`
`(PATENT)
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`In re Patent Application of:
`Kenneth F. Schoening et al.
`
`Application No.: 13/857,616
`
`Confirmation No.: 8818
`
`Filed: April 5, 2013
`
`Art Unit: 2876
`
`For: A RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION
`SYSTEM FOR TRACKING AND MANAGING
`MATERIALS IN A MANUFACTURING
`PROCESS
`
`Examiner: A. N. Trail
`
`AMENDMENT TO NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION DATED AUGUST 2, 2013
`AND APPLICANT INTERVIEW SUMMARY
`
`MS Amendment
`Commissioner for Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
`
`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Dear Madam:
`
`INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS
`
`In response to the Office Action dated August 2, 2013, please amend the aboVe—identified
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`U.S. patent application as follows:
`
`Amendments to the Claims are reflected in the listing of claims which begins on page 2
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`of this paper.
`
`Remarks/Arguments begin on page 11 of this paper.
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`RFC - Exhibit 1012
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
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`AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS
`
`1.
`
`(Currently Amended) An inventory tracking system for use in tracking placement
`
`of physical items within an inventory tracking region, comprising:
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`a radio frequency tag detection system including[[;]];
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`a plurality of radio frequency antennas disposed in a spaced apart manner within
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`‘ch_e [[an]] inventory tracking region; and
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`a detection controller coupled to the plurality of radio frequency antennas, the
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`detection controller including a beam— steering control system that controls the operation
`
`of each of the radio frequency antennas, wherein one of the plurality of radio frequency
`
`antennas uses a beam to scan a portion of the inventory tracking region [[and]] to detect a
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`current physical location of one or more eaeh—ef—a—nu1=n-ber—ef radio frequency tags
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`disposed in a scanned portion of the inventory tracking region, wherein the current
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`physical location corresponds to a position defined by two coordinate units in a multi-
`
`dimensional coordinate system and the value of each of the two coordinate units is
`
`determined by the one of the plurality of radio frequency antennas, and wherein the
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`detection controller generates indications of the detected radio frequency tags and the
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`current physical locations of the detected radio frequency tags in the scanned portion
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`within the inventory tracking region; and
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`a tracking system coupled to the radio frequency tag detection system to receive the
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`indications of the detected radio frequency tags and the current detected physical locations [[for]]
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`o_f the detected radio frequency tags in the scanned portion within the inventory tracking region,
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`the tracking system including[[;]];
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`a memory for storing inventory item information for each of a plurality of
`
`inventory items, the inventory item information for each of the plurality of inventory
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`items including an inventory item radio frequency tag identifier, inventory item
`
`identification information defining the identity of the inventory item, and an indication of
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`the current physical location of the inventory item within the inventory tracking region;
`
`and
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
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`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
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`an access system that accesses the memory and provides at least a subset of the
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`inventory item information for one or more of the inventory items to a user for
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`determining the current physical location of the one or more of the inventory items within
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`the inventory tracking region,
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`wherein the tracking system updates the indication of the current physical location of at
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`least one particular inventory item within the inventory tracking region as stored in the memory
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`for the at least one particular inventory item based on the indication of the current physical
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`location of the detected radio frequency tag for at the least one particular inventory item as
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`produced by the detection controller.
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`2.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the subset of
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`inventory item information includes the indication of the current physical location of the one or
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`more of the inventory items within the inventory tracking region.
`
`3.
`
`(Canceled).
`
`4.
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`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 2, wherein the tracking system
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`stores, for each of the plurality of inventory items, inventory item identification information
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`including two or more defining characteristics of the inventory item.
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`5.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 2, wherein the inventory item
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`identification information for the at least one of the inventory items includes a type of material
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`associated with the inventory item, a source of the inventory item, or an amount of material
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`associated with the inventory item.
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`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`6.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 2, wherein the access system
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`includes a user display system that graphically displays the current physical location of the one
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`or more of the inventory items based on the indication of the current physical location of the one
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`or more of inventory items.
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`7.
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`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 6, wherein the user display
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`system displays the current physical location of the one or more of the inventory items in a
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`graphical manner juxtaposed with an indication of at least a portion of the inventory region.
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`8.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 6, wherein the user display
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`system graphically displays the current physical location of the one or more of the inventory
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`items by displaying an indication of a two dimensional geographical location of the one or more
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`of the inventory items within the inventory tracking region.
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`9.
`
`(Canceled).
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`10.
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`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the access system
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`includes an auditory system that generates auditory signals based on the current physical location
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`of one or more of the inventory items.
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`11.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the access system
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`includes a visual system that generates lighted signals based on the current physical location of
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`one or more of the inventory items.
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`12.
`
`(Canceled).
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`13.
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`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 1, further including an
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`inventory control system that receives the current physical location of at least one of the
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`inventory items from the access system and determines if the one of the plurality of inventory
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`items is in a desired location.
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`14.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 13, wherein the inventory
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`control system compares the current physical location of the at least one of the inventory items to
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`a desired location of the at least one of the inventory items as defined by a job identifier
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`associated with a job that uses the at least one of the inventory items.
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`15.
`
`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 14, wherein the inventory
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`control system produces a warning signal when the location of the at least one of the inventory
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`items associated with the job identifier is not at the desired location for the inventory item for the
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`job defined by the job identifier when running the job.
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`16.
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`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 14, wherein the desired
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`location is associated with a location of the at least one of the inventory items within a
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`manufacturing process during execution of the manufacturing process during the job.
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`17.
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`(Original) The inventory tracking system of claim 14, wherein the inventory
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`control system detects movement of the at least one of the inventory items based on the job
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`identifier and compares movement of the inventory item with a desired movement of the
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`inventory item as specified by the job identifier.
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`18.
`
`(Currently Amended) A method of tracking inventory within an inventory region,
`
`comprising:
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`periodically scanning the inventory region with one or more radio frequency antennas
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`using a beam steering scanning technique, wherein one of the one or more radio frequency
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`antennas scans a portion of the inventory region to detect one or more radio frequency tags
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`disposed in a scanned portion of [[in]] the inventory region, each of the radio frequency tags
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`being associated with an inventory item;
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`determining a current physical location for [[each of]] the one or more detected radio
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`frequency tags in the scanned portion within the inventory region based on the detection of the
`
`one or more radio frequency tags within a scan, wherein the current physical location
`
`corresponds to a position defined by two coordinate units in a multi—dimensional coordinate
`
`system and the value of each of the two coordinate units is determined by the one of the one or
`
`more radio frequency antennas, and wherein the current physical location for [[each of]] the one
`
`or more detected radio frequency tags is resolved to a region less than the coverage area of fly
`
`o_f the radio frequency antennas;
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`storing, in a computer readable memory, for each of the detected radio frequency tags,
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`inventory item information, wherein the inventory item information for a radio frequency tag
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`includes an inventory item radio frequency tag identifier, inventory item identification
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`information defining the identity of the inventory item, and current physical location information
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`for the inventory item;
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`updating the current physical location information of at least one inventory item within
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`the inventory traeleing region as stored in the computer readable memory based the determined
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`current physical location of the detected radio frequency tag for the at the least one inventory
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`item as determined during one or more scans; and
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`accessing the stored inventory item information to determine the current physical location
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`of the one or more of the set of inventory items within the inventory region.
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`19.
`
`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, further including
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`storing, as part of the inventory item identification information, an amount of material associated
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`with the inventory item.
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`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`20.
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`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, further including
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`displaying the physical location of the one or more of the inventory items within the inventory
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`region on a display device.
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`21.
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`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 20, wherein displaying the
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`physical location of the one or more of the inventory items includes graphically displaying an
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`indication of the current physical location of the one or more of the inventory items on a user
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`display device juxtaposed on an indication of at least a portion of the inventory region.
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`22.
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`(Currently Amended) The method of tracking inventory of claim 20, wherein
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`displaying the current physical location of the one or more of the inventory items includes
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`displaying at least a portion of the inventory item identification information along with an
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`indication of the current physical location of one or more of the inventory items on a user display
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`device.
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`23.
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`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, further including
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`generating a visual alarm signal based on current physical location of one or more of the
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`inventory items.
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`24.
`
`(Canceled).
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`25.
`
`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, further including using
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`the physical location of one of the inventory items as stored in the memory to determine if the
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`one of the inventory items is in a desired location as defined by a job identifier.
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`26.
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`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, including using the
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`physical location of one of the inventory items as stored in the memory to detect movement of
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`the one of the inventory items within the inventory region and determining if the detected
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`movement of the one of the inventory items is a desired movement based on a job identifier.
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`27.
`
`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, further including
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`enabling or disabling the operation of a portion of a manufacturing process based on the physical
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`location of one of the inventory items.
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`28.
`
`(Currently Amended) A method of tracking inventory within an inventory region,
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`comprising:
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`periodically scanning the inventory region with one or more radio frequency antennas
`
`using a beam steering scanning technique, wherein one of the one or more radio frequency
`
`antennas scans a portion of the inventory region to detect one or more radio
`
`frequency tags disposed in a scanned portion of [[in]] the inventory region, each of the radio
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`frequency tags being associated with a different inventory item;
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`determining a current physical location for [[each of]] the one or more detected radio
`
`frequency tags in the scanned portion within the inventory region based on the detection of the
`
`one or more radio frequency tags within a scan, wherein the current physical location
`
`corresponds to a position defined by two coordinate units in a multi—dimensional coordinate
`
`system and the value of each of the two coordinate units is determined by the one of the one or
`
`more radio frequency antennas, and wherein the current physical location [[for each]] of the one
`
`or more detected radio frequency tags is resolved to a region less than the coverage area of fly
`
`o_f the radio frequency antennas;
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`storing inventory item information in a computer readable memory for each the different
`
`inventory items, the inventory item information for a particular inventory item including a radio
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`frequency tag identifier, inventory item identification information defining the identity of the
`
`inventory item, and current physical location information for the inventory item;
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`updating the current physical location information of each of the inventory items within
`
`the inventory traelein-g region as stored in the computer readable memory based on the
`
`determined current physical location of the detected radio frequency tag for the inventory items
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`as determined during one or more scans; and
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`enabling access to the stored inventory item information for each of the inventory items
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`to determine the current physical location of the inventory items within the inventory region.
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`29.
`
`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 28, further including
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`displaying the physical location of a multiplicity of the inventory items within the inventory
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`region on a display device.
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`30.
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`(Original) The method of tracking inventory of claim 29, wherein displaying the
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`physical location of the multiplicity of the inventory items includes graphically displaying an
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`indication of the current physical location of the multiplicity of inventory items on a user display
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`device juxtaposed on an indication of at least a portion of the inventory region.
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`31.
`
`(New) The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the position defined by
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`the two coordinate units in the multi—dimensional coordinate system corresponds to an exact
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`position.
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`32.
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`(New) The inventory tracking system of claim 1, wherein the position defined by
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`the two coordinate units in the multi—dimensional coordinate system corresponds to a range of
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`positions between two numerical values.
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`
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`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`33.
`
`(New) The method of tracking inventory of claim 18, wherein the position
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`defined by the two coordinate units in the multi—dimensional coordinate system corresponds to
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`an exact position.
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`34.
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`(New) The method of tracking inventory of claim 28, wherein the position
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`defined by the two coordinate units in the multi—dimensional coordinate system corresponds to a
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`range of positions between two numerical Values.
`
`10
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`
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`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
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`REMARKS
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`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
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`Claims 1-30 were pending in this application. By way of this amendment, claims 1, 18
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`and 28 are amended. Claims 3, 9, 12 and 24 are hereby canceled, and claims 31-34 are added.
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`No new matter has been added. As a result, claims 1, 2, 4-8, 10, 11, 13-23 and 25-34 are
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`currently pending in this application with the total number of claims remaining at thirty.
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`Accordingly, no additional fees are due and the amendment does not remove this application
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`from Track I priority examination status.
`
`Applicants’ Interview Summary
`
`On October 23, 2013, the Applicants’ representatives, Roger A. Heppermann (below
`
`signed attorney) and Zie Kyle Yie (who is not registered before the PTO) conducted a telephonic
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`interview with Examiner Trail. During the interview, proposed claim amendments very similar
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`to those made herein to claim 1 were discussed. Examiner Trail appeared to indicate that these
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`amendments would overcome the prior art rejections. No exhibits were shown and no
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`demonstration was performed. Applicants would like to thank Examiner Trail for her time and
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`consideration in granting and conducting the interview and for her most helpful comments
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`during the interview.
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`Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. §102
`
`Claims 1-9, 12-14, 16, 18-22, 24, 25 and 28-30 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(e) as
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`allegedly anticipated by Subramanian, U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0049925 (“Subramanian”).
`
`Applicants respectfully traverse this rejection for the reasons provided below.
`
`Claim 1 is amended and now recites, inter alia, “the detection controller including a
`
`beam-steering control system that controls the operation of each of the radio frequency antennas,
`
`wherein one of the plurality of radio frequency antennas uses a beam to scan a portion of the
`
`inventory tracking region to detect a current physical location of one or more radio frequency
`
`tags disposed in a scanned portion of the inventory tracking region, wherein the current physical
`
`location corresponds to a position defined by two coordinate units in a multi-dimensional
`
`11
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`coordinate system and the value of each of the two coordinate units is determined by the one of
`
`the plurality of radio frequency antennas.”
`
`Claims 18 and 28 are similarly amended to recite, inter alia, “periodically scanning the
`
`inventory region with one or more radio frequency antennas using a beam steering scanning
`
`technique, wherein one of the one or more radio frequency antennas scans a portion of the
`
`inventory region” and “wherein the current physical location corresponds to a position defined
`
`by two coordinate units in a multi—dimensional coordinate system and the value of each of the
`
`two coordinate units is determined by the one of the one or more radio frequency antennas.”
`
`Support for the amendments is found, for example, in paragraph [0051] of the specification.
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`Subramanian does not disclose or suggest at least these elements.
`
`Subramanian discloses a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader system that
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`uses one or more mechanically steered directional antennas to detect RFID tags disposed within
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`a controlled area. However, when using a single directional antenna, the RFID tag reader system
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`is only capable of determining the directional position of a detected RFID tag. In other words,
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`when the single directional antenna receives a response signal from the detected RFID tag, the
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`RFID tag reader system can only distinguish or identify the general direction or angle from
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`which the response signal originated from. In order for the RFID tag reader system to determine
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`a precise physical location of the RFID tag (e. g., a direction and a distance or some other two
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`dimensional range or position of the RFID tag), multiple directional antennas are needed to
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`perform triangulation calculations (see paragraph [0051] of Subramanian).
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`By contrast, in the present application, only one radio frequency antenna is needed to
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`detect the physical location of an RFID tag in two dimensions. In particular, the one radio
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`frequency antenna uses a beam to scan a portion of a region to detect a current physical location
`
`of a radio frequency tag disposed within the region. The current physical location corresponds to
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`a position defined by two coordinate units in a multi—dimensional coordinate system (e. g., a
`
`direction and a distance, two distances or ranges of distances in orthogonal axes, etc.) and the
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`value (e. g., a single value or a range of values) of each of the two coordinate units is determined
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`by the one radio frequency antenna.
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`Accordingly, because Subramanian does not disclose or suggest each and every element
`
`of amended claims 1, 18 and 27, Subramanian does not anticipate claims 1, 18 and 27.
`12
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`As to claims 2-9, 13, 14, 16, 19-22, 25 and 29-30, these claims depend from claims 1, 18
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`and 28 and therefore recite all the elements of claims 1, 18 and 28. At least for the same reasons
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`as claims 1, 18 and 28, Subramanian does not anticipate these dependent claims.
`
`Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. §103
`
`Claims 10, 11, 15, 17, 23 and 26 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103(a) as allegedly
`
`unpatentable over Subramanian in View of Takaku et al., U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2007/0046439
`
`(“Takaku”). Applicants respectfully traverse this rejection.
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`Similarly, Takaku does not disclose or suggest a system that uses one radio frequency
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`antenna to determine the physical location of an RFID tag in a two dimensional coordinate
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`system, nor has the Examiner cited Takaku for this purpose. Therefore, a combination of
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`Subramanian and Takaku would not have the capability of detecting the physical location of an
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`RFID tag in a two dimensional coordinate system by using only one radio frequency antenna.
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`As a result, no combination of Subramanian and Takaku can render any of claims 10, 11, 15, 17,
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`23 and 26 obvious. Accordingly, claims 10, 11, 15, 17, 23 and 26 are patentable over
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`Subramanian in View of Takaku.
`
`13
`
`
`
`Application No. 1 3/857,616
`Amendment dated October 28, 2013
`Reply to Office Action of August 2, 2013
`
`Docket No. : 3 1440/4675 1
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`Applicants respectfully submit that all pending claims are in condition for allowance for
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`the reasons provided above. Although Applicants believe that no fees or petitions are due, the
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`Commissioner is hereby authorized to charge any fees or credit any overpayments to Deposit
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`Account No. 13-2855. Should the Examiner wish to discuss the foregoing, or any matter of
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`form, in an effort to advance this application towards allowance, the Examiner is urged to
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`telephone the undersigned at the indicated number.
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`Dated: October 28, 2013
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`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/Roger A. Heppermann #37,641/
`By:
`Roger A. Hepperrnann
`Registration No.: 37,641
`MARSHALL, GERSTEIN & BORUN LLP
`233 S. Wacker Drive
`
`6300 Willis Tower
`
`Chicago, Illinois 60606-6357
`(312) 474-6300
`
`Attorney for Applicants
`
`14