; and (See at least [0043-0045]: “Referring to FIG. 2, one or more industrial vehicles 108 include a processing device 102 that is implemented as a special purpose, particular computer, (further designated herein as an information linking device 202) that mounts to or is otherwise integrated with the industrial vehicle 108 (FIG. 1)…The information linking device 202 also comprises a control module 206, having a processor coupled to memory for implementing computer instructions…”)
one or more receivers, in or on the materials-handling vehicle and communicatively coupled with the processor, configured to receive signals from the real-time location system and from the beacons; (See at least [0059]: “As illustrated, the badge communicator 224 is connected to the vehicle electronics via the vehicle network bus 218 (e.g., CAN bus). As a result, the badge communicator 224 can communicate directly with the control module 206, as well as controllers and other modules 220 of the corresponding industrial vehicle 108. Thus, the badge communicator 224 can pass information related to the detection of proximate electronic badges 126 to the control module 206 of the information linking device 202. The control module 206 of the information linking device 202 can then process the received information related to the detection of proximate electronic badges 126, send commands to vehicle controllers and modules 220, take action based upon a known location of the industrial vehicle 108 via information collected from the environmental-based location tracking device 222, pass information back to the badge communicator 224, communicate the collected information to a remote server (e.g., server 112 of FIG. 1), take action based upon information received from the remote server, combinations of thereof, etc.”)
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to determine an applicable rule of the road in response to entering a particular zone of the multiple zones established within the environment; (See at least [0177-0178]: “Referring to FIG. 12, in another illustrative example, the electronic badges, e.g., 126A, 126B can be installed in fixed locations, e.g., at the end of an aisle as illustrated in the environment 1200. In this example, the badges function as fixed badges or markers to designate geo-zones. For instance, an industrial vehicle 108 approaching the zone may be able to travel at a first maximum speed limit (max speed SM1) when the industrial vehicle detection zone 1202 is outside of the range of the fixed badges 126A, 126B. Upon entering the range of the badges (e.g., within the detection zone 1202) the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to second maximum available speed limit (max speed SM2) that is less than the first maximum speed limit SM1 (e.g., by setting a set point of the industrial vehicle limiting the maximum speed)” & [0181]: “As yet another example, an operator may be required to stop and/or sound a horn at the end of an aisle. The badge communicator 224 detects the end-of-aisle badge and reports this to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 receives programming from the server 112, that the vehicle must stop and sound a horn at the end of the aisle. The information linking device 202 monitors the vehicle network bus 218 to determine whether the operator did in-fact stop and/or sound the horn. The information linking device logs the response to this geo-encounter.”)
wherein the processor is programmed to identify the particular zone based on a signal received from the real-time location system in response to entering the particular zone; (See at least [0073]: “…the control module 206 of the information linking device 202 can use rules, e.g., preprogrammed by the server 112, to send the appropriate warnings to the vehicle operator, to control the industrial vehicle 108, to modify performance capabilities of the industrial vehicle 108, etc., in response to detecting nearby electronic badges 126” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID…For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
wherein the processor is further programmed to configure the materials-handling vehicle to communicate with one or more beacons of the multiple beacons positioned within the environment, the one or more beacons selected(See at least [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location). Likewise, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions indicating whether the industrial vehicle is in or is about to enter a correct aisle.”)
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is further configured to perform at least one of (i) modifying an operating characteristic of the vehicle system and (ii) operating the vehicle system based on the applicable rule of the road determined in response to entering the particular zone. (See at least [0179]: “Optionally (or in lieu of the above), upon entering the range of the badges within an awareness zone 1204, the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to third maximum available speed limit (max speed SM3) that is less than the second maximum speed limit SM2. Optionally, an alarm or indicator can be activated, informing the vehicle operator of the yet further reduced speed limit.”)
Manci does not explicitly teach:
…based, at least in part, on the particular zone identified based on the signal received in response to entering the particular zone…
Kumar teaches:
…based, at least in part, on the particular zone identified based on the signal received in response to entering the particular zone… (See at least Fig. 1, [0066-0067]: “As shown in FIG. 3, in a device centric or certain hybrid approaches, the information 25 vouching for the other nodes 6b is received and made use of by the mobile device 8. As well as performing the localization, the mobile device 8 is configured to process the information 25 to determine whether any of the anchor nodes 6 it is encountering in the environment 2 are not amongst those vouched for by the information 25 received from one or more first nodes 6a. Such unvouched-for nodes may thus be determined to be rogue nodes (with some degree of certainty, i.e. being at least suspected rogue nodes). There are at least two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes. One option is for the mobile device 8 to refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using any beacon signals from the identified rogues), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes, e.g. only including these in the triangulation, trilateration, multilateration or fingerprint-based calculation)…In a network centric approach or certain other hybrid approaches (not shown in FIG. 3), the information 25 is received by one or more second nodes 6 of the location network and forwarded to a location server 14 to be used there. These second nodes could be nodes amongst those vouched for by the transmitted information 25, or could be yet further nodes of the network 6. Or as another option, the information 25 could be received by the mobile device 8 but forwarded to the location server 14 to be used there. In such cases, as well as performing the localization, the location server 14 is configured to process the information 25 to determine whether any of the anchor nodes 6 from which it has received beacon measurements are not amongst those vouched for by the information 25 received from one or more first nodes 6a. Such nodes may thus be determined to be rogue nodes (again with some degree of certainty, i.e. being at least suspected rogue nodes). As above, there are again two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes: the location server 14 may refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using the respective beacon measurements), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes)…” & “In embodiments, the list 25 may additionally include an indication as to which location server or beacon group each of the identified nodes in the list belong to, which the location module 36 can use to decide which nodes to use in the location calculation.” See also [0093] regarding an initial list of trustworthy nodes.)
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to combine Manci’s vehicle with Kumar’s technique of selecting which nodes to use for localization of a mobile device among nodes encountered in an environment. Doing so would be obvious to “ensure that the first time it performs a localization in a given environment it only uses the respective beacon signals of ones of those wireless nodes that are vouched for in the initial report. E.g. the mobile device receives the initial list of trusted nodes when it first enters a room, building or zone; and from that point onward this creates a chain of trust each time it performs a localization operation in that room, building or zone (each time only using nodes that have been vouched for by the initial report or other, previously vouched-for nodes)” (See [0022] of Kumar).
Regarding claim 2, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is further configured to determine a location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone based, at least in part, on communication with at least one of the one or more beacons. (See at least [0112]: “As yet another example, the electronic badges 126 can be utilized as beacons. For instance, if the absolute position of an electronic badge 126 is fixed, then an industrial vehicle encountering the electronic badge 126 can compute its own position” & [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location).”)
Regarding claim 3, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 2 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the location of the materials- handling vehicle within the particular zone is based on one or more of a time of flight and a straight-line distance for communication between a receiver of the materials-handling vehicle and at least one of the one or more beacons. (See at least [0058]: “Here, the badge communicator 224 computes position via time of flight calculations, phase calculations, received signal strength calculations, time difference of arrival/lateration and/or other techniques that can be used to determine the direction of the communication with a corresponding electronic badge 126 (FIG. 1).”)
Regarding claim 4, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 2 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein performing the at least one of (i) modifying an operating characteristic of the vehicle system and (ii) operating the vehicle system based on the applicable rule of the road is further based on the determined location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone. (See at least [0179]: “Optionally (or in lieu of the above), upon entering the range of the badges within an awareness zone 1204, the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to third maximum available speed limit (max speed SM3) that is less than the second maximum speed limit SM2. Optionally, an alarm or indicator can be activated, informing the vehicle operator of the yet further reduced speed limit.”)
Regarding claim 5, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 2 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to determine the applicable rule of the road based, at least in part, on the determined location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone. (See at least [0177-0178]: “Referring to FIG. 12, in another illustrative example, the electronic badges, e.g., 126A, 126B can be installed in fixed locations, e.g., at the end of an aisle as illustrated in the environment 1200. In this example, the badges function as fixed badges or markers to designate geo-zones. For instance, an industrial vehicle 108 approaching the zone may be able to travel at a first maximum speed limit (max speed SM1) when the industrial vehicle detection zone 1202 is outside of the range of the fixed badges 126A, 126B. Upon entering the range of the badges (e.g., within the detection zone 1202) the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to second maximum available speed limit (max speed SM2) that is less than the first maximum speed limit SM1 (e.g., by setting a set point of the industrial vehicle limiting the maximum speed).”)
Regarding claim 6, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to determine the applicable rule of the road based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the materials-handling vehicle. (See at least (See at least [0177-0178]: “Referring to FIG. 12, in another illustrative example, the electronic badges, e.g., 126A, 126B can be installed in fixed locations, e.g., at the end of an aisle as illustrated in the environment 1200. In this example, the badges function as fixed badges or markers to designate geo-zones. For instance, an industrial vehicle 108 approaching the zone may be able to travel at a first maximum speed limit (max speed SM1) when the industrial vehicle detection zone 1202 is outside of the range of the fixed badges 126A, 126B. Upon entering the range of the badges (e.g., within the detection zone 1202) the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to second maximum available speed limit (max speed SM2) that is less than the first maximum speed limit SM1 (e.g., by setting a set point of the industrial vehicle limiting the maximum speed).”)
Regarding claim 7, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 6 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to select the applicable rule of the road from a plurality of rules of the road associated with the particular zone, comprising a first rule of the road applicable to materials-handling vehicles having a first characteristic and a second rule of the road applicable to materials-handling vehicles having a second characteristic. (See at least [0110]: “In yet another alternative configuration, certain industrial vehicles 108 may respond in a first manner, e.g., by receiving a warning not to enter the aisle, whereas the marker badge may serve as a beacon to elicit a different response from a different industrial vehicle 108, e.g., an industrial vehicle 108 that is intended to enter the aisle, e.g., to carry out the cleanup in the present example. As such, a certain industrial vehicle 108 can be directed to the correct aisle. In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID.”)
Regarding claim 8, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to select the applicable rule of the road from a plurality of rules of the road associated with the particular zone, the plurality of rules of the road applicable to respective times of day. (See at least [0126]: “The process can also identify the condition as a temporary exclude zone. Accordingly, the processor on the industrial vehicle takes a predetermined action based upon the determined condition by extracting a time range associated with the condition, comparing a measure of current time with the time range, and executing instructions to avoid the exclude zone if the current time is within the time range programmed to be associated with the electronic badge.”)
Regarding claim 9, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the processor is further programmed to retrieve the applicable rule of the road from a memory, the memory comprising rules of the road associated with respective zones of the multiple zones established within the environment. (See at least [0119]: “The process yet further comprises determining the condition from the information from the electronic badge and controlling, by the processor, the industrial vehicle to take a predetermined action based upon the determined condition. For instance, the industrial vehicle can use the badge ID to look up the condition in memory, e.g., at a server, or to look up the condition in memory stored locally on the industrial vehicle, or to look up the condition from memory stored in the electronic badge, etc. As another example, a “condition identifier”, e.g., coded value can be stored in the electronic badge itself. Upon initiating communication with the industrial vehicle, the electronic badge communicates a condition code, which can be used as a lookup to identify the condition and appropriate response.”)
Regarding claim 10, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the particular zone corresponds to an aisle and wherein at least one of the one or more beacons is located proximate to one of an entrance and an exit of the aisle. (See at least [0177]: “Referring to FIG. 12, in another illustrative example, the electronic badges, e.g., 126A, 126B can be installed in fixed locations, e.g., at the end of an aisle as illustrated in the environment 1200” & [0109]: “As another example, a marker badge can be attached to an aisle to designate that an aisle is temporarily closed, such as for inventory auditing, cleaning, to designate a hazard area etc. Again, upon detecting the marker badge, the information linking device 202 can warn the vehicle operator not to enter the aisle, or the information linking device 202, can prevent the industrial vehicle 108 from entering the aisle via automated control. This can be implemented by coordination of the environmental-based location tracking device 222 to identify the entrance of the aisle to the control module of the information linking device 202.”)
Regarding claim 11, Manci teaches:
A materials-handling vehicle for use in an environment comprising multiple beacons positioned at respective locations within the environment and (See at least [0027]: “According to various aspects of the present disclosure, systems and computer-implemented processes provide communication between electronic badges operating in a constrained environment such as a warehouse, and badge communicators on industrial vehicles also operating in the constrained environment.”)
a real-time location system that is configured to track locations of materials-handling vehicles within the environment and establish multiple zones within the environment, each zone associated with one or more rules of the road, the materials-handling vehicle comprising: (See at least [0201]: “In this example configuration, the server can continuously monitor the positions of industrial vehicles in a fleet of industrial vehicles…” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID. Here, there can be a fixed dependency between the badge ID and a function. Alternatively, an operator interacting with a graphical user interface can program a designated function into an electronic badge 126. The function, and the response thereto may vary based upon operator, vehicle, vehicle type, other factors, combinations thereof, etc. For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
a processor in the materials-handling vehicle and operably coupled to at least one vehicle system; and (See at least [0043-0045]: “Referring to FIG. 2, one or more industrial vehicles 108 include a processing device 102 that is implemented as a special purpose, particular computer, (further designated herein as an information linking device 202) that mounts to or is otherwise integrated with the industrial vehicle 108 (FIG. 1)…The information linking device 202 also comprises a control module 206, having a processor coupled to memory for implementing computer instructions…”)
one or more receivers, in or on the materials-handling vehicle and communicatively coupled with the processor, configured to receive signals from the real-time location system and from the beacons; (See at least [0059]: “As illustrated, the badge communicator 224 is connected to the vehicle electronics via the vehicle network bus 218 (e.g., CAN bus). As a result, the badge communicator 224 can communicate directly with the control module 206, as well as controllers and other modules 220 of the corresponding industrial vehicle 108. Thus, the badge communicator 224 can pass information related to the detection of proximate electronic badges 126 to the control module 206 of the information linking device 202. The control module 206 of the information linking device 202 can then process the received information related to the detection of proximate electronic badges 126, send commands to vehicle controllers and modules 220, take action based upon a known location of the industrial vehicle 108 via information collected from the environmental-based location tracking device 222, pass information back to the badge communicator 224, communicate the collected information to a remote server (e.g., server 112 of FIG. 1), take action based upon information received from the remote server, combinations of thereof, etc.”)
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to receive a signal from the real-time location system in response to entering a particular zone of the multiple zones established within the environment, the particular zone associated with an applicable rule of the road; (See at least [0177-0178]: “Referring to FIG. 12, in another illustrative example, the electronic badges, e.g., 126A, 126B can be installed in fixed locations, e.g., at the end of an aisle as illustrated in the environment 1200. In this example, the badges function as fixed badges or markers to designate geo-zones. For instance, an industrial vehicle 108 approaching the zone may be able to travel at a first maximum speed limit (max speed SM1) when the industrial vehicle detection zone 1202 is outside of the range of the fixed badges 126A, 126B. Upon entering the range of the badges (e.g., within the detection zone 1202) the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to second maximum available speed limit (max speed SM2) that is less than the first maximum speed limit SM1 (e.g., by setting a set point of the industrial vehicle limiting the maximum speed)” & [0181]: “As yet another example, an operator may be required to stop and/or sound a horn at the end of an aisle. The badge communicator 224 detects the end-of-aisle badge and reports this to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 receives programming from the server 112, that the vehicle must stop and sound a horn at the end of the aisle. The information linking device 202 monitors the vehicle network bus 218 to determine whether the operator did in-fact stop and/or sound the horn.” See also [0073] & [0110-0111].)
wherein the processor is programmed to configure the materials-handling vehicle to communicate with one or more beacons of the multiple beacons positioned within the environment(See at least [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location). Likewise, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions indicating whether the industrial vehicle is in or is about to enter a correct aisle.”)
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is further configured to determine a location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone based, at least in part, on communication with at least one of the one or more beacons; (See at least [0112]: “As yet another example, the electronic badges 126 can be utilized as beacons. For instance, if the absolute position of an electronic badge 126 is fixed, then an industrial vehicle encountering the electronic badge 126 can compute its own position” & [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location).”)
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is further configured to perform at least one of (i) modifying an operating characteristic of the vehicle system and (ii) operating the vehicle system based on (a) the applicable rule of the road and (b) the determined location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone. (See at least [0177-0178]: “Referring to FIG. 12, in another illustrative example, the electronic badges, e.g., 126A, 126B can be installed in fixed locations, e.g., at the end of an aisle as illustrated in the environment 1200. In this example, the badges function as fixed badges or markers to designate geo-zones. For instance, an industrial vehicle 108 approaching the zone may be able to travel at a first maximum speed limit (max speed SM1) when the industrial vehicle detection zone 1202 is outside of the range of the fixed badges 126A, 126B. Upon entering the range of the badges (e.g., within the detection zone 1202) the badge communicator 224 identifies the fixed badges 126A, 126B. The information linking device 202, using processing rules, determines based upon badge ID that the badges are end of aisle badges, and sets the maximum available speed limit of the industrial vehicle 108 to second maximum available speed limit (max speed SM2) that is less than the first maximum speed limit SM1 (e.g., by setting a set point of the industrial vehicle limiting the maximum speed).”)
Manci does not explicitly teach:
…the one or more beacons selected based, at least in part, on the signal received in response to entering the particular zone…
Kumar teaches:
…the one or more beacons selected based, at least in part, on the signal received in response to entering the particular zone… (See at least Fig. 1, [0066-0067]: “As shown in FIG. 3, in a device centric or certain hybrid approaches, the information 25 vouching for the other nodes 6b is received and made use of by the mobile device 8. As well as performing the localization, the mobile device 8 is configured to process the information 25 to determine whether any of the anchor nodes 6 it is encountering in the environment 2 are not amongst those vouched for by the information 25 received from one or more first nodes 6a. Such unvouched-for nodes may thus be determined to be rogue nodes (with some degree of certainty, i.e. being at least suspected rogue nodes). There are at least two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes. One option is for the mobile device 8 to refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using any beacon signals from the identified rogues), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes, e.g. only including these in the triangulation, trilateration, multilateration or fingerprint-based calculation)…In a network centric approach or certain other hybrid approaches (not shown in FIG. 3), the information 25 is received by one or more second nodes 6 of the location network and forwarded to a location server 14 to be used there. These second nodes could be nodes amongst those vouched for by the transmitted information 25, or could be yet further nodes of the network 6. Or as another option, the information 25 could be received by the mobile device 8 but forwarded to the location server 14 to be used there. In such cases, as well as performing the localization, the location server 14 is configured to process the information 25 to determine whether any of the anchor nodes 6 from which it has received beacon measurements are not amongst those vouched for by the information 25 received from one or more first nodes 6a. Such nodes may thus be determined to be rogue nodes (again with some degree of certainty, i.e. being at least suspected rogue nodes). As above, there are again two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes: the location server 14 may refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using the respective beacon measurements), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes)…” & “In embodiments, the list 25 may additionally include an indication as to which location server or beacon group each of the identified nodes in the list belong to, which the location module 36 can use to decide which nodes to use in the location calculation.” See also [0093] regarding an initial list of trustworthy nodes.)
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to combine Manci’s vehicle with Kumar’s technique of selecting which nodes to use for localization of a mobile device among nodes encountered in an environment. Doing so would be obvious to “ensure that the first time it performs a localization in a given environment it only uses the respective beacon signals of ones of those wireless nodes that are vouched for in the initial report. E.g. the mobile device receives the initial list of trusted nodes when it first enters a room, building or zone; and from that point onward this creates a chain of trust each time it performs a localization operation in that room, building or zone (each time only using nodes that have been vouched for by the initial report or other, previously vouched-for nodes)” (See [0022] of Kumar).
Regarding claim 12, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 11 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone is based on one or more of a time of flight and a straight-line distance for communication between a receiver of the materials- handling vehicle and at least one of the one or more beacons. (See at least [0058]: “In certain illustrative implementations, the badge communicator 224 includes at least three antennae 226. The availability of multiple antennae 226 allows not only signal detection, but also positioning within the detection region. Here, the badge communicator 224 computes position via time of flight calculations, phase calculations, received signal strength calculations, time difference of arrival/lateration and/or other techniques that can be used to determine the direction of the communication with a corresponding electronic badge 126 (FIG. 1).”)
Regarding claim 13, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 11 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the processor is further programmed to retrieve the applicable rule of the road from a memory, the memory comprising rules of the road associated with respective zones of the multiple zones established within the environment. (See at least [0073]: “For instance, where the information linking device 202 extracts industrial vehicle information such as drive direction (power unit or forks forward), steer angle, load weight, height of forks, speed, vehicle position, a combination thereof, etc., the control module 206 of the information linking device 202 can use rules, e.g., preprogrammed by the server 112, to send the appropriate warnings to the vehicle operator, to control the industrial vehicle 108, to modify performance capabilities of the industrial vehicle 108, etc., in response to detecting nearby electronic badges 126. Thus, by determining actions and reactions, such as by extracting information across the vehicle bus 218, the information linking device 202 can cause electronics on or near the industrial vehicle 108 to provide visual cues, audible warnings, etc., to actively influence vehicle functions and operation” & [0119]: “The process yet further comprises determining the condition from the information from the electronic badge and controlling, by the processor, the industrial vehicle to take a predetermined action based upon the determined condition. For instance, the industrial vehicle can use the badge ID to look up the condition in memory, e.g., at a server, or to look up the condition in memory stored locally on the industrial vehicle, or to look up the condition from memory stored in the electronic badge, etc. As another example, a “condition identifier”, e.g., coded value can be stored in the electronic badge itself. Upon initiating communication with the industrial vehicle, the electronic badge communicates a condition code, which can be used as a lookup to identify the condition and appropriate response.”)
Regarding claim 14, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 11 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the materials-handling vehicle is configured to select the applicable rule of the road from a plurality of rules of the road associated with the particular zone. (See at least [0119]: “The process yet further comprises determining the condition from the information from the electronic badge and controlling, by the processor, the industrial vehicle to take a predetermined action based upon the determined condition. For instance, the industrial vehicle can use the badge ID to look up the condition in memory, e.g., at a server, or to look up the condition in memory stored locally on the industrial vehicle, or to look up the condition from memory stored in the electronic badge, etc. As another example, a “condition identifier”, e.g., coded value can be stored in the electronic badge itself. Upon initiating communication with the industrial vehicle, the electronic badge communicates a condition code, which can be used as a lookup to identify the condition and appropriate response.”)
Regarding claim 15, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 13 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the applicable rule of the road is selected from the plurality of rules of the road based on one or more of a characteristic of the materials-handling vehicle, a time of day, a season, and user-defined criteria. (See at least [0125]: “Another example application of the process is to identify a condition in a limited, defined environment as a bonded area of the work area. Here, the identified condition is associated with a badge ID by associating a condition as a permission required geo-zone. The electronic badge is staged at a position identifying a boundary of a bonded area in the work environment. Accordingly, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action based upon the determined condition by evaluating that the industrial vehicle has or is about to enter the bonded area, evaluating at least one credential of the vehicle operator to determine whether the vehicle operator has authorization to enter the bonded area, and controlling, by the processor, the industrial vehicle to take an evasive maneuver to avoid the bonded area if the vehicle operator is not judged to be authorized to enter the bonded area.”)
Regarding claim 16, Manci teaches:
A method for operating a materials-handling vehicle to comply with rules of the road associated with respective zones established by a real-time location system configured to track locations of materials-handling vehicles within the environment, each zone associated with one or more beacons positioned at known locations within the environment, the method comprising at least the following steps performed at the materials-handling vehicle: (See at least [0201]: “In this example configuration, the server can continuously monitor the positions of industrial vehicles in a fleet of industrial vehicles…” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID. Here, there can be a fixed dependency between the badge ID and a function. Alternatively, an operator interacting with a graphical user interface can program a designated function into an electronic badge 126. The function, and the response thereto may vary based upon operator, vehicle, vehicle type, other factors, combinations thereof, etc. For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
determining an applicable rule of the road in response to the materials-handling vehicle entering a particular zone of the multiple zones established within the environment, wherein determining the applicable rule of the road comprises: identifying the particular zone based on a message received from the real- time location system, the message transmitted responsive to the real-time location system detecting entrance of the materials-handling vehicle into the particular zone, and (See at least [0181]: “As yet another example, an operator may be required to stop and/or sound a horn at the end of an aisle. The badge communicator 224 detects the end-of-aisle badge and reports this to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 receives programming from the server 112, that the vehicle must stop and sound a horn at the end of the aisle. The information linking device 202 monitors the vehicle network bus 218 to determine whether the operator did in-fact stop and/or sound the horn. The information linking device logs the response to this geo-encounter” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID…For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
configuring the materials-handling vehicle to communicate with one or more designated beacons selected from the plurality beacons positioned within the environment, the designated beacons selected(See at least [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location). Likewise, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions indicating whether the industrial vehicle is in or is about to enter a correct aisle.”)
performing at least one of (i) modifying an operating characteristic of the materials- handling vehicle based on the applicable rule of the road and (ii) operating the materials- handling vehicle based on the applicable rule of the road. (See at least [0181]: “As yet another example, an operator may be required to stop and/or sound a horn at the end of an aisle. The badge communicator 224 detects the end-of-aisle badge and reports this to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 receives programming from the server 112, that the vehicle must stop and sound a horn at the end of the aisle. The information linking device 202 monitors the vehicle network bus 218 to determine whether the operator did in-fact stop and/or sound the horn. The information linking device logs the response to this geo-encounter” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID…For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
Manci does not explicitly teach:
…in response to identifying the particular zone based on the message received from the real-time location system…
Kumar teaches:
…in response to identifying the particular zone based on the message received from the real-time location system… (See at least Fig. 1, [0066-0067]: “As shown in FIG. 3, in a device centric or certain hybrid approaches, the information 25 vouching for the other nodes 6b is received and made use of by the mobile device 8. As well as performing the localization, the mobile device 8 is configured to process the information 25 to determine whether any of the anchor nodes 6 it is encountering in the environment 2 are not amongst those vouched for by the information 25 received from one or more first nodes 6a. Such unvouched-for nodes may thus be determined to be rogue nodes (with some degree of certainty, i.e. being at least suspected rogue nodes). There are at least two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes. One option is for the mobile device 8 to refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using any beacon signals from the identified rogues), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes, e.g. only including these in the triangulation, trilateration, multilateration or fingerprint-based calculation)…In a network centric approach or certain other hybrid approaches (not shown in FIG. 3), the information 25 is received by one or more second nodes 6 of the location network and forwarded to a location server 14 to be used there. These second nodes could be nodes amongst those vouched for by the transmitted information 25, or could be yet further nodes of the network 6. Or as another option, the information 25 could be received by the mobile device 8 but forwarded to the location server 14 to be used there. In such cases, as well as performing the localization, the location server 14 is configured to process the information 25 to determine whether any of the anchor nodes 6 from which it has received beacon measurements are not amongst those vouched for by the information 25 received from one or more first nodes 6a. Such nodes may thus be determined to be rogue nodes (again with some degree of certainty, i.e. being at least suspected rogue nodes). As above, there are again two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes: the location server 14 may refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using the respective beacon measurements), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes)…” & “In embodiments, the list 25 may additionally include an indication as to which location server or beacon group each of the identified nodes in the list belong to, which the location module 36 can use to decide which nodes to use in the location calculation.” See also [0093] regarding an initial list of trustworthy nodes.)
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to combine Manci’s vehicle with Kumar’s technique of selecting which nodes to use for localization of a mobile device among nodes encountered in an environment. Doing so would be obvious to “ensure that the first time it performs a localization in a given environment it only uses the respective beacon signals of ones of those wireless nodes that are vouched for in the initial report. E.g. the mobile device receives the initial list of trusted nodes when it first enters a room, building or zone; and from that point onward this creates a chain of trust each time it performs a localization operation in that room, building or zone (each time only using nodes that have been vouched for by the initial report or other, previously vouched-for nodes)” (See [0022] of Kumar).
Regarding claim 17, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 16 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
further comprising determining a location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone based, at least in part, on communication with at least one of the designated beacons. (See at least [0112]: “As yet another example, the electronic badges 126 can be utilized as beacons. For instance, if the absolute position of an electronic badge 126 is fixed, then an industrial vehicle encountering the electronic badge 126 can compute its own position” & [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location).”)
Regarding claim 18, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 17 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein performing the at least one of (i) modifying an operating characteristic of the vehicle system and (ii) operating the vehicle system based on the applicable rule of the road is further based on the determined location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone. (See at least [0112]: “As yet another example, the electronic badges 126 can be utilized as beacons. For instance, if the absolute position of an electronic badge 126 is fixed, then an industrial vehicle encountering the electronic badge 126 can compute its own position” & [0188]: “Moreover, the server, e.g., interacting with the warehouse management system database 124, can access the next pick location for the industrial vehicle 108, which is communicated wirelessly to the information linking device 202 for presentation on the graphical display 1402, e.g., by merging data obtained from the server and badge communicator 224 with a CAD map. In this regard, the end-of-aisle electronic badges 126 can be used to inform an operator that the industrial vehicle is in a correct aisle, or to direct the industrial vehicle as to where to go to achieve the next pick. That is, the processor of the industrial vehicle can take a predetermined action by communicating the position of the industrial vehicle based upon the electronic badge ID to a server in order to receive back instructions from the server informing the industrial vehicle of the location of a next destination for the industrial vehicle (e.g., next pick location).”)
Regarding claim 19, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 17 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
further comprising selecting the applicable rule of the road from a plurality of rules of the road associated with the particular zone based on one or more of: the determined location of the materials-handling vehicle within the particular zone, a characteristic of the materials-handling vehicle, a time of day, a season, and user-defined criteria. (See at least [0181]: “As yet another example, an operator may be required to stop and/or sound a horn at the end of an aisle. The badge communicator 224 detects the end-of-aisle badge and reports this to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 receives programming from the server 112, that the vehicle must stop and sound a horn at the end of the aisle. The information linking device 202 monitors the vehicle network bus 218 to determine whether the operator did in-fact stop and/or sound the horn. The information linking device logs the response to this geo-encounter” & [0110-0111]: “In this example, the badge communicator 224 on an industrial vehicle 108 identifies the badge ID as a marker badge that is communicated to the information linking device 202. The information linking device 202 reports the detected marker badge to the server 112. The server 112 is programmed by a set of rules that define the functionality of the marker badge. In this example, the server 112 is programmed to associate a specific industrial vehicle ID and/or operator ID with a marker badge ID as being either permissive or restrictive. The server 112 reports back to the information linking device 202, an appropriate response based upon each ID…For instance, if a warehouse floor manager becomes aware of a spill, a specific electronic badge 126 can be positioned at the spill site, with a custom program to cause all industrial vehicles to take a pre-programmed action when in proximity to the marker badge.”)
Regarding claim 20, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 16 as discussed above.
Manci additionally teaches:
wherein the particular zone corresponds to an aisle and at least one of the designated beacons is positioned at one of an exit and an entrance of the aisle. (See at least [0057]: “On the other hand, certain electronic badges may be stationary, such as where mounted to the end of an aisle…”)
Regarding claim 21, Manci and Kumar in combination teach all the limitations of claim 16 as discussed above.
Kumar additionally teaches:
further comprising configuring the materials-handling vehicle to ignore beacons of the multiple beacons positioned within the environment other than the designated beacons. (See at least [0066]: “There are at least two possible courses of action in response to detecting such rogue nodes. One option is for the mobile device 8 to refrain from using any nodes identified as rogue in the localization (i.e. refrain from using any beacon signals from the identified rogues), instead selecting only those vouched-for in the localization calculation (i.e. only using measurements of beacon signals to or from the vouched-for nodes, e.g. only including these in the triangulation, trilateration, multilateration or fingerprint-based calculation)” & [0093]: “To overcome this, in embodiments an initial list of authentic nodes 6 can be bootstrapped to the positioned device 8 using the “out-of-band” mechanism provided by the transmitter 38/32 (out-of-band in that it uses a different channel than the first, beaconing channel). For example this could be implemented by means of coded-light or an RFID tag, located at strategic positions within the indoor facility based on the layout (e.g. at the entrances). The out-of-band communicated anchor nodes list enables trust in other nodes that this set of authentic nodes advertises, thereby creating a chain-of-trust. I.e. when the mobile device 8 first enters the environment (or first begins localization) it reads the initial list from the out-of-band transmitter 38/32 and only uses anchor nodes 6 known to be trusted from this initial list.”)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20170067385 A1 is directed to controlling a vehicle to impose a defined behavior if a vehicle enters a location for which a zone based driver/vehicle has been defined.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nikki Molina whose telephone number is (571) 272-5180. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays, 7:30-4:30 PT. 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, Aniss Chad, can be reached on (571) 270-3832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NIKKI MARIE M MOLINA/Examiner, Art Unit 3662
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