Appeal No. 2006-1128
Application No. 10/215,877
BLCaseWorkList 62 retrieves a prioritized worklist for a user when a
worker starts a session with a workflow processing system according to
the present invention. The next case can be retrieved while
simultaneously processing the current case by user interaction through a
client/server GUI environment. Ordinarily a user will require a few minutes
to process the work item. During that interval BLCaseWorkList prefetches
the next case to the client workstation of the user. This limits the idle time
of employees between and during cases and increases the output of the
employee. [See col. 7 lines 55-65]
None of the appellants’ arguments are found persuasive. Accordingly, we sustain
the examiner’s rejection of claims 1-6 and 24-27 as rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
being unpatentable as obvious over Bissonette in view of Lynn.
Claims 7-23 rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable as obvious over
Caulfield in view of Lynn.
Claims 7-12
We note that the appellants argue claims 7-12 as a group. Accordingly, we select claim
7 as representative of the group.
Caulfield describes receiving payment disputes and getting related
data; putting that data into computerized rules and processing the data
and rules and outputting to the next stage. [See page 1 line 29 to page 2,
line 13];
Lynn shows associating workflow transactions with a work queue of
cases to be worked [See Fig. 5 Ref. 122 &126]; at least two cases to be
worked by said investigator [See col. 7 lines 55-61 – “The next case can
be retrieved…]; regulating execution of a workload of said investigator via
displaying only a partial listing of said second queue of cases for viewing
by said investigator so as to prevent said investigator from selectively
avoiding cases to work. [See col. 1 lines 49-56 and col. 7 lines 55-65
describing a FIFO queuing discipline to control what a worker can work
on].
We note that a FIFO queuing discipline is (1) a notoriously well known
management tool, and (2) is the typical workflow control in claim handling
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