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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., abstract idea) without significantly more.
The claims recite method, system and computer program product for warehouse inventory management.
Exemplary claim 1 recites in part,
“…store a module and one or both of information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse…to plan technical service for the at least one agricultural machine;
…automatically coordinate and automatically supervise the stocking of the warehouse with spare parts based on one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse.”
The above limitations describe the steps of, 1) retrieving data (stocking information or stocking criteria information), and 2) monitoring or coordinating stocking operation.
The above steps describe warehouse inventory management. The above limitations, under their broadest reasonable interpretation, encompass "Mental Processes" enumerated in MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III)(A)&(D). If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers “both product and process claims may recite a mental process”, then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
The judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. The cited claims recite additional elements in the form of one or more computing elements (server, database, computational device), to perform the limitations encompassing the abstract idea identified above. The computing elements represent using a computer as a tool to perform the judicial exception as in MPEP 2106.05(f). In addition, the features of “the one or more computer elements communicating over a network” and “server hosting the module” represent storing and transmitting data, which amounts to insignificant extra-solution activities that do not impose meaningful limits on the abstract idea. See MPEP 2106.05(g).
When considered both individually and as a whole, the additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application.
The recitation of additional elements is acknowledged as identified above. The discussion with respect to practical application is equally applicable to consideration of whether the additional elements amount to significantly more. “Transmitting information over a network” and “storing data in memory” have been recognized by the courts as well-understood, routine, and conventional computer functions (see MPEP 2106.05(d)). In addition, the recited computing elements represent using a computer as a tool to perform the judicial exception as in MPEP 2106.05(f).
Therefore, there are no meaningful recitations, considered in combination, that transform the judicial exception into a patent eligible application such that the claim amounts to significantly more than the judicial exception itself.
Accordingly, claim 1 is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., abstract idea) without significantly more.
Claim 18 recites similar limitations as set forth in claim 1, and therefore is rejected based on similar rationale.
Dependent claims 2-17, 19-20 recite limitations directed to the abstract idea, and do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application nor amount to significantly more.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2022/174340 (Larson et al. – hereinafter Larson).
Referring to claim 1, Larson teaches a system configured to manage stocking a warehouse on a farm with spare parts for at least one agricultural machine of a fleet, the system comprising:
at least one server; [See paragraphs 0007, 0008]
at least one database; and [See paragraphs 0048, 0074]
at least one computational device; [See paragraphs 0049, 0081]
wherein the at least one server, the at least one database, and the at least one computational device are configured to communicate via one or more networks;
wherein the at least one database is configured to store a module and one or both of information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse, wherein the module is configured to plan technical service for the at least one agricultural machine; [See paragraphs 0048, 0074]
wherein the at least one server is configured to host the module for the at least one computational device; [See paragraphs 0049, 0081]
wherein, upon execution of the module by the computational device, the module is configured to automatically coordinate and automatically supervise the stocking of the warehouse with spare parts based on one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse. [See paragraphs 0049, 0081]
Referring to claim 2, Larson discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the module is configured to automatically plan, automatically coordinate, and automatically supervise the stocking of the warehouse with spare parts based on an initial stock of the spare parts in the warehouse for operation of the at least one agricultural machine during a respective time period, in particular a harvest season or an entire calendar year; and wherein the module is configured to automatically determine the initial stock based on the one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse. [See paragraphs 0059-0064, 0073, 0074]
Referring to claim 3, Larson discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the module is configured to automatically generate at least one action routine for stocking the warehouse with the spare parts; wherein the action routine comprises a list of spare parts needed for the warehouse and procedural instructions to procure spare parts contained in the list; and wherein the module is configured to automatically generate the action routine based on the one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse. [See paragraphs 0057, 0059-0064, 0073, 0074]
Referring to claim 4, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, further comprising one or more automated vehicles configured to, responsive to the list of spare parts, automatically transport one or more of the spare parts on the list. [See paragraphs 0057-0075]
Referring to claim 5, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the action routine is automatically generated based on spare part availability in a vicinity of the warehouse. [See paragraphs 0057-0075]
Referring to claim 6, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the module is configured to automatically monitor entry of the spare parts into the warehouse and dispatch of the spare parts from the warehouse; and wherein responsive to automatically determining the dispatch of the spare parts from the warehouse, the module is configured to automatically instruct and automatically trigger the procedural instructions to automatically procure the spare parts. [See paragraphs 0057-0075]
Referring to claim 7, Larson discloses the system of claim 5, wherein the module is configured to automatically modify the action routine responsive to automatically determining a dispatch of the spare parts from the warehouse. [See paragraphs 0057-0075]
Referring to claim 8, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the module is configured to automatically instruct and automatically trigger the procedural instructions to procure the spare parts responsive to receiving a request for the spare parts initiated by one or both of a user of the warehouse or the at least one agricultural machine. [See paragraphs 0039, 0102, 0057-0075]
Referring to claim 9, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the module is configured to automatically monitor a wear condition of the at least one agricultural machine based on the one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse; and [See paragraphs 0073-0077]
wherein the module is configured to automatically generate the action routine based on the monitored wear condition of the at least one agricultural machine to procure the spare parts. [See paragraphs 0073-0077]
Referring to claim 10, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the module is configured to:
automatically access a predetermined time frame; and [See paragraphs 0073-0077]
automatically generate the action routine for procurement of the spare parts within the predetermined time frame; and [See paragraphs 0073-0077]
further comprising one or more automated vehicles configured to, responsive to the list of spare parts, automatically transport one or more of the spare parts on the list within the predetermined time frame. [See paragraphs 0073-0077]
Referring to claim 11, Larson discloses the system of claim 3, wherein the module is configured to automatically generate different action routines for stocking the warehouse with spare parts; wherein the different actions routines differ from each other in one or both of the list of spare parts needed for the warehouse or the procedural instructions to procure spare parts of the list of spare parts; wherein each action routine is designed for a specific respective time; and wherein the specific respective time comprises a pre-harvest period, a harvest period or a post-harvest period. [See paragraphs 0060-0077]
Referring to claim 12, Larson discloses the system of claim 11, wherein the module is configured to: automatically determine whether the specific respective time is the pre-harvest period, the harvest period or the post-harvest period; and automatically generate the procedural instructions of the action routine so that the procurement of the spare parts during the harvest period is faster than during the pre-harvest period and post-harvest period. [See paragraphs 0060-0077]
Referring to claim 13, Larson discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse are related to one or more of: the warehouse; the at least one agricultural machine; at least one central storage for the spare parts; at least one neighboring warehouse for the spare parts on a neighboring farm; one or more part runners; or one or more drones for transportation of the spare parts between different facilities and entities. [See paragraphs 0060-0077]
Referring to claim 14, Larson discloses the system of claim 13, wherein one or more of the at least one server, the at least one database, or the at least one computational device are configured to communicate, via the one or more networks, with one or more of the warehouse, the at least one agricultural machine, the at least one central storage, the at least one neighboring warehouse, the one or more part runners, or the one or more drones in order to provide the one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse to the at least one database. [See paragraphs 0060-0077]
Referring to claim 15, Larson discloses the system of claim 13, wherein the one or both of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse comprise one or more of: information regarding one or both of a geographic position or an actual stock of the warehouse; criteria regarding the stock of the warehouse; information regarding a configuration of the at least one agricultural machine; information regarding an operation of the at least one agricultural machine; information regarding crops harvested by the at least one agricultural machine; information regarding agronomic conditions at the geographical position of the warehouse; information regarding climatic conditions at the geographical position of the warehouse; information regarding one or both of a geographical position or an actual stock of the at least one central storage; information regarding one or both of the geographical position or the actual stock of the at least one neighboring warehouse; or information regarding one or more of the geographical position, an availability, or a capacity of one or more of the one or more part runners or the one or more drones. [See paragraphs 0039-0044, 0060-0077]
Referring to claim 16, Larson discloses the system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse is definable by one or more of a user of the warehouse, a service provider, one or both of a spare part dealer or a manufacturer of the spare parts, or the at least one agricultural machine. [See paragraphs 0007, 0039-0041, claim 1]
Referring to claim 17, Larson discloses the system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the at least one server, the at least one database, or the at least one computational device are configured to communicate with at least one user end device in order to transmit the at least some of the information regarding the stocking of the warehouse or the criteria regarding the stocking of the warehouse. [See paragraphs 0060-0077]
Referring to claims 18-20, they recite similar limitations as set forth in claims 1-4, and therefore are rejected based on same rationale.
Conclusion
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/OLUSEGUN GOYEA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
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